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!
Jessie writes:
I have a 12 year old daughter from a previous relationship named Skye Marie. While the name fits her sunny personality, it’s not necessarily the kind of name I’d choose today. Now that my new husband and I are expecting our first child together, it’s become an issue.
My favorite girl names, that my husband also likes, include Alice, Charlotte, Claire, Lucy, Madeline, and Rose.
I first thought Claire would be great with Skye because they’re both short, but calling out “Claire, Skye” sounds like “clear sky” so it won’t work. Lucy is out because it sounds like the song.
I’m worried that a traditional girl name like Alice or Charlotte will make her sister feel like an outsider.
Before we knew we were having a girl, we talked about names for boys, too. Maybe I’m just making myself crazy, but it doesn’t feel like as much of a problem with a son. We discussed William, Henry, Grant, and Miles. I ruled out Miles because saying “Skye, Miles” would be a frequent flier program! But I don’t think the other ones sound so mismatched with Skye, but maybe they do? Still, I feel like we would’ve agreed on a boy name by now.
Skye is excited to finally be a big sister, but I know it’s a lot to first get a stepfather and now a half-sister, so I really want to get this right.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new baby, and congrats to Skye on becoming a big sister!
It’s so good to hear that you and your husband already agree on a short list of names, and they’re great choices, too!
Your hesitation about “Claire, Skye” seems reasonable. And maybe I’d put Rose in the same category of not truly problematic, but possibly occasionally awkward.
But Alice, Charlotte, and Madeline all seem very wearable. It’s just that your style has changed since you first became a parent. This happens all the time!
And that leads me to my first question:
Is it more important to find a name that you love for this child? Or to match your children’s names?
It’s easy to dream up perfectly matched sibsets. But real life isn’t always that tidy. And it doesn’t have to be! Maybe we don’t expect siblings to be named Herbert and Olympia, but after knowing them for a bit, we just plain don’t notice. We say, “oh yes, my sister’s kids, Herbert and Olympia” and move on with our day.
Better to focus, I think, on avoiding awkward mismatches – like Miles and Skye! – rather than trying to find The One name that somehow bridges your current style and your style from a dozen years ago. Because Skye and Alice can totally be sisters!
Okay, all that said … let’s see if I can suggest some names that might fall somewhere midway between Charlotte and Skye.
We’re looking for something a little less common, like Skye, but with a more traditional vibe. And probably something on the shorter side, too.
A SISTER FOR SKYE
ADA
Ada fits with Alice and Charlotte, but it’s brief, too. Does that make it more of a match for Skye?
CHLOE
Chloe has history to spare. After all, the name first appears in the New Testament. (And Greek myth before that.) But it’s fresh and modern, too.
LEAH
Lucy made me think of Leah. Short, traditional, but with a lot of spirit and energy, like Skye.
PHOEBE
Once Chloe made the list, it was hard not to add more Greek names with an ‘e’ ending. I think Phoebe hits the mark.
SADIE
A subtle way to match sibling names is to share a first initial. Sadie and Skye sound perfect together, even though one is a sparky, casual vintage name and the other a tailored, modern nature choice.
STELLA
Another S name might work. And if you ruled out Claire, maybe Stella – meaning star – is just too, too much with a sister named Skye. But I kind of love them together.
THEA
A brief name with plenty of vintage verve.
ZARA
The Z makes Zara unforgettable.
Overall, Chloe keeps coming back to the top of my list. It feels like the exact midway point between Charlotte and Skye.
But I’m tempted by Sadie, too. If Stella is just too much, then the way that Sadie shares an initial, but still feels like a completely different name, might be exactly right.
Skye is such a sweet and fun name. I like it a lot!
I absolutely agree that if you love Alice or Charlotte or Madeline, then go ahead and use them.
They will sound like sisters because they are sisters, not because their names match.
However, if you do decide to go with a more “bridging” name, here are some that might work:
Cleo, Mila, Heidi, Lulu, Ruby?
Scarlett is an obvious substitute for Charlotte, but the sound might be too similar to Skye.
Adeline is Alice + Madeline, and sounds a bit more contemporary.
Clarice (Claire + Alice) is a completely different style to Skye, but it’s so uncommon that I think it would work.
Rosalie avoids the “noun” issues of Rose and Skye together.
Celia is an anagram of Alice. I actually really like it for you because it shares the “S” starting sound of Skye, but with its own initial. And, as a bonus, the meaning is “heaven”, which is a subtle link with Skye.
Go with your favorite! I don’t think Claire is an issue with Skye. You could say Skye first, you could say “Claire and Skye” to break them up. Like other commenters said, you probably won’t be calling them as a group all the time, especially as Skye gets older.
If you want to tie the names together, is there an M middle name you like? Or maybe Skye has a favorite choice for middle?
What about Daphne. I like how Daphne and Skye look together
Daphne Rose
Love the suggestions of Zara and Chloe
Maybe a name that feels like a modern classic would split the difference between more modern Skye and timeless Alice, Lucy, and Claire:
Elise (feels very similar to Alice and Lucy)
Jade
Zoe
Cara/Kara
Hallie
Tessa
Natalie
Brynn
I can very much understand wanting to choose a name that doesn’t make one child feel left out or disregarded, but I think that you might want to fast forward a few years when you think about whether the names will sound awkward together.
Lucy and Skye will probably attract the attention of at least some people if you talk about the two in the same sentence. I agree with others that, “Claire! Skye!” doesn’t make me immediately think of “clear sky.” But I also think you might be overestimating the number of times you’ll utter that phrase in public. At 12, I can imagine you calling for Skye across a playground like that on a fairly regular basis. But by the time your younger daughter is old enough to be included in the pattern, your older daughter will be in high school. Siblings with such large age gaps can end up being very close, but they typically don’t run around as playmates. I suspect that more often, Skye and your younger daughter will be doing different things, or that you’ll call to Skye to bring her younger sister over.
Congrats on little sister. I have a friend who was in the same situation. A 12yo from a previous relationship, and different naming preferences with new partner. They actually were so stumped even after she was born that big sister ended up choosing the name! And it was Rose actually 🙂
Have you talked to Skye about names? Maybe she won’t even care how she matches? I guess the question is whether you’re planning / hoping for more children and then starting a new ‘pattern’ that would make Skye the outlier. I think Rose is a wonderful name – both evocative nature names and are in use as given names. I like Charlotte too – she’s buttoned up but spunky, like I think of Skye. Would a nickname help to make your list less classic more whimsical? Can you call Madeline ‘Mads’ or ‘Minnie’? Charlotte ‘Lola’ or ‘Arlo’? Alice ‘Wonder’ or “Ace’? Your list all has Ls except Rose… could you do the strong I sound like Skye but a more traditional name like Lila or Blythe or Violet?
I don’t hear “clear sky” either. So I would go with Claire or Alice! I also love the suggestions of Sadie and Thea from Abby. My other idea is another nature name that might feel more traditional or classic like Skye and Juniper or Skye and Laurel or Jasmine. Whatever you choose will be beautiful!
Skye Marie and Alice Rose
Is my favorite. Both Alice and Rose are vintage but getting more and more popular and Marie is also vintage, if not a popular middle name, so I don’t think they clash.
I’m kind of loving lots of Abby’s suggestions of something interesting but known
Skye Marie and Phoebe Alice
Skye Marie and Zara Claire
Skye Marie and Thea Rose
If you like interesting but known…
Skye Marie and Eloise Claire “Loulou”
Skye Marie and Clara Alice
My other suggestion is go with another Scottish name
Skye Marie and Elsie Charlotte
Skye Marie and Maisie Claire
Skye Marie and Ainsley Rose
I do like all your names.
If you love Charlotte or Madeline or Rose or Claire just choose them..
So what if it’s heard as a Rose Skye? That just brings the image of a beautiful sunset.
Even “Claire” as clear sky… Only clear skies ahead is a phrase meaning best wishes for good times and no obstacles… That’s a good thing with a fresh start together.
When I named my children I can honestly say I didn’t think a whole lot about the other kids. I just choose what felt right for that child. It was only my last child that I put far more thought into naming to “match” one sister. I did that by choosing a name at a similar popularity level to her sibling. But still one I loved.
I don’t hear “clear sky” so I’d argue that’s a minor issue. I personally also tend to list my kids in order of age so it’d be “Skye, Claire” for me. But I agree Lucy is probably out unless you want to be asked if you’re a Beatles fan all the time. Rose might be awkward for the two noun names but it’s not a dealbreaker. Alice is my personal favorite, but I think they all are great. Stella is my favorite of Abby’s suggestions. What about Maeve?