Vintage Names like Hazel: Rare Versus Popular

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OUR FAVORITE NAMES ARE EVERYBODY ELSE’S FAVORITES, TOO

Megan writes:

We have a daughter named Hazel Margaret and we’re expecting our second daughter in November.

We picked Hazel because we liked how it was old-fashioned and we didn’t know anybody with the name, but it felt like everyone could spell/say it. Turns out that we were mostly right. We now know at least three other Hazels, and while we don’t see them a lot, it is a little bit disappointing.

Our favorite names for this daughter started out as Evelyn or Alice or maybe Sophie, with Evelyn being our top choice. But when we started thinking about it, we know more Evelyns than Hazels, again not really people we see everyday, but co-workers’ kids and things like that.

Sophie seems like it would work, except we know so many girls called Sophia and maybe that’s even more of a thing. We like Alice, but neither of us thinks it’s the name.

At this point, we probably need some new ideas for names like Hazel that aren’t as popular. Can you help?

Middle name is probably Katherine and our last name is N with three syllables, ending in SON.

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

FINDING VINTAGE GIRL NAMES THAT AREN’T TOO POPULAR

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

The thing about popular names is that they’re great choices, right? Hazel is a great name – and so are Evelyn and Alice and Sophie.

But you are going to meet other children who share them. Not nearly as many as back in the day, when classrooms regularly had Ashley J. and Ashley T., plus a Jessica and two Matts. Enough, though, that you might feel like your child’s name isn’t only theirs.

Of course, some of this is frequency illusion. (Also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. In brief, as soon as you name your daughter Hazel, you’re more aware of every other kid sharing the name out there … even if you wouldn’t have noticed their names previously.)

My guess is that you’re not really going to name this second daughter something similar in style, but really rare. (Hester? Maude? Amity? Lots of potential, but maybe too different.)

Let’s see if we can find a name that’s easy to spell and pronounce, with plenty of vintage charm, but beyond the US Top 100.

A SISTER FOR HAZEL MARGARET

BEATRICE #587

Impeccably classic, but not quite as common as Hazel and other vintage favorites at the moment.

ESTHER #138

Hazel and Esther share a tailored, strong quality. And while Hazel is a more obvious nature name, Esther means star.

LOUISE #586

The first name that came to mind. Enduring and timeless, but not nearly as popular as you might guess. Potentially nicknames like Lou and Lulu might be a bonus, but Louise works well in full.

MARIE #649

Yes, this is a common middle name – plenty of those Ashley Js and Jessicas share it. But how often do you hear it as a first? The numbers give us very clear answer: very, very rarely. It’s charming as a first, and absolutely worth considering for that easily spelled/pronounced sweet spot.

MARTHA #673

Martha has gained modestly in use every year for the past five years or so, and yet it’s still far from the US Top 100. I think it might be part of the next wave of names in the key of Hazel and Evelyn.

OLIVE #181

The downside to Olive: if you ever have a third daughter, you might feel pressure to name her Emerald. The upside? It shares the middle V of Evelyn, the tailored sound of both names, and is perfectly, flawlessly matched.

PHOEBE #191

A phoebe is a type of bird, which makes this name an obvious choice for nature-related Hazel. It’s also a distinctive, interesting sound that pairs well.

SIMONE #927

I feel like I’m always suggesting Simone, but no one chooses it – that’s good news, though, because it opens the door to someone naming their daughter Simone and never having to share.

THEA #321

Brief and complete, Thea is less expected than Leah, with a vintage allure than pairs well with Hazel.

VIVIAN #87

Strictly speaking, Vivian is too popular to include here … but I wonder if it’s worth consideration as a logical Evelyn substitute that’s just a little less popular? The only thing is that I don’t love Evelyn with your last name. I think shorter might work a little better – or at least a name that doesn’t also have three syllables and end with N.

Mulling over my recommendations, I feel like I could keep adding to this list … but I don’t know if it will help because there are just so many gorgeous vintage choices for girls that are familiar, but not quite as common.

I’m drawn to Olive, if only because it feels like the perfect sister for Hazel. Hazel Margaret and Olive Katherine. I want to suggest Simone, too.

But I’m wondering if Thea wouldn’t be the better choice? Thea Katherine is lovely, and it pairs nicely with Hazel Margaret without being too different or too similar.

Readers, over to you – what would you name a sister for Hazel Margaret?