(I originally posted this in the [name]Baby[/name] Names forum but didn’t get any responses, so I thought I might as well try my luck here.)
[name]One[/name] step closer to actual baby-making: I spent the weekend with a dear friend who has agreed to be my donor once I finish graduate school. After continuing our ongoing discussion about the process and various legalities, our conversation turned to names. He vetoed most of my favorites ([name]Wallace[/name], [name]Roscoe[/name], [name]Eloise[/name], [name]Juniper[/name]), but when I mentioned [name]Atlas[/name] his eyes lit up. Dude loves [name]Atlas[/name]. He was rapturous about [name]Atlas[/name]. He also liked [name]Hector[/name] and [name]Odin[/name] for a boy (which go perfectly with [name]Atlas[/name]) and [name]Matilda[/name] for a girl (not so much).
And therein lies the rub: there are plenty of boys’ names that sound right with powerful, punchy [name]Atlas[/name], but most girls’ names seem weaksauce in comparison. The only name I can think of that I love and which works with a mythology theme is [name]Freya[/name], but as bad luck would have it, [name]Freya[/name] rhymes with my own name. [name]Thea[/name], another possibility, rhymes with a common alternate pronunciation of my name. Argh!
I tend to prefer short, spunky, feminine names with connections to literature and (particularly Medieval and Renaissance) history, like [name]Jane[/name], [name]Iris[/name], and [name]Alice[/name]. I also love nature names like [name]Juniper[/name] and [name]Marigold[/name] and hipster darlings like [name]Eloise[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name]. I have an enduring affection for [name]Sailor[/name], [name]Vesper[/name], and [name]Marlowe[/name]. My concern is that none of my favorites sound right with [name]Atlas[/name] because they’re too frilly or not strong and mythic enough.
But I love [name]Atlas[/name], and so does the probable future father of my child! Should I abandon the idea of sibset cohesion and pair [name]Atlas[/name] with [name]Jane[/name] or [name]Marlowe[/name] or [name]Sylvie[/name]? Or should I be concerned that next to a brother named [name]Atlas[/name] those names would sound, well, weak? What would YOU name sisters to [name]Atlas[/name]?
Hey!
Your journey sounds an interesting one!
Here are some girls names I like with [name]Atlas[/name]:
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Thea[/name] or [name]Thalia[/name] or [name]Freya[/name] (They are great-sorry)!
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Vespera[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Cleo[/name] or [name]Clio[/name] ([name]LOVE[/name])
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Lola[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Nieva[/name]
[name]Atlas[/name] is a strong name, so pairing it with strong female name or maybe one that is Greek will help make the sibset sound like it fits together:
Not sure if you want another A name, but here are some:
[name]Andromeda[/name]
[name]Artemis[/name]
[name]Ariadne[/name]
[name]Athena[/name]
[name]Alexandra[/name]
I understand that people consider it a strong name because of the association the name brings but personally, based on sound alone, [name]Atlas[/name] sounds rather soft. This is the reason I left [name]Juno[/name] off my list, I feel as though [name]Juno[/name] overpowers [name]Atlas[/name].
I actually think [name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Sailor[/name] make a really fun sibset! They make me think about sailing around the world, since an atlas is a book of maps. In fact, most people will probably think of atlases first when they hear the name, rather than the mythological character, so word names like [name]Juniper[/name], [name]Marigold[/name], and [name]Vesper[/name] (love!) seem like a good fit to me.
But a mythological theme would also be lovely. [name]Penelope[/name] immediately came to mind. [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Atlas[/name] - they just go together somehow! But maybe [name]Penelope[/name] is too long and/or too popular for your tastes. A pp mentioned thinking [name]Juno[/name] overpowers [name]Atlas[/name], but I think they go rather well together. (You could even do [name]Juniper[/name], nn [name]Juno[/name].) [name]How[/name] about [name]Thora[/name], [name]Tanith[/name], [name]Venus[/name], [name]Danae[/name], Leto, [name]Helen[/name], [name]Irene[/name], or [name]Luna[/name]?
That all being said, most of the names on your list seem fine to me as sisters to [name]Atlas[/name]. It’s totally okay for sons and daughters to have different styles of names. The only one I would suggest scratching is [name]Jane[/name], which seems really plain next to [name]Atlas[/name], but it would still make a nice middle. Oh, and [name]Iris[/name]. Although it would fit with a mythological theme, I think the endings sound too similar.
[name]Elektra[/name] was the name that really stood out to me on this list. Gorgeous, quirky, mythological – perfection!
@mega_muffin: You made me fall in love with [name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Sailor[/name] as a sibset! You’re right – they both have an air of adventure and travel. I agree that [name]Jane[/name] seems too, well, plain, and while I love [name]Atlas[/name] and [name]Iris[/name], I also worry that they’re too similar.
Agh! [name]Freya[/name] is my name and [name]Thea[/name] is one of my favorites, and both would sound wonderful with [name]Atlas[/name]. From your list, I also really like [name]Minerva[/name], [name]Thalia[/name], [name]Clio[/name], [name]Rosalind[/name] and [name]Carys[/name] and like [name]Electra[/name] as well. You may also like [name]Rhea[/name], [name]Roma[/name], [name]Tacita[/name], [name]Yara[/name], [name]Hera[/name], [name]Helena[/name], [name]Selene[/name], or Megara!
Ooh, I love [name]Roma[/name], [name]Yara[/name], and [name]Helena[/name] – great suggestions! [name]Freya[/name] and [name]Thea[/name] are both WONDERFUL. I particularly adore [name]Freya[/name]. If only my name didn’t rhyme…
