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!
Kenna writes:
We named our daughter Maisie Blue. I still love her name every time I say it or write it. Blue comes from a family last name that includes the German word “blau” meaning blue. But mostly we just love it. Our last name is a first name, H0w@rd.
Now our second daughter, and probably last child, will be here in July.
We have a list, but nothing that feels like “the name” yet.
POPPY – A favorite of mine since we were expecting Maisie. My husband says it sounds like a grandpa, though, with our last name. Like we named our baby girl Poppy Larry or something, if that makes sense?! (It doesn’t to me, but he’s convinced.)
COCO – But I don’t know if it’s enough “name” and it definitely gets some strong reactions/snarky comments about it being a stripper name.
GWEN – I love this name! But is it too much like Kenna?
HEIDI – My husband’s favorite with Maisie. I didn’t like it then, but it’s kind of growing on me …
RORY – But I don’t really like boy names for girls. (Probably because I hate getting called Ken!)
EDEN – I’ve always liked Eden, but we know two. (It’s not that we couldn’t use the name, but maybe it’s getting really popular?)
MEADOW – We wouldn’t really use it, but this was another of my husband’s favorites for Maisie.
I’d also love to find another middle name that’s just as great as Blue. There’s nothing that really comes to mind, though, and I’d been thinking about Blue for years, and I don’t want to just choose something thinking it’s cute and then she’ll hate it.
Can you think of any names we haven’t considered?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new daughter!
A few things leap out at me:
It will be tough to replicate Blue! Not only because it’s a great name, but because you’ve been thinking about it for a long time – right? That means any name won’t have the benefit of all those years of dreams to burnish it. Unless, of course, there’s another name in your family or personal history that can match Blue’s backstory.
Your experience with Ken should inform your thoughts about Rory. If you dislike being called Ken, I would not recommend choosing a unisex name. And Rory is exactly that. As of 2021, it was given to 789 girls and 1130 boys. That’s close enough that some confusion is likely. I’d cross it off your list, even though it’s a great name.
“Getting really popular” is super hard to define, but if you already know two might be big in your circles. And even on paper, Eden is much more common than Maisie – or most of the names on your list. It’s always possible that an obscure name will be duplicated, but it’s less likely with Clarissa or Guinevere instead of Mia or Eleanor.
CURRENT LIST
The name that jumps out at me from your current list is Heidi. Here’s why:
- Like Maisie, it hovers right around the 400 mark for popularity. If you’re happy with how often you hear (or don’t hear) Maisie, Heidi is likely to be a similar experience.
- Maisie ultimately comes from Margaret; Heidi, from Adelaide. I think you’d have to be reasonably into names to know that, but it does make them feel even more parallel.
- Both have a little bit of that storybook heroine energy. They’re sparky, bright names that could scale a mountain, ace a physics exam, or maybe solve a crime that baffles the police.
Plus, it’s your husband’s favorite, the name that got away with Maisie.
My only hesitation is the initials H.H. I think it makes a name memorable – and it does! – but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
So if Heidi isn’t an option, let’s look again.
A SISTER FOR MAISIE BLUE
It sounds like Poppy, Coco, and Meadow are all close-but-not-quite. We’ve ruled out Rory and Eden. That leaves Gwen, which is great – but maybe makes it harder to find a bold middle name? Gwen Blue doesn’t have the same impact as Maisie Blue. Gwen Bravery, Gwen Evermore, Gwen Reverie … there are plenty of options, but I suspect that’s not exactly what you have in mind.
So let’s brainstorm a few more firsts.
BRIAR
A little more mainstream than Meadow.
CLEO
A slightly more name-like alternative to Coco. (Full disclosure: I have a Clio.)
EDIE
Eden is popular, but Edie fails to make the US Top 1000. Is that tweak enough to make a difference?
LULA
A rare Louise nickname with vintage appeal.
MARLO, MARLOWE
A surname like Marlowe is a very different style than Maisie, but retro Marlo feels more like a nickname name. Either way, I think the shared initial M links them nicely.
SYLVIE
Strictly speaking, Sylvie is the French form of Sylvia and Silvia, not a nickname. But the ending makes it feels very similar to Maisie.
TILLIE
Another sweetly vintage nickname name in the key of Maisie.
ZORA
We’re wild about Nora and Cora, but Zora’s Z turns this name up to eleven.
MIDDLE NAME IDEAS
There’s a very long list of one-syllable middle name ideas here, but let’s try out a few.
BRIAR TRUE
CLEO DARE
EDIE LUX
GWEN REVERIE
HEIDI GWYNNE
LULA BLAIR
MARLO VAIL
SYLVIE WREN
TILLIE PLUM
ZORA FAYE
Of course, mix and match is totally possible.
In fact, I really like the sound of Heidi Plum as a sister for Maisie Blue, though Sylvie Wren might be my favorite combination overall.
I like Ivy, Sylvie, and Wren is nice as a middle name. Marlowe with your last name really has a great flow to it too. Here are some more ideas:
Hazel
Tansy
Aislinn
Esme
Tamsin
Elowen
Eloise
Tess
Ottilie
Flora
Middle names:
Wren
Scarlett
Jade
Star
Teal
Skye
Belle
Gwen
Jane
Fay
Sophie Gray
Bit late on here –
So many good suggestions!
I would lose Poppy, partly to avoid the grandpa thing with your last name but mostly because imo and from experience, it doesn’t age very well (after about age 14).
I really like Heidi (Heidi Plum, Heidi Meadow or Heidi Lark)!
Otherwise, in addition to Briar, Gwen or Cleo (my other faves, in order):
Ida Meadow
Elke Snow
Astrid Elsie
Adelaide Fable
Elsa July
Skye Lucille
Helen “Leni” Fern (Leni being a fab German nickname)
Lottie Haven
Hilda Vale
Isla Poet
Celia Solstice
Thea Praise
Sunday (“Sunny”) Kate (only risk is you get Daisy from Day)
Willa Navy
Other middles: Ever, Story, Fawn, Velvet, Whimsy.
Aim of my selection: to give the second sister a non “ie”/“ee” ending, and to tie in the German and “blue” influence. Then just names I like.
Dottie Grey
Evie Sky
Hattie Bliss
Ivy Jane
Lottie Rain
Frankie Bloom
Billie True
Maisie and
Margo
Pippa
Willow
Birdie
Ruby
Betty
Liesl Meadow
Anya Gwen
Briar Rose (full fairy tale)
Greta Cerise
Hazel Pippin
Lorelei Poppy
Rowena Jane
Winnie Joy
Tallulah Swan
Adele Lark
Delia Rose
Heidi seems like a perfect choice! It goes beautifully with Maisie, and it joins Blue in honoring your German heritage.
I love the idea someone else shared of using July (your daughter’s anticipated birth month) as a middle name: Maisie Blue H0w@rd & Heidi July H0w@rd
You could also draw on the birth flower for July, which is larkspur, and go with Lark: Maisie Blue H0w@rd & Heidi Lark H0w@rd
From your list, Meadow also makes a lovely middle name and echoes the style of Blue (as a word name): Maisie Blue H0ward & Heidi Meadow Howard
I also wouldn’t eliminate Coco because of the snarky comments you’ve gotten! I’ve taught multiple students named Coco, and they wore the name with dignity. What about making it a nickname for a more formal name like Corinna? Maisie Blue H0ward & Corinna Lark H0w@rd
I’d love to read an update once your daughter is here!
What about?
Maisie Blue and Sylvie Rose or Heidi Rose
What about Pippa or Pippi if Poppy doesn’t sound right?
I like M@isie Blue and….
Sylvie June
Sylvie Jules
Sylvie Azul
Sylvie Quinn
Heidi June
Heidi Jules
Heidi Azul
Heidi Quinn
Congratulations!
I really like your name ideas- My favorite is probably Heidi Meadow or Poppy.
Names I thought of that you like as a middle or first name-
(Some were already mentioned 🙂
Holly
Pearl
Greta
Sage
Viola
Goldie
Alice
Amber
Winnie
Maude
Greta Sage and Maisie Blue
Winnie Gold and Maisie Blue
I really love the idea of Heidi as being parallel to Maisie (both relatively obscure nicknames coming from more formal names).
Based on that, my suggestion for you is Polly – a long-ago nickname for Mary, and it also echoes Poppy’s sound and feel but without the grandpa problem.
Molly could work too, but is probably too similar to Maisie. I like Holly for you too, but prefer Heidi.
Another reason to like Heidi is that presumably your family has some German heritage, so that’s a sweet connection.
As for middle names, I was thinking of another colour with a German connection. Lila is the German word for purple, and Rosa is pink, so either of those could work as a subtle connection to Blue.
Maisie Blue and Tessa Gold
Maisie Blue and Willa Gold
Maisie Blue and Stella Gold
I think Andrea and I are on the same wavelength with the suggestion of Bliss as a middle name.
Maisie Blue and . . .
Matilda Bliss H0w@rd– could also be Millie Bliss or Tillie Bliss or Tilda Bliss
Sadie Bliss H0w@rd
Tessa Bliss H0w@rd
As far as Poppy, most of the children I know who use a “pop” variation for grandpa chose Pops, Poppa, or Pop-Pop. I think Maisie and Poppy are sweet together.
Brooke, Belle, or Beau are other B possibilities for a middle name.
Love the suggestion of Indigo as a Blue parallel!
Indigo (Indie) Fay
I love it and the symmetry with Maisie’s name without being too matchy to the casual acquaintance.
Is HH a bad acronym? I was coming here to say Heidi is such a great name – I know two adult Heidis and one tween, and they’re all lovely humans. And 2/3 have worn an H surname either before/after marriage funny enough.
Blue is a very cool middle. And since it sounds like you can’t replicate, I’d either go for Blue again (especially if Blau is on your side) or use your name as an honour. Could be Gwen at a stretch like someone commented. Or use the full Kenna or Anneke (backwards-ish) or Kenzie or Keen?
I like a lot of Abby’s suggestion – especially Sylvie Wren (kinda like Kenna)
Other eco names like Poppy & Meadow (maybe that’s your crossover):
Flora Kenzie
Daphne Blue
Iris Keen
Pearl Anneke (I know it’s also a nickname of Margaret like Maisie but I LOVE it!)
I actually do really like Heidi, like a bunch of folks on this list. There is something about it that goes well with Maisie. And I think Heidi True, Heidi Wren, or Heidi Meadow sounds beautiful! From Abby’s list, Briar stands out as my favorite with Cleo as a close second. I also thought July would be a beautiful middle name since that is the birth month. Briar July, Cleo July, Heidi July … they all sound really nice to my ear. Other ideas Maisie and Clementine, Maisie and Fern, Maisie and Opal. Maisie Blue is such a beautiful name, I know you will choose something fantastic!
You could look at baby names that mean blue? Like middle names could be Indigo, Alice, and True. (True Blue), Livie which is Latin for blue. Actually Livie would be sweet with Maisie? Livie True?
Maisie means Pearl, so Pearl True is cute too, but maybe too wordy.
From the list, I love Gwen Meadow with Maisie Blue! I don’t think Kenna and Gwen are too similar.
How about Annie, Coral, Francie, Laurel, Lettie, Lottie, Lucy, Nancy, Pippa, Rosie, Ruby.
Middle names Bay, Bliss, Bright, Day, Lark, Moon, Rain, Sage
Gwen is like Kenna, but wouldn’t that make it a great middle name with a nod in your direction?
My suggestion is:
Maisie Blue and … Clover Gwen.
I’m loving Heidi.
Heidi Meadow jumped out to me from your names.
I’m rather liking Sylvie Wren. It’s got a beautiful visual appeal when you see it written with the y and v echoes of the W.