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Name Help: A Sister for Harper and Max

August 26, 2022 By appellationmountain 17 Comments

Welcome Delilah MarieUPDATE from Candace: Thank you so much for writing back to me! We went with something totally off the wall from our original ideas … Delilah Marie was born January 10th of this year! Delilah, meaning delicate, fits her well. She’s the perfect completion to our family.

Candace writes:

We’re now expecting our third child and need a name for her.

Our five-year-old daughter is Harper Gwyn. Our three-year-old son is Harlan Max, but we always call him simply “Max,” unless he’s in trouble, of course.

So far, we’ve come up with Charlotte/Charlie, Hattie, or Magnolia/Maggie.

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

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

This is a puzzle, isn’t it? Because there’s an obvious pattern in Harper Gwyn and Harlan Max, and it feels like the first question would have to be: can we find another name that starts with HAR? Or at least H?

Except that’s NOT the way you refer to your kiddos. They’re Harper and Max. Those names are nicely compatible, with no overlapping sounds.

And then there’s this: if I think about sister names for Harper, I doubt I’d think of Charlotte or Magnolia. Harper strikes me as modern and tailored, while Charlotte and Magnolia feel a little more old-fashioned.

But there’s no rule at all that says sibling names have to match! And Harper and Charlotte actually do sound pretty compatible, I think.

Except if I heard Harper, Max, and Charlie, I’d feel fairly confident that Charlie was a boy, because it sounds like such a brother name for Max.

And so I think I’d rank your current choices this way:

#3. CHARLOTTE called CHARLIE

It’s a great name, classic and refined, but kept down-to-earth by sparky nickname Charlie.

And yet … I think it sounds a little too close to Harper with those rhyming first syllables and I wonder if there’s potential for having to explain that Charlie is your daughter. (Though, really, I’m probably overthinking that last one. Feel free to tell me so.)

It would work, but I have enough hesitations to put it at the bottom of the list.

#2. MAGNOLIA called MAGGIE

Harper and Magnolia do both lean a little Southern, I think. The first because of the legendary novelist; the second because of the flowers. (And now, of course, the design empire owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines.) That makes them more compatible than their sounds much suggest.

But I wonder if Harper ends up sounding like the odd one out: Harper, Max, and Maggie? Max and Maggie pair so very perfectly that Harper stands out.

#1. HATTIE

I haven’t mentioned Hattie yet, but I’m loving it with Harper Gwyn and Harlan Max. She’d share her older siblings’ first initial. And while Hattie is more of a vintage gem, somehow I like it quite a bit with Harper and Max. Harper, Max, and Hattie.

Maybe I should point out that Hattie is traditionally short for Harriet, and Harper, Harlan, and Harriet is a trifecta of HAR- names that feels like it would never work … but it does. Because Harper, Max, and Hattie are just plain great together.

MORE IDEAS

So is there any name that beats Hattie?

BLAIR

It’s a spare, trim name like Gwyn. I think the style bridges Harper and Max nicely.

EMBRY

Nature name Ember is on the rise, as is surname name Emery. I thought about either of those, but Embry feels like the best of both, with built-in nickname Bree.

HADLEY

Hattie’s surname-style cousin.

HANA

Classic Hannah is falling in use, a Top Ten favorite from the 1990s. But spell it Hanna, or even Hana, and it looks a little different. Possibly Arabic or Japanese, though plenty of Slavic languages prefer this slimmed-down spelling, too.

HOLLIS

One more H surname, an unexpected unisex choice that shortens to friendly nickname Holly.

LENA

I’d initially thought to suggest Helena as a sort of middle ground between Harper and Magnolia. But I wonder if just Lena is more your style?

MARLOWE

Another attempt at splitting the Harper/Maggie difference, with sleek surname name Marlowe. Spell it Marlo and it’s more retro. Another bonus? All three of your kiddos share at least one initial.

WINSLET

A mix of Winnie and Scarlett, Winslet sounds whimsical and tailored at the same time. The upside: just say “like Kate” and everyone knows how to spell and pronounce it. The (possible) downside: being asked “like Kate?” a zillion times.

Overall, my favorite is Hadley. It gives your children a shared first initial, and Hadley shortens to Hattie (or Haddie?) beautifully.

But then again, if you plan to call her Hattie and that’s the name you really love best? I think it works every bit as well on its own.

Readers, what would you suggest for Harper and Max’s new sister?

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Comments

  1. Candace says

    March 17, 2023 at 10:31 AM

    Thank you so much for writing back to me! We went with something totally off the wall from our original ideas…Delilah Marie was born January 10th of this year! Delilah, meaning delicate, fits her well. She’s the perfect completion to our family. ☺️

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      March 17, 2023 at 1:53 PM

      Congratulations! What a lovely name. Wishing you every joy as a family of five!

      Reply
  2. Kim says

    September 11, 2022 at 6:57 AM

    I’d be tempted to move away from the obvious HAR sound at the beginning and have a gentle nod to it in the middle, with Charlotte or another H name. To me, I’d expect sister to Harper to be named perhaps Adley, Everly or Avery. Or maybe Marlow, Rowan or Morgan?

    Adley Charlotte
    Adley Hazel
    Everly Charlotte
    Everly Hannah
    Avery Charlotte
    Avery Harriet
    Morgan Harmony (has the full HAR)
    Rowan Heidi
    Marlow Hermione

    Reply
  3. BSharp says

    September 2, 2022 at 2:31 AM

    Delaney Kate

    Parker June

    Bellamy Rue

    Ellery Jean

    Quinn Meredith

    Instead of matching Hs, which gets confusing, I’d match the style: a modern surname with crisp sound, plus a stellar classic middle.

    Reply
  4. Kirstin G says

    August 30, 2022 at 5:40 PM

    Congratulations! I think your choices of Maggie and Hattie would go well with your sib set! I also love the suggestion of Marlowe, Harlow, Hollis

    For H names I would add Hayden, Hallie, Holland and Hazel to your considered names.

    Here are some others that might go with your style:

    Avery
    Willow
    Sawyer
    Sutton
    Rory
    Etta
    Collins
    Campbell
    Leighton
    Larkin

    Reply
  5. ab says

    August 29, 2022 at 1:59 PM

    If you really like Charlotte, maybe you might consider using the nickname Hattie with it. I feel as if there are enough letters in common between the two names to make it work. Lottie is a sweet nickname also. Within the British Royal Family, Princess Charlotte is known as Lottie. : )

    Harper and Hadley go so well together. As Abby suggested, Hadley could shorten to Haddie or Hattie.

    Best wishes to you!

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      August 29, 2022 at 4:10 PM

      Hattie for Charlotte is a great idea!

      Reply
  6. Iris says

    August 27, 2022 at 7:55 PM

    Looking at first + middle names:
    Hannah Rae. Harper Gwyn, Harlan Max and Hannah Rae.

    Looking at just Harper + Max:
    Ruby. Harper, Max and Ruby.

    Reply
  7. C in DC says

    August 27, 2022 at 1:51 PM

    Margot called Maggie keeps the strong AR sound and bridges nicely between Harper and Max. I also love Harriet called Hattie.

    Reply
  8. Zoe says

    August 27, 2022 at 10:47 AM

    Oh, I forgot: Harvest.

    Reply
  9. Zoe says

    August 27, 2022 at 4:10 AM

    Congrats on the new baby girl !
    I think the three names on your list all go well with your childrens names.
    I think Magnolia is beautiful though I prefer the nickname Nola. It would also make for a cool middle name.
    If you intend to keep the HA-pattern, maybe you would consider:

    Hale
    Halle
    Hazel
    Haven
    Hayden
    Harmony

    H:
    Henrietta (Hattie/Etta)
    Hilda
    Honor
    Hollis
    Hunter
    Hyacinth (Cindy!)

    Reply
  10. keats says

    August 26, 2022 at 10:23 PM

    My first thought was Harlow as well, but Lola as a nickname is awesome. How about Harlow Lane to get to Lola? The only Harlow I know goes by Lowie.

    I agree Hattie works great in your sib-set.

    Congratulations on number 3!

    Reply
  11. stefanie says

    August 26, 2022 at 8:34 PM

    I think Charlotte is a really neat way to get that HAR in, and I think Charlie is fine with Harper and Max. You might get questions about if you’re a Charlie Harper fan, but he’s cool! Another nickname option is Lottie. Lottie, Harper and Max!

    What about Harlow? With an La middle she could be Lola. Harlow Laine, Harlow Lauren, Harlow Lark?

    Reply
  12. Marisa says

    August 26, 2022 at 6:58 PM

    I think all the names on your current list are fab and sound like great sibling names for Harper and Harlan “Max”. I don’t have the same reactions as Abby—I don’t think Charlotte, Hattie, or Magnolia as too “old” compared to Harper. They all feel like fun, glamorous names to me. I picture a giggling set at a Gatsby party. If you’re looking for other suggestions, maybe Elizabeth (“Betsy” or “Elsie”), Sibyl, or Zelda?

    Reply
  13. The Mrs. says

    August 26, 2022 at 6:56 PM

    Harper and Piper seem like sisters. Pippa would make a sweet nickname if you wanted one.
    Harper, Max, and Piper

    Do you like Avery? She’s similar in popularity to Harper.
    Harper, Max, and Avery

    Ruby is as feminine as Maggie but as approachable as Charlie.
    Harper, Max, and Ruby

    Congratulations and best wishes!

    Reply
  14. Renee says

    August 26, 2022 at 1:35 PM

    If there’s a chance you’ll keep having children, I’d avoid the HAR pattern. Of your list, Hattie is great, though feels a bit dusty next to Harper – I’d update that to Hadley. That was the girls have surname H names (you could keep going with Hollis, Hunter, Hilliard, Henley), and boys go by their middle or have M names.

    Reply
  15. Willow says

    August 26, 2022 at 11:56 AM

    I’d love to suggest Hartley called Hattie, maybe something like Hartley Faye

    Reply

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