Aimee and her husband are expecting a baby girl in a few months; they already have a son named Oscar, so are looking for a name that will complement his.

Aimee really likes the name Eloise Josephine, but unfortunately her husband doesn’t like the name Eloise. The other two names that Aimee likes are Scarlett and Stella, however, she thinks they are a bit too similar to Oscar’s name. SCARlett has the same SCAR as oSCAR, while Stella is also two syllables and ends with an -uh sound. She wonders if other people agree that Scarlett and Stella are too much like Oscar to work as possible sister names.

Aimee thinks Charlotte would make a good alternative to Scarlett, as they end in the same sound, while in Charlotte the SCAR is softened to a SHAR. She really likes the way Oscar and Charlotte sound together, even though she always thought she would avoid a name in the Top Ten. However, so many of the popular names are really nice!

At the moment, her shortlist is:

Eloise
Scarlett
Estelle
Stella
Charlotte
Liliana

She wonders if anyone else thinks that Eloise works well with Oscar, and would be grateful for any feedback on her name list, or any suggestions of other names that she might like.

* * * * * * * * *

To answer your last question first, I think Eloise is a very pretty name, and works well as a sister to Oscar. I also like the name combination of Eloise Josephine. However, I’m not the baby’s parent, and I don’t get a say in it, so that’s probably not much help to you. Your husband doesn’t like the name Eloise, and unless he changes his mind, Eloise has to get crossed off the list. I know it must be disappointing, as your favourite name is a perfectly nice choice, but that’s how it goes.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you, and fathers have been known to change their minds when left alone, so don’t give up all hope.

To me Scarlett and Oscar are not too alike, because you don’t pronounce Oscar as o-SCAR – it’s Osk-uh. I often see brothers and sisters named Oscar and Scarlett in birth notices (it seems to be a rather popular combination for siblings), and even seeing it written down, I’ve never thought it seemed strange in any way. Now having had it pointed out, I rather like it: it seems like a nice little link between the names that isn’t too obvious.

I can see what you mean about Stella and Oscar – they’re both two syllables with the stress on the first syllable, and both end with an -uh sound. I guess that does make them a bit alike, although I certainly wouldn’t have thought anything of it without prompting. I don’t know if it’s a huge issue, unless it really bothers you – does it seem funny or hard to say when you call both names together, or do you just hate the idea of sibling names not being completely distinct from one another?

Charlotte does seem like an alternative to Scarlett, although you are right that it’s very popular. It’s sensible not to be too bothered by popularity for a name you really love, but I’m not sure the Top 2 is the first place to go when searching for an alternative to a name you love. I think I’d be more enthusiastic if Charlotte was your first choice, rather than your third or fourth, because it is a lovely name, and does sound nice with Oscar.

Estelle and Liliana are both very pretty – I can see that you prefer feminine names for girls, although Liliana is a bit frillier than your other choices.

Some other names you might like:

Elodie
This pretty French name is a bit similar to Eloise (EL-uh-dee), but hopefully not so similar that your husband dislikes this name as well. It’s losing popularity in France, but gliding elegantly up the charts in the UK. Could you get on board with Elodie Josephine?

Elise
Another French name similar to Eloise, not quite as popular.

Emmeline
Emma is the feminine equivalent of Oscar in popularity, and fashionable Emmeline gives you that French three syllables shared with Eloise, as well as the sensible feel of Charlotte.

Violet
Another popular colour name which ends in an -et sound, like Scarlet and Charlotte. For some reason, the combination of Oscar and Violet really appeals to me.

Hazel
A colour name like Scarlett, and a popular name rapidly climbing the charts. As with Violet, I find Oscar and Hazel a completely adorable sibset.

Juliet or Juliette
Another -et sound ender, and three syllables like Eloise, but less popular. The Juliette spelling might appeal to you as having more of a French look.

Sylvie
A sweet and pretty French name – Oscar and Sylvie strikes me as a delightful combination.

Clementine
A very fashionable French name, which might seem like a more daring alternative to Charlotte. I do like Oscar and Clementine together.

Vivienne
Another fashionable French choice, very much in line with popular choices like Olivia. I like the sound of Oscar and Vivienne.

Well there’s some other ideas to mull over, but since you’ve been forbidden to use your favourite name of Eloise, I’m rather hoping you will decide your second choice of Scarlett isn’t too similar to Oscar after all.

NAME UPDATE: The baby’s name was Scarlett!

POLL RESULTS
91% of respondents thought Oscar and Scarlett were not too alike for siblings’ names. 46% thought they were a good match, 29% thought they sounded just fine together, and 16% thought they were a little bit too alike, but not enough to worry about. Only 9% thought that the SCAR sound in both rendered them unusable as names for a brother and sister.

86% of respondents thought Oscar and Stella were not too alike for siblings’names. 35% thought they were a good match, 31% thought they sounded fine together, and 20% thought they were a little bit too alike, but not enough to worry about. 14% thought they were too similar to be usable for a brother and sister.

The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Scarlett, with 29% of the vote, and Eloise was the second choice, with 22% of the vote.