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.
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WHAT GOES WITH M@B3L?
Lauren writes:
I am a lifelong name nerd and I’m so excited to finally have a baby on the way. For lots of reasons! But choosing her name is a special kind of thrill.
Here’s my dilemma: My husband’s last name is a common, kind of granny first name. It’s the name of the character Selena Gomez plays on Only Murders In the Building, rhymes with cable and stable.
I really like this last name, and I love saying my name: Lauren M@b3l.
My husband’s name is Matthew, and when I first met him, his friends called him “Matty M@b3L,” which made him sound like some sort of cartoon character. I thought they were calling him Maddie Maple.
Now that we’re naming a daughter, I feel like it’s harder than I expected. Short names that end with the EE sound will probably end up sounding like Maddie Maple. Sadie, Sophie, and Josie were all names I used to like, but I wouldn’t use with our last name.
I also want to avoid M names. My husband and both of his siblings have M names and it’s time to break that streak.
Which is too bad, because Maren is one name that I really liked, probably because I like my name so much, and the way it’s not gender neutral at all, but it’s also not super feminine. While I can appreciate long, pretty names like Seraphina and Rosalie, they’re not really for me.
When I try out short names, like Sloane or Quinn, I worry that it will be like we’ve reversed her first and last names. (People will think her first name is M@b3l because her last name is a first name, if that makes sense.)
Word names can sound like adjectives. Briar M@b3l, Violet M@b3l. Not sure I would use those names, but just for example.
So far, the only girl’s name that I think goes with our last name is mine.
Can you please suggest some new ideas!
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
THE CHALLENGES OF A FIRST NAME AS A LAST NAME
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new daughter!
This question has come up before, but it tends to be a masculine name, like Robert or James, causing the challenge. This question feels a little different somehow. Maybe it’s because of that cartoon character quality. I agree – I’m getting heavy Minnie Mouse vibes from Maddie Maple.
Not in a bad way necessarily … but maybe in a way that isn’t ideal for a real person.
Names like Maren and Lauren do seem like the answer. They’re tailored, restrained, feminine. And while I can imagine you might occasionally be called M@b3L Lauren, I feel like it’s still a great combination.
That means we don’t just need a name that’s tailored, restrained, and still feminine. We also need one that feels current, rather than vintage. Anything that’s too obviously a surname or a word is more likely to cause confusion.
I also think popularity helps, too. A name like Simone could be great … but I think it’s unusual enough that I’m back to mishearing or reading her name as M@b3L Simons.
So let’s jump in. What first names work with your last name, without giving animated character?
CAROLINE
Some traditional names, like Anna or Rose, end up sounding like a double name with your surname, or a middle name. (AnnaM@b3L; M@b3L Rose.) But longer, established names can be great choices. They’ll function a little bit like your name, Lauren, does – we’re so used to hearing women named Katherine and Elizabeth that we hear that as the first name, obviously. Caroline is my pick because it’s rarely shortened today, and I think that length helps, too.
DELANEY
Another three-syllable option. Lainey is a fast-rising favorite, but Delaney has held steady around the 200-mark for the last 25 years. The repeating long A sounds might be a bonus, creating just enough repetition to be memorable.
EDEN
An obvious choice in the names-like-Lauren category for girls born now. It could be shortened to Edie, which takes you back into Maddie Maple territory … but I think most Edens use their name in full.
EMERSON
Emerson is, at least on paper, unisex. But it’s more popular for girls, especially factoring in the many girls named Emersyn, too. Something to ponder: while it’s not an M name, it is an EM name. Whether that’s a plus or a minus is up to you.
HADLEY
I agree that names like Sophie and Sadie can read a little cute with your surname. But a choice like Hadley hits a little different. Yes, there’s that same EE ending sound, but there’s a strength to Hadley, thanks to the strong D sound in the middle. And Hadley has been just outside the US Top 100 for over a decade, making it nicely familiar.
ROWAN
My first thought for a name-like-Lauren circa 2024. My only hesitation? Rowan is very much a unisex name, currently ranked in the Top 100 for boys and Top 250 for girls – and gaining for both. While I think the sound and style are perfect, you’ve mentioned loving Lauren because it’s clearly a girl’s name. If that’s a factor, then Rowan isn’t ideal in the way that, say, Hadley or Delaney might be.
SUTTON
Rowan leads me to Sutton, a name I tend to overlook. It’s the reverse of Rowan – almost Top 200 for girls, ranked around 450 for boys. Actress Sutton Foster put this name on the charts, but it just plain fits with names we love for our kids now. Sutton makes me think of one other possibility. While it’s very rare as a given name, Hutton is a possibility – as in Lauren Hutton, the iconic model and actress who made the name Lauren a Top 100 favorite.
VIVIAN
Another option in the key of Caroline. Vivian is traditional, tailored, and feminine without being too elaborate.
Overall, my favorite is Rowan, but with the caveat that Rowan is very much a unisex name. (And that means it’s more popular, overall, than it first appears, since your Rowan could easily share her name with a male classmate/teammate/future colleague.)
Caroline seems like a great choice in the traditional/feminine category, but maybe not as much of a style star as you might like. Would a sparky middle name help?
In third place, I’ll put Delaney – but since it’s more clearly feminine than Rowan and a little more modern than Caroline, maybe it’s the best option overall?
I am one of 4 alliterative A siblings with both a first name surname and now a first name maiden name so I get it. I did name my first child with an A because we loved it and it suits him but then purposely used all different initials for the others. Use Maren if you love it. Iโll add in Evelyn M@b3l, Erin, Leah, Jane, Katherine. I also think Kate M@b3l is great. The simplicity/slight seriousness of these names is what works so well with the surname. Likely why Matthew works better than Matty. Or Esther and Ethan Maisel work as character names. Congratulations to you!
Eden was my first thought. Other ideas:
Arden
Aria
Eloise
Everly
Phoebe
Piper
Stella
Tess(a)
I love the suggestions of Caroline & Vivian from Abby! I also love Emerson Mable but I’ve taught boy and girl Emersons before, so it might not be as feminine as you are looking for. I also think the suggestion below of Bridget is spot on! Perfection! I’ll also throw in some other suggestions for classic, feminine names that I think work with the last name: Helen, Frances, Elise, and Alice. I think Elise M@ble is the closest to Lauren M@ble vibes.
One more thought: Bridget!
Nori M.
Darby M.
Darcy M.
Shelby M.
Liza M.
Phoebe M.
Jocelyn M.
Liv M.
Piper M.
Fallon M.
Sheridan M.
Lia M.
Jillian M.
Kiera M.
Brooke M.
Vale M.