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!
Jaime writes:
We are down to the wire and need to find a name for our second twin.
Our firstborn is named Juniper Caia. I absolutely love the name Juniper and have struggled to find any other names that I like as much.
We decided to name one twin Loa Jade and the more we say it the more we like it. But we’ve literally made ourselves crazy searching the internet for names for her sister.
I love the name Lilou Skye, but Lilou and Loa is a tongue twister. It seems others find Lilou to sound a bit cutesy too, which is not how it struck me at first and not the style I intend to pick. I also want to avoid -ley names as they sound a bit trendy to me.
We’re definitely leaning towards Maren and Audrey with Lilou potentially as a middle name, but are just not feeling convinced in any direction (and feel a bit guilty about not being in love with a
name). We considered a squish name, but really feel we need to avoid using Lilou because of the confusion.
I generally like offbeat names with a nature tie that I’ve never heard before, although I do really like the name Audrey.
Larkin, Skye, Lumi, Ivy, Cairn, Jade, Lupen, Laiken, Islan, Rowe all got a no from my husband.
I keep thinking I’ll find some hiking trail, mountain or waterfall with a beautiful name and use that (hasn’t happened yet!).
My husband typically likes more popular names (Harper, Madison, Riley, Reagan, Zoe, Raelynn, Hadley.)
We like your style and would be forever grateful for any help you could give us!
Please read on for my reply, and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Dear Jaime –
Congratulations on your daughters!
I like the advice to name your twins as if you’re naming your next two children. But I also understand that twin names are spoken together a lot, especially when they’re young. So much as I love the name Lilou, I do think it’s Loa or Lilou – not both together for sisters, and especially not for twins.
The name that leaps out at me is Maren Lilou. Juniper, Loa, and Maren make for an eclectic, interesting threesome. Maren Lilou allows you to use one of your favorites as a middle, and Loa and Maren won’t twist any tongues.
And yet, I hesitate. Maren is a perfect sister for Juniper, with their tailored, feminine-but-not-frilly vibe. But is it a great match for Loa? I’m not convinced, and maybe that’s your hesitation, too.
If you’ve enjoyed having a daughter named Juniper, I wonder if Audrey might frustrate you? It’s such a lovely name, and I think it sounds even better with sisters Juniper and Loa. Except, only you can say if meeting other girls named Audrey – or hearing, “Oh, my sister/college roommate/next door neighbor/colleague just named her daughter Audrey!” – will lessen your affection for the name.
Let’s take a look at some other options:
Arbor – Harper makes me think of Arbor. It’s so much less common, has a lovely nature name tie, and I think it pairs well with Loa.
Bay – Loa is a mini name, complete in just three letters. That – and the interest in water-related names – made me think of Bay.
Calyx – Is this just way too out-there? Calyx comes from the sepals of a flower, or it could be short for Calixtus, which might share the same roots as the botanical term, or might mean beautiful. It sounds like Alex with a C, and it makes a daring name for a daughter. Loa and Calyx.
Cascata – I think this might be too elaborate for your style, and maybe too out-there for your husband. But Cascata is the Italian word for waterfall. (It’s cascada in Spanish.) Any chance that might work, either as a first or a middle?
Lake – Nature names are big on your list, and so is the letter L. So maybe Lake? Lake and Loa could be misheard, but I think the sounds are distinctive enough to work together. I know Laiken is a no, but maybe just Lake will appeal.
Landry – Speaking of L names, how ’bout Landry? Landry reminds me of Audrey in terms of sound, but is far more rare – it ranks in the 800s for boys and girls in the US right now. While Loa and Lilou are too close, I think Loa and Landry work together nicely – it’s just the right amount of repetition.
Plum – Plum refers to the fruit, of course. But a plum is also something good – the best. And so Plum works on multiple levels, plus it sounds great with Juniper and Loa.
Zora – Zora means dawn, which reminds me of Skye. (And I kind of love the sound of Zora Skye, especially with Loa Jade.) It also brings to mind Zoe from your husband’s list, as well as more conventional girl names, like Nora and Cora. But there’s no question the Z makes this zippy and unexpected. Zora does not currently rank in the US Top 1000, but it did back in the 1910s, so it has more history than you might guess.
If I can’t convince you to choose Maren Lilou, my vote goes to Zora Skye. It’s related to nature, but sounds like a more mainstream choice than it really is.
But I feel like I could add names to this list forever! So over to you readers – what would you name a sister for Juniper Caia and Loa Jade?
So again, I’m pretty late here (I have that habit), but I read this question a few weeks ago and it’s been off and on in my mind since. And suddenly today the perfect twin name for Loa just appeared to me!
Yara. Loa & Yara.
Wikipedia says that Yara is a given name means “small butterfly” with Arabic, Persian and Brazilian origin. A beautiful name with a beautiful meaning. And perfect with Loa.
And just a few more I super much love with Loa.
Loa & Fen (a marshy area)
Loa & Fenna
Loa & Vale (valley)
Loa & Marram (a type of grass)
Great comments and ideas! Would Lark and Loa be too much of a tongue twister?
I just had a thought: Scarlett. Scarlett and Loa. It’s unusual, it’s beautiful, and it matches so incredibly well.
I second Kirsi (keer-see)–I LOVE Kirsi and Loa as a set of twins. It’s beautiful and unusual, matches Loa’s laid-back elegance, and I love how each of your kids’ names would have different endings (as well as the whole JKL thing!)
Also:
Miri
Malou
Sasha
Hattie
Inez
I love Zora, but it’s still too similar to Loa for me I think. I also love the suggestion of Arbor or even Harbor (which might get mispronounced as Harper) Lake or just Lark. I also though of Linden. Even though you said no to “ley” name because of trendy sounding, I really like Linley (have only heard it once in my life), it does not rank in the top 1000 and sounds modern enough for your husband, not to me not trendy. Maybe?
Juniper, Loa, and Seneca (Seneca Falls, NY)
Juniper, Loa, and Luma
Juniper, Loa, and Saffron
Juniper, Loa, and Romy (Can also be a nickname for Rosemary, Ramona, Romilly)
Juniper, Loa, and Oona
Juniper, Loa, and Marigold
Juniper, Loa, and Alouette (nn Lark, as it means lark!)
Juniper, Loa, and Shoshanna (meaning Lily)
Juniper, Loa, and Opal
Juniper, Loa, and Bryony
Juniper, Loa, and Soleil
Juniper, Loa, and Clementine (nn Cleo)
Juniper, Loa, and Marina (nn Maren)
Seconding votes of Seren, Dove, Wren, Kestrel and Carys! Those all immediately came to mind when I made my list.
Opal, Romy, Soleil, Marigold, and Maren are my favorites!
I love Marina from this list!
Tamarack is on my boy list but it might work here, I like it with Juniper, but with Loa I think I might prefer another name for the same tree: Larch. I also like Yarrow, Tansy, Pheobe, and even Linden although I know that’s usually for boys.
Most Botanists would say KAY-lix, and not rhyme calyx with Alex.
There are so many great names in this post and these comments. This is my style and all of my recommendations we’re posted by other commenters by the time I read this! (Tindra and Acacia top my own girl naming list.)
So many great suggestions here. I like Maren and Wren, already suggested; another sweet sounding match is Ayla. I’d keep Skye as the middle no matter what first name you decide. Please update us when your girls arrive.
If you picked Loa from Voodoo, maybe research other words from Voodoo or famous practitioners…you might find something you like. What about Marilu? Sounds like Lilou but starts with a different sound so you aren’t doing the matching letters thing with your twins.
Or Milou. Even closer to Lilou and also used in France.
Vega, Willow, Acadia, Pallas, Akira, Vesper, Meadow, Sage. I love Dove that was suggested by another commenter. Loa and Dove or Loa and Vega sound great to me.
I can’t be too sure on the meanings of these names but these all have nature associations to me.
My first thought was the name Niobe which means fern I think. Loa and Niobe share the same long ‘o’ sound and I think match well together. My fav!
You might also like Peridot which is a type of mineral or rock or something. Since the final ‘t’ is silent the end long ‘o’ sound again complements Loa.
Tindra means sparkle. Tindra Skye?
I also like:
Zola (lump of earth)
Onyx (stone)
Cybele (nature goddess)
Jacinth (hyacinth)
Talise (means lovely water)
Carmel (garden)
Mica (a mineral)
Sabra (cactus)
Larimar (gemsone)
Abigaia (gaia earth)
Seia (goddess of harvest or seeds I think)
Linnea (linden tree/mountain flower)
Siasmin (jasmine)
Amaya (night rain)
Shasta (daisy)
Avalon (island of apples)
Galila (rollings hills)
Not a direct meaning but I associate the name Kilmeny with LM Mongomery’s Kilmeny of the Orchard…..
Larimar is very cool! That reminds me of when I was going through a high school yearbook from Pennsylvania from the 30s or 40s and spotted a girl named Shalimar.
what about Rhea as another bird to go with Loa?
So many great suggestions!
I’ll throw some more into the mix:
Tui (a Newzealand bird, used as a unisex name. Tui and Loa seem perfectly matched to me, but perhaps they’re too similar? Both birds, both 3 letter, 2-syllable names)
Roselle (perhaps too flowery? It seems sleek and slightly unexpected to me. The Roselle is a plant and Rosella a bird. Rohese is another option)
Eira or Eirlys (is the pronunciation intuitive enough for you?)
Jarrah (an Australian timber tree, used for boys and girls here)
Karri (another Australian tree. Pronounced like “carry”. Kauri, pronounced ” cow-ree” is another similar-sounding tree here).
Ooh, and:
Calla (a type of lily)
Sanne / Sanna (Dutch diminutive of Susanna, often used as a full name. Another name that means lily).
Veida
Astrid
Amber
Korlie
Drey/Drae/Drei
Hollis
Timber
Quill
Urla
Deere
Holland
Remi
Aubrie
Roan (Rowan)
Isa
Calynn/Callyn
Indigo
We have daughters Juniper and Ivy and many of the names on your list were also on ours. I LOVE Maren (it was in our top five or six names with our second) and it is perfect with Juniper and Loa. The other name I will suggest is Wren. It has a similar spunky, no frills feel to the others. Juniper, Loa, and Wren makes me tremendously happy! Best of luck!
Love your style. Harvest Lilou or Wren Lilou are cute!
I, too, like Maren or Zora or even Bay for you. I also like the suggestion of Arden and Kestrel.
A few others:
Vada/Veda
Zara
Sunniva
Adair
Vesper
Love Maren and Zora. Maybe Ruby, Haven, Sequoia, Eden, Zadie, Wren. I especially like Ruby, which has the spunky feel of Juniper and Loa. Maybe Brier, Olive, Prairie.
Juniper Caia and Loa Jade are both perfect gorgeousness!
I don’t have much for ideas, just one suggestion came to mind reading your names that you’ve considered, your preferences and the names that have been vetoed. Lazuli. It means “heavens, skies” and I think it is such a beautiful name. It does end in the -ley sound, but I don’t find it to look or sound trendy at all.
I also would suggest Lavender, Mika, Raina and Azura.
Maybe…
Auden
Arden
Carys
Vale
Della
Zella
Maple
Oak
Cassia, Aspen, Hazel or Primrose.
I’m set on finding you a K name 🙂 J, K, L makes me happy. So my suggestions are Kirsi (frost in Finnish) or Kestrel (another bird to go with Loa – had to look that one up!) I love Kirsi & Loa a lot. Or other more unusual names with beautiful meanings that work with your set:
Nyx (night in Greek)
Signy (new victory)
Carys (love)
Seren (star)
I love Seren because then you’ll have your tree, your bird, your star. But I also love Signy because both Loa and Signy sound like other more common names these days (Lola and Sydney) but they’re so much more magical and perfect together.
Good luck! Can’t wait for this update 🙂
My vote goes to Maren Lilou but I also want to suggest Sonnet. It’s a lovely form of poetry and I think it fits well with Loa and Juniper
Paloma is a nature name that hasn’t been mentioned yet. It’s Spanish for “dove.”
Zora is lovely. Shame Lumi was vetoed, I think Loa and Lumi would be gorgeous!
Other suggestions:
Linnet
Aura / Auriel
Neve
Verne / Verna / Verda
Merrill / Meriel
I like Juniper, Loa and Linnet – a nature tie, but with contrasting endings and images, none of them overly ‘girly’ (as long as people don’t confuse Linnet with Lynette). Linnet Lilou is probably a bit much, though, and Linnet Skye is heavy on the celestial imagery. Loa Jade and Linnet Maren, maybe?
Loa reminds me of Hana (a Hawaiian name meaning happiness or flower)… but it sounds just like Hannah… the every-girl name of the ’90s.
Lani is also a Hawaiian name. It means ‘sky’. Loa & Lani? (But it ends with an ‘ee’ sound, so maybe that doesn’t work for you).
Neve is a simple, sweet, underused name meaning ‘snow’… lovely for a winter baby! Loa & Neve. Juniper, Loa, & Neve. Neve Lilou & Loa Jade. (Neve Pearl is pretty great, too.)
There’s Rhea, too. Meaning ‘flowing’, she has a similar feel to Loa. Rhea Lilou has a bright, sparkling feel, like laughter.
The bit of guilt you are experiencing from having one twin’s name that you LOVE but not another yet… is normal. It means you have a strong desire not to show preference, to be fair. Go easy on yourselves, though. If you had twenty children (no multiples), you might only have that wow-in-love-with-a-name sensation only once. Give her something beautiful and special she can own and glory in. She’ll make it magical just by being her!
Best wishes and CONGRATS!
Azami
Rumi
I love Loa and Juniper- what great choices! Juniper and Loa are both nature names, so I really like Abby’s suggestions of Bay and Arbor. If you think Lilou is too close to Loa, how do you feel about Malou? It’s only a two letter change, but I think Loa and Malou is much easier to say than Loa and Lilou.A few other thoughts:
Cypress
Isla
Sage
Delta
River
Laurel
Willow
Sable
Madigan
Ruby
Olive
Vida
Arden
Yay for Laurel. Love it with Loa.
Lux
Mavis
Fern
Noe (Hawaiian for mist)
Fern is lovely with Loa!
We have a Cumberland Falls here. I think it’s probably too much for a baby name, but it made me think of Camber. I think Camber might work. It has a familiar sound, and it sounds well with the set too. There’s a Torrent falls here as well. Maybe Torrent or Torrence? Torrence was the main character in the cheer movie Bring It On.
My first thought was Lark–Lark & Loa. I think they sound sweet together without being a tongue-twisting set. Plus, Lark is a nature name, which you seem to like.
Everest? (There’s a female Paw Patrol pup named Everest! My 3 year old loves her.)
Delta?
Acacia?
Maren and Arbor are both lovely with this sibset.
My favorite suggestion is Arbor but I also like Calyx and Plum, both of which would be highly unexpected.
Two waterfall names I came across would be Meru (after Kerepakupai Meru or Angel Falls in Venezuela) or Della (after a waterfall on Vancouver Island in Canada).
Other names you might like: Merced, Peri (“mountain dweller”), Aven (“mountain flower”), Mara (a river in Africa), Mira (a river in South America), or Siret (a river in Europe).
Great suggestions, Marisa overseas – thanks!
Dove
Devon
Manuka
Vale
What about Glenn as a possible nature pick? I quite like Maren though. Hey
Juniper, Loa and:
Hazel, Violet, Willow, Brooke, Farley, Calla, Iris, Primrose.
Others (really like Maron and loads listed already):
Auden
Persephone
Irene
Constance
Estelle
Manon