Surname Style Girl Names like Sloane and Marlowe

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THIRD GIRL, OUT OF NAMES

Alexis writes:

Our fourth and last baby will be here this summer and for the first time we don’t have any real ideas for her name.

We have a son named Joseph Henry, but we call him Joe or Joey. Joseph and Henry are both important family names for my husband and we were always going to name a boy this.

Because he insisted on choosing our boy name, I said I wanted to name our daughter Sloane Elizabeth and he agreed.

When we had a second girl, I wanted something that sounded like it went with Sloane and we agreed on Marlowe Anne pretty quickly.

This time I like Sutton Rose, but he doesn’t agree. He likes Casey, but our last name is K3lly, like the girl’s name, so anything like Casey sounds wrong. We ruled out Hadley when we were naming Marlowe for that reason.

He also likes Avery, and I think that sounds a little better, but we know two girls with this name.

If this baby was a boy, we had mostly agreed on Alexander called Xander, from my name, which I really love. But I don’t want anything like that for a daughter.

We agreed that if I came up with a few names that I liked, he could pick one from my final list. Can you help me come up with that list? I do have some ideas, but I’d like to hear what others think first.

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

NEW IDEAS IN THE SAME CATEGORY … OR NOT?

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

On paper, this sounds straightforward:

• We’re looking for a surname-style name that is reasonably familiar for girls, possibly ranked in the current US Top 1000.
• We’re avoiding most names ending with -Y/the long E sound, and almost certainly any two-syllable name ending with -Y/long E, so Riley, Bailey, and Paisley are out.
• The right name can’t sound too much like Marlowe, Sloane, or Joe/Joseph.

At the same time, I often think that a disagreement like this can call for expanding our options. After all, you’ve probably looked at dozens of lists of similar names. A bunch of options have been ruled out, both for good reasons and that tough-to-explain personal preference.

If it seems like I’m ignoring your son’s name, well … that’s half-true. Because it’s a family name, it’s reasonable to conclude that Joseph Henry doesn’t represent your style in the same way that Sloane Elizabeth and Marlowe Anne might. But it’s also another reason it might be worth choosing a slightly different style for your last child’s name. Adding a nature name or something a little bit retro for your youngest daughter could bridge that style gap between modern Marlowe and Sloane and traditional Joe.

That said, you absolutely don’t have to think about your daughter’s name this way. It just makes me wonder if you’re hesitating either because you’d like to consider a slightly different style – or possibly because it feels like you should.

Let’s brainstorm some names like Sloane and Marlowe, but also toss a few surprises into the mix.

A SISTER FOR MARLOWE, SLOANE & JOE

CLEO

All of your children’s names share a strong O sound, and your girls’ names also include an L. Would vintage Cleo appeal? Yes, you’re adding a second O-ending name, but it’s distinct from Marlowe, I think.

EMERSON

Or maybe a longer name would appeal? The three-syllable Emerson is great with your last name, and you could shorten it to Emmy (or Emmie or Emme). I really like this option because Emerson matches Marlowe and Sloane so well, but nickname Emmy sounds like a sister for Joe.

HAYDEN

Casey’s bright A sound combined with can’t-use Hadley makes me think of Hayden. Hayes is another option.

LARKIN

Strictly speaking, Larkin started out as a nickname for Lawrence. Today we hear it as a Nature Plus name, a little bit like Wrenley or Lakelynn. But it’s also a solid surname choice and I think it matches Marlowe and Sloane nicely.

REEVE

A mix of Reese and Eve that’s sharp, unexpected, and perfect with your older kids’ names.

ROWAN

A unisex favorite with a strong O sound.

TATE

Another bright A name in the key of Casey.

WILLOW

Just like Cleo, Willow offers shared sounds, but a distinctively different style.

Overall, I think my favorite is Emerson or Willow. I love the way Willow completes the pattern of a strong LO sound, but still seems distinctive. But Emerson, especially with the nickname Emmy, is a great match, too – something slightly different from what’s on your shortlist, but a good match for Sloane, Marlowe, and Joe. I’d probably use Rose with Emerson, but with Willow maybe you could tuck Sutton in the middle spot? So Emerson Rose and Willow Sutton are my top two suggestions.

Readers, over to you! Can you suggest some names like Sloane and Marlowe for daughter three? Bonus points if it works with big brother Joe’s name, too!