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Name Help: A Sibling for Nora, Liam, Theo, and Hana

October 14, 2022 By appellationmountain 23 Comments

Name Help: Sibling for Nora, Liam, Theo, HanaName 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!

Cara writes:

My husband Ryan and I discovered a pattern with our family’s names after baby #2. We all have four-letter, two-syllable names. Maybe we’re slow but we didn’t notice until we were discussing Theo or Theodore for our third child. My best friend was the one who pointed out why it had to be Theo!

Hannah was our runner-up name for Nora. When our fourth was a girl, we changed the spelling to Hana so it fit.

Our kids’ full names are: Nora Kate, Liam James, Theo Gregory, and Hana Marie.

Now we are expecting our fifth and probably last baby. (Though we said that with Hana, too, so never say never!)

We want another four-letter, two-syllable name.

Repeating initials are out, so no C, H, L, N, R, or T.

Some names that we like don’t work because they rhyme/almost rhyme: Anna and Hana, Leah and Liam (initials anyway), Thea and Theo, Lara and Cara, Maya and Ryan.

For boys, we like Owen, but our neighbors have a baby Owen. My husbands says it’s fine, but I don’t want to be accused of name stealing.

This baby’s middle name will probably be either Joy for a girl and Andrew for a boy.

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

Abby responds:

Congratulations on baby five!

Let’s start with a truth of naming in bigger families: something has to give.

You can avoid repeating an initial. You can probably find another two-syllable, four-letter name.

But ruling out every name that belongs to another child you know? That’s gonna make this difficult. Like, instead of PhD-level difficult, we’re talking Nobel Prize-winning levels of complexity.

Which is a long way of saying that, if this baby is a boy, I think his name should be Owen Andrew.

IT’S NOT NAME STEALING BECAUSE …

Let me add this: it’s lovely to be thoughtful and considerate about repeating names.

After all, every parent knows how frustrating it can be to realize that The Name we spent nine months crafting is now at the top of every popularity list. Or worse, it’s still not that common, but a dear friend just gave the name to her new baby.

But here’s why I think Owen works for your family:

  • You’ve described Owen’s parents’ as your neighbors. Not your BFFs. Do you make plans together? Or is this more of a run-into-each-other-at-the-playground level relationship? It sounds like they’re a perfectly nice family who happens to live nearby. But they’re not, say, candidates to serve as your baby’s godparents.
  • Assuming I’m right about your relationship, it seems likely that one or both of you will move in the future. Maybe not for a few years. But by the time their Owen or your Owen is in high school? Odds are that something will change.
  • Lastly, Owen is a well-established Top 100 name. It’s reasonable for such names to repeat, even among neighbors.

But even if you’re closer than I’m imagining, or less likely to move than I think, well … this is your fifth child. Avoiding all duplicates would be tough, even if you didn’t have specific rules for choosing a name.

I’ll suggest Alex, Ezra, and Milo for additional possibilities.

But I can imagine the following scenario: you name your son Ezra to avoid duplicating a name. Owen’s family moves away. Your new neighbors move in, and their son? He’s named Ezra, too.

A SISTER FOR NORA, LIAM, THEO, and HANA

We clearly need to do some work to find a sister name for Nora, Liam, Theo, and Hana. Would you consider …

ANYA

Strictly speaking, it’s a Slavic/Scandi form of Anna. I don’t think that’s obvious in American English. Instead, Anya sounds like a just slightly different name, with a similar old world quality to Nora and Hana.

EDEN

The Garden of Eden is, well, ancient. But it’s only been used a given name in recent generations, which gives it a mix of Old Testament backstory with modern sound.

EMMA

I’m guessing you may have considered Emma at some point. In any case, it’s very popular … but I only know two. (And they don’t know each other.) It’s a strong, classic name for a daughter, and sounds great with Nora and Hana.

ESME

Or maybe you’d rather try something a little more daring? Literary Esme has a long history of sparing use, a great meaning – beloved – and is just familiar enough to be wearable.

ISLA

A fast-rising favorite, Isla offers four letters, two syllables, and an all-new initial to consider.

MILA

Maya is a little close to Ryan. Would you consider Mila instead?

OPAL

A gemstone name that’s gently old-fashioned.

VERA

Like Nora and Hana, Vera is brief and complete. It also offers two appealing meanings: faith and truth.

Overall, my favorite is probably Vera.

Nora, Liam, Theo, Hana, and Vera.

But I wonder if Mila might be more your style?

Readers, over to you! Do you agree with me about Owen? What would you name a sister for Nora, Liam, Theo, and Hana?

More names you might like:

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Comments

  1. keats says

    October 16, 2022 at 10:12 PM

    I agree Owen doesn’t have to be off the table. You just have to love it.

    As for girls, I love that both Nora and Hana have n and a -the ending of both you and your husband’s names. I was looking for name with the same.

    Dana, Edna, Gina, Tina, Mena Mona, Anya, Luna, Oona, Iona

    Not sure those are your style, so I looked for r and a. Vera works here!

    Zara, Tara, Sara, Dora, Dara,

    Personally I like Zara Joy. Best of luck!

    Reply
  2. diane says

    October 16, 2022 at 11:19 AM

    For a daughter My favorite name is Amie or Aime. For a boy, some name I don’t think have been mentioned are:
    Isak
    Amos
    EmilRory
    Remy
    Cato
    Wyat
    Abel
    Axel

    Reply
  3. LadyRay says

    October 16, 2022 at 4:52 AM

    You’ve had a lot of input already, so I’ll only add a few for potential girl name combinations that stick out to me:

    Aida Joy
    Kira Joy
    Opal Joy

    As for potential boy names? I seriously support the name “Owen” since I knew an “Owen” and he was a great person. If you love everything about it go for it!

    Best of luck on your naming adventure! x

    Reply
  4. stefanie says

    October 15, 2022 at 8:25 PM

    Oops, that was supposed to be Oona!! Autocorrect knows my friends’ kids!

    Reply
  5. stefanie says

    October 15, 2022 at 8:23 PM

    Kyra Joy; Iona Joy! I love Iona with your kids’ names. Opal is another great one as Abby mentioned! As someone with close next door neighbors (it’d maybe be weird to call them close friends because we don’t share hopes and dreams or anything, but in reality our kids play with theirs every day), I can see why Owen feels off limits. I like Otto instead, or Evan, as others have suggested! If this baby comes out with a certain something, how about Iggy? Iggy Andrew is rad!

    Reply
  6. Zoe says

    October 15, 2022 at 5:23 AM

    Rosa Joy
    Lila Joy

    Reply
  7. Hope says

    October 14, 2022 at 11:27 PM

    I also like Alma and Iris, Jake, Paul and Zach. Like your style!

    Reply
  8. KM says

    October 14, 2022 at 11:19 PM

    Abby, you only knowing two Emmas is hilarious to me for some reason.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      October 15, 2022 at 2:06 PM

      To be fair, if I started listing Sophias/Sofias and Isabellas, it would be a LONNNNGGG list. But I don’t live in a very Emma world! (Also, I thought of a third little Emma after I wrote this, but she lives half the country away from us.) The year my daughter went to her first sleep-away camp, Emmas were EVERYWHERE, but not in her cabin/friend group. Name pockets are funny things …

      Reply
  9. Andrea says

    October 14, 2022 at 11:10 PM

    This is fun,

    Also Boys: Adam, Alec, Bard, Bram, Ezra, Jack, John, Kane, King, Nate, Nico, Noah, Thor, Trey

    Girls:Alma, Asta, Azra, Elli, Elsa, Emme, Enya, Eris, Etta, Ezra, Ildi, Ilma, Ilsa, Kisa, Miri, Orla, Orli, Wren, Xena.

    Reply
  10. Zoe says

    October 14, 2022 at 6:36 PM

    Maybe Odin or Otto instead of Owen?

    Orla Joy for a girl would be great, as would be Alix, Alva or Alba. Lina?

    Reply
  11. Candy says

    October 14, 2022 at 5:34 PM

    May I suggest Evan Andrew or Ezra Andrew, and Macy Joy or Ella Joy.

    Reply
  12. ab says

    October 14, 2022 at 3:56 PM

    Likely more than a few repeats here.

    Abby
    Bria
    Elsa
    Esme
    Ilsa
    Isla
    Kera — KEER uh
    Ruby
    Tesa — pronounced TEE sa. Although phonetically correct, it would be easier if it could be spelled as Teesa, or if you could fudge and add a 5th letter for baby #5 and go with Tessa.
    Vera
    Zara

    Arlo
    Euan
    Evan
    Ewan
    Joel — depending on how you pronounce it, this can be two syllables.
    Milo
    Owen — I agree that you should keep this in the mix. Maybe talk with your neighbors about it. They might know now that they will move away in the next five years or so or they might be thrilled for their son to have a name buddy.
    Zion

    Reply
  13. Renee says

    October 14, 2022 at 12:03 PM

    I also think you should consider not vetoing Owen! Of course no one understands your exact situation better than you, but I also had very expansive no duplicate rules and now that I’ve been a parent for almost a decade, I know how often we’ve moved and neighbours have changed.

    If you’re firm on that, I wonder if you’d consider repeating a parent initial? I know I often use intials for my kids so would never repeat, but it’s not often all the family’s initials are together, and besides a big C little c could work? Because I LOVE the idea of Coen or Rose for you! Ooh or Ross or Cole or Ruby or Cass!

    You seem to like quite classic names so maybe these will be too much, but here you go:

    Orla
    Polly
    Veda

    Ivan
    Earl
    Flyn

    Reply
  14. Iris says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:47 AM

    Ella Joy
    Zoey Joy
    (I love Isla Joy!)

    Axel Andrew
    (but I think Owen Andrew is perfection, and it’s not like you’re naming your one-and-only child the very name chosen by your neighbours last year, it’s like you had already 4 kids with other names, and have used a lot of names you like, and have to name this kid something, and happen to like that name, too, so it’s not personal; and it’s not like the only way you could have come up with the name Owen is because it’s the neighbours’ kid, because it’s actually a common name, so I really don’t see the issue here)

    Reply
  15. diane says

    October 14, 2022 at 10:10 AM

    I would continue the sisters names ending in the letter A.
    Nora, Hana and Isla.
    For the boys I like ….
    Liam, Theo and Zack ( Zach)
    Love the name Owen, but don’t like repeating the O in Owen after the ending O in Theo.
    Liam, TheO and Owen.

    Reply
  16. Julie G says

    October 14, 2022 at 9:21 AM

    Also Sela

    Reply
  17. Julie G says

    October 14, 2022 at 9:19 AM

    Kira
    Anni
    Alma
    Lela
    Noah

    Reply
  18. Andrea says

    October 14, 2022 at 9:07 AM

    Boys: Alan, Aron, Ashe, Axel, Bode, Bran, Dane, Dune, Eric, Evan, Ewan, Finn, Flyn, Gage, Glen, Gray, Iain (Scottish spelling), Jake, Jory, Kade, Kyle, Mark, Olav, Orin, Quin, Sage, Will, Zack, Zane, Zeke

    Girls: Abbi, Adah, Addi, Adia, Aida, Alia, Alix, Alla, Alys, Amie, Aria, Asha, Arya, Aura, Avis, Ayla, Bela, Bell, Bess, Brea, Bree, Bria, Bryn, Dani, Dara, Dina, Dora, Drea, Ebba, Elin, Ella, Erin, Esti, Evie, Faye, Gala, Gina, Glyn, Indi, Iris, Isla, Jana, Jane, Jaxi, Jean, Jeni, Jill, Jori, Josi, Jovi, Juli, June, Kaia, Kati, Kaya, Kiki, Kira, Kitt, Koko, Kyla, Kyra, Mara, Mary, Mave, Maxi, Mina, Mira, Myra, Opal, Peri, Pola, Quin, Sage, Sara, Sofi, Suvi, Suzy, Vera, Vere, Vina, Wynn,

    Reply
  19. Emmy says

    October 14, 2022 at 9:00 AM

    Owen is so nice but if it bothers you perhaps one of its “cousin” versions? Evan or Ewan?
    Arlo
    Adam
    Hugo
    Luka

    Girls…
    Lucy
    Ruby
    Elke
    Cleo
    Rosy
    Macy
    Myla
    Zara
    Lily
    Kyla
    Lyra
    Emmy (yeah I had to add that one!)

    Reply
  20. Alyssa says

    October 14, 2022 at 8:44 AM

    I love Owen for a boy and agree that I think the neighbor sharing the name isn’t a big deal. I also love the suggestions of Isla and Vera for a girl. Another girl option that I keep thinking of is Bryn! It may not work with the middle name Joy, but I think it pairs nicely with all of the other kids’ names.

    Reply
  21. Marisa says

    October 14, 2022 at 8:35 AM

    These all seemed like possibilities:
    Adam
    Alec
    Davy
    Elis
    Ewan
    Ivan
    Kian
    Oren
    Otis

    Abby
    Aida
    Etta
    Mira
    Miri
    Suzy
    Zoey

    Mira Joy might be my favorite for a girl. I like a lot of the boys, but Adam, Alec, and Davy jump out more.

    Reply
  22. Willow says

    October 14, 2022 at 8:25 AM

    For a daughter I really love Suvi, but if you’re looking for something more common then I’d like to suggest Etta.

    Reply

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