Let Us Name Your Baby
We answer three quick-fire questions from readers looking for a trendsetting yet under-the-radar girl name, a nickname-able sibling name for Teddy, and one Berry wondering if her baby can share a name with her pet sheep.
Alice writes:
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in April 2025. We each loved the name Poppy before we met. However, when we had been together for about a month, I got a rescue lamb and named her Poppy! My now-husband tried to convince me otherwise but didn’t tell me it was his favourite baby name until after the fact!
Do you think it’s okay to have a baby Poppy in addition to my very loved pet Poppy sheep? And do you have any alternative ideas for us? We are from the UK and would like to avoid the top 10 if possible!
Nameberry Editor Grace Royal responds:
Objectively, I think you could use Poppy for a baby. It’s a Top 20 name in the UK so it doesn’t feel like it’s exclusively a ‘pet’s name’ and those around you are likely to have encountered it in contexts separate from Poppy the Sheep. Equally, people use honor names all the time, so it’s not uncommon for two members of a family to share a name. Plus, it would give baby Poppy a fun story to tell about herself as she grows up.
And yet, my gut reaction is no, you shouldn’t name your baby Poppy.
Maybe I’m being overly sentimental here, but in my head, a pet’s name is now their name and just as I wouldn’t give two siblings the same one, it feels wrong to me to re-use a name that you’ve already given with such love to your sheep. Plus, considering the vast range of other names out there, I think it would feel far more special and valuable to choose a different one for your baby.
You could keep Poppy on your list as a potential middle name, or as a possibility if there really isn’t anything else that feels right. You could even reflect on changing Poppy the Sheep’s name, (depending on how much she responds to it) to something similar perhaps, like Polly. Thinking about that might be a good indication too on how much Poppy feels like your pet’s name.
For now though, I’ll leave you with the alternative ideas to Poppy: Pippa, Ruby, Penelope, Bonnie, Cleo, Lottie, Mabel, Heidi, Nellie, Libby, Melody, Alba, Indie, Fern, and Frankie.
Best of luck deciding what’s right for you!
Kate writes:
We are having baby number 4 and it’s a girl! We have three boys: Townes, Rio, and Cove. We feel the pressure to find something unique. My husband likes Wren and I like Soleil but we’re not sure either is the right fit.
Nameberry Editor Brynn McKeon responds:
Congratulations on your baby girl! Your boys have such lively and vibrant names, and finding a girl’s name on the same wavelength is such a fun challenge.
Townes, Rio, and Cove are each very stylish, modern, and ahead-of-the-curve names. Depending on how old each of your kiddos is, I am speculating that you picked each of these names just before they began to catch on amongst fashion-forward parents, so you are the definition of a true trendsetter!
Girl names that feel like the perfect match — right on the brink of something big, but currently very rare — include Gaia, Delphi, Lilou, Mavi, Juno, Lumi, and Enya.
Your boys’ names have connections to the natural world, and from your current contenders Wren and Soleil, is it safe to assume that nature names tend to catch your eye? I love Prairie, Tempest, Fleur, Saffron, Sparrow, Birdie, or Cypress for you.
Non-nature word names feel just right as well, with Sunday, Bonnet, Story, Amity, Lux, Fable, and Ever feeling particularly whimsical with your sibset.
Best of luck with finding “the one” for your little girl!
Grace writes:
We have a Theodore (Teddy) and another baby on the way.
Tallulah (Lula/Lola/Lulu) is a top contender for a girl. I also like Matilda and Rosina (Rosie for short) but haven’t seen anything else I like.
I don’t like old-world names like Elsie and Margot, “cool girl” names and gender-neutral names like Blue and Sunny, or nature names like River and Autumn.
Boy names are harder! We love classic yet slightly less popular names, ideally longer names that can be shortened. We like but can’t use Arthur and Archie. I like Rufus, but my husband doesn’t care for it. I also like the idea of Barnaby, but what would the nickname be?
Some boy names that we can’t use due to family include Charlie, Henry, Arthur, Alfie, Freddie, and George.
Nameberry Editor Clare Green writes:
Well, Barney would be my top choice of nickname for Barnaby, but at a stretch you might use Bernie or Benny. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to talk you into Barry!)
If not Barnaby, we’re looking for another revived-classic boy name. Most of your favorites are rare on adults today, but are among the most popular names for young boys — and there’s nothing wrong with being well-loved!
My top nicknameable options for you are:
Albert — Albie or Bertie
Ernest — Ernie
Patrick — Paddy
Sebastian — Seb
Stanley — Stan
Thomas — Tommy
Wilfred — Wilf (or Freddie, but you’ve said you can’t use that)
I’d love to suggest Edward or Edmund, but sadly Ned is a touch too similar to Teddy.
If you’d consider names without a nickname, like Rufus, may I suggest Arlo, Felix, Harry, Jasper, Milo, Otis, Percy, Rudy, and Toby.
Your favorite girl names are all lovely — and again, it sounds like you’re looking for long vintage names with nickname potential. If you need more inspiration in the same style, my picks for you are Adelaide, Beatrice, Delilah, Emilia, Evelina, and Liliana.
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