Our daughter’s name is [name]Lily[/name]. When we chose that name, we were thinking more along the lines of smart, brash [name]Lily[/name] [name]Tomlin[/name], not a frail, delicate wallflower.
We’re now making a girl’s list for the new baby (though it’s too early to know the sex just yet.) I think we need some help.
The only possibility that even sounds good with [name]Lily[/name] so far is [name]Willow[/name]. But, I have some problems with it. 1) It may sound too delicate or she may grow up to be too delicate; 2) two flower/plant names may seem pretentious; 3) in the famous movie of the same name, [name]Willow[/name] was a man; and 4) the thought of naming my child a well-known celebrity baby name makes me cringe, and [name]Will[/name] [name]Smith[/name] and [name]Jada[/name] Pinket have a daughter named [name]Willow[/name] whose trying to launch a music career.
So I have two questions. Should I just dismiss my dilemmas and go with [name]Willow[/name]? If not, please give me an idea of perhaps three names you think do go with [name]Lily[/name]. The criteria we are looking for is: 1) no celebrity names; 2) no unisex/ boys names/surnames; 3) one or two syllables preferred, or if more at least not too many letters; 4) nothing ending in -ly, since [name]Lily[/name] already does; 5) a name that is feminine, but strong or funloving; and 6) needs to also flow into last name Berrycliff.
I really like [name]Willow[/name] with [name]Lily[/name], but if its troubling you I would go with something else. Have you considered [name]Willa[/name]?
If not, these are my suggestions to you…
I don’t think two nature-y names are a problem --or the movie. The celebrity thing is annoying I agree, but I don’t link [name]Willow[/name] [name]Smith[/name] to the name right away. I forgot until you mentioned her. I think [name]Willow[/name] is a very pretty name, a bit more whimsical than [name]Lily[/name], and I think it does sound like a delicate name if that concerns you.
If you’ve kept it on your list even, after all the concerns, I would use it.
If not, these to me are feminine, but not super fussy:
[name]Maya[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Eve[/name]
[name]Anya[/name]
[name]Della[/name]
[name]Aspen[/name]
I had been going to say I prefer [name]Willa[/name] to [name]Willow[/name]… but [name]Willa[/name] and [name]Lily[/name] don’t sound great together. [name]Willow[/name] is pretty L-heavy too.
I don’t dislike [name]Willow[/name] but it feels less “on its SECOND big trend curve” like [name]Lily[/name] which feels like it’s returned from a century ago, and more like its on its first big trend curve. I know [name]Lily[/name] is popular but it doesn’t feel freshly created. I know 3 Willows under age two. I have met many a [name]Lily[/name] in my life, but across more of a range of ages and it doesn’t feel as short-lived a style bubble. I do really like [name]Lily[/name] and [name]Willow[/name] doesn’t have quite the same flavour to me? Am I nuts?
[name]Jane[/name] - Hear me out. It’s clear, its clarion, it’s one-syllable, it’s unmistakably feminine but not wish-washy, its not in the top hundred but everyone is familiar with it so it’s not a “weird” name to contrast with well-loved [name]Lily[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] and [name]Lily[/name] might have been sisters in 1880 as well, and I like that feel.
[name]Reina[/name] - Whether you think of the meaning on the Spanish origin of “queen” or the Yiddish origin of “pure” (It’s also used with several different meanings in Japanese but kanji is beyond me…) it is a simple 2-syllable feminine name with international presence and a feminine sound. It is also sometimes spelt [name]Raina[/name], which I don’t mind because it stays simple and gives a bit of a nature feel, and [name]Rayna[/name], which I don’t like as much because I have an irrational fear of the letter Y in the middle of names even when its historic/legit. If you really like the nature aspects of [name]Willow[/name], there is [name]Rain[/name], but while I love [name]Rain[/name] it has a modern sound and is probably more in keeping with the style of [name]Willow[/name] than the style of [name]Lily[/name]?
[name]Mae[/name] - Sassy, three letters and feels to me somehow much stronger than [name]Mia[/name]/[name]Maya[/name]/[name]Mya[/name], without being difficult. My husband has some sort of weird admitted mental block on “ae names” but I really like [name]Mae[/name].
The first thing I thought of when you put [name]Willow[/name] and [name]Lily[/name] together, is the characters that the actress [name]Alyson[/name] Hannigan played/plays. In [name]Buffy[/name] the Vampire Slayer she was [name]Willow[/name], and in [name]How[/name] I Met Your Mother she is [name]Lily[/name]. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was the first thing to came mind. That being said, I have always like the name [name]Willow[/name] and I think it goes well with [name]Lily[/name].
Stripe, I like the way you think!*
I agree wholeheartedly with all of Stripe’s suggestions. Here are a few more.
[name]Lily[/name] Tomlinesque, a brassy dame:
[name]Gloria[/name]
[name]Lois[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name]
[name]Bette[/name] (“bet” or “betty”)
Crisp, simple, a little offbeat:
[name]June[/name]
[name]Vera[/name]
[name]Iris[/name] (I know, another flower name. But not blatantly flowery-flouncy. [name]Goddess[/name] of rainbows.)
Twin-match with [name]Lily[/name]:
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Mimi[/name]
I think of [name]Willow[/name] and [name]Willa[/name] as very soft names, not packing the punch you’re looking for.
I don’t love the idea of two nature names, but I think your other concerns are unjustified. That -o ending makes it sound stronger and I don’t think of it as delicate at all, and the willow tree is renowned for its resilience. [name]Willow[/name] is pretty solidly established as feminine- it’s never ranked for boys, but comes in at #202 for girls. I think that high ranking also makes it seem a little less celebrity-baby, and I think that, like [name]Harper[/name] and [name]Ava[/name], it will become a name that happens to be shared with a celebrity baby rather than a name that is “owned” by a celebrity baby.
Some suggestions you might like:
[name]Marlo[/name] or [name]Marlowe[/name] - sounds a bit like [name]Willow[/name] without any of the problems
[name]Gemma[/name]- I think it’s a very good standing out/fitting in name
[name]Carys[/name]- Like [name]Willow[/name], it has an interesting ending and is a bit more modern. Also means “love,” which is sweet.
[name]Vera[/name]- An older name I think would work well
[name]Mae[/name]/[name]Maeve[/name]/[name]Maeva[/name]- [name]Lily[/name] and [name]Mae[/name] make an adorable pair, and [name]Maeve[/name] and [name]Maeva[/name] incorporate the trendy “v” sound.
[name]Mavis[/name]/[name]Avis[/name]- More vintage options
[name]Neva[/name]/[name]Nova[/name]/[name]Nola[/name] - I really like these with [name]Lily[/name]. They have the same short, light, happy feeling but don’t share any sounds.
[name]Carys[/name] was my initial thought as well! [name]Lily[/name] & [name]Carys[/name] sound lovely together, and though I love [name]Willow[/name], the “[name]Lil[/name]” and the “[name]Will[/name]” are a bit matchy for me. I also love [name]Poppy[/name] and [name]Iris[/name] for you… and it’s not at all because they’re flower names like [name]Lily[/name] (though the connection would be kind of sweet). I have a niece named [name]Poppy[/name] and she is so energetic and spunky and fun and mischievous- nothing too delicate about her! It was super rare when she was named (7 years ago) so it took a while to grow on me but now I love it. [name]Poppy[/name] and [name]Iris[/name] are definitely enjoying rises in popularity though… so my final vote may be for [name]Carys[/name] Good luck!
I have friends who just had their second girl and their first has a flower name as well. They chose to give their second a flower mn. I thought this was super cute and allowed them to keep the nature theme they like without it being to cheesy.
Some suggestions:
[name]Isla[/name] [name]Willow[/name]
[name]Cora[/name] [name]Wisteria[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name] [name]Willa[/name]
I also have [name]Lily[/name]. She actually has a double first name ([name]Lily[/name] [name]Hope[/name]) but we call her [name]Lily[/name] most of the time. If this one is a girl, we’re considering, [name]Pearl[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], and [name]Mary[/name]-[name]Louise[/name]. Our current favorite is [name]Louisa[/name] Good luck!
[name]Lily[/name] and [name]Willow[/name] have a little too much -il for me. What about using [name]Willow[/name] as a mn instead? I know a [name]Lily[/name] with a sister [name]Vivian[/name] and think that combination works well. I also like the suggestions of [name]Jane[/name], [name]Mae[/name], and [name]Mavis[/name]/[name]Avis[/name] above. Some other possibilities:
[name]Beth[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Gina[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Tiana[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
[name]Violet[/name] or [name]Vivienne[/name] (I just love the sound of [name]Lily[/name] and [name]Vi[/name] together)
[name]Beth[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Gina[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Tiana[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
[name]Violet[/name] or [name]Vivienne[/name] (I just love the sound of [name]Lily[/name] and [name]Vi[/name] together)
[name]Beth[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Gina[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Tiana[/name]
[name]Una[/name]
[name]Violet[/name] or [name]Vivian[/name] (I just love the sound of [name]Lily[/name] and [name]Vi[/name] together)
Good luck!