We’re expecting baby girl #2 later this summer. Her older sister Lydia was solidly named by this point in the pregnancy so I’m feeling a little behind, even though I know we have lots of time!
I’d love to hear opinions on our short list and any other suggestions you have! Thanks!
Middle name will be Cynthia. Last name starts with F and is similar to Foster.
Our shortlist:
Joanna
Julianne
Zoe
Rachel
Genevieve
Rosalie
Annabel
Tabitha
Phoebe
I love [name_u]Zoe[/name_u], [name_f]Joanna[/name_f], [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] so much! I think they all go wonderfully with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] 
If I had to pick just one, it’d be a toss-up between [name_u]Zoe[/name_u] and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] for me! [name_u]Zoe[/name_u] feels more energetic and zesty, but [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] feels more timeless and sweet - both match [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] in different ways!
I love [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] with Lydia!!!
I’d go with [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] or [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
Oh, I love [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]! I would be so happy to see it used! [name_u]Zoe[/name_u] is really spunky, I love her. [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] is very nice as well. I think [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] would be a match made in [name_f]Heaven[/name_f]!
I’m loving [name_u]Zoe[/name_u] with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
I like [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]! I think [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and and [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] are a beautiful sibset!
[name_f]Joanna[/name_f] is my favorite, but with [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], I’ll suggest [name_f]Jovie[/name_f]
I think you’ll love these names
Sofia
Jenna
Pearlyne
Annabelle
Imogen
Brielle
Dinah
Francesca
Elisa
Faye
Hailey
Morgan
Nice list!
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and [name_f]Joanna[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] are my favorites. Each pair seems a similar weight and sound and feel which is nice, without feeling matchy.
[name_u]Julianne[/name_u] reminds me of julienned carrots. The other names are fine, but don’t feel as fresh as [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] and [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f].
I also like [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_u]Romy[/name_u], [name_f]Rowena[/name_f], [name_f]Geneva[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Amabel[/name_f], [name_f]Belphoebe[/name_f], and [name_f]Petra[/name_f].
As a sister to [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and with the middle name [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], I think my favorites from your list are [name_u]Julianne[/name_u], [name_f]Rachel[/name_f], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], & [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f].
You don’t really need more names to mull over, but you mentioned suggestions, and lists are fun, so…
[name_f]Abigail[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Alison[/name_f]
[name_f]Amy[/name_f]
[name_f]Danielle[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
Elisabeth/Elizabeth
[name_f]Emily[/name_f]
[name_f]Esther[/name_f]
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]
[name_f]Katherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f]
[name_u]Kay[/name_u]
[name_u]Leigh[/name_u]
[name_f]Lilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilian[/name_f]
[name_u]Lindsay[/name_u]
[name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f]
[name_f]Naomi[/name_f]
[name_f]Norah[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruth[/name_f]
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]
I’d go with [name_f]Annabel[/name_f].
With [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], I love [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] (classic but bright), [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] (elegant and sophisticated), [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] (bubbly and friendly) and [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] (unexpected and classic)
A few suggestions:
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Rebecca[/name_f]
[name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Anya[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f]
[name_u]Fern[/name_u]
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
[name_f]Isla[/name_f]
[name_f]Chloe[/name_f]
[name_u]Florence[/name_u]
[name_u]Loving[/name_u] [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] as I’m feeling a real affinity with this type of very familiar but currently way underused classic atm, in a similar vein to [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] etc which would sound so refreshing on a little one now and feel a lot more different / standout than the same clutch of trendier options / nameberry faves we see suggested over and over again.
Of the trendier options, [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] are all lovely. If it were me, I’d maybe scratch [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] as while totally different sound wise, the syllable pattern being exactly the same as [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] combined with same ending sound makes it feel a bit samey. [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] don’t really match [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] in terms of feel, imo, as I find [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] more playful and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] very Scottish / homespun. That leaves [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]. Of these two, I feel [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] takes the edge and makes for a very refined sibset with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f].
@PearlTea Thanks for your suggestions! I love [name_f]Brielle[/name_f], [name_f]Elisa[/name_f], and [name_f]Hailey[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Jenna[/name_f] is cute too, and if we use [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], we will use (some spelling of) [name_f]Jenna[/name_f] as a nickname 
@Harvest-Endellion Thanks for your reply! It’s nice to hear you find [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] usable and fresh. I go back and forth between loving it and thinking it would be so sweet on a little girl, versus feeling it is too dated.
@somemelodioussonnet Thanks for your list - there are lots I like on there, but many that I can’t get my husband on board with - [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Amy[/name_f], [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]. There are also quite a few that we like, but are unusable due to close family members, like [name_f]Abigail[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Naomi[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], [name_f]Sara[/name_f]. You definitely got my taste - thanks
@Greyblue Thanks for your characterizations of the names - I think that’s really helpful to see how others see them! Of your list, I really like [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], and [name_f]Chloe[/name_f]. Thanks!
@Lula-Rose Thanks for your comment - I’m so glad to hear your thoughts on [name_f]Joanna[/name_f]. There are so many things I love about the name and how it fits into our family, but one of my big concerns is that it would sound dated and not fresh, the way I envision it. The popularity has really been pretty stable over time, but it was more popular in the 1980s so maybe that’s why I feel that way? I appreciate the way you broke down the different options and I think [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] and [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] (maybe along with [name_u]Zoe[/name_u], my husband’s favorite) are our top 3 right now. Thanks!
Congratulations 
You have a lovely shortlist here are my thoughts on your names
[name_f]Joanna[/name_f] ~ fun, spirited and bright I think [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] is lovely with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] she has this nostalgic 1950s selling cloudy lemonade at a lemonade stand on a warm summers day. [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] & [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] work nicely together despite [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] having a slighter different feel to [name_f]Lydia[/name_f].
[name_u]Julianne[/name_u] ~ personally I’m not overly keen on [name_u]Julianne[/name_u] she feels a little tired and I just prefer other names with a similar sound like [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] or [name_f]Julia[/name_f]. I would prefer [name_f]Juliana[/name_f].
[name_u]Zoe[/name_u] ~ sleek, visually attractive with the zippy z sound and feels modern. But isn’t what I would pair with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f].
[name_f]Rachel[/name_f] ~ I think [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] is just timeless a lovely, understated biblical name that works so well with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] despite having slightly different vibes. Honestly [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] is lovely.
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] ~ I adore [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] beyond elegant, has a lovely European flair, looks visually gorgeous, is very romantic and I love the nickname [name_f]Evie[/name_f]. Despite loving [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] I do feel that [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] doesn’t has the right feel for [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] sister. I think [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] is better suited to a longer, slightly more romantic option something like [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f].
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] ~ I love [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and all very magical variants including [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]. [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] is beautiful, romantic has a lovely European flair and looks so pretty but similarly to [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] I think she has the wrong vibe for Lydia’s sister. Actually [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] & [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] would make a lovely sibling set but for you I would take off your list.
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] ~ even though on paper [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] feels frilly and romantic so in my head shouldn’t work as Lydia’s sister I actually think she works wonderfully. [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] just has the same feel to [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]. A lovely pairing.
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] ~ YES!!! She’s your sparkly gem the absolute crème de la crème of your list honestly [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is the perfect name for you despite the flow being a little off with [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is just so wonderfully matched with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]. They both have the same feel. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] just like [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] is biblical, underused, elegant, tailored, feels spunky, has the fun ‘a’ ending and is so classic. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is a wonderful sister name for [name_f]Lydia[/name_f].
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] ~ a lovely hidden of gem of a bible name that does sound lovely with [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]. [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] & [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] do feel very cohesive and fashionable. Great pairing. I think works very well with [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f].
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite is [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] followed by [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] & [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] 
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and a sister called [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], [name_u]Julianne[/name_u] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f], or [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f] would be a great match.
[name_f]Elinor[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_u]Julie[/name_u] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Danielle[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Aileen[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Raquel[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Pallas[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mercy[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
[name_f]Dolores[/name_f] [name_f]Cynthia[/name_f]
i think annabel is stunning, and perfect alongside lydia!! it’s very similar in imagery, vibe, and style to lydia, especially spelt like this, but has its own distinct sound. i also think it flows the best with cynthia of any of your options. just a perfect choice i think <3
I really like the name Tabitha with Lydia, possibly the best, but I don’t like Tabitha with Cynthia - it’s a tongue twister! But if you can say it, love the name with Lydia and on its own.
I otherwise would go for Phoebe or Zoe - which are both youthful names - with Zoe being slightly more spunky and Phoebe more happy, but both go with Lydia, and flow with the middle and last (actually Phoebe flows best I think!).
Take or leave as all subjective but for me, Joanna is a bit dated (though maybe the 80s names are coming back!). Annabel matches Lydia so well (as well as Tabitha if not more so!) but for me, it’s been overused in the last decade with all the other “belles”. I like Genevieve and it suits Lydia but somehow I personally couldn’t go ahead with this name, maybe if you wanted Evie. I’m not a bit Gen/Jen fan. Rosalie is pretty and romantic, but possibly not best with Cynthia. Rachel is a tailored and no nonsense name to me - but I don’t love the nickname options, and I think it gets overshadowed by Lydia.
Other names:
Imogen (“Immy”)
Rose
Rosanna (as a mix of names you like)
Sophie
Violet
Arabella (prefer to Annabel if you want a Belle name)
Verity
Emily
Zara
Adelaide
But Phoebe, Zoë or Tabitha - all great options!
I love [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] as a sister to [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]!