This is my first post but I need your opinions. We have a little girl due on Thanksgiving and her big brother’s name is [name]Carter[/name] [name]Patrick[/name]. We like the middle name [name]Mara[/name] as a nod to my husband’s grandmother but need a first name that we agree on. Maybe you can give me more ideas to propose to him. I don’t like super girly names and the LN is Kozielec so it’s not easy to match.
My likes:
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Harper[/name] (he hates)
[name]Tenley[/name]
Hubby likes:
[name]Keelyn[/name]
Arrington (from his favorite [name]Penn[/name] State football player, his other fav was Kijana [name]Carter[/name] and that is our son’s name. I worry about the football connection there)
Typed these and my “smart” phone froze. Here’s take two
Some ideas, let me know if I’m on the right track.
Daylin [name]Mara[/name]
[name]Avery[/name] [name]Mara[/name]
[name]Bailey[/name] [name]Mara[/name]
[name]Reese[/name] [name]Mara[/name]
I like [name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name]! Very cute. What about [name]Keeley[/name] (Key-lea), kind of a mix of [name]Tenley[/name] and [name]Keelyn[/name]?
My favorite is [name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name], then [name]Tenley[/name] [name]Mara[/name]. [name]Keelyn[/name] is ok but something about the sound of it rubs me the wrong way. I like Arrington but I feel like it would work better if you were having another boy instead of a girl. I wouldn’t worry about the football connection. Perhaps your husband has another favorite player with a name that has a feminized version, such as liking a player named [name]Christopher[/name] and then naming your daughter [name]Christine[/name] or [name]Christina[/name].
[name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name] is my personal favorite so far and he hasn’t ruled it out but just hasn’t gotten enthusiastic about it either. Yes, jewelle, you are on the right track, thanks for those suggestions too! My name is [name]Katie[/name] [name]Lynn[/name] and I am starting to feel like [name]Keelyn[/name] is too much like my name but maybe that’s why he likes it.
So far, Arrington is the best football name suggestion he has come up with the NN [name]Arrie[/name] but I think it does seem more like a boy name, especially since it first came up before we knew this was a girl. It’s not a bad name but saying my kids names are [name]Carter[/name] and Arrington doesnt let you know that I have a boy and a girl.
I like [name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name]. None of your names are really my style, so my suggestions would be terrible! Instead, I typed your favourites (Including [name]Carter[/name]) into http://www.nymbler.com/ and these where some of the suggested names I think sound nice with [name]Mara[/name], and also with [name]Carter[/name]:
[name]Amelia[/name] - Really like [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Mara[/name] ([name]Amelia[/name] is a favourite of mine). I’m not sure if it’s you’re style though.
[name]Bailey[/name] - [name]Bailey[/name] [name]Mara[/name] is nice. I could really see a [name]Bailey[/name] and [name]Carter[/name].
[name]Delaney[/name] - I like [name]Delaney[/name] and [name]Carter[/name], plus [name]Delaney[/name] [name]Mara[/name] is sweet.
[name]Violet[/name] - Again, I’m not sure if you’ll like it - but it sounds great with [name]Carter[/name]. [name]Violet[/name] is another of my favourites.
[name]Reagan[/name] - I like [name]Reagan[/name] with both [name]Mara[/name] and [name]Carter[/name].
[name]Claire[/name] - [name]Claire[/name] and [name]Carter[/name] share very similar sounds, but also don’t sound too match-y. I like [name]Claire[/name] [name]Mara[/name].
[name]Presley[/name] - [name]Presley[/name] and [name]Carter[/name] sound nice, as does [name]Presley[/name] [name]Mara[/name]. Again, [name]Presley[/name] may be too ‘unisex’ to use with [name]Carter[/name].
[name]Sydney[/name] - I like [name]Sydney[/name] [name]Mara[/name]. Not keen on it with [name]Carter[/name], though.
[name]Emma[/name] - Maybe a little popular? [name]Emma[/name] and [name]Carter[/name] sound great together.
[name]Hayley[/name] - A little dated, but I actually really like it. [name]Hayley[/name] [name]Mara[/name] is nice.
[name]Abigail[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Abigail[/name] and [name]Carter[/name].
[name]Laney[/name] - [name]Laney[/name] [name]Mara[/name] has a very sweet ring to it.
[name]Riley[/name] - [name]Riley[/name] and [name]Carter[/name] could be either gender.
[name]Harlow[/name] - I love [name]Harlow[/name] and [name]Carter[/name]! [name]Harlow[/name] [name]Mara[/name] doesn’t have the best flow, but it’s OK.
[name]Aubrey[/name] - I really like this with [name]Mara[/name] and [name]Carter[/name].
With [name]Carter[/name], my favourite suggestions are [name]Harlow[/name], [name]Abigail[/name], [name]Claire[/name] and [name]Delaney[/name]. Let me know what you think x
Ohh you mine not like the types of names I do but you definitely came up with one’s I like. I really like [name]Delaney[/name] and I forgot that I liked that one a few years ago. I also like [name]Harlow[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name]. Before we decided on the middle name, [name]Mara[/name], I also liked names like [name]Norah[/name], [name]Marlowe[/name], [name]Caia[/name], [name]Lila[/name] but they just don’t go with [name]Mara[/name] so I took them off my list. I’m going to propose some of these new suggestions though!
[name]Keelyn[/name] sounds made-up to and a bit '80’s to me.
You might try:
[name]Kenley[/name]
[name]Greer[/name]
[name]Finley[/name]
[name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Morgan[/name]
[name]Brynn[/name]
[name]Collier[/name] (I know a woman with this name. It’s quite pretty, and has the -er ending like [name]Piper[/name] and [name]Harper[/name])
There’s a thread on nameberry focusing on unisex surname names for girls. Lots of -er names in there. Check it out!
Out of the names you have listed, I like [name]Piper[/name] the best. You seem to like names that have a modern, surname feel to them so I would also suggest:
Ok, so first, tell your husband I say 'We are!" as I am also a proud Nittany [name]Lion[/name]. I agree w/ pp that [name]Keelyn[/name] sounds a bit made up. Arrington is also a little too ‘law firm’ though I appreciate the reference.
Speaking as an alum, might I suggest a few [name]Penn[/name] State names that your husband would go for? Also, I will add that since he got [name]Carter[/name], I believe that you should get to choose this name with him getting veto power. [name]Just[/name] my two cents on that.
Ok, [name]Penn[/name] State names…
[name]Penelope[/name]/[name]Penny[/name] - for [name]Penn[/name] State
[name]Josephine[/name] - for [name]Joe[/name] Pa!!
[name]Patricia[/name]? [name]Patton[/name]? [name]Patience[/name]? - close to Paterno
[name]Susannah[/name] - reference to [name]Sue[/name] Paterno
[name]Atherton[/name] - main street through town
[name]Linden[/name] - another road on campus
[name]Lavinia[/name] - close to [name]Lavar[/name] which is Arrington’s first name
[name]Rose[/name] - after the [name]Rose[/name] Bowl ***this one is my favorite for both the [name]Penn[/name] State and namenerd reasons
[name]Collins[/name] or [name]Kerry[/name]/[name]Carrie[/name] - after [name]Kerry[/name] [name]Collins[/name], a notable [name]Penn[/name] State QB - also, [name]Collins[/name] was the name of the daughter in The Blind Side, maybe too close to [name]Carter[/name], though
[name]Frances[/name] - for [name]Franco[/name] [name]Harris[/name]
[name]Paula[/name] - after [name]Paul[/name] Posluzsny
Nittany? [name]Brittany[/name]? [name]Nita[/name]/[name]Anita[/name]?
Ok so here’s my next question…if we do go for [name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name] in the end, is it too weird with her brother’s name? Is [name]Piper[/name] and [name]Carter[/name] odd because of the -er? Not that I’m trying to name all my kids names with -er endings but do you think that’s too much?
Thanks for that link, I will check it out! I really appreciate everyone’s help on this because around here, I am getting very little!
anniebee, I’m laughing hysterically! I didn’t mention earlier but some of those names have been suggested to us, like [name]Kerry[/name], Posluzsny and [name]Sue[/name] but I am not a fan. Some of yours are very creative though. I may have to veto him because he won naming our son, like you said but I want to give him a little bit of a say. I am going to share your list with him, though!
I love [name]Piper[/name]. Very cute, not too trendy/popular, and it has flair. But I also second the suggestion of [name]Reese[/name]/[name]Reece[/name]. I love the Flow of [name]Reese[/name] [name]Mara[/name]. So cute.
Well, I don’t blame you if you decide to just overrule him. If that’s the case, my favorite name you’ve mentioned is [name]Amelia[/name]. I do like [name]Piper[/name], but I wonder if next to a [name]Carter[/name] there will be some confusion as to who’s the boy and who’s the girl. Namenerds like us will generally know, but I’m not sure the public at large will, and evenso, there are plenty of people out there who will buck the trend and leave the name ambiguous.
What about [name]Pippa[/name] for [name]Philippa[/name]? It’s close to [name]Piper[/name] and I’m sure there’s a good fb player named [name]Philip[/name] that you could lobby for.
Are you looking for more suggestions of unisex names for girls?
Btw, anniebee, DH says you have a good head on your shoulders with those name suggestions! I am not against the PSU connection, I just haven’t been completely sold on it. It’s not that I’m necessarily looking for unisex names but that I just don’t tend to go for names that are ultra-feminine. I have a dog named [name]Kinley[/name] (after Mt. [name]McKinley[/name]) so I’m also trying to avoid names that seem a little too close to my dog’s name, that would be weird.
I like the suggestion of Carrington but not wild about the nn [name]Carrie[/name] (known a few not-so-nice ones!).
It sounds like you really love [name]Piper[/name] [name]Mara[/name], and I think it’s a winner. She will have a “P” initial for [name]Penn[/name] State, right? That’s gotta be good enough :).
A few more suggestions that have that sort of spunky, modern, not-too-feminine feel ([name]IMO[/name]):
[name]Merrigan[/name] (don’t know how you feel about alliteration with [name]Mara[/name])
[name]Tamsin[/name]
[name]Catrin[/name]
[name]Bryony[/name]
[name]Clary[/name]
[name]Hero[/name] (I know, I know. But I thought I’d throw it out there for the H-sound like [name]Harper[/name], the non-girliness. It really is a legit girl’s name with Classical and Shakespearean precedents)
Kateri (kuh-TER-ee) (I have a friend with this name, which is apparently an American-[name]Indian[/name] name. I dig it).
