We have a 2yo son named [name_u]Sage[/name_u]. His mn is so rare that I’ll only say, it’s a soft, ethereal sounding name with Greek roots you’ve never heard. For our first, we loved unisex, short, minimalist, word names, with ties to nature and a great meaning.
Contemplating baby #2, I’m finding that my likes are swaying over to the other end now. Suddenly, I’m liking classic, timeless names like [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], and long, mythological names like [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f]. (No ideas for boy names yet)
We will likely stop at 2 kids.
I don’t need the names to match completely, but I do want them to go well together. what are your thoughts on having one kid have a unique artsy name and the another with a very traditional, common name?
Hm, well I suppose it’s not a massive issue as long as you like both names. I feel like this is something which bothers berries much more than the average person; it probably wouldn’t occur to many people [name_m]IRL[/name_m].
That said, I am a name geek and it would strike me as being a bit odd - especially as [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] are the definition of classic-popular and traditional-timeless. If you went for a slightly more under-the-radar classic name like [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] or [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], I think it would be less of a glaring style clash with your son’s name. [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] I think is a better match stylistically.
However, as I’ve said, the main thing is to choose a name you love, and this stuff probably won’t even occur to most people.
I don’t think it’s too bad, especially if both names feel rather modern/are common.
So, for example, [name_u]Sage[/name_u] and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] are of different styles but they don’t feel mismatched as [name_u]Sage[/name_u] is quite on trend right now and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], despite being very classic, is so much more popular now than it had ever been that it feels modern as well.
[name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Caleb[/name_m], [name_m]Aaron[/name_m], [name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_m]Milo[/name_m], to name a few, are all quite classic names and ahve a long history of usage but they would still fit well with [name_u]Sage[/name_u], as they’re also on-trend right now.
Names like [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] or [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f] or [name_f]Florence[/name_f] do feel a bit odd next to sage as they have something rather grand, however, in the end it only matters if you like the names (together).
I think mythological names might go better than the super common, traditional classics. I like [name_u]Sage[/name_u] and [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] together.
I would try to find the right balance of classic yet fresh like pp suggested. But in the end, using the name you love is more important than creating the perfect sibset on paper.
Interesting thought to think of the modern feel of a name- that hadn’t occurred to me as a criterion yet.
To clarify, [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] is only a candidate for a mn. So [name_u]Sage[/name_u] & [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] Or [name_u]Sage[/name_u] & [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]?
If we have another boy, I’m liking [name_u]Elias[/name_u]. Would that work, given that [name_u]Sage[/name_u] is unisex? Or would it sound like we have a boy and a girl?
Hindsight, I’m still living the name [name_u]Sage[/name_u], but I didn’t realize how many names would go right out the window for future kids once you decide on the first one.