I’m less than 4 weeks away from delivering my second DD, and DH and I have yet to decide on a name! Our 2 1/2 year-old is named [name]Sarai[/name] (pronounced Sah-rye). DH proposed the sibling name [name]Sinai[/name] (pronounced Sah-nye). Is that just too close or what? Funny thing is, [name]Sarai[/name] loves it. We ask her “what’s your baby sister’s name?” and she says, “Sah-nye…Sah-rye”…like she’s already comfortable with the pairing. I won’t share too much of what I think…I wanna hear what you gals think first.
Other names we’re considering:
[name]Nia[/name]
[name]Kayla[/name] (or Kaelah)
[name]Amina[/name]
Most important for us is meaning, and second is how well it matches “[name]Sarai[/name]”.
It’s been so much harder choosing a name this time around! I’m at a loss…pls help!
[name]Sinai[/name] could make a nice MN choice but its too close to [name]Sarai[/name] as a FN in my opinion. I like [name]Nia[/name]. As a sibling for Sirai. [name]Nia[/name] [name]Sinai[/name] is lovely.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Sarai[/name]. I think that it’s so underused, and I have no idea why it isn’t more popular.
I think that [name]Sinai[/name] is awful with [name]Sarai[/name], and I think that your pronunciation is really unintuitive. I would pronounce the first vowel sound like a long I - they way I’ve heard it pronounced when people are talking about the [name]Sinai[/name] Peninsula or Cedars-[name]Sinai[/name] Hospital in New [name]York[/name]. I think that the matchiness of [name]Sarai[/name] and [name]Sinai[/name] would take away from the understated gorgeousness of [name]Sarai[/name] - it would take it from an interesting name to something gimmicky.
Of your other girls’ names, [name]Amina[/name] is my favorite, but I think that [name]Nia[/name] is also very pretty.
I also agree with a previous poster that I wouldn’t mind [name]Sinai[/name] so much as a middle name. If your husband likes the matchiness, then [name]Sarai[/name] (middle name) and (first name) [name]Sinai[/name] could also be matchy but in a more understated, less distracting way.
[name]Sarai[/name] is adorable! As for [name]Sinai[/name]… yeah, as you’re pronouncing it, it’s really close. My other problem is the pronunciations–I’ve grown up going to [name]Christian[/name] churches, and I have never heard it said like that. I guess all the churches I’ve gone to could be saying it wrong, lol, but I’ve always heard [name]SIE[/name]-uh-nye. Which really doesn’t make sense with the letters that are there, but I’ve also heard SIGH-nye, which does make more sense… either way, it’s too close for me. I think [name]Sarai[/name] and [name]Amina[/name] would be just adorable, though.
I agree that [name]Nia[/name] is the best match with [name]Sarai[/name]. [name]Nia[/name] is beautiful. I don’t think [name]Kayla[/name] matches at all but if you do end up using it, please spell it [name]Kayla[/name] and not Kaelah!
[name]Sinai[/name] has always been pronounced “SIGH-nye” to me so I think you would get a lot of mispronunciations if you want to pronounce it the way you do. [name]Sarai[/name] and [name]Sinai[/name] are way too matchy for siblings. From your list, I guess [name]Nia[/name] would be the best option. Here are some other suggestions.
[name]Sinai[/name] would be pronounced as “SIGH-nye” by most people I know who saw it written. [name]Sinai[/name] as a name looks like it will be a “SIN-nye” or “SIN-nay”. I don’t see “Sah-nye” at all. I think it’s closeness to your first daughter’s name is what is appealing to you. I think [name]Sarai[/name] is much prettier than [name]Sinai[/name]. Would you have considered this name if you did not have a [name]Sarai[/name] already? I vote [name]Sarai[/name] & [name]Nia[/name] as my favorite sibset from your list. I don’t like [name]Kayla[/name] or Kaelah because it seems more in line with a sibling named [name]Madison[/name], [name]Kailyn[/name], or [name]Makenzie[/name]. The sound goes well with [name]Sarai[/name], but it’s wildly more popular and has a different feel. [name]Amina[/name] sounds nice with [name]Sarai[/name] and the religious ties pointed out by saracita00 don’t change my opinion. I [name]LOVE[/name] the nn [name]Mina[/name] and I think [name]Sarai[/name] and [name]Amina[/name]/[name]Mina[/name] is great.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]SARAI[/name]! What a great, underused name! I don’t, however, like [name]Sinai[/name] for her sister. It’s too close, both in sound and origin. My favorite from your list is [name]Nia[/name], followed by [name]Amina[/name]. I don’t care for [name]Kayla[/name]- it sounds dated and common, especially next to the lovely and exotic [name]Sarai[/name]. Some other suggestions you may like:
[name]Noa[/name]
[name]Aziza[/name]
[name]Tamar[/name]
[name]Maya[/name]
[name]Amalia[/name]
[name]Carmen[/name]
[name]Laila[/name]
Good luck!
I love [name]Nia[/name] and it keeps the N from [name]Sinai[/name] which is good. I think that [name]Sarai[/name] and [name]Sinai[/name] the way you are pronouncing it are just too close. And just cause [name]Sarai[/name] likes it now doesn’t mean she always will. When I was little I loved matching outfits with my cousins, but once we were pre-teens we wanted individuality. I think it could end up the same with sisters and matching names.
Many thanks to everyone for the detailed feedback! Appreciate your reflections on the sounds, match-iness and historical significances of these names Thanks also for all the compliments on Sarai!! I have come to love it…as you can tell with us wanting to find a similar-sounding name.
I didn’t reveal it at first, but NIA is actually DH’s first choice. I like it, but am having a little bit of a hard time with its shortness. I love two-syllable names, but three letters is so short! Glad to hear that so many of you think Nia and Sarai make a good sibset.
I forgot to put it on the list before, but as mentioned by a couple posters, we are also considering LAILA or LAIA. Laia was a name we considered for Sarai, and it’s still on the list.
Thanks again for the responses…it’s great to get some more ideas!!
We actually love [name]Selah[/name], and probably would’ve gone with that, but it’s my DH’s god-daughter’s name!