Our last name is the eleventh month of the year and generally a lot of fun when thinking of names to pair with it. We have one son and his name is H3nry. It was a name I’ve loved for a long time and also my husband’s middle name! We just found out that our second will be a girl and we are thrilled!
I have been a huge name nerd for quite some time. While this is so much fun for me, I’m also afraid that I’m starting to nit-pick at our list and come up with reasons for disliking them all! I know I need to trim the list by focusing on what I love about each one instead of what I dislike, but it’s so hard!
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] is at the top of our list at the moment. We love that it’s timeless, has an understated elegance, it’s simple, and two syllables which I think pairs well with our three syllabled last name. We also love that it comes from the Greek goddess of the rainbow which led to the naming of the flower and the colored part or the eye. But we are afraid to use a word name with our last name which is also a word name. Does it sound like a made up name?
Other names we both like:
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] - many of the same qualities as [name_f]Iris[/name_f] but without being a “word name”. My husband finds it slightly “old-ladyish”. [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] - my husband’s mother is [name_f]Carol[/name_f] and we love this name. But we haven’t found a nickname we love and 3 syllables doesn’t flow great with our last name.
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] - we really love [name_f]Nora[/name_f] but a friend has a daughter with the name. We thought this might be a way to use [name_f]Nora[/name_f] but have a different name?
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] - my middle name is [name_u]Jo[/name_u] and [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] is used quite a bit in my family. We love the nickname [name_u]Jo[/name_u], especially with our last name. And a favorite book character of mine growing up was [name_u]Jo[/name_u] [name_u]March[/name_u] from [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women. But I’m not sold on [name_u]Josie[/name_u] or [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]. I guess I feel like what’s holding me back is that they are too lacy?? Also, I’m not sure this name is as timeless as the others which is very important to me since my name is very 80s.
[name_f]Julia[/name_f] - we [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] this name. We think it goes great with our last name (even though it’s three syllables and we’ve crossed off other names for that reason) But we don’t like the nicknames [name_u]Jules[/name_u] or [name_u]Julie[/name_u]. And I feel like this name needs a short nickname?
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] - if I were to choose a name based solely on the person who meant the most to me, it would be after my grandmother who passed away. I also think it pairs well with our last name. And my husband would support me if I were firm in the decision. But hubby is afraid it’s too “old-ladyish”. And while we both love the nickname “[name_f]Maggie[/name_f]”, I’m afraid it doesn’t go well with H3nry since they both end in an “ee” sound. Is that ridiculous?
Names I like that hubby doesn’t for one reason or another:
[name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f] (poetic with our last name!)
Without knowing your exact name, it is hard to say specifically, but I tend to prefer only one word name to a combination. I would encourage you to revisit [name_f]Julia[/name_f]. I think it might hit your sweet spot of strong, classic, and timeless without being overly vintage. I have known occasional [name_m]Julias[/name_m] and none of them have used a nickname. I doubt a young [name_f]Julia[/name_f] would be called [name_u]Julie[/name_u] by default today.
I think Iris sounds nice with your surname but is a little wordy. Alice, Julia, and Margaret/Maggie all sound gorgeous. I don’t think Henry and Maggie sound weird together–they fit very well.
I also don’t think the potential nicknames for Julia are that big of a deal–that’s my name, and I am only occasionally called Gigi by my immediate family and Jules by one of my friends. I have never really used a nickname outside of my family and I don’t think it’s a name that has people intuitively shorten (like, for instance, every Katherine I know has gotten called Katie without any prompting many times, but people don’t do that with my name). I have occasionally been called Julie, but due to the fact that people mishear what my name is, not because they think Julie is a nickname for Julia. If you really like the name, and it sounds like you do, don’t let the potential nicknames hold you back because in my experience they’re not commonly used. (As a side-note, as someone who has lived in Russia and currently works in a community with a high percentage of Spanish speakers, the fact that my name is very versatile and familiar in different languages around the world is a great plus!)
In short, I think it does sound like you’re nitpicking a little bit–understandable in your situation, but I think some of the concerns you’ve expressed about specific names seem a bit overreaching. I guess I would advise you to continue focusing on the positives and try and decide which one you and your husband like best!
First, I love [name_f]Iris[/name_f]. I love flower names and it gives such a sweet visual. I think it goes well with your last name. I don’t think I would even think of the fact that they’re both word names.
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] is cute but a little plain compared to your other choices. But I can see how it would work well for you.
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], and [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] are all beautiful. I don’t think the 3-syllable thing is a problem, but they do sound a little clunky with your last name because of having “n” sounds near the end. I don’t know if that would keep me from using them though. [name_u]Josie[/name_u] is darling and would make [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] better for daily life - same with [name_f]Carrie[/name_f] for [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], idk if you like that or not.
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] is a little alliterative but still very cute. My parents and their friends both had daughters with the same name within a month of each other (they ended up being classmates) and I don’t think anyone ever regretted it.
Coming from a sports background, names always get shortened by coaches or teammates. So if your kid ever did sports, [name_f]Julia[/name_f] would likely become [name_u]Jule[/name_u] or [name_u]Jules[/name_u] just because it’s easier to say and cheer. [name_f]Lauren[/name_f] becomes Laur, [name_u]Shannon[/name_u] becomes [name_u]Shan[/name_u], [name_u]Delaney[/name_u] becomes [name_f]Dee[/name_f], etc just because of ease. That being said, I don’t think it has to be like that in every part of life. So if you just call her only [name_f]Julia[/name_f] that’s probably what others will do - unless you have a nickname-y family like me.
I do think that [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] would be darling with [name_m]Henry[/name_m]! I see no reason why you couldn’t use them both. But maybe you’d like [name_f]Meg[/name_f] (bonus - another [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women character)?
In the end, whichever name you like best is the one you should choose. You’re going to be saying it every day by itself, so don’t let the last name influence it too too much. Good luck!
I suppose it depends on the last name. (I’m imagining it’s not [name_f]September[/name_f]-[name_f]February[/name_f]…)
Honestly, I think [name_f]Iris[/name_f] sounds absolutely perfect. I love [name_m]Henry[/name_m] & [name_f]Iris[/name_f] together, and I don’t think [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_u]March[/name_u] or [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f], for example, sound bad at all – definitely not.
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Julia[/name_f] sound like great options, too. (Although, if your surname is [name_u]March[/name_u], I’d probably pass on [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] as a first name.) [name_f]Julia[/name_f] is lovely and timeless, and it certainly doesn’t need a shorter nn! If you don’t call her [name_u]Julie[/name_u] or [name_u]Jules[/name_u], I don’t think anyone else will.
I’m thinking [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] gets my vote. If your son has your husband’s middle name, it could be a sweet connection for your daughter, then, to have a form of your middle name.
Other options to use your honor names in the middle:
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]
[name_f]Julia[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Julia[/name_f] [name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
My vote goes to [name_f]Iris[/name_f] - [name_m]Henry[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] make such a gorgeous brother and sister set and I don’t at all think it’s problematic with your surname. Considering [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is the most meaningful name on your list for you, i’m just curious as to whether you’ve considered [name_f]Margot[/name_f]? I think this would be another gorgeous option (I’m personally not a fan of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], although I do think you could use [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] with [name_m]Henry[/name_m]). For me, [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] or [name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] (or even [name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Iris[/name_f]) are the best options.
Thank you all for your well thought out responses! It’s definitely helped to ease some of my fears. We are leaning more toward [name_f]Julia[/name_f] at the moment. @findamaxa13 - I also love that it’s a great international option
