I’m not yet pregnant with #3, but DH and I argue about names all the time.
We have two DDs so far and their names are polar opposites in style. DH got to name DD2 (long story) and matching DD1’s name in style was not something he considered.
So we have Tempe [name]Joann[/name] (pronounced Tem-pee, like the city in AZ) and [name]Helena[/name] [name]Louise[/name] (pronounced Hel-A-na, NOT [name]Helen[/name]-a!)
I think if we can find a 3rd name that ties them together (spunky, yet old-fashioned?) our sib-set won’t seem so mismatched. I think [name]Violet[/name] for a girl or [name]Milo[/name] for a boy are good examples of what I mean, but they are both too popular for our taste.
Obviously, we don’t have a consistent style in naming. Our biggest criteria is that it is NOT in the top 50, preferably not in the top 100.
Can you help us? Any suggestions?
[name]Kate[/name]
PS middle names don’t matter, as we will be using a family name (probably [name]Kate[/name] or [name]Lisa[/name] for a girl, and [name]Canyon[/name] for a boy)
Tempe and [name]Helena[/name] are both city names. One southwest and the other big mountain sky. I would just suggest using another place name.
[name]Portland[/name] ([name]Porter[/name])
[name]Cayman[/name]
[name]Atlanta[/name]
[name]Nile[/name]
[name]Dover[/name]
[name]Denver[/name]
[name]Aspen[/name]
My first thought is - I love [name]Helena[/name]. I know you pronounce it different than the capital of [name]Montana[/name], but this strikes sort of a US cities/western feel for me.
I think what I would not recommend is making it so overtly theme-y, but I would think some more obscure, person’s name sounding place would fit.
I have to think a minute… Like [name]Denver[/name] or [name]Dallas[/name] or [name]Savannah[/name] would just be too on-the-nose. Tempe is sort of like [name]Tempest[/name]… hmm… weather… hmm.
I don’t know where you live. I have to try and think of ideas that just sort of gently approach the names you’ve already chosen without sounding like a road trip. Rather than look up “Place Names,” I would look up close at a map and find some place nobody has heard of, places you’ve been, or came from, and try not to make any of your children the one with the name that doesn’t fit in.
I will look around and see what I can come up with.
Hmmm, with Tempe and [name]Helena[/name]…
[name]Amity[/name]
[name]Claire[/name]
[name]Judith[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Martha[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]
[name]Naomi[/name]
[name]Pearl[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
Is that the kind of thing you were after?
I actually think I’d move away from place names, viewing [name]Helena[/name] instead as a lovely Shakespearean name. I can see something with a bit of an exotic feel that meets a middle ground between Tempe and [name]Helena[/name].
I really like your idea of [name]Violet[/name] despite it’s increasing popularity, because as [name]Karen[/name] mentioned, Tempe looks close to [name]Tempest[/name], which reminds me of [name]Shakespeare[/name]'s The [name]Tempest[/name]. Additionally, [name]Helena[/name] is Shakespearean, and [name]Violet[/name] reminds me of [name]Viola[/name], another of his characters. Because of this, [name]Violet[/name] feels like it brings the names together in a subtle Shakespearean theme.
Some more you may like:
[name]Briony[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Cleo[/name]
[name]Carys[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Jessamine[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
Good luck!
Oh, I forgot boys names. They’re harder…
[name]Abraham[/name]
[name]Alden[/name]
[name]Barnaby[/name]
[name]Clement[/name]
[name]Cyrus[/name]
[name]Elias[/name]
[name]Elijah[/name]
[name]Emanuel[/name]
[name]Gideon[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
[name]Jared[/name]
[name]Jeremiah[/name]
[name]Jethro[/name]
[name]Lemuel[/name]
Phinaes
[name]Reason[/name]
[name]Samson[/name]
[name]Thaddeus[/name]
[name]Zachariah[/name]
[name]Hope[/name] I’ve helped:)
I think [name]Helena[/name], Tempe, and [name]Violet[/name] or even [name]Viola[/name] would work really well.
Not sure if you want a place theme but if you do -
[name]Berlin[/name] - is my daughters middle name
[name]London[/name] - could nn [name]Loni[/name]
Let see -
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Eugenia[/name]
[name]Eulalie[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Tallulah[/name]
[name]Viveca[/name]/[name]Vivica[/name]
I like the name [name]Canyon[/name] even as a first name for a boy! Could you tell us what other names you considered for your children before you decided on the name [name]Helena[/name] and Tempe? [name]Even[/name] if they are out dated or you no longer like them at least we could have something to work with.
Thanks for all the responses I like a lot of the names suggested, but DH is soooo picky. He hates everything.
We didn’t even discuss other names for Tempe. We were pretty set on Tempe. With [name]Helena[/name], we went into the hospital with [name]Helena[/name], [name]Stella[/name], Eisley, and [name]Delia[/name]. Other names I really liked include [name]Juno[/name] (my #1, Dh hates it), [name]Margot[/name], [name]Pallas[/name], [name]Violet[/name], [name]Orchid[/name], [name]Persephone[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Annalise[/name], [name]Alice[/name], and [name]Betty[/name]. Other names I like now are [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Bonnie[/name], and [name]Daphne[/name].
I like [name]Canyon[/name] as a first name as well, so if all else fails, I guess there is at least one name that we can fall back on for a boy! Really, it’s the boy names we need more help with.
PS [name]How[/name] popular IS [name]Violet[/name]? Is it heading for the top 50 any time soon?