Name Help: A Middle Name for Lennon

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!

Lauren writes:

Our third child will be our second girl. We love the name Lennon and it very much feels like this baby’s name.

Our last name is St@n-lee. Lennon joins brother Porter Bennett and sister Monroe Quinn.

We like:

• Repeating letters – we love Lennon’s three Ns.
• It’s another 6-letter name.
• Gender neutral surnames.

But now we have a middle name dilemma.

Our favorite middle name to do is Wren (or Wrenn, to follow the double NN).

But it sounds a little sing-songish.

Help!

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

Patterns are interesting. I don’t immediately notice that Porter, Monroe, and Lennon all have a repeating letter. I’m too busy noticing that they’re nicely matched surname names; modern favorites, but with deep roots.

But even if the pattern isn’t immediately obvious to an outsider, there’s no question Lennon is a perfect fit. Another unisex surname, comes in at six letters, and offers a repeating initial – and you both love it. How lucky!

So let’s talk about middles.

I agree that Lennon Wren isn’t great. But it’s not eyebrow-raising off, either. (What would give me pause? Lennon Lynn, maybe. Or Lennon Ann, even.) The ‘r’ sound in Wren helps the name sound distinctive.

Now, to the one-N or two question?

As a middle name, it doesn’t really matter. If you are fairly confident that Lennon completes your family, I’d probably opt for Wrenn. Why not? It’s a fun way to connect the siblings’ names.

If you went with Lennon Wren or Lennon Wrenn, I’d say it was a solid choice.

But let’s test drive some other middle name options, because it’s the best way to determine if anything really is better than Wren.

MIDDLE NAMES with a DOUBLE N

BRYNN

I’m not sure Brynn offers any advantages over Wren/Wrenn, except that we’re used to seeing it with a double N.

FINN

Traditionally masculine, but possibly an option for a daughter, too. Still, I think Lennon Finn trips right over the line into the “probably masculine” rather than “squarely unisex” camp.

JEANNE

Maybe much too traditional for you, but I love the sound of Jeanne with Lennon.

RAINN

A unisex nature name, we’re used to seeing multiple spellings of Rain/Reign/Rayne, so Rainn blends right in. Plus, the bright A sound stands out next to Lennon.

SWANN

I kind of love Swan and Swann as given name. They’re trending France … and could work well in the US, too, particularly in the middle spot.

MIDDLE NAMES with a DOUBLE LETTER

BREE

Breezy and upbeat.

BELLE

Maybe too conventionally feminine? And I suppose it sounds a little descriptive. (“Where can we see the famous London Belle/London bell?”

JETT

A high-flying modern favorite.

UNISEX MIDDLE NAMES

BLAIR

A tailored surname middle offering a distinctive sound.

GRAY

Color name Gray makes an unexpected middle.

LAKE

Another nature name, like Rainn or Swann, with plenty of unisex appeal.

REEVE

There’s a double E here, but I think the real draw of Reeve is the name’s sharp, distinctive sound.

A MIDDLE NAME FOR LENNON

Overall, I think Lennon Reeve is all kinds of amazing – there’s the double E, the sharp V. And it’s just a slight adjustment from Wrenn/Wren.

But I wouldn’t rule out Wrenn/Wren, either.

If you can flip through all of my suggestions, and everything readers dream up, too, and still feel most drawn to Wren/n? Then I say embrace it.

Readers, what would you choose for Lennon’s middle name?