Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every Saturday one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We rely on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Michelle writes:
We’re expecting baby number five at the end of November. This will be our fourth daughter and our last child. Our children are:
- Audrey Michelle (I’m named after my dad, Michael, so I think of this one as for her grandpa, not me)
- Lena Elise (Kind of for my husband’s stepmom, Lisa – except she doesn’t like it!)
- Grace Kimberly (Middle is for my husband’s sister)
- Jack David (David for my husband and his dad)
We prefer simple, familiar names and don’t want anything too unusual. Our last name is M()rg@n.
If this baby were a boy, I liked Max, Owen, and Levi. Grace’s name was almost Adeline, but we worried about spelling and pronunciation, and we don’t like Addie as a nickname. (We aren’t fans of nicknames, though Grace usually becomes Gracie.)
We’ve now decided we don’t want to repeat initials, so no names starting with A, L, G, or J, and probably not M or D either. (I know Max and Levi break those rules.)
Coming up with names has never been hard for us, except maybe for Grace. This time it feels like we know kids with all of the names we like, and there’s really nothing left. We prefer names that are clearly names, not words or surnames. (Is it strange that I don’t think of Grace as a word?)
My mom’s name is Kathy – not Katherine or Kathleen – and we want the middle name to honor her, since she’s the only grandparent we haven’t honored yet.
Please help!
Read on for my response, and please share your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Hi Michelle —
Congratulations on baby number five!
There are two common challenges when naming a younger child in a large family, and you’re facing both.
First, you do use up many of your go-to names as you name more children.
More importantly, you simply know a lot more children now. If each of your four children attends school or preschool, that could easily mean dozens of classmates. Add family, neighbors, friends from church, teammates, and kids from activities, and many familiar names feel “taken.”
My practical advice is to avoid only the names that would feel too repetitive. Niece and nephew names are usually off the table, and close friends’ kids often are too. But it’s unnecessary to dismiss a name just because some distant acquaintance or a teammate once had it. That kind of restriction makes the search needlessly difficult.
Here are name suggestions that fit your family’s style — familiar, slightly vintage, and not nickname-heavy — while avoiding initials A, L, G, and J.
Ruby – Your children’s names have a vintage but current feel. Ruby doesn’t repeat vowel sounds from the older siblings and fits the family style well.
Evelyn – You liked Adeline but worried about spelling and nicknames. Evelyn offers a similar rhythm and sound with clearer spelling and pronunciation.
Stella – Stella pairs naturally with Audrey, Lena, Grace, and Jack. It feels like an obvious and harmonious sister name.
Hazel – Hazel has become mainstream and sits comfortably in the Top 100. It feels distinct compared with your older kids’ names while remaining stylistically compatible.
Maya – If you’re open to an M name despite your concern about repeating initials, Maya works nicely with Audrey, Lena, Grace, and Jack. It’s slightly different in tone but still cohesive.
Chloe – Chloe has been very popular for years, so you may know several, but if none are too close to your family, it would fit well.
Clara – Clara is vintage, feminine, and largely nickname-proof. It’s an obvious and elegant choice that complements your existing children’s names.
Vivian – Vivian feels similar in style to Evelyn and could lend the affectionate nickname Vivi or Viv, much like Gracie appears as a casual form of Grace.
From this list, my top pick is Evelyn Kate. Evelyn avoids repeating initials and endings used by your older children, and Kate honors your mom Kathy in a subtle, familiar way. My second pick is Ruby Katherine — Ruby felt like the immediate match when I read your family’s names.
Readers, what would you suggest for the family’s new daughter?