‘My first baby’s name is too perfect – now I can’t decide on the second one’

Choosing a name for a second child can be challenging, especially when parents feel their first child’s name is ‘too perfect’. One mum has shared her dilemma online

Naming your firstborn can be a challenging task.

There are many factors to consider, such as how the name is pronounced in different languages, how it will be perceived by others, and how it will resonate with your family’s values and traditions.

As a result, choosing a name for a second baby can feel even more challenging, as all the effort and thought put into the first name makes it tough to find one that feels just as perfect. One parent who experienced this difficulty, and took to the popular Baby Names Reddit community to share their struggle to find a name for their second daughter.

The Redditor feels like their first daughter’s name, Eleanor Elizabeth, is ‘too perfect’ to compete with. They wrote: “First daughters name is too ‘perfect” in my mind’, can’t decide on girl #2.”

They further admitted: “I’m just so in love with my first daughter’s name that it feels like no other names can compete (Eleanor Elizabeth). Someone help give me ones to consider.”

According to their post, the parent prefers a name with three syllables that pairs well with their first daughter’s name, something old-fashioned but not too outdated or unusual. They want a name that isn’t overly popular right now and are open to unisex options, though they’re not fully convinced.

Some names they like but are hesitant about due to their popularity include Olivia, Charlotte, and Sophia. Fellow Redditors flocked to share their suggestions, which included Charlotte Claire, Amelia Annabelle, and Jocelyn Jade.

A person commented: “One of my personal favs that I have not seen listed yet is Lorelei. But, Vivienne, Evangeline, Genevieve, and Juliette are all amazing as well.”

Someone else penned: “Any of these stand out? Corinna, Penelope, Helena, Bethany, Gillian, Madeline, Matilda, Sabrina, Sylvia, Meredith, Linnea, Cecelia, Viola, Lorelei, Leona, Clarissa, Vivian, Gwendolyn, Melinda, Cecily, Valerie, Erica, Mallory, Tabitha.”

The latest BabyCentre data reveals that while classic names like Olivia and Amelia continue to dominate the top spots for girls, new trends are emerging, such as the rise of surname-inspired names like Hunter. There is also a preference for girls’ names ending in ‘a’.

Margot and Gabriella made their debut in the girls’ top 100 last year. However, some names like Nova and Lilly have fallen out of favour.

What are the top 100 girls’ names?

The top girls names for last year are:

1. Olivia

2. Amelia

3. Lily

4. Isla

5. Ava

6. Grace

7. Sophia

8. Freya

9. Ivy

10. Willow

11. Mia

12. Isabella

13. Daisy

14. Elsie

15. Evie

16. Florence

17. Luna

18. Sienna

19. Sofia

20. Ella

21. Emily

22. Phoebe

23. Evelyn

24. Poppy

25. Aurora

26. Aria

27. Charlotte

28. Rosie

29. Harper

30. Maya

31. Layla

32. Millie

33. Maryam

34. Maisie

35. Hallie

36. Mila

37. Sophie

38. Eliana

39. Fatima

40. Jasmine

41. Lottie

42. Bonnie

43. Eva

44. Matilda

45. Ayla

46. Emilia

47. Violet

48. Zara

49. Zoe

50. Alice

51. Chloe

52. Maeve

53. Ada

54. Ruby

55. Sarah

56. Ellie

57. Arabella

58. Isabelle

59. Hannah

60. Mabel

61. Robyn

62. Delilah

63. Hazel

64. Eleanor

65. Erin

66. Maria

67. Rose

68. Bella

69. Thea

70. Penelope

71. Princess

72. Esme

73. Nur

74. Imogen

75. Eden

76. Emma

77. Olive

78. Scarlett

79. Aisha

80. Lyra

81. Orla

82. Gianna

83. Abigail

84. Ariella

85. Clara

86. Anaya

87. Lara

88. Margot

89. Myla

90. Ophelia

91. Talia

92. Kiara

93. Iris

94. Amelie

95. Lucy

96. Nora

97. Raya

98. Zahra

99. Gabriella

100. Summer