Name Sage: A Sister for Juliet and Celia

Erin writes:

I am due at the end of September. I already have two little girls – Juliet Selah and Celia Edaleigh. I need help with a third girl’s name.

We narrowed it down to Rosalie Jemma or Edie True, but I am open to suggestions.

I want to include a tribute to my dad who was James Edward (Jemma is like James or his initials which were JEM) and Edie is a play on Edward. I have also thought of using Milla, a tribute to my maiden name Miller. Please help me. It is keeping me up at night.

The Name Sage replies:

Your girls’ names are so gorgeous! Rosalie Jemma, Edie True, and Milla all feel like great sister names for Juliet Selah and Celia Edaleigh, and honor your family nicely.

I’m not sure that you really need our help at all!

And yet, I think your challenge is a common one. You know your style, and you’ve got a nicely-edited shortlist. But which name is The Name?

Let’s see if we can look at the possibilities closely, and then I’ll let you know my favorite. I’m sure readers will be happy to do the same!

Rosalie Jemma – I love Rosalie Jemma with Juliet Selah and Celia Edaleigh for two reasons. First, Rosalie is a great sister name for Juliet and Celia. All three girls’ names have different endings, but feel beautifully matched in terms of style and familiarity. Second, I’m not sure if Celia’s middle name is also in honor of your dad, but Jemma is a very different sound than Edaleigh, while still tying her name to her grandfather.

Edie True – This is just a flat-out great, spunky name! As with Rosalie, it gives your third daughter a name that ends with a different sound. Juliet, Celia, and Edie – it’s a great trio. And yet, Edie repeats sounds from Celia’s middle name. While Edie can stand alone as an independent given name, it might feel like more of a nickname. Juliet could be Julie or Jules, Celia could be Cece, but Edie is already shortened.

Milla – Milla is lovely, and while it shares sounds with Celia, it’s certainly not difficult to imagine sisters named Juliet, Celia, and Milla. The advantage of Milla is that, like Rosalie, it feels like a formal name.

Other suggestions:

Eden – Eden isn’t related to Edward, but the two names share the same first letters, so I think it works as an honor name. It could be a great middle name for Milla. Juliet Selah, Celia Edaleigh, and Milla Eden. Another possibility is using Eden as a formal name for Edie.

Edith – Speaking of formal names for Edie, one way to balance out Juliet, Celia, and Edie is to choose a formal name you love. Edith is a little fustier than your older girls’ names, but it is quickly coming back into style. Two bonuses? Edith and Edward are both Anglo-Saxon names, and the ‘ed’ in both names comes from the same root – ead, wealth. Edith shortens to Edie beautifully.

Camilla – Just a little bit longer than Milla, Camilla is another possibility that incorporates your surname into your daughter’s name. Juliet Selah, Celia Edaleigh, and Camilla Eden. I think it works beautifully.

Sage, Mae – It’s tough to get a girl’s name out of James! Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins, and I’ve seen Jamesina, too. Another thought might be to take sounds out of James. Sage has the long ‘a’ and the ‘j’ sound. Mae has the ‘m’ and the ‘a’ again. I think Jemma is the more clever honor name by far, but if you’re willing to be creative, the sounds of James do suggest some other options.

And yet, for all the reasons I listed earlier, I really do think that Rosalie Jemma hits exactly the right note. It’s a great sister name for Juliet and Celia, and has a nice stands-out/fits-in quality. And Jemma from your dad’s intials? It’s just lovely.

Readers, what do you think of Rosalie Jemma and the other names on Erin’s shortlist? Is there another name you might suggest?