Hello!!
I absolutely love reading your name column! It is especially helpful as we are expecting our second in a few months. I am definitely someone who needs time to mull over a name, so your help would be greatly appreciated.
Our first is Jackson Glenn (the middle name is my dad's and in our defence, we lived under a rock and had no idea it was so popular until after). Our second is a girl, and we're struggling!
We are pretty adamant about second names being family names. So, our options are Jane and Lorraine. For firsts, I LOVE Gillian and Lillian. Unfortunately, we can't have a Jack and Jill, and my BFF just named her little girl Jane Lilly. So... we like Georgia and Charlotte, but there's something about that "L" sound that I really like.
I am anxious to hear your advice!
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You’re adamant about second names being family names, and I’m adamant about Jane being one of my all-time favourite names, so I’m going to start there. In fact, I have named more than one character Jane, and regret it, because someday I’m going to name a kid and it’s going to be lame to have named my daughter after, like, someone who had a bad fictional life because TV demands drama.
And because, if you use Lorraine in your second spot, you might have too many Ls, considering what I’m about to hit you with. A friend asked me a few months ago for a “lalala” name, meaning a name like you’re talking about – lots of Ls involved. So let’s see what we can scrounge up.
The name I came up with for my friend in that instance was Paloma. Lalala. But it might be a little offbeat with Jackson. So moving on, Lillian not being an option, I immediately move to Lorelei. No? Gilmore Girls didn’t do it for you? Too… I don’t know, I-teach-yoga-for-free-in-LA? Okay, here’s a shot in the dark – what about Elodie? It’s not usual, but it’s not way out there – and it says "El" right in the beginning. I know it’s tempting from here to jump into the Ella corridor, but resist! Marcella?
How about Lila or Layla? Lila Jane is gorgeous. Jackson and Lila? Georgia is still pretty, of course, but saying it over and over in the context of L-type names makes me think of Laura, or Lara. Thoughts? Does Hayley strike you in the same way?
My last, slightly out there idea is that if you think it’s too close to your friends to have a Lily Jane (and I kind of get you, even though it’s lovely) – how about Lilac? Not joking. Floral but unusual, and I actually think the repeating sound with Jackson is kind of nice, if I say so myself.
Let me know!
