Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 3

Here are some final (for now) thoughts on naming subsequent babies. I'll add more to this series on occasion, but must move on!

---One way to end up with names that "go" together is to select names from the same era. This allows for a pretty broad range of names, while still providing some continuity. By "era," I don't necessarily mean a specific year or two, more than names that give the same vibe. For instance, I have a friend with two little girls, the first named "Claire" and the second named "Audrey." Both names have a kind of retro, sweet sound to them. The parents are expecting their third child, and they'll likely want to stay away from modern, trendy names that lack the whimsy of their first two names. Names that evoke the same vibe? Perhaps: Phoebe, Gemma, Lucy, Pearl, Sadie. For a boy, they'd want to keep the retro-sense, but avoid the sweetness. Something well established, recognizable but not too common would fit the bill: Todd, Victor, Simon, Quinton, Lucas, Thaddeus, or Winston would be some examples.

---Chatting with a friend yesterday, we discussed a less-themey take on a theme: keep a consistent sound to begin the names, but not necessarily with the same letters. This friend has two sons (Kiefer and Cooper). Were they to have a third child, a fun way to keep the "k" sound would be going with a "qu" name: "Quinton" or "Quincey" for a boy, or perhaps "Quinn" for a little girl.

---One friend commented on an earlier post that the only thing connecting their potential baby names is that they are all unusual. Really, this is an entirely acceptable approach to naming, and obscurity is as a good a connection as anything. As long as Siren, River Rock, and Caesar don't have a little brother named "John," people are unlikely to grumble that their names don't go together (though they're likely to find other reasons to grumble).

---Finally, spend some time rattling off names to see how they flow together. If your oldest child is "Shane" and you're planning on naming your new baby "Erin" or "Aaron," practice saying, "My kids, Shane and Erin." To me, "Shane and Erin" doesn't flow well- it's too full of "n's" and is awkwardly rhythmically. A better sounding combination would be "Shane and Olivia," or "Shane and Dierdre." That doesn't mean Shane shouldn't have a little sister Erin, it's just a word of caution.

Since for the next four months I'm still the mom of just one little one, what are your experiences with naming siblings? What factors did you consider or disregard? Any regrets?