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Name Help: A Sister for Maisie Blue

April 28, 2023 By appellationmountain 22 Comments

Name Help: A sister for Maisie BlueName 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.

Readers, over to you – what would you name a sister for Maisie Blue?

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Comments

  1. Lori says

    May 5, 2023 at 1:37 PM

    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

    Reply
  2. juniperjones says

    May 5, 2023 at 6:31 AM

    Sophie Gray

    Reply
  3. EloiseT says

    April 30, 2023 at 10:26 AM

    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.

    Reply
  4. Vanessa Ball says

    April 30, 2023 at 10:09 AM

    Dottie Grey
    Evie Sky
    Hattie Bliss
    Ivy Jane
    Lottie Rain
    Frankie Bloom
    Billie True

    Reply
  5. Jenna says

    April 29, 2023 at 4:16 PM

    Maisie and

    Margo
    Pippa
    Willow
    Birdie
    Ruby
    Betty

    Reply
  6. C in DC says

    April 29, 2023 at 1:27 PM

    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

    Reply
  7. Hannah says

    April 29, 2023 at 1:45 AM

    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!

    Reply
  8. diane says

    April 28, 2023 at 11:23 PM

    What about?
    Maisie Blue and Sylvie Rose or Heidi Rose

    Reply
  9. Em says

    April 28, 2023 at 10:39 PM

    What about Pippa or Pippi if Poppy doesn’t sound right?

    Reply
  10. diane says

    April 28, 2023 at 10:16 PM

    I like M@isie Blue and….
    Sylvie June
    Sylvie Jules
    Sylvie Azul
    Sylvie Quinn
    Heidi June
    Heidi Jules
    Heidi Azul
    Heidi Quinn

    Reply
  11. Patricia says

    April 28, 2023 at 8:58 PM

    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

    Reply
  12. Maclary says

    April 28, 2023 at 6:36 PM

    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.

    Reply
  13. Iris says

    April 28, 2023 at 6:19 PM

    Maisie Blue and Tessa Gold
    Maisie Blue and Willa Gold
    Maisie Blue and Stella Gold

    Reply
  14. ab says

    April 28, 2023 at 5:01 PM

    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.

    Reply
  15. Lashley says

    April 28, 2023 at 4:05 PM

    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.

    Reply
  16. Renée says

    April 28, 2023 at 2:44 PM

    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!)

    Reply
  17. Alison Doherty says

    April 28, 2023 at 2:30 PM

    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!

    Reply
  18. Chantel says

    April 28, 2023 at 1:11 PM

    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.

    Reply
  19. Elizabeth says

    April 28, 2023 at 11:45 AM

    From the list, I love Gwen Meadow with Maisie Blue! I don’t think Kenna and Gwen are too similar.

    Reply
  20. Andrea says

    April 28, 2023 at 10:37 AM

    How about Annie, Coral, Francie, Laurel, Lettie, Lottie, Lucy, Nancy, Pippa, Rosie, Ruby.

    Middle names Bay, Bliss, Bright, Day, Lark, Moon, Rain, Sage

    Reply
  21. FE says

    April 28, 2023 at 8:30 AM

    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.

    Reply
  22. Emmy says

    April 28, 2023 at 8:07 AM

    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.

    Reply

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