Let Us Name Your Baby: Is Aurora Destined to be Rory?
Today's baby name dilemma comes from a soon-to-be mother of four. Sam's children — Eva, Ronan, Conor, and baby girl on the way — have Mexican, American, and Irish heritage and a famous astronomer father. Aurora seems like the obvious choice, but is the nickname Rory inevitable?
Sam writes:
I'm currently in my third trimester with baby number four and I'm so so lost. My current three children are Eva Gray, Ronan Pearse, and Conor Cillian.
I'm a California native with a Mexican immigrant father and my husband is from Ireland. We currently live in Los Angeles. I find Irish names much easier when naming a boy than a girl. Some of our limitations are that people need to be able to pronounce our children's names without explanation (so no crazy Irish spellings for kids living in the States), my husband does not like "boy" names for girls (even though he married a woman named Sam) and we don't want a name that is too popular (even though I love so many of them, like Mia).
I have poured over hours and hours and hours of YouTube videos and the Nameberry website and I’m just blanking. I'm a big nickname person so when I look at a name, I'm automatically think of what my affectionate nickname will be. One of the names on our list is Maya but for the love of God, I can't think of a cute nickname for it.
My husband is a famous astronomer. He made a huge discovery regarding Auroras but is against using that name since he can't bear the thought of people calling her Rory for short (a boy name in Ireland). I still like the thought of having something astronomy-related in her name, even just as a middle.
His favorites are Cora and Cara (Car-a). I like Gia, Cleo, Maya, Bianca, Ivy (husband vetoed that one), Valentina (only because I love the idea of using Lenny as a nn), and Zoe.
Maybe it's because I'm overwhelmed and sleep deprived but nothing is sticking. I would love to hear a professional's opinion. Thank you!
Nameberry responds:
Nameberry Editor Clare Green: Congratulations on your imminent daughter — and lots of sympathy on the overwhelm!
The good news is that you and your husband have a lot of shared territory on girl names. You both like short, light names with plenty of vowel sounds, which cross easily between cultures. (What we call Traveling Lite baby names.)
I’m not sure if you want more ideas within this category, or if you need to fall in love with one of the names you already have on your list.
If it’s the latter, it’s time to give each one some thought. Why is it on the list? What do you like about it? Does it have any special meaning to you, great associations, sound especially good with her last name, give you the warm fuzzies? Just to reassure you, they’re all objectively lovely names. If I’m being picky, the first to drop would be Cora and Cara, for being a bit too close to Conor. Cleo too, if you’re not keen on shared initials.
As for nicknames… you know best how things work in your family, but I feel like, whatever you choose — Maya, for example — you will find an adorable nickname to call her once she’s here, whether it’s MyMy, Little M, or something totally unrelated.
Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Kihm: Of the current options, my favorites are Maya and Gia. Both are short and sweet cross-cultural names that feel like a natural fit with this sibset. Like Clare said, a nickname for Maya would evolve over time. But Gia has the spunky diminutive Gigi built right in!
Another point in Gia’s favor: it’s a Latinate name. This sibset leans strongly in the Irish direction, and I’d love to see more of your heritage brought in. Yes, Gia is technically Italian, but the similarities between Spanish and Italian have helped boost its popularity among Latinos and Hispanic Americans. Gia simultaneously feels chameleon enough to work with Eva, Ronan, and Conor, yet speaks to your daughter’s Mexican-Californian roots.
CG: I don’t want to swamp you with new ideas, but you like Mia and Gia, so how about Fia — an anglicized spelling of the popular Irish name Fiadh. Alba also jumps out: it matches your style, and has the same meaning as Aurora (sunrise) without the danger of Rory.
SK: I love the name Alba, but the natural nickname Albie reads masculine. It doesn’t have the same level of ubiquity in Ireland as Rory, but I wonder if it might bother your husband! Alma is a similar alternative that means “soul” in Spanish.
CG: Ah yes, Albie could be tricky as a nickname. (It definitely leans male here in England — sooo many Albies!)
SK: Valentina could work, but it's not my favorite option — it’s so long compared to the rest of your children’s names. I’d love to find something shorter in syllables and/or letters. Leaning into Spanish names here, what about Lola, Lula, or Laia (a great alternative to Maya, I might add). They have the same Traveling Lite appeal and sparky energy as the rest of the choices on your list.
Would your husband agree to Aurora with a nickname like Aura or Auri? My sense is that people won't naturally shorten Aurora to Rory, since the nickname is derived from the middle of the name. But getting out ahead of it by saying, "Her name is Aurora — Auri for short!" could go a long way to prevent unwanted nicknames.
Using the middle name Aurora would get around the Rory issue, but I’m itching to push you a little outside of your comfort zone. Cielo, the Spanish word for sky, would make a gorgeous middle name, as would Sol. Estrella, Estela, Estelle, or Estella — related to stars! — would also be pretty. And I’ve seen a few people considering the name Astra recently, which I'm loving as an option for you.
CG: Maya Cielo, Lola Aurora, Bianca Sol… so many of the names we’ve discussed here are beautiful and melodious together. I think there’s leeway on how much it matches your other children’s names. Just like in parenting, it’s inevitable that by baby number four, things have changed and you may want to throw in some extra Spanish sparkle!
I don’t want to add too much into the mix, but if you’re still drawing a blank, it might be worth reconsidering where you draw the line of “too popular”. Many of your favorite names are in the Top 50 in California, so if one close to the top, like Mia (or maybe Mila?) really is speaking to you, it could be time to weigh up the pros and cons of using it anyway — especially if it’s with a less common middle name.
SK: Clare is right. Ticking off all the boxes is wonderful in theory, but sometimes the criteria are so strict that they eliminate the names you love the most. In my experience as a name consultant, people can regret throwing away their favorite name solely based on popularity. It doesn't sound like that's exactly what's going on here, but it is worth reexamining your criteria to make sure.
Another thing to remember: your baby will grow to fit her name. You might be used to having that "aha" moment with your older children's names, but that doesn't happen with every baby — especially with subsequent children! Your job is to pick a great name for your daughter, and then trust that it will feel perfect in time.
Berries, over to you! Offer your own ideas on what to name Eva, Ronan, and Conor's baby sister over in the forums.
Want to Let Us Name Your Baby? For the chance to have your baby name question featured on Let Us Name Your Baby, email us at advice@nameberry.com, or buy your own Let Us Name Your Baby consultation for a guaranteed response.
You can also hire us to provide individual baby naming advice and ideas. Check out our Baby Name Consulting services to book a private advice session with our experts.