Biblical Names for “Heal”ing

Sarah asked for Biblical names, either sex, which have meanings containing concepts like “join”, “heal”, or “repair”.

Right away I was about to tell her that Raphael and Raphaella referred to “healed by God” (or, “God heals”), and Raphael of course is a Biblical name, while Raphaella is a female derivative. So, for me this was the most obvious (and perhaps due to my own personal preferences!), but the Bible is full of meaningful names, so let’s explore a few other options.

Raphael is the angel who is said to talk to doctors, or anybody with the task of healing and caretaking.

Levi, male, to be joined
Jahdo, male, united
Josiah, male, Yahweh heals
Asa, male, healer
Bethesda, place name (a place of healing), house of mercy
Hadashah, feminine place name, new or repaired
Azaba, feminine, restore or repair
Rephaiah, male, healed by Yahweh

This is by no means a complete list, because there are always a variety of possibilities, especially when we play with root words (as I have, with Azaba). Additionally, many people consider using -iah names in a unisex fashion, so I suppose if that appeals to you, it’s always an option– particularly for the lesser known names.

It’s Hard to Recommend Names To Go With Cheyanne…

I used to like the name Cheyenne* a lot. It’s a place name and a Native American tribal name… both very hip, en vogue, cutting edge, etc. The more I grew and learned and witnessed– in terms of our culture and the ways in which we represent ourselves and even appropriate– the less fond I grew for such styles. It started to seem insincere to me, and maybe even rude of me, and so I could no longer really validate my preferences by telling myself how pretty and cute they still were. I couldn’t kid myself by telling myself I was honoring something I didn’t truly understand. The truth is, there was no other reason to keep these types of names on my list, and too many reasons to cross them off. The truth is, they were trendy and had no real connection to me, period.

I now value authenticity. Authentic being-you. Authentic respect for others.

There is so much for me, and for you, to genuinely celebrate! No costumes, no disguises. Choose something with a close personal connection to you when you are naming your baby and it will mean so much more.

The exchange pictured above inspired me to create a new category in the blog– Racism (where I will talk about any cultural faux pas in names, not just limited to racial differences.) Every blog link I am about to share with you now fits the new category.

For further info on this specific topic, read here: The Bastardization of Native American Names

To find out why being honest about names matters, see: Hispanic Baby Name “News” is Ignorant BS

Some brief words on Native American words becoming tweaked names, when we helped a fan here (she had a child named CheyAnne): Cowboy Prairie Style First and Middle Baby Name Combos

Where we urged readers to not take K-K-K lightly: K, K, and Definitely Not K

If you’re one of our long time readers or just an appreciative fan, you respect the fact that we always advocate smart, thoughtful naming, minus the fluff. What I like about the community we share is that you can tell we genuinely, truly love names.  Thanks for joining with us in supporting integrity and education! I look forward to the ways we’ll keep learning together.

(I will discuss the name Cheyenne [the usual “proper” spelling*] more in the upcoming book.)

Avoiding Punny Names With Surname “Ball”

Fan Question– “Hi! My sister just recommended that I like this page for help. We just found out that we will be having our second boy – yay! Our first son is named Grayson Lionel (last name Ball), he’s 4 (I swear that name wasn’t trendy 4 years ago! Lol) as a nod to his father. My husband’s name is Guy Lionel Ball IV. We broke the tradition but didn’t want to ignore it entirely. We do not call him Gray.

I like semi-unique or old fashioned names, not something they’ll have to explain or spell the rest of their lives! I am not a fan of alliteration and I don’t want another name that ends in -son or -on/en/in necessarily. Our last name poses a unique challenge since it seems super easy to create a distasteful nickname (no Harrison, Chase, etc). I’m at the beginning brainstorming stages and I’m at a loss! I like the name Fletcher because of its occupational meaning (arrow maker) but feel like it needs to be ruled out immediately since the nickname Fletch could easily change to Fetch (fetch the ball!) Other names I’ve toyed w are Julian (Jules), Felix, Emile, Milo. I got nothing as far as middle names. Help!! Please. I’m open to most suggestions!”

Glad you found us, and thank your sister for me. Congratulations on your upcoming addition.

I know, isn’t it always the way that it seems, that we liked a name and used it first?! Unfortunately, thousands of babies were being named Grayson around the time your son was born. I think we just become more aware of names when our own child has it. I know it has happened with each of mine, and I’m a name nerd who prides herself in being very aware. I think they just jump out at us more, like neon signs. It’s because the name is even more special for us once our child takes ownership of it.

You’re right about the challenges your surname faces, so good looking out. I can only imagine what your husband puts up with. I’d love to help you brainstorm some ideas, should be fun.

As far as Fletcher goes, I see where you are concerned, but just insist he go by Fletcher and not Fletch. After all, you have a Grayson and you don’t let anyone call him Gray (which could have been equally problematic). “Fletcher Ball” does sound a bit like “fetch yer ball”, though. For the time being I am going to keep it in the running in case you have a change of heart. It also occurs to me that Milo Ball may sound slightly like “my little ball”. It’s still a handsome name, but you might want to know.

So, without further ado, some considerations…

Tommy Oliver Ball
Rockwell Fabian Ball
Julian Max Ball
Misael Felix Ball (“Max”, possibly)
Derek Atlas Ball
Gavin Boris Ball
Milo Rowan Ball
Efraim Johann Ball
Cyrus Emile Ball
Emile Titus Ball
Charleston Trevor Ball (do not call Charlie unless you are okay with “Charlie Brown” similarity)
Jules Pi Ball
Julian Tanner Ball
Julian Xander Ball
Milo Fletcher Ball
Emil Guyson Ball
Marin Donald Ball
Aidyn Felix Ball
Milo Sylvain Ball
Felix Fletcher Ball
Jules Dunn Ball
Orion Verne Ball
Felix Dennis Ball
Fletcher Helix Ball
Douglas Beau Ball

Pro-tip: avoid names like Luke and Lucien, to get away from a Lucille Ball reference. Emile Ball has that same ring to it.

Other classic, old fashioned names to avoid for puns: Oscar Ball. Richard Ball. (Think about it.)

Some names here are more unusual, some are more classic, and some are trendier and more common. It was fun to play around with, though, and I hope you found something you liked. My readers and I are very curious what you’ll choose, so please do keep us posted!

Classic, Less Used First Names for Middle Name Dorothy

Brea asks: Name help needed! Surprise baby four on board and is a girl. All our children’s first names end in N and middle names are family derived. Love names that are classic but unpopular and dislike names with frivolous Ys, Xs, etc. Last name is Bursch so plant/flower names don’t work (Rose Bursch, anyone?).

Siblings:
Reiken Calvin Bursch (m)
Quentin Raymond Bursch (m)
Gwendolyn Beverly Bursch (f)

Middle Name: Dorothy

 

This is a fun one, thank you for the challenge. And of course, congratulations. 🙂 Here is a list I made just for you to try on and hopefully either like something or be inspired in the direction that works for you.

Leeann Dorothy Bursch
Marion Dorothy Bursh
Marian Dorothy Bursch
Samaritan Dorothy Bursch
Rhiann Dorothy Bursch
Eden Dorothy Bursch
Helen Dorothy Bursch
Manon Dorothy Bursch
Madelain Dorothy Bursch
Madelein Dorothy Bursch
Jillian Dorothy Bursch
Elisian Dorothy Bursch
Brynn Dorothy Bursch
Joselin Dorothy Bursch
Cathleen Dorothy Bursch
Katherin Dorothy Bursch
Aven Dorothy Bursch
Christian Dorothy Bursch
Christen Dorothy Bursch
Wren Dorothy Bursch
Roselyn Dorothy Bursch
Sutton Dorothy Bursch
Audren Dorothy Bursch
Seren Dorothy Bursch
Ghislain Dorothy Bursch
Evangelin Dorothy Bursch
Caryn Dorothy Bursch
Bethan Dorothy Bursch
Rowan Dorothy Bursch
Mädchen Dorothy Bursch
Evelin Dorothy Bursch
Rhiannon Dorothy Bursch
Viridian Dorothy Bursch
Haven Dorothy Bursch
Shannon Dorothy Bursch
Suellen Dorothy Bursch
Yvonn Dorothy Bursch
Cymbelin Dorothy Bursch
Imogen Dorothy Bursch
Dawn Dorothy Bursch
Avalon Dorothy Bursch

I didn’t think Roselyn would count as a plant name… Please keep us updated!

A Sibling for Sawyer & Huck

Autumn says: Exciting news. Sawyer James and Huckleberry Wilder are going to have a sibling. We will not be finding out the sex so I am in need of name ideas for both genders. My only criteria is that the name be unique and I would love to have Dean as the middle name for both the boy & girl name in honor of my late uncle. While the boys names are obviously “themed” they were not named after the Mark Twain novels so no need to carry any tradition but I’m also not opposed to it. I am drawn to nature names (our last name makes for some fun combinations) and the late great country singing greats but am very open. I would love to see what you and your followers would suggest. Thank you so much

Congrats! I know you know how much I love Sawyer and Huck’s names, not to mention that Snow is a pretty cool surname. I know you were also torn on the popularity of a name being emphasized in the choosing, versus just going with something you love despite the trends. I’m going to give you a range of names to see what calls to you.

It does irk one to see that a loved one or sometimes a celebrity (or even, a large portion of society) snags the name you love. I know with Sawyer you felt it got a little too popular after you used it. One thing I want you to bear in mind is this: Huckleberry may be the winner of the unique names for your children, regardless of what you choose next. And that’s okay!

So, the mixed bag of ideas to try on…

Wiley Dean Snow
Marco Dean Snow
Denry Dean Snow
Bray Dean Snow
Osiah Dean Snow
Jethro Dean Snow
Tre Dean Snow
Gunner Dean Snow
Braylon Dean Snow
Guillermo Dean Snow (“Will”)
Jacobi Dean Snow
Jonael Dean Snow
Chaelan Dean Snow
Viper Dean Snow
Nichol Dean Snow
Javier Dean Snow
Lincoln Dean Snow
Major Dean Snow
Kellan Dean Snow
Armor Dean Snow
Kaleo Dean Snow
Miller Dean Snow
Ray Dean Snow
Shaun Ray Dean Snow
Ash Dean Snow
Aspen Dean Snow
Zurich Dean Snow
Amarillo Dean Snow (okay, this one’s a joke.)
Greenbriar Dean Snow
Puck Dean Snow
Brave Dean Snow
Twain Dean Snow
Silver Dean Snow
Justinian Dean Snow

Ramona Dean Snow
Mika Dean Snow
Saylor Dean Snow
Christelia Dean Snow
Gemini Dean Snow
Echo Dean Snow
Leianna Dean Snow
Ava Bell Dean Snow
Loelle Dean Snow
Scarlet Kay Dean Snow
Penelope Dean Snow
Kimboll Dean Snow
Haydry Dean Snow
Emery Dean Snow
Emelyn Dean Snow
Scarletta Dean Snow
Sloane Dean Snow
Cailin Dean Snow
Evana Dean Snow
Aaliyana Dean Snow
Cameo Dean Snow
Nyla Dean Snow
Nola Dean Snow
Noelle Dean Snow
Haddie Dean Snow
Zenobia Dean Snow
Jonquil Dean Snow
Joseline Dean Snow
Kerianna Dean Snow (“Carradine”, “Keradean”)
Rune Dean Snow
Wisteria Dean Snow

Just a note on names beginning with P– you may dislike P. Snow.

Middle Names for Ruth

Hi Elizabeth, I have been reading your blog and *love* your sense about baby names. My husband and I have decided on quite a few of our kids’ names in advance… Example: Our first son will be Isaac Jeffrey. My husband’s full first name is Jeffrey, and he has always loved the name Isaac. We are considering Amariah Joseph for a second son. Let me get to the point. We both love the name Ruth for our first girl with the nickname of “Ruthie“, but for the life of us, we can’t come up with a middle name. I came up with potential middle names Jahaziel and Eliora, both of which my husband stole for future daughter’s names. So while we have a 2nd and 3rd daughter’s name as Jahaziel Ruby and Eliora Rosemary respectively, we are stuck on a middle name for Ruth. I know… Such a huge problem when our first problem is being able to conceive these children to begin with… I guess it helps pass the time. Anyway, I thought I would see if you had any thoughts or suggestions. Many thanks!

Rachel

I would add that we are deeply religious and we love some of the meanings for these names… Jahaziel, Hebrew in origin and from one of my favorite passages in the Bible in 2 Chronicles 20. From what I can tell, it means something along the lines of, “Beheld by God, or whom God watches over. Seeing God.” Eliora, also Hebrew origin from what I have read, “The Lord is my light”. Rosemary… Well, I love Rosemary Clooney. There’s no mystery there. Ruby seemed to feminize (and perhaps balance/normalize) Jahaziel a bit.

Oh yeah, we have recently added Solomon to the list for a 3rd son. Perhaps combined with Jude.

Really looking forward to your input.

Update: Just an update… After a long year of ectopic pregnancy, surgery, loss of a tube, and multiple fertility treatments, we are finally expecting! We are finally going to get to use one of these lovely names we’ve been planning and talking about. And of course, we’re no close to finding Ruth a middle name. Lol

Hi Rachel! So glad you like the blog and I’d be happy to give you my thoughts.

One of the biggest things I notice right away about your name selections is that they are nice, but that they might have some sound flow issues.

Isaac Jeffrey is a handsome combo, but I noticed your surname begins with a G. Isaac G____ runs together. I typically advise against that because the flow sounds run-on, and in some cases (as is true in yours), it creates the sense of different words being spoken. Say Isaac + your surname out loud, fast and casually, and see if you can hear it. With these types of pairings the only way out is to very clearly and distinctly enunciate each and every time. That’s just not going to happen.

Other options for the name include swapping out Isaac for Isaiah, or adding another name after Isaac as a buffer (for example, Isaac John Jeffrey, first name being Isaac John).

Amariah in our society has a high probability of being mistaken for a girl’s name. In America, 135 girls received the name last year, while no boys to speak of did (if they did, it was less than 5). This may only have to do with the popularity of the girl’s name Mariah, but still. I understand it’s a great name with a great meaning so I don’t intend for this to deter you, just to prepare you.

Now let’s explore some middle name possibilities for Ruth (Ruthie!). Just playing around here, experimenting to see what jumps out to you.

Ruth Eliora
Ruth Rosemary
Ruth Jahaziel
Ruth Rachel
Ruth Kora
Ruth Madison
Ruth Esther
Ruth Zahara
Ruth Aries
Ruth Abigail
Ruth Tatum
Ruth Shay
Ruth Arin
Ruth Karrington
Ruth Amariana
Ruth Makayla
 Ruth Aleena
Ruth Kennedi
Ruth Clara
Ruth Mya
Ruth Caroline
Ruth Mckenzie
Ruth Malia
Ruth Olivia
Ruth Petronilla
Ruth Kay

Warning: some of those combos create initials RAG.

Jahaziel is very nice but has the same problem Amariah does, but in reverse– it may be mistaken for a boy’s name. In fact, it was a male name in the Bible. Last year in the US, 52 boys were named this and no girls to speak of. The Ruby in the middle does soften it up, it’s cute and a nice touch.

Eliora Rosemary has a terrible flow (sorry!). The way the Rs bump into each other is less than fluid. Eliora and Rosemary may be used better in other pairs. (Like, with Ruth.)

Noticing you liked Ruth and Ruby. Could be good twin names, or at the very least points to some sound and letter preferences you may have (short Ru names– not that there are many of them!).

Solomon Jude is great.

Thanks for letting us look at your names and good luck choosing! Please let us in on what you select!

UPDATE:

“We found out just before Christmas that we will be having a little girl… And we have decided on
Ruth Sephora.
Thank you and all your readers for your help!! “

Helping Denee Name Her 6th Child

Denee asked: I need baby name help!
OK,some names I like:
Girl-Everleigh
Boy-Colton

Names I am pulled to,though may not use because of popularity or other reasons,but might use for a middle name if it makes me swoon:
Girl-Meribel,Lucy,Ruby,
Boy-Sawyer

Family names I don’t hate,would be open to using:
Ruby,Rochelle
Ronald,Derek

Current children’s names:
Caleb Eugene
Jeremiah Scott
Payton Matthew
Jacobi James
Marlena Suzanne

(Hubby is Matthew James,I am Denee Rochelle)
All of their middle names are family names.

I would call my taste in girl names very feminine.
For boy names,I have gravitated towards jock or “cool” names.
HELP?!?!?!

Oh,and I prefer to keep the names out of the top 200.

 

What about Colton* Sawyer* & Lucie Rochelle?

I really don’t like Everleigh. It’s just really trendy, imho. I also don’t think it really goes too well with your last name (Metzger). She also stands out as being too not-timeless next to your other girl, Marlena. Actually, it (Everleigh Metzger) reminds me of Medgar Evers, which in itself isn’t a detraction, but might be an accidental association.

Here are some other ideas based on what you’ve said (I’m putting a star (*) next to anything in the top 200— I did not completely exclude those names since you already like ones in the top 200.):

Sophia* Colleen
Laurene Ciara
Matee Jennifer*
Rylie Ava*
Gracilyn Everleigh (initials would be GEM)
Nichole Abigail*
Hannabeth Lucy*
Aniah Mirabelle
Everleigh Braylynn
Rochelle Savannah*
Amaya Zoe*
Meribel Arianne
Cate Angela*
Miabella Chloe*
Karmena Season
Minerva Martinique
Cleo Ruby*

Kylar Adnan
Derek Marion
Vincent* Brandon*
Xavier* Colton*
Nolan* Isaiah*
Ron Josiah*
Elliott Marcelino
Harlan Michale
Colton* Erich (has same root origins as Derek)
Camryn Isaac*
Valor Bridge
Tsolomon Hand
Timmy Nicholas*

A lot of these are not my recommendations per se, just bouncing ideas off you to see what sticks. Please let us know what you end up going with since we’re all curious!

 

 

Classical, Flowy Girls Names on 2 Twin Sets (with a Shakespearian Vibe)

Saoirse and Aoife are authentic Irish names.

An anonymous fan asked:

Hi, I am now expecting a 2nd pair of twins and need some opinions of names for them.

My first set of twins girls were Ariana Maeve and Serafina Blythe.

With this 2nd set, we have kind of settle with the names Ophelia and Emilia.

Thinking of middle names Saoirse and Aoife.

Which is better?
Ophelia Saoirse & Emilia Aoife
Ophelia Aoife & Emilia Saoirse
Any other suggestions are welcome too. Thanks in advance.

Update: Also thinking if I should have Aurelia instead of Emilia
Actually i might even replace Emilia
Putting the four names try together, we are looking at

Ariana, Serafina, Ophelia, Aurelia
Ariana, Serafina,Ophelia, Tatiana
Ariana, Serafina, Ophelia, Cordelia
Ariana, Serafina, Tatiana, Catriona

The first thing that occurs to me is that you “kind of” “settled” with Ophelia and Emilia. That was a red flag for me. You should never kind of settle for a name, you should absolutely adore it. You may not have meant it that way, but that’s how it read to me. 🙂 It was confirmed later when you easily chose to replace Emilia. You stuck with Ophelia for a while and then later replaced it, too. For these reasons and more, I would question the use of both Ophelia and Emilia.

I think Ophelia is a beautiful name but has some negative, tragic literary associations. Emilia to me is a little boring. Personally, it reminds me too much of Amelia, which is too common and plain (just my personal opinion). You obviously love grand, classical, beautiful feminine names. I just know we could do better to advise great names to go with your other twins.

If you kept the names Ophelia and Emilia, I do not think Aoife goes well with either. The vowels going from one name to the next is such an awkward flow. In most cases I feel a middle name like Aoife should be preceded by a first name ending in a consonant sound. It just flows better. If using Saoirse, it sounds better with Emilia, but since Ophelia, Emilia, and Saoirse all end in an “uh” sound, that might be a bit much. It’s not a deal breaker, but I tend to shy away from those. Your first 2 girls names flow great. Ariana Maeve and Serafina Blythe are very well done. No weird flow, there. Can’t we duplicate that on the next pair? 🙂

When you put all the names together, here were my thoughts.

Ariana, Serafina, Ophelia, Aurelia – don’t love it. Aurelia is too similar to Ariana and Ophelia. Aurelia is a beautiful name and I do like it much better than Emilia, though.
Ariana, Serafina, Ophelia, Tatiana – this is my favorite. A clear winner. Beautiful names.
Ariana, Serafina, Ophelia, Cordelia – Very Shakespeare… a little too much. I’d shy away.
Ariana, Serafina, Tatiana, Catriona – this one is nice.

You mentioned you’d be open to further suggestions. Okay, here are some. I did not pair twin groups together– I was hoping you could choose names you love enough by themselves and pair them together. Do let us know what your twins end up being named!

Aemilia Joette
Genia Millicent
Tatiana Keturah
Catriona Cymber
Gianna Lorelei
Aurelia Faith
Annika Riona
Kalyn Viola
Story Saoirse
Aoife Guinevere
Annalisa Tienne
Amberly Cora
Jayla Pearl
Willow Cordelia
Ophelie Jillian
Celestine Greer
Aemiliana Shantal
Rosemonde Saoirse
Pineda Gracenne
Celeste Bijou

 

Cowboy Prairie Style First & Middle Baby Name Combos

Joy asked:

We are due for our 5th baby end of June and have absolutely no names picked out! We don’t know the sex. We like unique names. Any ideas for us??? My fave name forever has been Prairie Rose but hubby hates it! He thinks Prairie is weird. Lol

These are the names of our 4 children:
Jack (family name) Wyatt
Corwyn Joy
CheyAnne Faith
Ainsley Eden

 

“So close!”

Which name do you think Joy should choose to join these siblings? (Choose carefully– you can only choose once.) Names are not divided by sex, they are in random order, and the suggestions came from me and from fans.

There is definitely a sort of modern cowboy/prairie feeling here, as fan Angel pointed out on our page. The style is definitely modern but inspired by dusty boots Americana– I call it Western nouveau. It can be really charming and you can take your inspiration from ancestors in the South during the 1800s, state, city and county names (appropriate to geography and era), and outdoorsy concept words.

Now some tips...

• Try to avoid overuse of brand and object names next to each other (Lincoln Axel might sound like a car part).
• Be cautious when choosing Native American words– especially if you are not a tribal member and are using an authentic personal name. It can be disrespectful or ignorant. Although many Native American names are also place names and you may be naming a child after a place and not a tribe, being aware of the true origin of a word and its meaning will help you navigate its usability. Your best bet is: whenever in doubt, steer clear of trends. Our fan Joy named her daughter “CheyAnne”, and while in many cases I would refer to something like this as a “bastardization of a Native word” and lecture on cultural integrity, this time it actually serves us well by changing the name enough to make it her own. In this sense, CheyAnne is closer to Shy Anne (good old shy Annie of the plain) than any original word referring to an “Indian” tribe.
• Listen to the sound of things. Although some fans recommended Owen and Meadow, the last name will be Owens. An alternative to Prairie or Meadow might be Savanna or Dusty.
• If you love the name Prairie, consider this thought from fan Aileen: “Well…you wouldn’t want anyone calling a beautiful girl Prairie Dog lol. Maybe he’s right, there are other nice cowboy themed names.”
  
• Middle names Rose and Dawn would be popular choices for this theme. Virtue names Love, Hope, and Grace seem next in line. One of the suggested first name choices was Felicia, but perhaps Felicity would be more keeping with the theme. Another virtue name that could work would be Amity. It’s seldom used and has a good meaning, and fits well with the theme (could that be because it reminds us of Calamity Jane?).
• Fan Angel said, on Juniper:  “I thought it was a nice tie in with June and the middle name style.” If you are due in June and enjoy this style, June would be a great middle name. For something a little longer with more modern and fresh appeal, Juno or Juneau works (but not next to surnames like Owens).

For more on Cecily or Cece Lia, make sure you check out When Names You Love Mean Bad Things.

If you’re curious about Silas, we have a post about that, too.

If you’re into vintage Southern names, try this.

One fan recommended the name Phoenix for either sex. What do you think? Is it unique enough? Does it fit well with the siblings? What middle names would you pair with Phoenix for a boy or a girl?

UPDATE, JUNE 30, 2014: Joy shares, “Our baby boy was born at home on June 24th. He’s 9# 5oz!! And we actually came up with a name for him after he was born….
Weston Arrow
Weston is his daddy’s middle name, and Arrow for psalm 127:4,5 of the bible. he is the …last arrow in our quiver of five children. “

Weston was actually also recommended by us. (Combo Weston Huck, as seen in this post, got the top boys vote.)

Congrats, Joy and family!

Combining 2 Names & Choosing a Middle Name

Recently on our page we discussed name-combining for two parents. In fact, it was the subject of one of our last posts. Commenter April came and asked for some input:

Can you have any combination of my name APRIL and my hubby HERCULANO Jr…. I can’t think of any combination from it ☹

I responded:

Culari, Capri, Culil, Lanori, Aprilano, Aprilana, Hera, Prilano, Rilano, Rilan, Ilano, Priler

April said:

I like hera for a girls name … Thank you …

And then she asked:

I want to ask if you can help with a middle name that goes with ISHAAN its an Indian name … Any names that goes with it for a baby boy … Or ISIAH …
I have thought of Yves for it but I want another option …
Also a middle name for the name HERA for a baby girl
Thank you I know I can find some good names in here … 😊 I’m due on July

And then this:

I have a list of names for a baby girl … Can you tell me which of them sounds good or can you suggest a middle name for HERA I’m stick with that name….
This is my list:

HERA LANORI
HERA ASHLEY/ ASHLEY HERA
HERA KELLY
HERA YASMIN

The last name would be KINLEY

THANK YOU

I’m really glad some of my suggestions on the page (Hera, Lanori) appealed to April. It can be quite fun to try to mash two names together to “invent” “new” names (or discover which old ones work). I tend not to simply mix up the letters (that’s too easy and anyone can do that to make virtually any anagram name) but to try splicing the names 50/50 or to take obvious pieces and mix them with other obvious pieces. Sometimes this is loose (Hera is Herculano plus the “A” in April), and sometimes it is hard to see where it comes from right away (Lanori is “Lano” in Herculano + “ri” in April). It all depends on the names themselves and how easy they are to work with. April + Herculano can be kind of tricky to do in a straightforward way, so it causes us to get more innovative to find possibilities.

Anyhoo, to answer April’s questions!

“Names that Go With….”
We did a recent post on this too. See my philosophy on that here. As far as the names themselves, Ishaan is alright. Isiah I have issues with because I can never be sure if people mean Isaiah (eye ZAY uh, this spelling!) or actually Isiah (appears it should be pronounced iz EYE uh with this spelling, is often an unintentional misspelling of Isaiah). If you just want to know if I think something sounds good, then no, I don’t think Yves really goes well with either name, simply because there are too many repeated sounds amongst them. Unless you are repeating sounds on purpose, I find it more pleasing to the ear to diversify the names’ sounds more. Here are some middle name choices which would be more pleasing to my ear (at least), for Ishaan.

Ishaan Johannes Kinley
Ishaan Jedidiah Kinley
Ishaan Lennox Kinley
Ishaan Eyoel Kinley
Ishaan Ares Kinley
Ishaan Xzavier Kinley

Middle Names For Hera

Yes, I know I recommended Hera to you, but I firstly want to let you know that you might want to research the Greek goddess Hera (her personality, her life, her actions, etc.) before you solidify this choice as your name pick. If you are not deterred and are still satisfied after learning all you can about her… here are a few ideas! A lot are ambiguous or unisex so could be used on a boy as well. “Hera Kinley” in itself is already a very feminine name, so it works out well.

Hera Pritchard Kinley
Hera Signe Kinley
Hera Hyde Kinley
Hera Teal Kinley
Hera Klive Kinley

Comments for Hera Combos

My favorite pair you listed is Hera Lanori Kinley, and not just because I suggested both of those names. 🙂

I dislike Hera Ashley because I don’t think there is a good sound flow. The vowel “ah” ending in Hera goes awkwardly into the vowel “A” beginning in Ashley, so I’m not a fan. Speaking of fans, a fan of our page saw your question and pointed out that Ashley with Kinley was too much. I wholeheartedly agree. Two 2-syllable ends-with-LEY names is overkill. Besides, Ashley is kind of done, anyway. It was super trendy in the ’80s and ’90s and needs a good long break before it’ll be usable again (sorry to the Ashleys out there).

Hera Kelly Kinley is almost exactly the same as above. Too many “lee” sounding endings; Kelly was once really en vogue and now it really is dated; “Hera Kelly” sounds a lot to me like either Hercules (which would be a really clever tribute to Herculano, I admit!) or singer R. Kelly. Nope.

Hera Yasmin Kinley is not bad! One thing I would point out, just in case it would bother you (as it would, me) is that her initials will be HYK. I see that and see “hick”. Others might see “hike”, so I don’t know. Just be aware because there is often a teasing factor with initials to be noticed.

Good luck in your search and please let us know what you decide!

Readers: Please feel free to answer April’s questions for yourself here in comments and make your own recommendations.