Hello! We need help!
My husband and I are looking for girl names that go with not only a hyphenated last name but we don't want them to sound like our other kid's names. (We are a blended family and this is our first child together.)
Current kids names:
Jordan Taylor
Corbin Michael
Alyssa Rose
Last name for future child: Evans-Shives
Names we like so far:
Isla (but not sure about the spelling because of other people mispronouncing - this is hubby's concern, mine not so much. In fact I am in love with this name but trying desperately to agree on one we both love.)
Ilah (different spelling)
Harlow
Isolde (I like, hubby not so much)
Veronica, maybe Isla Veronica?
Quinlan
Phoebe
I also like Gia
Hubby suggested Delaney and Victoria but I suggested Veronica instead. We were trying to avoid names that begin with A, C or J.
Also was trying to incorporate our mothers middle names, Emma and Ruth but haven't had much luck. Thought of _____ EmmaRuth Evans-Shives. It's a bit much I know but thinking by kindergarten child will probably just go by Shives.
I love the "old" names however we do not want a name that will be very common. (Mistake with Jordan and Alyssa). Because of this we rejected:
Isabella
Ella
Ava
Madeline
I have rewritten this email several times over the past couple months with the same dilemma. We appreciate any suggestions!
To my ear and eye, Alyssa and Isla are too similar---despite their completely different styles. I notice it especially when I try out the list of sibling names aloud: Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Isla. They're not so similar as to be a total dealbreaker, but you specified that you didn't want the new baby's name to sound like the other children's names.
I think a mid-name capital AND a hyphen is too much for one child's name. Do you like the name Ruth as a first name? Ruth Emma Evans-Shives. Otherwise I suggest choosing whichever name sounds better with your first name choice.
It looks to me as if the crux of your naming problem is a conflict between "We like common names" and "We don't want to use a common name." One or the other of you liked the names Alyssa and Jordan, and you like Isabella, Ella, Ava, and Madeline---as well as the rapidly-rising Isla (54 girls named Isla in 2005, up to 936 in 2009). I think trying to fight this preference is what's making the hunt so difficult: you have fashionable tastes, which is no worse in baby name than it is in clothing.
You needn't choose the very most popular name in the U.S. if you don't want, of course, but the commonness of names drops so fast: the #10 most popular girl name is used only about half as often as the #1 most popular name. I think you should reconsider the more common names, if they're ones you've crossed off only because of their ranking. I suspect Ella will join Isabella and Ava in the Top 10 this year, but Madeline is less common than the others even taking into account alternate spellings, and is very nice with the sibling names: Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Madeline. Madeline Ruth Evans-Shives.
Or if you like that style but want something less common (though be aware that many such names continue to rise in popularity), something like Molly would be pretty. Molly Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Molly.
Or Ruby: Ruby Emma Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Ruby.
Or I like the way Violet pulls in the V sounds from the other names: Violet Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Violet.
Or Stella: Stella Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Stella.
Or Fiona: Fiona Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Fiona.
For something even more unusual, a name I think is way underused is Bianca: Bianca Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Bianca.
If you like Isla but you're worried about the spelling, I wonder if you'd like Iris: Iris Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Iris.
There is also the rhyming name Lila, easier to spell than Isla though also more common: Lila Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Lila.
Or another rhyming possibility: Kyla. Kyla Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Kyla.
Oh, there's another! Mila: Mila Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Mila.
A name I think sounds like one of the currently-popular names (and specifically like Madeline from your list), but for some reason isn't common, is Emeline. Emeline Ruth Evans-Shives; Jordan, Corbin, Alyssa, and Emeline.
