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!
Em writes:
We have two daughters, Reese Annabelle and Skye Marie and are expecting another daughter later this summer.
Reese was always my favorite name. Skye is sort of for my husband’s granny Kaye, who passed away while I was pregnant.
Our last name is four syllables, starts with K and ends with -ee. Short names are good!
I kind of like Sloane, but I’m not sure about having another S name.
My husband is stuck on Olivia. I’ve said maybe as a middle, but we already know three Olivias, including my good friend’s daughter, so there’s no way. And it’s long, with our last name and with our girls’ names, too. The only other name he’s suggested is Clare, which is okay, but I’m not convinced.
Can you suggest some names that go with Reese and Skye?
Please read on for my response, and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new daughter!
It sounds like you’re feeling painted into a corner, maybe? Reese and Skye are brief, brisk, modern picks that lean a little bit unisex. They’re neither too popular or too different. So while they’re not precisely the same style, they’re really well matched.
Which raises the pressure to complete the pattern for this daughter’s name, too!
My take on patterns is that parents should embrace them if it makes naming easier or more enjoyable for their family … but should feel equally free to jettison them when they prove burdensome.
And yet, often a name that’s very contrary to the established pattern just plain feels wrong. I think that’s what’s happening with Olivia, right?
It’s long and flowing and feminine. Olivia is presently the #1 name in the US, and has ranked in the Top Ten for the last two decades. It’s a lovely, flowing, and romantic choice, but Olivia doesn’t really sound like a sister for Reese and Skye.
That said, I’m not sure limiting your list to names that do check all the boxes is necessary, either. After all, Clare comes pretty close to being the perfect sister name for Reese and Skye – but it’s not quite right, either.
A SISTER FOR REESE AND SKYE
AVERY
Modern Avery sounds like a sister for Reese or Skye. But it shares Olivia’s middle V and slightly longer sound. It’s also a bit more popular than either of your older girls’ names, but maybe that’s not an issue?
EDEN
When it comes to tailored names that feel like they have plenty of history, without actually sounding antique, Eden is one of the best. The Biblical Garden makes it instantly old school. And yet, it’s not really a name we expect to hear on, say, Benjamin Franklin’s wife or in an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
ESME
Another modern favorite with history, I wonder if Esme hits the slightly longer/more feminine note while still sounding like a sister for Reese and Skye? All three names share a prominent ‘s’ sound, but in different ways.
GWEN
Brief and complete, Gwen feels like a more surprising alternative to Clare. It’s been around, but we have trouble pinning it to an era. And nothing sounds quite like Gwen, right?
LANE or LAINE
Reese has a strong E sound; Skye is dominant by a long I. So maybe a short name with an equally vibrant – but different – vowel sound would appeal? Lane is a noun like Skye, a surname like Reese. Spell it Laine for something a little more feminine.
LIV
Liv might be the ultimate compromise name. It’s the perfect sister for Reese and Skye. But it’s a sound straight from Olivia, too. You could maybe even name her Olivia and call her Liv. But my suggestion would be to consider just Liv. After all, it has independent roots – it means life in Scandinavian languages.
TRUE
A straight-up virtue name, True is a little like Lane/Laine – another short name with a strong, distinct vowel sound. It’s far less popular than Reese or Skye, but I think it would match perfectly.
ZARA
If your husband prefers something more feminine, there’s no reason it has to be as lacy and elaborate as Olivia. Zara might be a good compromise, a name that straddles traditional choices and twenty-first century innovations.
Overall, my favorites are Liv – because it feels like a perfect compromise – and Lane/Laine/True, because they’re the kinds of names I would’ve suggested if all I knew was that you wanted to name a sister for Reese and Skye. And I think both potentially work with middle name Olivia, so that’s another bonus.
I think Quinn for family member #5 is brilliant! And goes so well with her sisters.
If you’re willing to go a bit longer (and i also like the alphabetical thing) then Tova has a similar sound to Olivia. Or Tea (Taya) or Twyla.
Although, when I first read your letter, I was totally thinking Liv, as Abby suggested. I mean, surely you’ve thought about that as a diminutive of Olivia that fits better. I love Liv, just Liv.
Brooke, Drew, Neve, Nova, Blaine, Greer, Tate, Dale, Jade, Zoe, Ivy, Fern, Piper, Marin, Maven…maybe Olive instead of Olivia?
Blair or Bryn.
I think Sloane and Reese sound perfect together, but I wouldn’t want to duplicate initials. I also Clare sounds like a good match although it’s stylistically really different. I would nix True as a distinctively Kardashian choice, and Liv because although it’s a real stand-alone name, it’s also an extremely common nickname for the #1 name of the generation. So a lot of people will probably assume it’s just a nickname. What about Willow? Taylor? Marlo? Olive?
The first idea that popped in my head for y’all is Briar. What do you think about Briar Olivia?
I really do like Sloane with Reese and Skye. But if that’s not quite right i like the suggestion of Laine, Wren, and Quinn. I realize all of them have a strong N which your other girls don’t have so it’s distinct.
I especially love the ideas of Sloane, Liv, Laine, and Maeve. Here to add Paige, Finley, Wynne, Gwynne, and Teagan.
Clare, Gwen and Laine are all personal favorites and also perfect with Reese and Skye! And I love the suggestion of Quinn, especially since this sweetheart will be the fifth member of your family. Congratulations!
I really like Clare with your other daughter’s names! I think True works well too!
I also thought of Wren, Blythe, Blaise, Bryn, or Sage
I think Blair and Quinn are my top choices for you. Blair particularly is a good middle ground between the sound of Clare and the style of Sloane. Though I must add I really like the idea of siblings with initials QRS, well RSQ. You could do Tess if you wanted to go in alphabetical order, but I think Quinn goes better with Reese and Skye.
Tied for second Blythe and Beau. Not sure about Beau for a girl? The entire series Lost Girl is about a succubus name Bo who finds out her full name is Isabeau.
Third choice Maeve. It has the same Anglo-Gaelic vibes as Reese and Skye, but it’s distinctly femme and doesn’t evoke places or surnames.