Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We rely on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Reanna writes:
I am expecting my second child (we don’t yet know the sex). My older daughter is named Aria Faye, a name we love, and now we’re struggling to find a second name that feels right.
For a boy we have a name picked: Parker Cruz — both are family names.
The girl’s name has been harder. I adore several names but can’t use them because we already know people with those names: Tessa, Ania, Everly, and Talia.
I also love the middle name Faye, but I’m unsure about using it again since it’s Aria’s middle name. I like Bria too, but it’s essentially Aria with a B in front, and that feels too similar. Other names I like but my husband doesn’t are Delphi, Delta, and Brissa (pronounced breesa).
My preference is for shorter, distinctive names that still feel feminine. Please help!
Read on for my response, and please share your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Response
Hi Reanna —
Congratulations on your second child!
First, a few pieces of practical advice about names to avoid. If possible, I would not reuse Faye as a first name for your second daughter. Faye is beautiful, but giving a younger sibling the same name — even as a first instead of a middle — often creates an impression of hand-me-downs. Some children are fine with that, others are not. Since you can’t predict how a future child will feel about it, avoiding duplication is usually wiser.
Similarly, I’d avoid Bria because it’s so close to Aria. Even if the sounds aren’t identical, the visual similarity invites nicknames or patterns (Cria, Dria, Eria) that can make the pair feel too matched. In short, Bria feels too close for comfort.
One more note before suggestions: “unique” can mean different things to different people. Names like Brissa and Delphi are genuinely rare. Aria, by contrast, is currently common in the U.S. If you want a name that feels less familiar than Aria but not wildly unusual, I focused on options that strike a balance—distinctive yet recognizable, short and feminine.
Short, feminine, somewhat unusual names to consider
Calla — Drawn from the calla lily and meaning beauty in Greek roots. It’s uncommon but fits the style of two-syllable names ending in -a.
Delia — An ancient name with a soft, slightly vintage feel that evokes Delphi without feeling identical.
Eden — A spare, memorable place name with biblical resonance. It’s concise and modern.
Esme — Once rare and now more familiar, Esme is vowel-forward and pairs beautifully with Aria without feeling repetitive.
Haven — Slightly unisex but gentle and modern. It shares some of the tranquil vibe of Everly while remaining short.
Jade — A strong, single-syllable gem-name with the long “a” sound similar to Faye but clearly distinct.
Mila — Feminine and contemporary, Mila has the same modern cadence as Aria while still standing on its own.
Nola — Sassy and vintage-adjacent; could nod to New Orleans (NOLA) or stand independently as a pretty, short name.
Sage — A simple, elegant nature name that works well for a girl and offers a crisp, modern sound; alternative spelling Saige is also popular.
My personal favorite for pairing with Aria Faye is Esme. It’s lyrical and vowel-rich like Aria but different enough that the two names don’t feel repetitive. If you ever have a son, Aria, Esme, and Parker would form a cohesive sibling set.
Readers: what do you think? Can you suggest short, feminine, slightly unusual names that would suit Aria Faye’s sister?