Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Jenna writes:
Our daughter is due in April. We agreed on her first name before we even knew she was a girl – Claire. I love that it is simple but elegant.
When it comes to middle names, though, we’re stuck. Our last name starts with an H, ends with an R, and is very common as a boys name and a last name.
Because her first/last name will be common, I want her middle name to be different. My husband has suggested Marie and Elizabeth, but he admits he’s mostly thinking of middle names of people he knows. Not to honor someone, just because those “sound” like middle names to him.
The name I keep coming back to is Persephone. Claire Persephone. Since she’s due in spring, I really like whole mythological aspect/seasons part of Persephone, too.
My husband isn’t sure about Persephone. So while I try to win him over, can you suggest some more ideas?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new daughter!
I’m swooning over Claire Persephone. The sound, the juxtaposition of a classic first with a completely unexpected middle, the whole tie-in to being a springtime baby. It’s just perfect.
If your husband is reading this, I really hope he agrees!
But let’s take a minute and talk about middle names in general, because it seems like you’re both approaching the question from a different direction.
RIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE
First, it’s easy to just fill-in-the-blank.
We spent lots of time talking about first names. But nearly everyone has a middle, too. (That wasn’t always the case. They didn’t begin to become official in the US until World War I.) So leaving the space blank doesn’t feel like an option. But we don’t always have lots of energy left to devote to middles after figuring out firsts.
So we default to a few names.
And there is a pool of names perfect as middles. They conform to our ideas about the right rhythm and style to fill up that spot. Grace and Rose are go-tos for this generation. Marie and yes, Elizabeth, have been favorites for even longer.
But, but, but …
Okay, if your beloved grandmother’s name is Rose, then maybe that’s the perfect middle – even if it’s popular.
But a bolder – even slightly bolder – middle name can be a perfect choice.
It can distinguish your child from another who shares her name.
A friend has a great story about how she shared her common, but not that common name – first, last, and middle – with another classmate at her small liberal arts college. And how she almost didn’t meet her future husband, because when a mutual friend offered to introduce them, HE’D ALREADY MET the other Ruth Anne Henderson. (Not the actual name, but that’s the general vibe.)
Claire Elizabeth will be one of many. Claire Persephone is almost certainly the only one.
It’s a great place to add meaning.
Maybe it’s a family name. A reference to a favorite place or song. In this case, Persephone is a nod to her season of birth – which is quite lovely, too.
A bold middle is like a delightful secret to share with those close to you.
You’ll often hear, “Oh, no one uses your middle name anyway.” Sort of true. But then again, so many middle names are on the predicable side.
When you have a great name story, it’s different. It becomes something you can share with friends. And a bolder, surprising choice sparks up a more classic first, too.
IF NOT PERSEPHONE, MAYBE …
At this point, I’m tempted to suggest Dulcinea and Romilly.
But the trick might be to thread the needle: what’s not quite as bold as Persephone, but less conventional than Elizabeth?
These names all rank in the current US Top 1000, have history galore, and should be broadly familiar to many. But they’re not typical middle names, either.
ADELAIDE
As regal as Margaret, as borrowed-from-the-map as Sydney.
ELOISE
Another El- name, but one heard rarely as a middle.
FELICITY
Lacy, vintage Felicity share Persephone’s rhythm, but maybe it’s just a little more familiar?
GENEVIEVE
It sounds like a safe middle name, and I think it is – but it’s also not quite a traditional stand-by.
HADLEY
Maybe there’s a family surname that you can consider as a middle? If not, surname-style firsts like Hadley might be worth considering.
JOSEPHINE
It’s not unusual to hear Joseph as a middle, or Jo for girls. But Josephine in full might be just different enough.
MADELYN
Or Madeline. Like several names on this list, it’s common as a first, less conventional in the middle.
VIVIAN
This might be my favorite of the choices. It’s got such a sharp, tailored sound – I think it pairs beautifully with Claire.
A MIDDLE NAME FOR CLAIRE
I don’t think any of my suggestions top Persephone. But I do think they’re great alternatives to Elizabeth – just a little sparkier and less expected.
I’d suggest Claire Vivian or Claire Genevieve as an alternative.
Claire Persephone is lovely.
I also like:
Claire Anneliese
Claire Brielle
Claire Magnolia
My suggestion is Claire Marguerite.
The birth flower for April is the daisy and the name Marguerite nods to the French Daisy.
Claire Persephone is just wonderful!
Otherwise:
Claire Azalea
Claire Isadora
I love Claire Persephone! So many great suggestions here. I’ll add Claire Hyacinth – one of the first flowers of Spring. I like the alliteration with the middle and last name as well.
I’m a Clare Trudy (in honour of grandmother Gertrude), but I love Claire Ursula to get Claire Bear! In my experience people will go there anyway, may as well make it official!
I 100% agree with the idea of an unusual middle name with a common first and last. I have a very common first name that was in the top 10 for most of the decade I was born, a very uncommon middle name, and a last name that’s quite unusual for where I live, but not unheard of (think Hannah Sunday Fleming). I’ve met many people with my first name, and a few with my last name, but the only person I’ve known with the same first and last was a girl who was in the year below me at university. She once left her bank card and ID in the pub, and when they looked for her on Facebook, they found me. However, I quickly realised that it wasn’t me they wanted as her middle name was the very common Marie!
I love the combo of Claire Persephone, I think the quirkiness really stands out from the crowd, and I think the number of syllables throughout her full name is very musical. All of the other suggestions in this thread are also brilliant, I don’t think you can go wrong, but I’d like to suggest April. It’s unusual enough that she probably won’t meet another Claire April, whilst not being too out there. It also still has that connection to the time of her birth as she’s due in April! If your husband isn’t keen on the name April, you could also suggest the French Avril or Spanish Abril, which both sound more “namey” in English, whilst maintaining the meaning.
I adore Claire Persephone. But if that feels too out there, maybe Claire Penelope would be similar but a little more mainstream. Or Claire Pandora?
I like Claire Primrose… Same floral concept and P sound but a little less wild than Persephone. To me it splits the difference with Elizabeth.
Claire Iris immediately came to mind when I read your letter. Unexpected but slightly more restrained than Persephone. Plus the Greek mythology and the significance of rainbows makes a nice tie too.
Other thoughts were
Claire Soleil
Claire Margot
Claire Clementine (nn Cece would be an option)
Go with Claire Persephone! It’s gorgeous, and Persephone has some cute nns that could lend to screen names for her in the future, plus she’ll be much more likely to be able to have a domain name, social media accounts, etc. in her own name. Much less likely than if she’s given a common mn.
I love Claire! Some of my favorite combos:
Claire Evelyn
Claire Cecilia
Claire Isabelle
Claire Brigid
Claire Therese
Claire Virginia
Claire Philomena
Claire is a great choice for the first name (one of my daughters has Claire as one of her middles – it’s a family name for us and I love it).
Claire Persephone is amazing and I hope you can convince your husband to use it. If not, Claire Penelope would be a more common compromise that also sounds perfect. I quite like the idea of Claire Felicity, too.
I also like Claire Genevieve for you, since your name is Jenna. It’s a sweet connection in sound.
The suggestion of Claire Ursulina (or maybe just Ursula) to get “Claire Bear” is very cute!
For me, a middle name for Claire would have 3 or 4 syllables, end in the -een sound, and have the emphasis on the third syllable. Examples:
Amandine
Zephyrine
Celestine
Marceline
Honorine
Lissandrine
Fernandine
Cymbeline
Eponine
Angeline
Imogene
In keeping with the Spring idea:
Claire Primavera
(pree-ma-VAIR-ah)
Same first initial, spring meaning, same number of syllables – like Persephone
Claire Esmeralda
Emeralds are green, like all the fresh grass and leaves sprouting up in Spring
I second Claire Amaryllis, suggested by @Willow. It fits with the theme and number of syllables.
Cerelia – “relating to Spring”
Natalina – natal means birth, like Spring is a time of new birth
Pascualina – relating to Easter
Primarosa – “first rose” heralding Spring
Other ideas:
Callista
Bianca
Leilani
Mirabella
Elisheva (Elizabeth in Hebrew)
Emilina
Esperanza (means hope)
Juliana
Carolina (car-o-leen-ah)
Luminara
Margarita
Olivetta
Seraphina
Simonetta
Theodosia
Urselina – Claire Bear
Valentina
Violeta
IMO a 3 or 4 syllable name beginning with the hard C sound to create alliteration with Claire would be ideal. Something like…..
Cl@ire Cassandra H….y
Cl@ire Catarina H….y
Cl@ire Christiana H….y
If I were you, I’d come up with even BOLDER options so he warms to Persephone! 😉 It sounds a lot like Stephanie so maybe the sound will be familiar enough if he practices using it aloud?
I do think Penelope is a brilliant compromise. And Genevieve is a sweet nod to you – so perfect!
But why not go bold in the middle!
Claire Hermione
Claire Calliope
Claire Peregrine
Claire Waverly
Claire Bryony HLastname
I do love the name Bryony. Means to sprout in Latin. Perfect for a spring baby! Mostly used in the UK/Australia. Can also be spelled Briony. Gorgeous with Claire!
I have a niece named Persephone, and I admit to being surprised (shocked?) at first, especially since her sisters’ names are more like Claire. But I love it now and am maybe even a little proud to have a niece with such a beautifully unusual name. As a middle, it takes a lot less explaining.
I say go for it, if you can get your husband on board … if not, maybe Penelope is a good middle ground between Elizabeth and Persephone?
Claire Vivian sounds lovely!
Also:
Claire Miriam
Claire Victoria
Claire Isadora
Claire Natalie
Claire Winnifred
Claire Elissa
Claire Petra
Claire Georgia
Claire Susanna
I’d like to suggest Claire Amaryllis because I always think while Amaryllis is quite bold, it sounds like an actual name. The name Amaryllis is a Greek name like Persephone, and it means “to sparkle”, which has something to do with light just like Claire!