Blending Baby Names for a Modern Brady Bunch Family
After many years apart, these high school sweethearts are welcoming a daughter together. But how do they find a baby name that fits with their modern Brady Bunch?
Chelsea writes:
My husband and I are at a loss for a name for our baby girl, who will be born this spring.
We dated through high school and college, went our separate ways, and now have been back together and married for a little over two years.
While we were apart, we both had children of our own: for my husband, a daughter named Kaydence; for me, a son named Greyson.
We are so excited to be capping our family off with a sibling for these two to share. But we just can’t name her!
My husband wants something pretty. He’s suggested Ava, Savannah, and Avery.
I prefer something unique, as I wasn’t aware of how popular Greyson was when I chose it! I like Stella, Reese, Kira, and Sage.
We both might agree on Stella, but is it too popular?
Can you suggest other names for Kaydence and Greyson’s sister? Our last name is long, with three-syllables.
Thank you in advance!
The Name Sage responds:
When your family is a mix of his, mine, and ours, naming gets tricky. Do you need to unify all of the siblings’ names? Or embrace your family’s story, and accept that different circumstances lead to different name choices?
I say the answer is yes to both!
The right name for your daughter should be, above all else, one that you and your husband love. But it’s good to consider how it will fit into your family as a whole, too. Can Greyson and Kaydence’s sister be Minerva or Elizabeth or Saoirse? Of course! But there are names that seem a little more compatible. Happily, all of the choices on your short lists sound like a good fit.
Ava, Avery, Kira, Reese, Sage, Savannah, and Stella all work well with your older children’s names. So let’s talk about popularity, because this could be tricky.
Not only is Greyson-with-an-e a Top 100 choice, but Grayson-with-an-a ranks even higher. Kaydence isn’t too popular at first glance, either – but factor in Kadence, Cadence, and all the other Kay– names, and suddenly, it’s far more familiar.
The opposite is true for Stella. There’s really only one spelling in use – or, at least, only one in the current US Top 1000. It’s been a Top 100 name since 2010, meaning you’ll almost certainly meet other little Stellas. But should that be a dealbreaker?
Because if Stella feels too popular, you’ll also want to rule out Top Ten Ava, Top 20 Avery, and Top 40 Savannah – all rank higher than Stella.
That leaves Reese, Kira, and Sage.
Of the three, I’d suggest Sage. Like Kaydence, it’s a word name, which connects the two sisters’ names. And Kaydence, Greyson, and Sage all share the long ‘a’ sound, creating another subtle link.
There’s also Saige, a spelling inspired by former favorite Paige. Would that make it more appealing to your husband?
If not Sage or Saige, maybe one of these names would work?
Aurora – Golden Aurora ranks in the current US Top 100, but I think it still feels less common than Avery or Ava. Like Stella, it’s a celestial name, referring to the Roman goddess of the dawn, as well as the Northern Lights – the Aurora Borealis. It’s undeniably pretty.
Avalon – Tailored like Kaydence, and sharing the same ‘v’ sound as Ava, Avery, and Savannah, Avalon matches your style. But it feels not just uncommon, but downright rare. It has never appeared in the US Top 1000.
Briar – Like Kaydence and Reese, Briar leans at least a little bit unisex. Until recently, it was used for more boys than girls. But it’s also a Disney princess name – think of Briar Rose, also known as Sleeping Beauty.
Everly – The upside to Everly: it shares the ‘v’ of Avery and other favorites, it’s less common than many of your current possibilities, and it sounds like a sister name for Greyson and Kaydence. The downside? It’s rising in fast use – maybe you already know a little Everly or two?
Saylor – An update to 90s favorite Taylor, Saylor has risen in use in recent years, but currently ranks Number 430 – underused, but not too different.
Willow – Willow comes in at Number 81, so it can’t be called rare. And yet, like Stella, there’s really only one spelling of this pretty nature name. And it’s feminine, while still feeling modern and tailored, just like Kaydence.
Overall, I’m still drawn to Sage, or maybe Saige. It seems to be just different enough to sidestep your concerns about Stella’s popularity, while still complementing your older children’s names.
I do want to add this, though: there are good reasons to choose a popular name. If Stella is the one that you both like best, then I’m not sure I’d rule it out solely on popularity.
But let’s have a poll, because I know our readers will have some insights about naming a first child in a blended family – and hopefully great suggestions for a sister for Greyson and Kaydence, too!
Something else – see my comment