Naming a Sister for Priscilla: Meaningful and Rare

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. 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! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

A SISTER FOR PRISCILLA

Victoria writes:

My husband and I are expecting baby girl number two. Big sister’s name is Priscilla Wren. We absolutely love her name and are having the hardest time finding anything we like that has the same style/feel as Priscilla’s name. We are Christians and the inspiration for our daughter’s name came from the Bible, but we haven’t found any other Biblical names we like.

Names I like are Millicent, Prudence, and Evangeline. I feel like we like names that are more antique and vintage rather than popular and trendy. My husband shoots down everything, though. He says there just isn’t anything he really likes. Please help!

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

FINDING AN ELEGANT, STRONG & BIBLICAL NAME

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

I think there are two issues to address.

The first? Priscilla is a strong, distinctive name that checks every box for you. It also limits your choices going forward – and that’s not a bad thing! It’s just that when I think of Christian-inspired, feminine names, the list isn’t infinite. And some, like Selah, are ruled out because the sound is too similar to -cilla. So we do need to take Priscilla as a starting point.

The second issue is more complicated. Practically speaking, your daughter will need a name. And it feels like you have a pretty good sense of the type of name you would like. Maybe you’ll have to use logic and reason to work your way through a list … but that’s okay.

Really! Chances are that’s the process that helped name our firstborns, too. But That Name is so tied to the child that we know and love that we forget there was a moment when we chose.

I’ve found a handful of names that would make a great sister for Priscilla, and I’m sure readers will add some more suggestions.

My thought? Come up with your own shortlist and ask your husband to choose among them. Sometimes “pick a name” is too broad, and “pick from these three names that meet our agreed-upon criteria” can kickstart a conversation.

NEW IDEAS FOR NAMING PRISCILLA’S SISTER

BETHANY

Not every girl’s name from the New Testament started out as a given name. Bethany is the town where Lazarus lives with his sisters, Mary and Martha. It’s often translated as “house of figs,” but the resemblance to Elizabeth is doubtless what makes us hear it as name-like. It briefly charted in the US Top 100 during the 1980s, peak popularity for similar names like Tiffany and Courtney. But Bethany never really caught on, so I think it works beautifully today.

DAMARIS

Likely from an Greek name meaning calf, and suggesting a gentle image, Damarais is a woman converted to Christianity by Paul. That feels like a perfect match for Priscilla.

JUNIA

Paul mentions a woman named Junia in his epistle to the Romans. It comes from the goddess Juno, the origin of the month of June. It also brings to mind evergreen juniper trees, making this a name for all seasons.

LYDIA

The most popular suggestion on this list, Lydia is a place name like Bethany. But by the time Paul is preaching, it’s a given name. Lydia is another of his converts.

MAGDALENA

The romance language take on Magdalene, it’s borrowed from Mary Magdalene in the New Testament. There’s plenty of story there, and a compelling sound, too.

MARTHA

From an Aramaic name meaning lady, Martha is an impeccable New Testament choice – she lives with her sister, Mary, and brother, Lazarus, in Bethany. Martha reminds me a little more of some of your favorites – Millicent and Prudence, especially. It’s a strong choice that remains distinctive.

SUSANNA

A lovely name meaning lily, Susanna appears in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Susan was a go-to midcentury choice in America, but Susanna is delightfully uncommon.

TALITHA

Talitha comes from an Aramaic phrase spoken by Jesus: arise, little girl. It’s been used as a given name for centuries, and it sounds very much like a sister for Priscilla.

I’ll admit I’m kind of stuck on Talitha. It’s rarer than Priscilla, but it’s perfectly name-like and immediately familiar to those familiar with the New Testament.

For a middle name, I wonder if you’d consider Skye or Sage? Romance language names like Cielo and Ciel mean both heaven and sky; that makes me see Skye as more than just a nature name. As for Sage, the associations with wisdom are appealing, too.

Overall, I’d suggest Talitha Skye. I’d put Bethany in the second spot. I wonder if Bethany Pearl or Bethany Psalm would appeal?

Readers, over to you! What would you name a sister for Priscilla Wren?