You love your Aunt Dorcas and your Grandpa Egbert more than words can say. Unfortunately, their names don’t resonate well to our modern ears. So how do you pay tribute to your favorite relative without using his or her name for your new baby?

Here are 24 creative alternatives that will help you choose a name you love in honor of a relative you love:

1.       FAVORITE FLOWER: Do you always bring your relative a bouquet of flowers when you visit because they’re her favorite? If so, her favorite flower might make a perfect name. Stylish examples include:

DAISY, LILY, ROSE

2.       NAME WITH THE SAME MEANING: Choose a name with the same meaning as your relative’s name. Dorcas means “gazelle” and so does:

AYELET, TABITHA, ZEVI

3.       PLACE WHERE RELATIVE GREW UP: Does your relative have ties to a particular spot on the map? If so, maybe you can turn it into a great name. Consider examples like:

CAROLINA, IRELAND, SIENA

4.       FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: If your favorite relative has a favorite actor or actress with a name you like, it might work for your baby. These examples have first and last names you could consider:

JAMES DEAN, CLARK GABLE, VIVIAN LEIGH

5.       FAVORITE GEM: If your relative loves a particular precious stone, it might make for a beautiful name. There are a lot of pretty options from this category, including:

JADE, OPAL, RUBY

6.       RELATIVE’S TALENT: Is your relative famous for a particular talent? If so, it could provide you with some name inspiration. For example, if your relative is a wonderful cook known for a particular dish, you might find a name with a related meaning, such as:  

Cherry pie: CERISE

Strawberry jam: FRASER

Apricot jam: MORELA

Apple pie: MILOS

7.       FAVORITE COLOR: Does your relative have a favorite color? If so, you’re in luck because there are some charming color-names, including:

INDIGO, SCARLETT, VIOLET

8.       FAVORITE HOBBY: Is your relative known for a particular hobby? Hobbies can make for interesting and off-beat names, like:

FISHER, PAINTER, POET

9.       FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Does your relative have a favorite vacation spot? There are a lot of names that have great “location” meanings, including:

KAI — “sea”

NEVE— “snow”

RIA — “small river”

10.   FAVORITE ARTIST: Does your relative have a favorite artist? Consider options like:  

GEORGIA O’Keeffe, HENRI Matisse, VINCENT van Gogh

11.   MONTH RELATIVE WAS BORN: Some months make great names. Maybe the month your favorite relative was born is one of them:

APRIL, JUNE, MARCH

12.   OCCUPATION: What does your favorite relative do for a living? Maybe your child could follow in his or her footsteps. There are many names that have occupation meanings, such as:

ASA — “physician”

BAXTER — “baker”

MARINO — “sailor”

13.   FAVORITE ANIMAL: There are tons of great names with “animal” meanings. For example, if your relative is a birdwatcher, in addition to obvious choices like LARK and ROBIN, there are names like:

MARLON — “little hawk”

MERLE — “blackbird”

TORI — “bird”

14.   FAVORITE HOLIDAY: Your relative’s favorite holiday might make for a unique name. Consider names like:

EASTER, NOELLE, VALENTINE

15.   NAME FROM RELATIVE’S CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Honor your relative’s cultural background (and yours, too) by choosing a name from that culture. For example, if your family has Russian roots, you could consider names like:

LILIA, NATALIA, PAVEL

16.   FAVORITE SEASON: Similar to months, seasons make great names, too. Consider:

AUTUMN, SUMMER, WINTER

17.   FAVORITE SINGER: If your relative has a favorite singer, he or she might have a name you’d like. Some names that would work are (consider first and last names):

DEAN MARTIN, ETTA JAMES, JOHNNY CASH

18.   FAVORITE RELIGIOUS FIGURE: Does your relative have a special connection to a particular religious figure? If your relative is Catholic, some good saint name options are:

CELIA, JUDE, PAUL

19.   PATRIOTIC NAMES FOR VETERANS: If your relative is a veteran, there are several patriotic name choices you can consider, including:

QUINN — “leader”

SHAMARA — “battle ready”

WYATT — “strength in battle”

20.   COMMON TRAIT: Does your relative share a common trait with your new baby (or do you think they will)? Interesting options include:

CALLIOPE — “beautiful voice”

CASSIDY — “with curly hair”

ROWAN — “redhead”

21.   QUALITY YOU’D LIKE YOUR BABY TO INHERIT: You love your favorite relative for a reason and would probably love to see your baby inherit his or her great qualities. What do you love most?

CHARITY, FAITH, HOPE

22.   FAVORITE CHARACTER: What about your relative’s favorite fictional character? If your relative is a Jane Austen fan, you might like:

DARCY, ELLIOT, ELIZABETH, EMMA

23.   FAMILY RELATIONSHIP: Consider naming your baby after the relationship he or she shares with your favorite relative. For example:  

OLA — “ancestor”

TIA — “aunt”

ZAIDA — “grandfather”

24.   FAVORITE CAUSE: Is there a particular cause close to your relative’s heart? If world peace is your relative’s greatest wish, consider names with “peaceful” meanings, like:

FREDA, GARETH, HARMONY

This is a long list of baby name ideas for you to consider, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can get as creative as you want while looking for ways to honor your relatives.

Do you have good suggestions for other readers? Post a comment and share your idea!  

♥  Amanda

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.