Baby name needed: Girl name for Maeve’s sister

A reader named Kelly is expecting her second daughter in May, and she’d appreciate a few name suggestions. She writes:

Our first daughter, Maeve, was named really easily, and we grow to love the name more and more. However, we are having an exceptionally difficult time finding a second girl’s name that we like as much. I especially like Gaelic/Celtic names, but am willing to consider other options as well.

Here are some names that I think could work with Maeve:

Beatrix
Bevin
Blythe
Bree/Brígh
Bridget
Brynn
Caitlin
Carys
Chloe
Clio
Darcy
Deirdre
Eileen
Fiona
Freya
Gemma
Greta
Gwen
Hazel
Iona
Isla*
Ivy
Lorna
Lucy
Lyra
Miriam
Moira
Nora
Oona
Opal
Orla/Orlagh
Phoebe
Piper
Quinn
Rhona
Riona
Stella
Sylvie
Tamar
Tatum
Tegan
Tess
Tirzah
Zelda

*Pronounced EYE-la, but happens to looks just like the Spanish word for island, isla, pronounced EES-la.

Which of the above do you like best for Maeve’s little sister? What other names would you suggest to Kelly?

9 thoughts on “Baby name needed: Girl name for Maeve’s sister

  1. Emer, Siobhan and Saoirse all come to mind. I would also like to suggest Dymphna, I know she is not for everyone, but you never know.

  2. Maeve is such a beautiful name…I also love Niamh but that’s a bit too similar to be her sister’s name

    Names that could work: Caitlin, Nola, Freya, Leah, Emma, Siobhan, Rhiannon…

  3. My sisters in law are Tara, Orla, Aine and Niamh so I like all of those. I also like Caoimhe with Maeve, but it might cause problems with pronunciation and maybe too alike with the middle V sound for some.

    Maeve and Fiona sound nice together to me.

  4. I too have a Maeve, but she was the second daughter. My older daughter is Sophia Esme and Maeve is Maeve Beatrix.

    Maeve is nice because it is uncommon but not hard to pronounce (although sometimes we get “Mauve”…). Lots of Gaelic names do not fit this bill–either they are everywhere, like Fiona, or they are hard to guess at the spelling or pronunciation, like Niamh. Aine is not too difficult…and of course some variety of Bridget/Brigid is always nice. I always wanted to spell my name Brigid. Ah well.

  5. Maeve and Carys would be lovely.

    Ailsa, Brenna, Clea, Devin, Eira, Greer, Nessa, Nila, Oona, Rhian, Seren, Tamsin, Wynne

  6. I think Caitlin, Carys and Lorna (this is my daughter’s name and I just love it) all sound great with Maeve.

    Other names I would suggest are Ailsa and Rowan

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