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Donna's daughter is two months old and still without a name! She has a strong list of contenders, but which one is the right fit with older sisters named Nora and Lia? Should Donna choose another name that ends in A, or go with a choice that breaks the mold?

Donna writes:

We are trying to decide on the name for our third daughter. She's a few months old now and we still haven't named her! We just haven't come across a name that we love that also ticks all the boxes.

Her sisters' names are Nora and Lia so we're looking for something with a similar feel (soft, classic, lightweight, feminine but not frilly), or at least doesn't feel out of place. The last name is one syllable and begins with F. 

Our shortlist includes Maya, Sophie, Aria, Naomi, and Emma. Of all of these, Sophie is our favourite but we're having trouble committing to it because a) it's so popular (possibly stale?), b) I'm worried that it doesn't flow as nicely with the last name because of the double F sound, and c) maybe the third name should end in "A" as well for consistency with the other two.

Here are my concerns with the other names: 

Maya — possibly too similar to the other two sisters' names. I already confuse the first two a lot.

Aria — possibly too "rhymey" with Lia (this is also why we aren't really considering Sophia)

Naomi — don't love that two out of three sisters' names would begin with the same letter

Emma — very popular, and I don't love the strong association with the show Friends

Which one would you pick?

We're very open to other suggestions too! She has Italian, French, English, and Irish heritage so we're looking for a name that wouldn't feel out of place with that background. I'm particularly drawn to names that give off an intelligent vibe. 

Nameberry Creator Pamela Redmond responds:

Hi Donna,

First, respect for having a two-month-old you haven’t named yet because you don’t want to rush into a choice that may not be right. Better to take the time to find the best name than to pick something you regret or have to change later.

Nora and Lia are lovely names and I can understand your wish to find a third girl’s name that’s compatible. But as you’ve discovered, creating a harmonious combination of sibling names gets more difficult the more children you have, when it can seem as if every choice conflicts in some way with the other two.

My coauthor Linda Rosenkrantz and I introduced the idea of sibset names in our very first book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason, originally published in 1988. Since then, a lot of parents have become obsessed with creating the perfect sibset of names. 

Of course, you can take this concept too far, as Patrick and Brittany Mahomes arguably did with their three children, Sterling, Bronze, and Golden. Yes, really.

Nora and Lia, on the other hand, are a perfect pair of sister names. They go together but are also clearly individuals. That’s ideally what you want with your third daughter’s name.

I also like Sophie best of the names you’re considering, partly because it breaks free of some of the qualities that would make a matchier sibset, like an A ending, yet retains some of the subtler connections. Sophie is a name in its own right but originated as a nickname for Sophia, for instance, while Nora started life as a short form of Honora or Eleanora and Lia is a diminutive of any name starting or ending with the letters lia, from Amelia to Liana.

Because you’ve already considered the usual suspects but haven’t landed on a choice you full-heartedly love, I’m going to push the boundaries a bit further. I looked for names with the same general style and feel as Nora and Lia, that had two syllables and were abbreviated forms of more formal names, but were also rarer and contained distinct sounds.

Some new name ideas:

Gemma — Emma’s less popular, more interesting cousin. While Gemma isn’t short for anything, it’s a medieval Italian nickname for a precious gem.

Ada — Ada goes perfectly with Nora and Lia yet feels completely individual. Ada started life as a short form of Adelaide.

Daisy — A full name that started life as a nickname, more light-hearted and less sleek than Nora and Lia but definitely in the same family.

Ivy — Though it’s as brief and simple as Lia, Ivy has a very distinct sound.

Tessa — Though Tessa echoes the A ending of Nora and Lia, the short E and S in the middle give it a very different sound. And Tessa was originally a form of Teresa.

Iris — The same short, sleek feel as Nora and Lia, but the vowel beginning and S ending give it a completely distinct sound.

Alma — Alma makes a compatible sibset, though it’s much rarer than Nora and Lia and doesn’t derive from a longer name.

Posy — Posy (or Posey) can be short for Josephine but also stands on its own.

Sasha — Softer and a bit more gender-neutral than Nora and Lia, but a choice that’s both individual and compatible. It started life as a short form of Alexandra.

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