Short, Strong Names to Go With Jude, Claire, and Finn

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! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

CONTINUING THE PATTERN FOR BABY NUMBER FOUR

Molly writes:

We have a long, hyphenated last name and so when our son was born, we quickly agreed on Jude. Short, easy, all the things.

Four years later, we named our twins Claire and Finn. Same thinking, but it was maybe a little harder because it felt like we had to rule out names that were close to Jude. (We both really liked Jane, but agreed we didn’t want to repeat initials at that point.)

Now we’re expecting our fourth child and second girl. Given our ages, this is probably our last baby. (But we said that with the twins!)

We know that we want another one-syllable name. I think that we probably don’t want to repeat an initial and absolutely nothing rhyming/too close, so Blair and Lynn are out.

Names we have considered, but probably won’t use:

• Kate – Feels like we should like it, but we kind of don’t. Also my partner is British and it feels a little too royal family.
• Mae – Just not enough name there.
• Ruth – Kind of close to Jude, and maybe a little old-fashioned.
• Reeve – We ruled out Eve, but we kind of like Reeve. What bothers me about it: I don’t really want a unisex name, or a name that makes it sound like we wanted another son. My partner likes Reeve a lot and thinks I’m being maybe too picky, but I just think I wouldn’t want it for my name.
• Leigh – Another name my partner likes. I just associate it with names like Kayleigh and so I can’t get on board.

The name we’re seriously considering is Maeve, but we are not at all Irish and can’t decide if that’s a problem.

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

FINDING SHORT, STRONG NAMES WITHOUT REPEATING SOUNDS

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

Here’s what leaps out at me: Maeve is The Name to Beat.

It shares sounds with Mae and Reeve, but without the drawbacks of either name. It’s a little longer, and clearly feminine, with an undeniably strong, memorable sound. And it’s distinctive as a sister for Jude, Claire, and Finn, so it succeeds on that count, too.

Is it Irish? Yes.

Just like Liam and Ryan and a very, very long list of popular favorites from the 20th and 21st centuries.

When names become very popular, they shed quite a bit of their heritage status. Isabella is a great Spanish-English crossover name, but plenty of families use the name because they just plain love it.

I’d put Maeve in the same category.

As for gender? I wish I could give as clear an answer, but the truth is this: avoiding or embracing unisex names is all down to personal preference. Since you have misgivings, I’d (probably, mostly) avoid them.

So let’s see if we can find single-syllable names for girls that feel traditional(ish) but also strong and appealing for a 2025 arrival.

FRESH SUGGESTIONS: A SISTER FOR JUDE, CLAIRE & FINN

BELLE

Isabella and Annabelle have had a moment. So has Bella. But Belle – as in the bookish beauty at the heart of a Disney fairytale – remains surprising uncommon. There’s a lot of strength to Belle, too, possibly because it feels a little like a straight-up noun name.

GWEN

Impossible to link to a specific generation, Gwen might be sweetly vintage, sparky and retro, or perfectly 21st century. It’s feminine, but nicely unexpected, too.

KIT

Is Kit too brief? It seems like a potential substitute for Kate.

ROSE

A timeless, enduring choice with a bright, unmistakable sound, a perfect sister for Jude, Claire, and Finn.

SAGE

I love Sage with your older kids’ names. Like Jude, Claire, and Finn, it’s very current – but still offers plenty of history. It’s used for boys, but is far more common for girls.

SCOUT

A literary pick that sounds principled and adventurous.

REESE

I know Reeve isn’t quite right, but have you considered Reese? It is unisex. And yet, Reese Witherspoon is such a fixture in our culture that Reese is often used for girls. As of 2023, Reese has been significantly more popular for girls for over two decades.

VALE

A little bit of a wildcard. Vale comes from a poetic word meaning valley. It’s sometimes a surname, but I think the references to the natural world keep it on the right side of unisex.

Overall, my favorite is Sage. Jude, Claire, Finn, and Sage. I think it’s quite distinctive from your older kids’ names, and while it’s slightly unisex, I think it reads feminine, particularly in this list of siblings.

If not Sage, then I’ll pick something a little more traditional and suggest Rose. It’s a perfect sister for Jude, Claire, and Finn, I think.

Of course … that’s only if I can’t convince you that Maeve really is perfect. Because I do think Maeve hits the sweet spot between Mae and Reeve, plus sounds well-matched but nicely different from your older kids’ names.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a sister for Jude, Claire, and Finn?