Tag Archive for ‘siblings names’ at Baby Names Made Easy: The Complete Reverse-Dictionary of Baby Names

Welcome to ASK AMANDA. Today’s question comes from a future-mom who wants to be prepared when the time is right.

Ask Amanda

Q: Hi Amanda,

I just came upon your site and I love it! I’ve been really interested in baby names for a few years now but I’m having the hardest time coming up with any boys names I really like.

My husband and I are not pregnant yet, but I love to think of names.

The girls’ names we love are Lydia and Evelyn. Our last name is Vo. I’ve been thinking I like Lydia Noelle Vo and I’m not sure about a middle name for Evelyn yet. Does Evie Vo sound like too much alliteration?

My problem with boys’ names are many. First, I don’t want anything too common that there might be 5 others in his class with the same name. Second, I’m really unsure of what names flow well with our last name. With such a short last name, I would like it to sound good in the full form and any nicknames or shortened names. I don’t want a super common or boring name, maybe an under-used gem.

Names I like recently (that my husband has nixed) are Elliot, Wesley, Elijah, Caleb, Dominic. My husband likes Ethan, and while I like it too, it’s too common. He also mentioned Maddox a few years ago, but I think everyone will always associate the name w/Angelina Jolie AND our future children will be 1/2 Vietnamese.

My question is, could you help us think of boys’ names that flow well with our last name (Vo) and the potential sibling names of Lydia and Evelyn? I think I would like to use Thomas as a middle name (as long as it flows).

Thanks so much for your help in advance!

MARY, Ohio

A: Your first question is about alliteration and “Evie Vo.” You like Evelyn Vo, but aren’t sure whether the double “v” sound in the shortened “Evie Vo” is too much. I like “Evie Vo” and don’t think there’s too much alliteration at all. I think the “e” in front softens the double “v.” The alliteration would be stronger in a name like “Vanessa Vo.” But I don’t mind that either.

DISCLAIMER: I’m a fan of alliteration.

On to your second question about boys’ names. I like the names you mentioned and they all have a similar feel to them. I pulled out my book and found some other names you might like that have the same feel and go well with the middle name Thomas. Most of these are unique enough that you won’t have five other kids with the same name in your son’s class—though some are more popular than others, so take that into account when making your final pick. These names also have a similar feel to Lydia and Evelyn, which make them nice sibling matches.

Here you go:

ARCHIBALD

BENJAMIN

CLAYTON

CONRAD

DASHIELL

DONOVAN

DUNCAN

EVERETT

FELIX

GABRIEL

GIDEON

GRAYSON

HUGO

ISAAC

JEREMIAH

JOSIAH

JULIAN

LEVI

NATHANIEL

OLIVER

SAMSON

XAVIER

My favorites from this list are BENJAMIN, EVERETT (similar to Evelyn), GIDEON, JULIAN and OLIVER.

Before you make any final decisions, I recommend checking the definitions of the names in BABY NAMES MADE EASY to make sure the name you choose has a meaning you like.

If you and your husband still can’t agree, try to figure out what it is you like about the names you like and what he likes about the names he likes and see if you can find some overlap.

Good luck and let me know what your favorites are. J

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

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

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For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

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Welcome back to ASK AMANDA. Today I’m answering a question for a soon-to-be mom (for the third time) in Canada!

Ask Amanda

Q: I am pregnant with a boy and due in 4-5 weeks…….HELP PLEASE!! I already have two kids and have named them Marcus and Marina. My husband is Italian and we are not agreeing on any names. Our daughter was born and nameless for days because we didn’t agree!! I do not want to repeat this. Our name choice does not have to be an Italian or start with the letter “M,” but I do want it to sound OK when mentioning my other kids names. I tend to prefer short names that are not tongue twisters. I like Darius, Xavier, Jordon, Sidney, Daniel. My husband says NO to all of them. His list is Leonardo (over my dead body!), Alexis, Roman.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. BONNIE, Montreal, Canada

A: Thanks for writing, Bonnie. I understand why you don’t want a repeat of the “nameless baby” saga you went through with your daughter. Sounds stressful!

Since you and your husband aren’t agreeing on any of the names either of you have come up with so far, I think going back to the drawing board is a good idea. It’s important that you both love the name you choose.

So what’s my advice? Stop looking for baby names and start looking for common ground. I studied the names you told me you both liked and the names you picked for your first two children. Here’s the common ground I see so far:

1. You chose names with Latin origins for your first two children — Marcus and Marina. Maybe you can agree to choose a name with a Latin origin for this baby, too. This is nice because it creates a connection between all their names without being too matchy-matchy.

2. For your first two children you chose a masculine name for your son and a feminine name for your daughter. Maybe you can agree to cross unisex names off your list. That way all your children’s names will have the same “style,” which you said is important to you.

3. You told me that you like short names and all your picks have six letters. Two of your husband’s three choices have six or fewer letters, too. It looks like you can also agree to cross names with more than six letters off your list.

Once you agree on some parameters, then you can make a list of names that match your agreed terms.

Here’s a list of names that meet the three criteria above — they have Latin roots, they’re masculine (you said you’re having a boy) and they’re six letters or less:

BARNEY

CASH

DRAKE

FELIX

GUS

JUSTIN

LUCAS

LUCIUS

MILES

MILO

OLIVER

REX

SILAS

TYRONE

VICTOR

VITO

This isn’t an exhaustive list, so if none of these work for you, you can find other names that fall within these three parameters.

If you still can’t find a name, start looking for other things you agree on. For example, the meaning of the name or the letter the name will start with. Any place you have common ground is an opportunity to gather new ideas and cross others off the list.

I hope this helps! Thanks for writing me. I’m sure you’ll find a name you both love. It says a lot that you’re working so hard to choose a name you both agree on — your son will appreciate that someday.

Let me know what you pick. J