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!
Julie writes –
My partner and I have two sweet children. Marlo Remembrance is almost five, and Hugo Xylon is two. Our third baby is on the way and due in September. Naming our older babies came easy, but this one is tough. We have too many rules, I know it! But our older kids’ names are so special we feel pressure to find something as beautiful for this baby.
Marlo’s name has been on my heart for as long as I can remember, a combination of my grandmothers’ names, Mary and Lois. Remembrance is for my dad, who developed early onset Alzheimer’s a few years before Marlo was born. We call her Lola and Lolo and sometimes Marlie R, but the rest of the world calls her Marlo.
Hugo was almost Hugo Xavier when we heard a sermon at our church about the cross and how we really don’t know that much about it, and the Greek word xylon that really just means “wood,” not “cross.” We liked that it spoke to the mysteries of our faith. As for Hugo, we chose it because of the meaning heart or intellect, as we hope our boy will be guided by both. We call him Hux, from his initials, but just like his sister, he’s always Hugo to everyone else.
We combined our last name to give our kids’ a new last name. It’s common, English-Scottish, and sounds like Hurry-with-an-M.
That brings me to our rules:
- The first name has to end with an O, but not sound too much like Marlo or Hugo. No Arlo, and no Margo, but it’s hard to know what’s different enough. We also liked Milo for Hugo, but it was too much like Marlo.
- Nothing Top 100. The more uncommon, the better, as long as it can be still be read/pronounced/spelled without a lot of hassle. That rule is more in place now because everyone spells Marlo with a W at the end.
- We like to be able to see a cute/sweet nickname option, but we would prefer everybody else call our child by their first name as it is written. And it’s okay if it takes us a while to find the right nickname.
- The middle name has to be meaningful and different. Ideally, not a name at all.
Names we are considering:
- Juno – I know it could maybe be a boys’ name, but I think it feels more like a girls’ name for me. Is it too much like Hugo? Do you think people will call her Junie? Is it too much like my name?
- Kylo – But is this just a Star Wars name? My partner is a BIG Star Wars fan and would love it for that reason, but I have mixed feelings. Also, it’s another “lo” name. Too much?
- Halo – The meaning is so, so good. But I feel like this isn’t sufficiently name-like for a first name. And I don’t think we’d ever use an O ending middle name, not with a O ending first name.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Dear Julie –
Congratulations on your third!
With kids named Marlo and Hugo, it feels like the biggest challenge is to find another name with a distinctive sound. Both Juno and Kylo work, I think. Halo feels a little too close to both Marlo and Hugo. Plus, I think your take on Halo is that it’s mostly a middle name, except Juno Halo is probably not going to work.
I’m not sure I can suggest a word middle name, if only because Remembrance and Xylon seem to be drawn from such personal experiences. But we can definitely work on the first names!
Lots of these could be unisex, so feel free to swap them from the boys’ list to the girls and vice versa.
A BROTHER FOR MARLO REMEMBRANCE AND HUGO XYLON
BRIO
It comes from an Italian word meaning fire or life; in music, to play “con brio” is to play with a vivacious, upbeat style. Because we’re used to names from Brian to Brynn to Briar, Brio feels like a logical choice.
CRUSOE
As in Robinson Crusoe, the 1719 novel that influenced language and storytelling for generations. Crew is quite popular at the moment, but Crusoe is a distinctive choice.
ENZO
The perfect sound, with that Z making the name sound nicely distinct. But is it too popular?
EZIO
A rare, romance language take on a name from Ancient Rome, Ezio is Enzo turned up to eleven.
IVO
It’s a mini name, just three letters. But Ivo sounds big, and the meaning is great, too. It comes from the yew tree, long associated with immortality and resurrection, beginning in pre-Christian Europe.
LANDO
Since you mentioned Star Wars and since you considered Kylo – and Hux feels like it might be another nod? – would you consider Lando? Fans of The Empire Strikes Back know all about Lando Calrissian. Donald Glover played young Lando in Solo and is set to reprise the role in a Disney+ series maybe, possibly, probably happening soon. We think. It’s a bright, upbeat sound with lots of history.
SHILOH
An Old Testament place name with a powerful meaning: peaceful.
TYCHO
As in the world-changing astronomer Tycho Brahe. In Brahe’s native Danish, it would’ve been Tyge, ultimately related to Thor. But Tycho offers a completely different, non-hammer-wielding image.
A SISTER FOR MARLO REMEMBRANCE AND HUGO XYLON
CADEAU
The French word for gift, not used as a given name in France – but with plenty of potential. Emphasis is on the second syllable: cah DOE.
ECHO
Everyone knows it, but few of us are actively choosing it, making Echo a contender.
KAHLO
Choose the last name of famous artist Frida Kahlo and you’d have to be prepared for questions. Are you a fan? But it’s easy to find her work compelling.
LUCERO
A Spanish name meaning light, Lucero’s extra syllable might be an asset.
MEADOW
An outdoorsy nature name that stands out.
MONROE
Presidential and Hollywood, Monroe is rising in use, but sounds like a sister for Marlo and Hugo.
VERO
As in the beach, located on Florida’s Treasure Coast. There’s no consensus on why the name was chosen, but it sounds like the Latin verus – true.
Lots of these could work for either a daughter or a son. It’s the beauty of the O ending!
My favorite keeps changing. When I first drafted this, I was very much Team Shiloh. Or maybe Brio? I think Tycho works really well for a boy.
If you find something you love with all those rules, then that is wonderful. If you’re not loving anything and would like a way to consider letting go of the rules without feeling let down, then here are some thoughts.
I’m curious if the o ending was something you felt strongly about for your previous children, or if it’s just a pattern you want to keep. Those first two names are so lovely together. The o ending ties them together without making them blend together or feel like they were chosen for the pattern rather than for the name. I can’t hear a third that way, no matter how hard I try. Adding one just changes the nature of all the names, making them all feel like they are there for the pattern more than for themselves. That’s okay if it’s what you want, but if what you want most is something as special and beautiful for this baby as for the others, matching might make that harder rather than easier.
My ear really wants to turn your list into poetry and think about how a third name can speak to the pattern rather than replicating it. That could be, as others have suggested, by adding an extra syllable before the o or moving it to another part of the name (Marlo, Hugo, Simone. Marlo, Hugo, Onyx. Marlo, Hugo, Oak.). But I also wonder what it would feel like to just kind of play with other kinds of names and see what kinds of interesting relationships they could have with your children’s names.
I find that some put a beautiful period on the sentence. Marlo, Hugo, Reeve. Marlo, Hugo, Pearl. Marlo, Hugo, Ruth.
I find others sort of open the names up and send them towards the sky. Marlo, Hugo, Giselle. Marlo, Hugo, Lark. Marlo, Hugo, Reveille. Marlo, Hugo, Cielle. Marlo, Hugo, Star.
Some I don’t know how to describe, but they just feel good together to me. Marlo, Hugo, Hawkin. Marlo, Hugo, Elise. Marlo, Hugo, Jasper. Marlo, Hugo, Phoenix.
Rather to my surprise, I personally keep coming back to Phoenix because I keep coming back to Halo. Phoenix Halo is a whole lot of name. I’m curious whether it’s the kind of “a lot” that feels good to you.
Even if it’s not and you don’t love any of these particular names, I hope that they might be examples of other kinds of beauty that you might choose if you wish to.
Gloriole is veeeeeeeery close to “glory hole”
If the right name is not jumping out at you I might consider a name with a prominent “o” sound elsewhere:
Nova
Rowan
Rosalie
Sloane
Holden
Cosette
Rowena
Noa
Rhodes
Fiona
Clover
Brody
Yes i think Jericho can be used for a boy and a girl. Your daughters middle name Remembrance made me think of Reverie. I think they both sound so good together and the theme fits. Marlo Remembrance and Jericho Reverie for sisters. For a boy, maybe Xavier this time as a middle name . Hugo Xylon and Jericho Xavier.
I love that you are so clear about what you like! And it’s so neat that all of your children will have a connection to each other through their names.
Regrettably, although I think Juno, Kylo, and Halo are all terrific names on their own, I’m not sure any of them works for this sibset. They all sound quite close to one or both of your existing children’s names.
I wonder if you would consider a three-syllable name this time? It could be fitting for your third child.
Another commenter suggested Jericho, and I think it could be perfect for a boy or a girl!
Jericho holds so much Biblical meaning. In the Old Testament, it is the first city the Hebrews reach after entering the Promised Land. There’s the famous story of Joshua and the conquest of the city, whose riches are claimed for Yahweh.
In the New Testament, Jericho is the site of Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan, as well as his temptation in the desert. Jericho is where Christ heals the blind, and the parable of the Good Samaritan also takes place on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.
Jericho is currently unranked in the U.S., but it’s a familiar place name. There are plenty of nickname possibilities: Jer, Jeri, Jer-Bear, Ric, Ricko, Ricky, J-Co, Coco…
I think Marlo, Hugo, and Jericho sound lovely together.
As for the middle name, I wonder if a synonym of Halo might appeal to you? In English, the word Glory has historically been used, going back to the Middle Ages. In recent centuries, Gloriole and Aureole have become more common in the study of Christian art.
Jericho Glory Hurry-with-an-M
Jericho Gloriole Hurry-with-an-M
Jericho Aureole Hurry-with-an-M
Marlo, Hugo, and Jericho
So Appellation Mountain had a post this week on the name Love and it referenced the name Loveday. Which I think could make a great middle for a girl.
Kenzo
Cylo
Teo
Bosco
Calypso
Franco
Bruno
Vesper is another cool middle name.
Also, is this insane? What about Tempo for a girl? Tempo Hurry-with-an-M is really rad sounding to me. Another bonkers idea is Boo, like Radley.
Tempo Briar
Boo Baptisia called Bibi
My boy was almost Oslo and I like that for you.
Oslo Evergreen, called Ozzie
Oslo Hawthorne
Lots of great suggestions already. I’ll add Miro, which I encountered on a boy a couple of years ago and really liked.
I also think Rollo Hurry-with-an-M sounds very dashing!
Rocco struck me as a simple solution. He means ‘rest’, BUT he’s so reminiscent of ‘rock’…the meaning of the apostle Peter’s name.
Best wishes!