An interesting thought: is it actually easier to name multiples? I’ve always experienced it as more challenging. How much should they coordinate – if at all? Can you really find two (or more) names you like equally? Is it okay if one name is more/less popular/meaningful/unique?
But a mom recently made the opposite case. They were naming triplet boys, and she explained that they were able to choose three names they liked … instead of going through the painful process of narrowing their list down to Just One Name. Something to ponder if you’re naming twins or more, and feeling like it’s a big lift.
CAMERON, DOMINIC, BEAU
Curious to hear that triplet mom explain her thinking? Here’s her Facebook reel talking about her boys’ names, which just happen to be Cameron, Dominic, and Beau.
ANYA
I’ve been following Anya Taylor-Joy ever since she starred in the 2020 adaptation of Emma, but her star had been rising for some time. I think her given name ought to be catching on, too. It’s brief and complete, a delightfully international take on Anna, just different enough to be memorable. And it is! The name has jumped from #657 in 2020 to #443 in 2023. With Taylor-Joy starring in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I feel like this could be another Scarlett Johansson moment, when an emerging actress puts her appealing name on parents’ shortlists.
GAIL and GAYLORD
A while back, parents argued about whether or not to use a name, and the people of the internet weighed in. In brief, the name is Gaylord; it’s been used for generations on mom’s side; she’s agreed to the nickname Gail to make it more wearable. Dad is calling both names abuse. I completely agree with Steph: while the name presents challenges, Gail is actually pretty great. But mostly? Dad is coming across as angry and uncompromising, and that feels like an even bigger issue. (Semi-unrelated: with Gael entering the boys’ Top 100, and Gale enjoying all sorts of pop culture relevancy, I see Gail/Gale as trending masculine – though the numbers aren’t there yet.)
IS SHAI THE NEW KAI?
Can we talk about Shai? I spotted a story about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, short for Shaivonte, also known by his initials, SGA. The Canadian-born basketball plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. Interesting thing: I’ve always rhymed Shai with Kai, as is customary in Hebrew; but he rhymes his name with Jay and Kay. Shai can come from a Hebrew word meaning gift, a cousin to Jesse; it can also be short for Isaiah. It’s rising in use, just outside of the current boys’ Top 1000, and I think it could catch on …
LOLA, CAROLINE, JOLENE
Are these the best songs with girl names in the titles? It’s worth noting that this is not asking about the best names used in song titles. It’s asking which great songs happen to have girls’ names as titles. I like my list better.
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading and have a great week.
There’s a great YA book called The Science of Being Angry in which the protagonist is a triplet. Her name is Joey and her brothers (who are identical) are named Thomas and Colton. I always thought that was a good set.
The Hunger Games also had a male Gale interestingly enough
Shai I would rhyme with Kai. People can pronounce their own names however they want, but if I saw Shai written somewhere I’d rhyme it with Sky. There is already two well established spellings that rhyme with the “ay” sound, and they are Shay and Shea.