• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Request a Name

Appellation Mountain

Where every name has a story

  • Baby Name Advice & More
  • Master List: Girl Names
  • Master List: Boy Names
  • Private Baby Name Consulting

Name Help: A Sister for Afton Grace

July 3, 2020 By appellationmountain 28 Comments

Name Help: A Sister for Afton GraceName 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!

Rene writes:

We are struggling with a girl name that is unique, but easy to say and spell.

Big sister’s name is Afton Grace.

Love middle names that are faith based.

Thank you for your consideration!

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

Dear Rene –

Congratulations on your new daughter!

Afton Grace hits it out of the park, doesn’t it? It’s unusual, but straightforward. And the middle name is richly meaningful, plus it balances out the unusual qualifies of the first name.

It’s a tough act to follow!

While Afton’s sister could be Anastasia or Gloriana, I wonder if you’d be more comfortable with names that feel a little more restrained. It’s not exactly unisex – while I can imagine a boy named Afton, it’s used almost exclusively for girls. But it’s not frilly and princess-y, either.

I can imagine a nature name working well with Afton. Or possibly a surname name?

And, of course, there’s the question of just how unusual. 89 girls (and 12 boys) were named Afton in 2018, which makes it quite unlikely you’ll ever meet another Afton. But it’s possible to choose a Top 1000 name and still feel like it’s distinctive and different.

A SISTER FOR AFTON

Blythe – An archaic word meaning “happy,” Blythe is every bit as tailored as Afton. It’s also equally unusual – just 97 girls (and 6 boys) were named Blythe in 2018.

Briar – A unisex nature name that’s just on the fringes of the mainstream, Briar succeeds names like Bryce and Brianna. It’s a little prickly, but still quite lovely. It ranked #687 for girls and #807 for boys in 2018.

Ember – At #209, Ember is the most popular suggestion on this list. But I think it sounds fresh and different – and absolutely perfect with Afton.

Harbor – Harbor was given to 80 girls (and 39 boys) last year. It’s a nature name, but there’s something of a virtue vibe to Harbor, too. Oh, and if this is close-but-not-quite, I almost suggested leafy Arbor.

Lavender – With Violet topping the charts, and Harry Potter using the name for a minor (but much-mentioned) character, Lavender could’ve taken off. 101 girls were named Lavender in 2018 – a new high, but still nicely uncommon.

Meadow – Fictional mobster Tony Soprano gave this gentle nature name to his daughter on early 2000s television hit The Sopranos. While it’s gained steadily in use since then, at #516, it’s still fairly uncommon. The ‘o’ ending seems quite stylish, putting this name midway between Margot and Prairie.

Sylvie – The French form of ancient name Sylvia, it comes from the Latin silva – woods. At #897, it’s a good stands-out/fits-in kind of choice.

Vale – Savannah Guthrie gave this poetic nature name – it means valley – to her daughter in 2014. There’s also Vail, as in Colorado. Both are spare, nature-informed names that would pair beautifully with Afton.

And now, the conundrum: I think any name on this list would pair beautifully with Afton!

Let’s look at middles for a minute. If you chose Grace for the spiritual aspect, I wonder if you’d consider Glory, Hope, Pax/Peace, Praise, Psalm, or Sunday?

With middle names factored in, I think my favorites are Briar Hope and Sylvie Praise. I think they’re both perfect paired with Afton Grace, and nicely balanced between the familiar and the rare.

Readers, over to you: what would you name a sister for Afton Grace?

unusual girl names

More names you might like:

  • Rising Girl Names: Future Top 1000 TrendwatchRising Girl Names: Future Top 1000 Trendwatch
  • 33 EcoVintage Girl Names: Flora, Lillie, June33 EcoVintage Girl Names: Flora, Lillie, June
  • Surname Names for Girls: Adair to ZavalaSurname Names for Girls: Adair to Zavala
  • Girl Names Meaning LoveGirl Names Meaning Love
  • Girl Names 2020: The Best Names for the New YearGirl Names 2020: The Best Names for the New Year

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Comments

  1. Leanne says

    September 3, 2021 at 1:48 AM

    My daughter was born in April of 2018 and she is also Afton Grace! How funny! And 11ms later in March we welcomed a little boy that we named Ronan Jage. I think Afton and Rowan/Rowyn Faith would have made a wonderful little sister name.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      September 3, 2021 at 9:44 AM

      Leanne, those names are great together! Thank you for sharing. Afton is one of those names that just grows on me more with every year that passes …

      Reply
  2. Istas says

    July 9, 2020 at 3:11 AM

    How about Elowen? Afton and Elowen makes a great sibset.

    Reply
  3. Iris says

    July 6, 2020 at 6:03 AM

    Vesper Joy

    Reply
  4. Liz says

    July 5, 2020 at 9:44 PM

    I love so many of the suggestions in the comments. It has the same ending as Afton but the first name that came to mind was Larkin, it’s not nature based but ‘lark’ reminds me of a bird. I also think Clover would be lovely as a sister for Afton.

    Reply
  5. FE says

    July 5, 2020 at 6:34 PM

    Hi again!

    I’ve been thinking of some longer faith based middle names for you 🙂

    My daughter suggested Charity. There’s also Evangeline or Hosanna.

    I’m sure this is the last you’ll here from me now … can’t wait to hear what you choose, though!!

    Reply
  6. The Mrs. says

    July 5, 2020 at 5:55 PM

    Please forgive any repeats! I’m commenting before reading what everyone else write.

    How about Maren Hope?
    Afton and Maren have the same tailored, feminine vibe. And hope is definitely spiritual!

    Congrats and best wishes!

    Reply
    • The Mrs. says

      July 5, 2020 at 5:57 PM

      *I’m commenting before reading what everyone else WROTE. (Why, autocorrect? Why?!)

      Reply
  7. Rene says

    July 5, 2020 at 7:04 AM

    Hello to all & thank you so much for all the lovely and gorgeous name suggestions that I never thought of before! Abby is right on, we chose Afton for its rarity/nature background. Afton is a Swedish word meaning “afternoon or evening” and our sweet girl was born in the evening. Additionally the Robert Burns poem “Sweet Afton” sealed the deal, as it refers to the Scottish Afton River. I have played & sang this very poem turned song many times. It’s a great lullaby!

    We are nature lovers and seem to gravitate towards surnames. So far, Sylvie, Darcy, Greer, Brighton, Ellery, Delia are definite contenders! We have a friend who recently named her little girl Blythe. Another interesting fact is that we considered Greer and then it popped up on here!

    All gorgeous names & amazing help with the middles, they are hard! Faith, Mercy, Patience Joy. Please keep them coming and thank you to all for your consideration and responses. We are very grateful!

    Reply
  8. FE says

    July 5, 2020 at 4:34 AM

    That makes me so happy! Greer is a family name from the Scottish branch of my family, used primarily as a female middle name. I have a soft spot for this name, but wasn’t able to use it myself.

    Reply
  9. Janine says

    July 5, 2020 at 12:30 AM

    Love all of these gorgeous suggestions! I’ll add a few more:

    Bellamy
    Sutton
    Ellison
    Ever
    Blair
    Maren
    Maeve
    Finley

    I love the middle names Hope, Faith, Mercy, Joy, and Patience.

    Reply
  10. Rene says

    July 4, 2020 at 12:50 PM

    Such amazing name choices, thank you all for responding and for your help with this process! We greatly appreciate it!

    Reply
  11. Rachael says

    July 4, 2020 at 9:00 AM

    I like Freya (or Freja) Hope

    Reply
  12. Elle says

    July 3, 2020 at 11:30 PM

    Parker Noelle

    Reply
    • K says

      July 4, 2020 at 1:42 PM

      So many lovely suggestions. I especially like Hollis and Greer. I also love Carson for a girl and that seems to fit your style. Carson Mary or Carson Mercy.

      Reply
  13. FE says

    July 3, 2020 at 9:26 PM

    My first thought with Afton was Cambria. Cambria Mercy or Cambria Hope would both be lovely.

    My next thought was Greer, but it’s harder to find a faith based middle name that flows. Greer Felicity is nice, but not sure if that’s enough. Perhaps Greer Rejoice??

    Either way, I love the combinations of:

    Afton & Cambria

    Or

    Afton & Greer

    Reply
    • René says

      July 4, 2020 at 12:47 PM

      Thank you so much for your reply! We kid you not, considered Greer, but didn’t know what the ratio was boy/girl & yes, middle names are tough! Thanks again.

      Reply
      • Justanotherlady says

        July 4, 2020 at 9:40 PM

        Here is where Abby talks about Greer, including the male/female break down. It seems to be similar to Afton. https://appellationmountain.net/greer-baby-name-of-the-day/

        Side note, I’d like to suggest the middle name Mercy. 🙂

        Reply
  14. Carrie says

    July 3, 2020 at 8:59 PM

    Waverly Faith!

    Reply
  15. Jaime says

    July 3, 2020 at 4:44 PM

    Love Afton! From Abby’s suggestions, I like Vale best.

    A few others:

    Ainsley
    Adair
    Merritt
    Blair
    Bevin
    Flannery
    Darby
    Rory
    Romy
    Remy
    Britton
    Hollis
    Piper
    Clancy
    Romilly
    Tiernan
    Tierney

    Reply
  16. keats says

    July 3, 2020 at 2:52 PM

    For some reason Cassidy Vera popped into my mind. Vera means faith in Slavic languages. And Cassidy has the same strength as Afton with a side order of moxie.

    Afton Grace and Cassidy Vera. Afton and Cassidy.

    Reply
  17. Kirstin G says

    July 3, 2020 at 1:12 PM

    As Abby mentions, Afton has a nice unique, unisex feel for a girl. Here’s a few more suggestion:

    Remy
    Navy
    Sutton
    Shiloh

    They’re all two-syllable names that would go nicely with one-syllable, faith-associated middle names like Faith, Joy, or Hope.

    Reply
  18. Alison Doherty says

    July 3, 2020 at 12:38 PM

    I loved Blythe – I think that is the perfect sister for Afton.
    Maybe Blythe Mercy, Blythe Meadow, or Blythe Felicity?

    Reply
  19. ab says

    July 3, 2020 at 12:32 PM

    Afton Grace is a beautiful name!

    For Afton’s little sister I like:
    Adair
    Avalon
    Bronwen
    Daphne
    Darcy
    Fiona
    Merritt
    Vera
    Zara — I really like the A to Z aspect of Afton and Zara.

    For middle names:
    Faith
    Hope
    Joy
    Mercy
    True/Truth
    Verily — I prefer Verily to Verity

    Reply
    • MKey says

      July 4, 2020 at 9:37 AM

      I completely agree about Verily over Verity!

      Reply
  20. Zena Eve says

    July 3, 2020 at 11:46 AM

    One of my favorite virtue names is Mercy.

    Zora
    Fern
    Alma
    Maeve
    Petra

    Reply
  21. Anchors_and_Whales says

    July 3, 2020 at 8:53 AM

    Afton Grace is a great name! I’m sure she’s also a great girl. Congrats on her sister! I suggest

    Oakland / Oakley
    Ryland / Ryley
    Parker
    Langley
    Reese (ardor, passion, zeal)
    Sullivan, nn Liv or Livvy
    Brighton (if you don’t mind repeating ending sounds)
    Peridot, nn Perry or Dotty
    Callista (check into mythology story first)
    Felicity (happiness; also a solid choice for a middle)
    Vivienne (from the word for Life)
    Larkin
    Blakeley / Blake
    Ellery
    Hollis
    Sage

    And for middles, I say continue the theme. It’s a cute tie in between the girls, and it’s meaningful.
    Joy
    Hope
    Faith
    I agree with Abby on Pax and Peace. If we name children Reese/Rhys/Reece, why not Peace? [Now I’m adding Reese to the first name suggestions. But I’d steer clear of using Reese Peace. 🙂 However, Sullivan “Liv” Peace is kinda cool! Or any of the positive word middles.]
    Luz/Lucy/Lucia
    Brielle (from Gabrielle: God is my Might)
    Celeste
    Pearl

    Possible Combinations:
    Langley Faith
    Sullivan “Liv” Hope
    Reese Lucía
    Callista Joy
    Sage Felicity
    Felicity Faith
    Vivienne Peace
    Ryley Brielle
    Ellery Celeste
    Hollis Joy
    Blakeley Pearl [just not Black Pearl ;)]

    Reply
  22. Julia says

    July 3, 2020 at 8:52 AM

    I’ll offer River Verity 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


POPULAR POSTS

Tweets by @appmtn
Visit Appellation Mountain's profile on Pinterest.

Copyright © 2023 · AppellationMountain.net on Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy · Log in