Update: I went into labor a little early, just a few days after this ran, and we still didn’t have a name. I was almost hoping for a boy because at least we agreed! But we had our third girl. And it turned out that choosing her name was easy, thanks to the most amazing labor & delivery nurse named Louise. As soon as I heard her name, I realized it was just meant to be! Our girls call her Lou Lou and all sorts of silly, sweet names. Thanks to everyone for your help and all of your suggestions. We read through every one of them in those early stages of labor and we really appreciated it!
Kristen writes:
We have two daughters, Helen and Frances. Both girls have my (unusual) last name as their middle name.
Our third and final child will be here in early August. If it’s a boy, we will name him James and call him Jack.
I know that’s not the usual nickname, but it’s the one we both like best.
We’re struggling with girl names. Many of the names we liked with Frances and Helen now feel too popular, including Abigail, Alice, and Evelyn.
I don’t like names that end with a, or really with vowel sounds. Though I do like Henry, so perhaps the right name could change my mind.
Not repeating initials is important to me.
With the exception of a few names, like James/Jack, I really don’t care for nicknames. And I don’t like names that feel like nicknames, even if I know they’re not. (My husband likes Lucy, but I feel like it’s short for Lucille, which I don’t care for.)
Can you help us find a girl’s name that goes with Helen “V@shek” “Nole$” and Frances “V@shek” “Nole$” without repeating an initial?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new baby!
I think the challenge with naming as our families grow is the sheer number of children we know. Neighborhood kids, the siblings’ of our children’s friends, the names of classmates in nursery school or swim class or any other formal program. Even if you’re just hanging out at the playground, you’re hearing names, names, names.
And so it probably won’t help for me to insist that Alice isn’t really common. Because to your ear, it’s overexposed. Maybe you even know one – or more!
The good news? Lots and lots of traditional, tailored names for girls remain far less popular. And they’d be perfect sister choices for Frances and Helen, too.
A SISTER FOR HELEN AND FRANCES
ADELE
Adelaide and Adeline are options, too, but I think the two-syllable, compact Adele is the perfect balance for Helen and Frances.
CLAIRE
Spare Claire is a Top 100 choice in the US, and has been since the late 1990s. But it seems more classic than trendy, a long-standing name with a lovely meaning: bright.
DOROTHY
The storybook hero makes this name feel equal parts vintage and daring. It’s every bit a sister for Helen and Frances.
ESTHER
Long before Harper and Piper, Esther was the girls’ name ending with R that appealed to generation after generation.
IRENE
Another name with a powerful meaning – peace – Irene is an earlier generation’s style star. Today it feels surprising and familiar at the same time.
LOUISE
Would Louise appeal to your husband? You mentioned Lucy is on his list, but you’re not a fan of Lucille. Louise might be the best of both worlds, with no shortening required.
MARGOT
Originally a Margaret nickname, Margot now stands on its own. It’s a name that feels creative and strong.
RUTH
This simple name borrowed from the Old Testament has an enduring quality.
Overall, my favorite sister name for Frances and Helen is probably Dorothy, with Adele a close second. I think they’re good style matches for her sisters, but a little different, too.
Oh, I really like this naming style. Frances and Helen are perfect for sisters, and there’s been some great suggestions already for their potential little sister’s name.
A couple of other suggestions:
Maureen
Bernadette
Judith
Yvette
Maxine
Isobel
Prudence
Gretel
Millicent
Odette
Josephine
Primrose
Rachel
Yvonne
Olive
Kathleen
Elizabeth
Colette
Sigrid
Dolores
Dilys
Love Margot.
What about Lois or Rose? Was also gonna suggest Vera despite the a ending. That VV is so cool.
Love Louise and Ruth. I think Martha would be nice, it ends in a vowel but has a bit of substance. Would like to suggest Jane and Anne but they might run into your last name. How about Laurel or Bridget?
Helen, Frances and Laurel
Helen, Frances and Bridget
Idelle
Agnes
Love Marie and Dorothy. They sound like storybook perfect siblings! Helen, Frances, and Dorothy. Helen, Frances, and Marie (or Mary!)
I recently met a little girl named Marie and it felt really refreshing to hear it as a first name instead of in the middle spot. Helen, Frances, and Marie sound nice together. It ends in a vowel but wanted to suggest it anyways.
From Abby’s suggestions I think Dorothy and Ruth are lovely.
Other ideas:
Iris
Nadine
Meredith (!)
Gretchen
Miriam (!)
Lois
June
Susan
Susannah (!)
Edith
Violet
Pearl
Louise
Caroline
Rose
I like Louise and Caroline because with initials F, H and C or F, H and L you could represent the 3 virtues: Faith, Hope and Love/Charity.
I agree with Abby that Claire, Esther, and Ruth are definitely worth considering.
You also might like:
Caroline — Helen, Frances, and Caroline
Catherine — Helen, Frances, and Catherine
Celeste — Helen, Frances, and Celeste
Elise — Helen, Frances, and Elise
Estelle — Helen, Frances, and Estelle
Juliet — Helen, Frances, and Juliet
Margaret — Helen, Frances, and Margaret
As far as nicknames go, parents can politely reinforce use of a child’s full, given name, but once they start school (especially once they enter the middle grades), all bets are off. My brother was always called by his full name (starts with Ph, very traditional), but when he was in 7th grade, he suddenly was known by the most common nickname. My mom wasn’t thrilled, but she realized her control only reached so far. Within our family, he is still mostly called by his full name.
One of my daughters has a name suggested above, although it’s spelled slightly differently. Her name has a multitude of nickname possibilities, but she uses her full name and almost everyone in our family does as well; only her sisters use the common 4-letter nickname.
Best wishes to you!
I encountered my first baby / toddler Helen and Frances a decade ago and I remember thinking “Really?” but that fairly quickly turned into “Ooh yes.” So much that I gave my youngest Frances as a middle (and we strongly considered for her first name.) So my suggestions are mostly names that feel maybe just this side of really and/or are on my dusty but lovely list! My 10 year old has friends named Sybil and Simone as suggested by @Marisa and those make me swoon.
Maude
Enid
Mabel
Daphne
Ingrid
Sabine
What about Sybil or Sylvie or Simone? Meredith? Tabitha? Gwyneth? Vera? Beatrice or Betsy?