Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every Saturday, 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!
Sofia writes:
I have a baby girl due in July. I have four boys already, so this is an exciting time! I finally get to name a girl. Now that it is a reality, i think naming my boys was so much easier.
My husband gave my full permission to name our girl which is so exciting!! H@yes is the last name.
Here are my boys:
Felix James H@yes
Theodore Henry H@yes
Julian Jack H@yes
Sawyer Alexander H@yes
Potential girl names:
Ophelia Moon – This is my number one. I have been obsessed with this name since I was a little girl. The only draw back is the whole Ophelia being a tragic heroine in Hamlet. I think the name is romantic, and the truth is i don’t think many kids know about Hamlet. 🙂 By the time they do, Ophelia will be old enough to not really care. Any other middle name suggestions?
Uma Rose– I think this name sounds so beautiful.
Lucia– I love the meaning
Lula
Anouk – I worry that it is too harsh sounding, but I think it is beautiful.
Anais – I have also been obsessed with this name forever but I feel like it would forever be a spelling and pronunciation problem.
Fleur
Marigold– I think its pretty, and Goldie as a nickname is so cute!
Fiona – I think this is a sweet name.
Read on for my response, and please add your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Hi Sofia –
Congratulations on your first girl!
Since you’re not asking for new suggestions, I’m not going to add to your list – you’ve got great possibilities already!
It seems like one of your big questions is whether Ophelia would be a burdensome name for a daughter. I don’t think so; in fact, I’ve been watching Ophelia recently. It was more commonly used in the past, and there are plenty of reasons to think that the tragic fate on Hamlet’s Ophelia doesn’t make the name unwearable in 2016. But let’s have a poll, because I’d love to get a broader range of opinions on this one:
I’m curious to see the outcome of the poll, but even without seeing the results, I think it’s a great choice. First, it’s been your longtime favorite – and you’ve been naming babies for a while! Second, it fits with Felix, Theodore, Julian, and Sawyer – gently old-fashioned, a little bit literary and romantic.
If you’re still on the fence, one thought is to choose a more conventional middle name. I like Ophelia Moon – okay, I love it! – but Moon is a bolder middle name choice than you’ve made before. (Sidenote: there is a moon of Uranus called Ophelia.) James, Henry, Jack, and Alexander are all pretty traditional middles – fallback names, if you will. Something like Ophelia Mae, Ophelia Louise, or Ophelia Jane might be a safer choice. And, of course, Ophelia Rose is an obvious choice since you already have Rose on your list.
Just in case my cheerleading for Ophelia hasn’t convinced you, let’s take a look at the other possibilities.
Fiona and Lucia strike me as safer, more conventional options. Fiona and Lucia were both in the US Top 250 in 2014 – not super popular choices, but the kind of names that you’ll hear from time to time. I think they’re lovely choices for a daughter that hit that sweet spot: familiar, but not too common.
Anouk, Anais, and even Fleur are gorgeous name, but I agree with your assessment – they can be tough to pronounce and spell for native English speakers. Some parents shrug this off; others find it frustrating. You have to love the name enough to overlook the occasional headaches.
Marigold, Lula, and Uma are all great names, but they’re all pretty rare. In other words, they’re not any more mainstream than Ophelia, and so I wouldn’t trade your favorite for one of these three names, thinking they’d be easier to wear. (Though I suspect Marigold is going to get a nice little bump from the Downton Abbey storyline involving Edith’s secret daughter.)
Oh wait – I said I wouldn’t add any more names to your list, but Marigold and Ophelia make me think of Magnolia. It’s a gorgeous garden name (like Fleur and Marigold), but shares the -lia ending of so many lovely names for girls – including Ophelia.
And yet, overall I think you should stick with your favorite name, and the only question is whether to keep your bold middle name choice, or opt for something more conventional. If you hesitate to use Ophelia, I think a more conventional middle name like Rose might be a reassuring choice. But if I’ve talked you into using Ophelia without reservation, then by all means, go with Ophelia Moon!
What would you suggest to Sofia? Is Ophelia Moon the right choice, Ophelia Rose, or is there another name you think the family should consider for their first girl?
I hear Ophelie often here, it’s a French variant of Ophelia and it’s pronounced Oh-FAY-lee. It’s gorgeous and not as Hamlet-y.
Just tossing that out! 🙂
Ophelia Moon is sublime and I’d use it if I were you, but if Hamlet is an issue, think about variations?
My favorite aunt was Ofelia, pronounced O-FAY-lia, and I find that pronunciation beautiful too. Like others, my hesitation wouldn’t be the character (although she bugs me) but the pun possibilities, and the nicknames. My aunt was generally Fay, but sometimes she got called Oaf or Ofie, too.
Me, I loveFleur.
Ophelia Moon is gorgeous, and so is Ophelia Rose! However, I’m not crazy about the flow of Ophelia Moon H@yes nor Ophelia Rose H@yes especially. Rose Hayes sounds almost like rosé to me, as in the wine.
But if Ophelia Moon is what you really love, I’d go for it. I also like Ophelia Uma H@yes or Ophelia Oona H@yes. Or Ophelia Luna H@yes. Ophelia Lucille H@yes. Ok ill stop lol.
I really really love Oona for you though for some reason. Oona Marigold?
Ophelia Moon is gorgeous! I hope you use this one.
If you’re inclined to consider a more conventional middle, I like the suggestion of Ophelia Rose Moon. Gives her 2 fallbacks if she’s not into Ophelia – a daring one and a conventional one.
I wouldn’t worry overmuch about either Hamlet or teasing. I suspect the Hamlet reference would elude many (most?) people and “I feel ya” teasing is the type of thing that lasts a couple of years, if she experiences it at all. My daughter has an unusual name that’s easy to make fun of and successfully navigated elementary and middle school with it.
I love the names Ophelia and Moon, but not together. To me it sounds like: I feel your moon – moon being a bare bottom – as in mooing someone. I loved the other suggestion of Ophelia Rose Moon though 🙂
Love Ophelia. Not a great show by any means but “the royals” has a main character named Ophelia so perhaps it’s getting more mainstream. I think she sometimes got called Fee which is adorable. (She was a classic protagonist FYI)
Ophelia is gorgeous! You should definitely stick with it. But I also think you should go with a more conventional middle. Ophelia Rose is lovely. Or Ophelia Marigold!
I know it is a little more mainstream, but I have a Juliet and she rarely gets any Shakespeare comments. Actually, I had to clue her in because she heard her name in a few pop songs recently. I wouldn’t let Shakespeare stop you 🙂
First off, I love… no, ADORE your boys’ names!
As soon as I read the first item on your list, I was sold. Ophelia is beyond perfect with your sons’ names – a traditional, off-beat yet recognisable vintage choice with a long history and literary associations. It’s perfect! The rest of your list is lovely, but nothing fits as well as Ophelia for me.
Judging by your description, Ophelia is the name you’d use if you followed your heart alone. And the fact that you’ve loved the name since childhood is a good indication that you’ll never go off it or regret using it. Of course it’s important to use your head too when naming a real human being who has to live with the name, but honestly I don’t think either the Shakespeare thing or the “I feel ya” thing is an issue. If Ryder can work…
Personally, I love Ophelia Moon and would definitely go with that, but Abby has a point that your boys all have much more traditional middles. How much of a problem that is is up to you – for me, middle names are the place to be more flexible so I think it’s totally fine if they don’t all “match” stylistically. However, if you wanted something a little more traditional, could I suggest Ophelia Fleur? The sounds are a tiny bit repetitive but I actually find that sweet in this case, and the flow is lovely. Ophelia Jane or Rose or Mae would flow well but these lack the “wow” factor for me, I’m sorry. I just think that, having waited until your fifth child to finally name your girl, you need to go with something that wows you, rather than a “safer” compromise.
All the best of luck with the new arrival!
I instantly thought Luna. Beautiful sound, means “moon”, goes perfectly with the brothers.