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!
Natalie writes:
We are expecting a third child and cannot find a name me and my husband agree on!
We have a son named Logan River Theodore and a daughter named Phoenix Raine Aurelia.
I like Ophelia, Nova, Clementine for girls; and Onyx, Lincoln, Ezra, Buzz for boys. My husband isn’t sold.
We do prefer names that won’t be shortened typically.
Wondering if you or your followers can help us?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on baby number three!
I hear a few things in your older kids’ names: they’re familiar, but not necessarily traditional.
And looking at your full list, it sounds like you’re open to lots of different kinds of names. Romantic Ophelia, casual Buzz, popular Ezra.
When it comes to avoiding nicknames, I do think it’s often best to stick with two-syllables or less. I’m not inclined to call Logan “Lo” or Lincoln “Link” necessarily. But Clementine, somehow, becomes Clem. Or Cleo … or … you get the idea.
One last thought: your son’s name is mostly masculine. (It’s ranked #21 for boys versus #310 for girls.) Phoenix, on the other hand, is unisex. (It’s ranked #248 for boys and #308 for girls.) So a strongly feminine name – like Ophelia could seem like a mismatch.
To be clear: mismatches are fine. Children are individual human beings, and the circumstances of every pregnancy are different. So maybe a more feminine name makes sense for this daughter. But thinking about this from the sisters’ point-of-view, it does feel a little unbalanced.
So while I don’t think you need to choose another unisex name, I do wonder if something less frilly would be a better fit for a second daughter?
Let’s jump into the names.
A BROTHER for LOGAN and PHOENIX
BROOKS
Something that seems potential appealing: not only does every kid had a separate first initial, each of these names has a different ending sound. If Brooks is close, but not quite, there’s Wells, Hayes, Miles, or so many other names in this category.
CALLUM
Strictly speaking, this is a traditional Irish name. But it sounds much more like a modern English one, cool and just a little bit different.
HENDRIX
Because that X sound is so strong in some of your favorite names, like Onyx.
LENNOX
Is Lennox too close to Logan, or do they sound just like brothers? Since Lincoln was on the maybe list, I figured Lennox might offer the best of Onyx and Lincoln.
McCOY
A fun, interesting surname name that feels wearable and distinct.
WILDER
How do you feel about names ending with R? There are some great choices in this category. Wilder is my favorite with Logan and Phoenix, but there’s Miller, Thatcher, and dozens more.
A SISTER for LOGAN and PHOENIX
BLAIR
Tailored and just on the right side of feminine, Blair balances out Logan and Phoenix nicely.
EDEN
Like Phoenix, Eden is richly symbolic.
JUNIPER
A tree name with a bouncing, upbeat vibe.
NOA
Noah is a Top Ten favorite for boys. Noa is a completely separate name, with a different origin – but plenty of appeal for a daughter.
SAIGE
Depending on your perspective, sage is a color, an herb, or a wise person. The spelling Saige is reminiscent of former favorite Paige.
TATUM
A surname name originally made famous by celebrity baby and child star Tatum O’Neal, this surname name only caught on in recent years. It sounds very much like a sister for Phoenix and Logan.
My favorites are Lennox and Saige, because they’re current, nickname-proof, and match the same vibe as Phoenix and Logan.
It’s tempting to come up with combinations – Saige Onyx Ophelia? Saige Clementine Nova? Oh, maybe Lennox Ezra Buzz … or is that too much Z?
Readers, over to you! What would you name a sibling for Logan River Theodore and a daughter named Phoenix Raine Aurelia?
The first thing I thought of was Opal or Opaline for a girl and Zephyr as a unisex name. I like Reef as a water related middle name, or maybe Ridge or Lake?
Other name suggestions :
Emerald
Sapphire
Jet(t)
Rubin
Topaz
Garnet
Coral
Circe
Cosima
Reverie
Prairie
Lark
Raven
Dove
Oonagh
I see the appeal of Buzz but I think it’s too much of a nickname. Every name starting with a B could be a reason to be calling him Buzz, like Balthasar, Bela, Bram, Bastian , Beckett, Baz, Beau.
For boys:
Corbin
Cormac
Colin
Good luck!
Logan, Phoenix, and…
(Sister)
Briony
Clover
Olive
Saffron
(Brother)
Hawthorne
Cormac
Jude
Lewis
Logan and Phoenix actually have a few patterns – nature, location, surname….
If you take Logan as a ‘hollow’ and Phoenix then how about: Orion or Vega?
For surnames: Nash or Neely?
For locations: Austin or Salem?
Love the idea of Reef for a middle as suggested!
Congrats on your 3rd little one on the way! Maybe Logan, Phoenix, and…
BOY name suggestions:
+ Rydell
+ Frankie
+ Grover
+ Oscar
+ West (simple, unisex, not very overused, but easy to spell, subtle nature theme here, could be a first or middle name)
GIRL name suggestions:
+ Honora
+ Valorie
+ Briar
+ Calliope
+ Ainsley
Hope the naming process gets easier with your person, hope this helps & best of luck!
Logan, Phoenix & …
Jasper
Otto
Miles
Beau
Logan, Phoenix & …
Amity
Astrid
Saskia
Willow
I know we’re supposed to be suggesting first names but I noticed both older children have first middle names that begin with r and have a connection with water, could I suggest Reef as a fmn
Boy (fmn Reef);
Callum
Joseph
Girl (fmn Reef);
Julian(n)a
Vivienne
Nimue (to go with big sister’s name, Nimue is the ‘human’ name for the lady of the lake in Arthurian legend)
So your son has a very common name (it was a top 10 name a few years ago) and your daughter has a much less common name.
You seem to prefer a more uncommon name for this child and your husband doesn’t.
So I’m suggesting some middle ground:
Boy:
Magnus
Jude
Clay
Girl:
Tess
Rae
Iris
Also, Onyx sounds too similar to Phoenix.
Phoenix to me is always a girl’s name. (The male equivalent would be “Dragon”).
I love Neptune as the the first middle name for either a boy or a girl since it means “god of water”.
Maybe Milo for a boy or Maeve for a girl?
Your naming style is very unisex. Rowan and Blake would both be great with your older kids’ names.
Lincoln and Ezra made me think of Isaac.
Ophelia and Nova made me think of Eden.
Other suggestions for girls…
Paloma
Emilia
Wren
Lola
Zoe
Delilah
Gemma
For boys…
Odin
Stellan
Zane
Jay
Zeke
Hayes
Mason