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!
Melissa writes:
Maybe this is a little extra, but I’m trying to come up with another girl’s name from a song. Ideally, it would be the song title/part of the title.
My name comes from the Allman Brothers song “Sweet Melissa.” It was kind of perfect, because I was born many years after the song came out. So I’d hear it sometimes, and knew it was “my” song, but it wasn’t like being named Bruno right now, with everybody singing it to you.
Cecilia was my husband’s suggestion, but I immediately loved it because of the song. Same thing – no one assumes it’s because we’re huge Simon and Garfunkel fans, but it’s kind of fun when we hear it.
We’d always agreed to name a son James. Again, there’s the song. (Even better, it’s “Sweet Baby James” to go with “Sweet Melissa.”)
But our second baby is a girl, and I’m feeling like I don’t want her to be left out. It’s possible we might have a third child in the future, and if it is our James, we’d have two out of three song title names.
We’ve ruled out:
- Angie/Angela, Rolling Stones – I think I could (maybe) like Angela, but Angie is just a no
- Caroline, Neil Diamond – perfect, BUT our last name ends with -ine, so it sounds awful
- Jane, Jane’s Addiction – but it seems too plain next to Cecilia!
- Josephine, George Thorogood – similar problem as Caroline with our last name (worried it would make people mispronounce our last name with an ‘een’, which is already a thing), plus good friends have a Josie
- Layla, Eric Clapton – love the song, but maybe not the name?
- Lola, the Kinks – LOVE this name, but my husband isn’t sure and not sure about the song
- Lucy, Beatles – could be perfect BUT we call our older daughter Cece sometimes, and Cece and Lucy is too much (even for me)
- Ophelia,The Lumineers – maybe too obscure/feel like we won’t hear it the way we do older songs
- Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac – too much about the song, if that makes sense
- Sara, Hall & Oates – could be really fun, but we just don’t love the name enough
Maybe the problem is that I want the song to be old enough that it’s not obvious. But I still want the girls to both feel like we hear their songs. (My older sister didn’t have a “song” and she’s still kind of mad about it!)
Can you help us think of more names that 1) are from song titles; 2) sound good with a last name that sounds like Burr-Dine; 3) are the kind of thing that you might hear at a baseball game but also would hear in real life without thinking it was from the song? (I know that last one is tricky!)
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for this question!
As it happens, I know a family with a similar situation – though their older child’s name (sort of) comes from a (mostly) obscure song reference with meaning to them. They chose Cecilia, in part, because it gave her a song, too!
It’s tricky, though, because you’re looking for a name you both like that happens to come from a very brief list of song titles.
That means your ultimate decision will be a trade-off. What’s more important to get right? The song reference, or your daughter’s name?
I think it might be possible to do both, but I do want to encourage you to feel okay about choosing a more obscure/contemporary song if that solves the problem for you. Will it be exactly fair? No. But pop culture evolves. There’s no guarantee we’ll think about all of these songs exactly the same way in another twenty years.
But, oh, I want this to work out for you!
GIRL NAMES FROM SONG TITLES
DELILAH
“Hey There Delilah” from the Plain White Tees only became a hit in 2007. But I expect we’ll still be hearing it in 2037. At least, I still catch it on satellite radio all. the. time. And it’s been fifteen years already. More reasons to consider it: it sounds balanced with Cecilia; the song is broadly positive; and if Layla, Lola, and Lucy are on your list, then maybe you’ll like the L sounds, too.
IRIS
Again, this 1998 song is on the younger side. But really not by much. And if this Goo Goo Dolls hit has survived nearly 25 years, it will probably still be around in another 25. It’s romantic and dramatic, but Iris has plenty of strength, too.
LEAH
Confession: I don’t think I heard this 1980 song until sometime in the late 1990s. And I wouldn’t put Donny Iris in the same category as the Beatles or the Stones. But it’s an enduring name for a daughter, just like Cecilia.
RUBY
With Ruby, you can pick your song, genre, and era. Kenny Rogers? The Kaiser Chefs? My first thought is the Rolling Stones, because Ruby Tuesday is just fun to say. (Though there’s the chain restaurant, too, so maybe that’s a minus. Though Cecilia would have Cici’s Pizza.) It reminds me of almost-not-quite Lucy, but it’s different enough from Lucy that it works with your older daughter’s name.
STELLA
I think you’d be less likely to hear “Stella Blue” in the wild. The Grateful Dead weren’t known for their radio hits; even so, this song is a little more obscure than, say, “Truckin'” or “Shakedown Street.” But, but, but … how great is Stella Blue as a first-middle combination?
SUSANNA
Strictly speaking, it’s Susie in the song titles. “Wake Up Little Susie” by the Everly Brothers is my first thought. But there’s “Susie Q” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, too, plus “Oh! Susanna.” The latter gives me pause, because I can imagine people singing that one to your daughter, more so than the others. But how great are Cecilia and Susanna together?
VALERIE
I’m thinking of the Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson cover of The Zutons’ song. Strictly speaking, it’s new – dating to 2011. (2006 if you count the original version.) But Steve Winwood used the name in a song title earlier. So did The Monkees, though they spelled it Valleri. (I think that last one matches the tempo and spirit of “Cecilia” well.)
VICTORIA
Back to The Kinks. Everyone knows Lola, but I’m a fan of “Victoria.” It’s about the Victorian era, but his regal and commanding name remains nicely wearable. The problem, of course, is that it’s less likely to be heard out and about – so maybe that rules it out.
CECILIA AND …
My first pick is still my first suggestion: Delilah. I think it hits the right note, both in terms of sounding like Cecilia’s sister and achieving song parity.
But Ruby is a close second, and I think it would be great with your older daughter’s name, too.
Virginia—as in “Sweet Virginia” by the Rolling Stones—seems like a perfect pick. It sounds lovely with Cecilia (as does nickname Ginny with Cece).
The song hits the sweet spot between obscure and popular (it had a recent resurgence after being used over the final credits of the film “Knives Out”). And it came out in 1972, just two years after Simon and Garfunkel released “Cecilia”, so the vintage is on-par with your older daughter’s name.
“Sweet Virginia”’s lyrics aren’t exactly kid-friendly—the chorus includes some lighthearted profanity—but then again, “Cecilia” is a bit risqué, too.
I love a lot of the suggestions already, but especially Gloria – I don’t think the U2 song of this name has been mentioned alongside others, but it’s one of my favourites – and Georgia seems like a good match as well.
Georgia made me think of Virginia, and the song I thought of was Country Roads, Take Me Home, but a quick search tells me there are a number of other songs about Virginia (including, yes, Sweet Virginia by the Rolling Stones). I quite like Virginia as a sister to Cecelia.
Oh, and this is probably a bit of an obscure song, but the name is lovely: Time After Time (Annelise) by REM.
My contribution! I have enjoyed thinking about this – what a fun connection to have between your names.
Georgia – Georgia on my Mind – Ray Charles
Jolene – Jolene – Dolly Pardon
Eileen – come on Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners
It’s been mentioned, but Gloria! It’s my young daughter’s name and there are so many Gloria songs, although the meanings are sometimes a little dicey lol (for instance, the Lumineers is definitely an alcoholic, even though my Glo loves that song). There are songs about Gloria by Them, Patti Smith, Laura Brannigan, and let’s not forget “Angels we have heard on high” (which my Glo has claimed as her Christmas song).
I just want to add that Georgia is also perfect, maybe in that there are so many songs about the state. Midnight train to Georgia, Georgia on my mind, etc.
I know Julia has already come up — this is my name and I have to suggest it again because it exactly matches what you describe! “So I sing a song of love for Julia” is pretty much perfect. My parents chose the name because they liked it but were reminded of the Beatles song and that positive association made them like the name more. So I have that connection to “my song” for my name, but no one hears my name and assumes I was named after a song or assumes my parents must have been huge Beatles fans.
I love Delilah and Valerie for you. Della, Lala and Lilah are all cute nicknames. Did you know Valerian is the husband of St. Cecilia (the Patron Saint of music)?
Laila Sady Johnson Wasn’t Beaten by No Train by Belle Plain
Santiana Traditional (bonus points its a cognate to Santana), this one might be more well known at the moment because sea shanties are popular right now. I know Home Free used this in their medley, i don’t know if many have recorded it though.
Annabelle Lee by Sarah Jarosz
Blue, from Blue Doll by Anita Carter
Diane by Cam
Skin (Sarabeth) by Rascal Flatts
Maria (West Side Story or My Maria by Brooks and Dunn)
Gabrielle by Brett Eldredge
Samantha is the name of the girl in Baton Rouge by Garth Brooks, but its only said once in the entire song, so a very obscure reference. It’s a fun, high energy song.
Also google song sweet, there’s lots of songs sweet+name
And for what it’s worth, I think Jane is beautiful next to Cecilia. I wouldn’t discount it for being plain – it is timeless and elegant and even a bit surprising at the moment. Although it would probably rule out a future James 🙁
I’m of course rather partial to Susannah (mine doesn’t find ‘O Susannah’ to irritating and it helps people remember that she’s not Savannah) … and you get both Susie and Annie if you want them.
Also love the suggestions of Molly and Gloria.
(But my husband really wants people to listen to that silly song)
Not what you’re looking for, but my husband *insisted* I mention Carol Brown by Flight of the Conchords … plenty of girls names in this song, but probably more off-putting for some of them than a sweet reference.
Even though the song is more current, Arabella by Arctic Monkeys. I think Cecilia and Arabella go well together.
Aubrey by Bread. Cecilia and Aubrey might not stylistically match but the song is really nice.
Eleanor (for Eleanor Rigby) or Elenore (for the Turtles song). Cecilia and Eleanor/Elenore sound like a good sibset.
Delilah was the first that came to mind for me. So many nickname options!! Also Valerie — don’t remember who originally wrote it but Amy Winehouse did an amazing cover.