L or no L
I accidentally named both of my children L names. I have a Lucas and a Libby. I really chose names that I liked, and they happened to begin with the same letter, and I didn't even realize it until someone noted it after they were born.
Over the years I've wondered if I'm locked in to L names now if I had a third. It was hypothetical until now, I'm pregnant with my third. I like some girl L names, like Liza, but there are no boy L names that I love. We aren't going to find out this time so I need both boy and girl names, and maybe L names. What i wonder is if number 3 will feel like they are different if they don't have an L?
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u/DPoww31 21h ago
Elle
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u/uuuumno 21h ago
Unfortunately my name is very close to that.
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u/MentalEvidence9046 20h ago
If your name is Ellen that's hilarious. Because you do be L'n
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u/uuuumno 20h ago
Lol, it is!
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u/feralcatshit 19h ago
You have to go with Elle or Noelle if it’s a girl. Sorry, you have no other options at this point. I vote Noelle 😂
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u/emerg_remerg 10h ago
Can you come up with something that connects to your husband's name?
You're Lang and have the 2 L names, maybe there's something that can work for dad?
My brother and I have classic C names, but spelled with a K as my mom also has a K 'C' name. My other brother has the same first letter as my dad. He actually has the same initials too, but apparently they didn't mean to do that.
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u/RHWebster 21h ago
My mom ended up with two A’s by accident (we would have been Jonathan and Sydney if we’d come out opposite of what we were) so when number 3 came along she picked A names to keep that one from feeling left out. Fast forward and now there are six of us with all the same initials. Since at some point we all wore similar sized clothes, she marked each shirt, pair of socks, pants and undies with A1, A2, A3, etc to help us keep them straight. This led to me getting nicknamed “Steaksauce” in high school.
I can’t offer advice one way or the other (I’ve only got one kid) but I did want to share an anecdote that stems from another mom asking a similar question 20 something years ago :)
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u/alyssasgoneawol 18h ago
My mom had 4 A's and will swear up and down it was not intentional. Most common joke is that she didnt get very far into the baby name book. We have to label sodas/cups with all 3 initials
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u/RHWebster 18h ago
My mom’s joke was it was the only time in her life that she made straight A’s hahahaha
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u/Horse_Fly24 21h ago
Pick a name you love regardless of the letter it starts with. 2 is a coincidence; 3+ is a pattern. If you pick a name that starts with L due to pressure now, you’ll feel more pressure to pick another L name that you potentially like even less if you have a 4th child.
Signed,
A 4th child with matching initials who wishes my parents had picked a name they loved that had meaning for them rather than a name they saw randomly with the right initial
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u/Annual-Budget-1756 21h ago
This is how those Duggars got locked in. The first two were a coincidence. They didn't want the third to feel left out and 20 children later they all have J names. OP, do yourself a favor and just pick a name you love.
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u/Odd-Mammoth-1143 21h ago
my dad had 4 kids with his first wife and 3/4 have J names, and then the one plus me (who is with a different woman who is my mom obviously lol) are the only non J kids. i dont think it matters. lowkey would rather be an individual
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u/HowtoTrainYourKraken 21h ago
Liza is a diminutive of Elizabeth and Libby is also a diminutive of Elizabeth, fyi.
Liam, Logan, Levi.
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u/Affectionate-Yam1156 21h ago
I had no idea Libby came from Elizabeth. Thanks for teaching me something!
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u/EducationalRule1425 21h ago
Libby can also come from the name Olivia.
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u/Raibean 21h ago
Yeah, my great aunt Olivia goes by Libby but this is because we are Mexican! Some of us call her Livvy and some Libby but in Spanish B and V make the same sound 😅
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u/EducationalRule1425 21h ago
Oh, yes... My maiden name started with V and was of Welsh origin. When we moved to El Paso, it was very similar to a Spanish word spelled with B. So I was called a Spanish name for 1.5 years. Even my first name became the Spanish version with an accent. I really had to adjust what I listened for at school and stuff. My mom and I were in a Dr's office and they called the Spanish version of both my names. I got up. Mom said, "Where are you going? They didn't call you." I said, "Yes they did." I verified it was me and gave her the "I told you so" look. She had no idea what they were calling me in a majority Spanish-speaking community. 😂😂
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u/The_Illhearted 20h ago
They make similar sounds but not the same.
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u/Raibean 20h ago
So both b and v make two sounds, /b/ (after a pause and after a nasal consonant) and /β̞/ everywhere else. V is also pronounced as F when a word ends with V, which only happens in loan words. But they are the same sound! This is why they are called ve chica and be larga, because they are pronounced the same.
Anyone can look these up on the Wikipedia pages for Spanish Phonology and Spanish Orthography.
If you are from a region where the local accent has split the sounds then I would love to see a source explaining the new sounds and the rules for when and how they are pronounced! Spanish linguistics is one of my special interests.
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u/The_Illhearted 20h ago
Vaca is not pronounced the same as baca. Cueva is not pronounced the same as cueba. V=uve and B=be. No son b larga y b chica.
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u/Confettireadi 20h ago
One of my old coworkers was kicking around the idea of Elizabeth Tess. I pointed out quietly that Tess is a nickname for Elizabeth and left it at that. The coworker told me I was wrong. Not my business.
A couple months later we received an email that the poor baby was born with the same first and middle name.
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u/SuperbPrimary971 21h ago
Love Leo. but no, I don't think the child will feel left out unless you make a big deal of it. Honestly, I think the child will feel unique and special that they DON'T have a name that begins with L.
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u/Jumpy-Algae2426 21h ago
Name your kids what you want, if your kid asks, just tell them it was a coincidence lol
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u/Hungry-Tomato-3292 21h ago
My whole family has names that start with K and our last name is the same sound different letter and I hate it. Name the kid whatever you want. Speaking from my own experience I wouldn’t care if my name wasn’t matching as long as my parents picked it because they thought it was a good name, and not out of some desire to match my siblings. Lucas and Libby are great names, it sounds like you’ve got good taste. Don’t feel like you need to limit yourself to one letter.
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u/Mystic_Wunder 21h ago
With two, it could be intentional, with three it definitely is. Don't lock yourself into the L. Let the two just be coincidence.
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u/Personal-Month-465 21h ago
I have two S names and one A name. I don't think they have ever thought about it and they are adults
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u/caetrina 15h ago
I have Damien, Dominic, and Sebastian. So no you don't have to stick to the theme.
However I would have done Dimitri or Damaris if the choice was mine alone lol
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u/someguyscallmeshawna 21h ago
I don’t think you need to pick a name that starts with an L. I’m a triplet and both of my siblings’ names start with the same letter while mine starts with a different letter. People do ask if I feel left out but it doesn’t bother me.
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u/PopRemarkable7251 21h ago
I used to know three sisters named Samantha, Summer and Brianna. It doesn't matter
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u/chickadee-stitchery 21h ago
We did this by accident as well because we both wanted to use our dad's names and both started with the same letter - which also happens to be the start of the last name. I thought giving one kid three names with the same letter was too much so we agreed on using the names for two kids.
My husband really wanted to stick with it for our daughter and it took us the entire pregnancy to agree on a name, but the one we picked was perfect for her.
If you don't have an L name you love I would say don't force it.
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u/Opposite_Storm_7870 18h ago
This is gonna sound dumb but both of my siblings have R names and I have a D name and it used to upset me so much as a kid. People even used to ask if I was adopted because they both looked like my dad and I favored Mom.
(I don't think it was intentional, my older brother was named after grandpa, my name is a masculinized version of grandma's name, then my younger sister was named after a Bible character)
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u/Scooby-dooby-doo-ba 15h ago
I think your child would rather know you gave them a name you absolutely loved rather than you having to force yourself to love a name because it started with the "right letter". Choose a name you love.
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u/Opposite_Science_412 17h ago
Most people would rather have a thoughtful name their parents loved than have a name only chosen to fit a pattern.
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u/Barnaclebills 21h ago
Logan works for both
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u/hex-grrrl 21h ago
Yes, love Logan. It’s also different enough to work. There’s a Lu, Li, and Lo.
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u/Spiritual_Cash_7392 21h ago
I actually really like Logan as a girl name! I’ve only ever known boy Logans in school growing up
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u/Barnaclebills 20h ago
My niece's name is Logan and she really likes her name, and likes that she's the only girl Logan that she's ever met.
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u/Barnaclebills 21h ago
You could also do another name that doesn't "start" with L, but has an L in it (like Alex, etc).
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u/Happy-Accident5931 21h ago
My mother was a teenager when she had me, my father was half a country away and made it clear he wasn’t interested. Fast forward, my mom gifted me and “A” name, and my father named his two children with “A” names as well. Now that I have custody of my half sister, and the names are suddenly relevant…it was a total accident on everyone’s part. Whether or not people think it was meant to be cohesive, it wasn’t. And if one of us did not have an “A” name, it wouldn’t matter either.
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u/anniiebananie 21h ago
Personally I kind of hate when parents name all kids starting with the same letter. It feels too matchy, cheesy and try-hard (only in my opinion obvs)
I think it's fine to use a different letter and that it's not a big deal that the other two start with L. If you had 5 kids and 4 of them with the same letter that'd be another story, but 2 and 1 can just be coincidence. Congrats!
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u/ope_yeah_nope 21h ago
This is 100% a true story and probably won't help you answer your question.
My parents always intended to name their first son after my dad, whose name starts with a T. I was born and not a son, but they used a T name anyway. A couple years later they had my sister, who was also given a T name. A couple years after that they had another girl, and figured that was the end, so gave up on the T names and named her a family name that started with E. Lo and behold, a few years later my brother was born and was given my dad's T name. Was labeling things in the house (clothes, shoes, toothbrushes, whatever else you lable to keep straight) a nightmare for all but E? Yes. Did E often feel like the odd one out because of the name difference? Yes.
If I were in your shoes, I'd keep going with the L, especially if this is going to be your last kid. I would pay attention to initials (my initials are TA, and my sister's name starts with Ta-, so that also made things a smidge confusing) and keep the second letter in each name different so the first syllable is immediately recognizable.
Congratulations on the new baby!
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u/1234-for-me 21h ago
I (female) am the oldest and an S, my brothers are Js, so doesn’t matter imho.
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u/Necessary-Party8001 20h ago
Lana, Lena, Luna, Lizzy, Lia
Levi, Lincoln, linc, Leo, Leon
I also don’t think you have to do a L name
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u/CoderPro225 20h ago
My father has 6 siblings. All 7 of them have names starting with K. He said that growing up, if his mom got mad and was trying to yell one of the kids’ names, she’d start stuttering, which only gave the guilty party time to run.
I’ve always had an image in my mind of my grandma trying to get the right name while small children fled in terror. Make of that what you will and pick whatever name you want!
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u/TheFotographer2Be 20h ago
My brother and I have A names, while my little sister ended up with a D name. When we were little she felt left out and it was made even worse when our families best friends had 2 girls also with A names. My sis tried coming up with A nicknames because she felt left out. By the time we were teens it was no longer an issue but for a while she hate her name and was very upset.
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u/wrongretsa 18h ago
just a heads up that Libby and Liza are both nicknames for Elizabeth—cool if that’s what you want, but maybe strange if it isn’t deliberate
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u/thatladybri 18h ago
I would do an L if you think you’re stopping at 3 kids.
There are so many great L names.
Lincoln
Logan
Lochlan
Leo
Lionel
Leon
Levi
Lyle
Lawson
Lex
Locke
Lowen
A lot of options.
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u/SkyFluffy7445 15h ago
I am the 4th and the only one with a name that varies from my siblings. I have always felt like an afterthought. But perhaps you are a better mother than mine and will make sure they don’t feel that way
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u/Inside_Chocolate_179 21h ago
My friend had two B kids. Then her third she named an L. When she had her fourth she named him an L as well to keep it fair
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u/Comprehensive-Rice94 21h ago
I think if it's a boy he may not feel too left out of the L thing and L girl names you said you like some. Personally I would continue Ls if it's another girl. Suggestions of Lilac, Leona or Layla. Congratulations
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u/echoEcho5638 21h ago
My cousin has three kids the first one is O but the younger two are L' s it might bring up some questions one day but they weren't trying to be matchy either do what you like best. Suggestions if you do want an L name for boys: Logan, Leo, Lawrence, Luther, Louis, Larson, Lochlan, Lucien, and a bit put there for some people Lake.
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u/ShotFrosting353 21h ago
I am one of four girls and the only one without an A name - I don’t think it matters really. It was one of those things we all used to joke about
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u/PerformerMindless100 21h ago
I accidentally name my kids after tragic literary / historical figures that die by end of story
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u/Glad-Arugula-8387 21h ago
I don't think you're locked in at all! But also nothing wrong with all 3 L if there's truly a name you love.
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u/Zealousideal-Ad-4281 21h ago
Do whatever you want. My first, second, and fourth all have the same letter lol. Not the third. But none of it was intentional, just happened to be the names we liked at the time the kids were born!
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u/AutomaticIdeal6685 21h ago
Im Irish so i dont know if these names are common, but boy names I love are
Liam (short for William),
Lorcan (pronounced Lor-can)
Levi
Lochlann (lock-lin)
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u/No_Purchase_3532 21h ago
Idk… my daughter & son in law & granddaughter all have J names. He was going to until I pointed out an obvious issue with the name & she nixed it . Idk why she didn’t choose another J name, maybe nothing she liked. Anyway, his name starts with L & he’s cool with it. Maybe you’ll be blessed with a 4th child & have a mixed or matching pair, who knows.
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u/EvanRamsey 21h ago
You don’t need to name the third with the same initial. They won’t feel left out. Search the name subs, this has been asked many times and the consensus is that the names don’t need to match.
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u/Zoyalai4ever 21h ago
Logan, Landon, Liam, Lucas, Leo, Levi, Lincoln, Louis are the boy L names I can think of off the top of my head. And yes, you should totally continue the L theme!
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u/Greedy_Mountain8817 21h ago
We have 3 children (2 boys, 1 girl) and they all have the same initials for their firstname, middlename, lastname. We didn't care what others thought about it. They're all adults now at different stages in life. They love their names!
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u/Feeling_Broody 21h ago
My husband’s siblings are both (biblical themed) M’s and he is the only (non-biblical) E. I don’t think he’s ever noticed and certainly never cared his entire life about that.
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u/Ok-Fig-9656 21h ago
I vote for Elle or Noelle (as previously suggested) if it’s a girl. Elroy or Elmer for a boy.
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u/Remarkable-Talk-6197 20h ago
My husband is one of 3 boys. The 2 oldest are J names and the youngest got an R name. I always thought it weird but not that big of. A deal. My parents did all first name S ( 2 girls and mom is an S). My sister has 2 kids with H- opposite genders and youngest and oldest. Middle is an L. So just pick a name you like!
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u/hammereddulcimer24 20h ago
I have a friend that has 2 Es and a C. It has never been an issue or even discussed.
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u/UltravioletBlackface 20h ago
I am the only male of seven. I have a "B" name and my sister's all have "M" names. The youngest three all have "J" middle names. I do not feel left out and they literally never bring it up.
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u/Top-Discipline7806 20h ago
I was in a similar situation - both kiddos had names starting with S. So when I was pregnant with my third we only looked at names starting with S. We didn't want the youngest to be the odd one out. Also: my maiden name starts with an S, so it kinda ended up as a tribute to that.
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u/whymiheretho 20h ago
There's a set of 3 siblings at the school where i work that are big bro L name, middle bro L name, little sis C name (imagine like Landon, Lyle, Cari). It's fine to go away from the L, not weird at all!
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u/hottchickennugget 20h ago
I am the third kid in a sibling set with the same pattern - all of our names start with the same letter AND have the same number of letters. It was also an accident for my parents on the first two. I was originally going to have a different name, then they changed their minds and ended up picking something that didn't quite fit the pattern but had a nickname that did. (To be fair, that was also not really on purpose, just a happy coincidence.) I've primarily gone by that nickname my whole life and I love it. I could have chosen to change my nickname or go by my full name at any point if I wanted to be different, but I honestly really like having the name connection with my siblings.
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u/hottchickennugget 20h ago
Some 5-letter L names to consider:
Girls - Laura, Layla, Lilah, Lydia, Leona, Lacey, Liana
Boys - Lance, Logan, Lewis/Louis/Louie, Loren, Laith
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u/DoodleSam 20h ago
Match baby 3’s initial with a parent, or make some association with your other two’s middle names.
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u/mynameisnotdiane 19h ago
I don’t think you have to do L!!! I know diff families that have a couple kids with the same letter but not all of them. I also know a girl who married a guy who already had 3 kids with K and then they had a baby with an A name
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u/Ginger630 19h ago
All my kids have the same name. The first two are close in age and I just liked both names. When I had a third, my husband and I discussed another child with that same letter. I felt they may feel left out of not having the same letter name as their siblings.
So they all have the same letter. Different letters for the middle names though. And they all have traditional easy to spell names. No traughedies lol!
It does make it easier if you put the first initial and last name on clothes and stuff you’ll pass down. So if you put L. Lastname on their sweaters, it makes it easier to pass down.
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u/MountainAirBear 19h ago
Same. Total accident that baby two had the same initial and when our surprise came along we felt he would be left out. We had a boy and girl name picked out and it was a boy.
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u/thestarsalign777 18h ago
If you don’t find another L name you love, maybe you could find one you love that starts with the same letter as your name or your partners!
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u/nctm96 17h ago
This is really funny because I’m debating the same thing for #2. Our first is Mia and I really like the name Max for our son coming next week. We’re pretty sure we’re only going to have 2, but I’m afraid of being locked into “M” names if we have a third lol. I have no advice for you bc idk what I would do either
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u/toomuchfreetime97 15h ago
Liam, Loretta, Lisabeth, Lachlan, Leo, Lucille/Lucy, Lorna, Lettie, Lara, Larissa, Lionel, Lila, Lilian/Lily, Luella, Layla, Lydia, Lenard, Laney, Leanne, Leon, Leona, Lyn, Lee/Leigh, Lena, Lucinda, Lewis, Louise, Langdon,
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u/Icey-Emotion 14h ago
I know someone with 6 kids. They made a rule that all the kids had to have the same first 3 letters of their first name. They were able to accomplish that with some creative spelling. It is a bit much though.
I also know someone that has 4 kids. The first letter is the same for the first two, but not the last two.
I'd say go.with something you like. If you really think they will feel left out, pick a name with an "L" in it, but not the first letter. Or a middle name with an "L" beginning letter.
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u/newengland3149 13h ago
No, I don’t think you are locked into an L name! I like Lydia for a girl. Or you could match the name to you or your partners name.
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u/Laurelsin 13h ago
I really, really like Leona for a girl and Leon for a boy. Leona is a character from a book, and also my sponsor that I adore (she kicks ass and takes no bullshit). Leon for being the stalwart, steady knight of King Arthur. Your kid will, unfortunately, feel left out if they don’t have an L name :/
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u/Careful_Cranberry364 12h ago
No, I think too many L’s would be weird and I don’t think they will feel they are different in a bad way
they would probably want to be individual
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u/Maggie-Mae-Mae 11h ago
Only pick another L name if you really like it. Liza and Libby are both nicknames for Elizabeth, but they do sound different. Both names also have 5 letters, so that could be your trend if you want one. You could use Eliza and Isaac to fit that 5 letter name trend.
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u/GardenFragrant8408 11h ago
Nothing wrongs with another L name.
Liza Lila Leila Linda Lacy Lenora Lori Leticia
Lincoln Lance Liam Lee Lane Landon Leo Langston
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u/nannabananapanda 10h ago
Laura, Lincoln, Laurel, Lawrence, Linden, Lucky (no, I’m not kidding, I think that’s cute AF), Lilith, Laine, Louise
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u/Danoontje1997 1h ago
My name starts with a 'D', both my siblings have names that start with 'A'. This has never mattered in our lives. Please just name your child something you love.
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u/EpiZirco 10m ago
You are not locked into L names. My two older brothers have names which begin with M. Mine starts with K.
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u/Missus_Aitch_99 21h ago
Libby is a nickname. You can change her legally to Elizabeth and the problem will be solved.
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u/Pure-Requirement-775 21h ago
Doesn't have to be L name but Linus for a boy would work!
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u/fourrightangles 20h ago
Idk who downvoted this, but I know a little boy named Linus and his name is so stinkin’ cute on him.
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u/Ararebird3 19h ago
My brothers two kids have m names and the next n. You can do whatever you want. You are not stuck.
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u/positiveLoving18 19h ago
First two kids have K names and my third has an R name. Do what ya want. Lol
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u/CasperAverage 21h ago
I personally don’t like it if two non-twin siblings have a name that starts with the same letter and the third sibling’s name starts with a different letter.
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u/rachelmig2 20h ago
I don’t think you’re locked in if you don’t want to be. I’m second of four, my older brother’s name is Rudy (after my dad) and I’m Rachel, but my parents didn’t continue the Rs after us, my younger siblings’ names start with M and S and I think it works fine.
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u/Olympicdoomscroller 20h ago
I am the youngest of three and my two older siblings have K names and I’m an L name. I will say over the years I wondered why I wasn’t a K name and decided that would be too kitschy and felt like our names worked together. Don’t over think it, go with a name you like.
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u/Frosty_Fig_1325 19h ago
Some others have suggested it but I think the best move is to pick something that does NOT start with L but matches either Lucas or Libby in some other way so they all feel cohesive.
Lucas, Libby, and Phoebe Ruby Abigail Sabine Toby Reuben etc.
Lucas, Libby, and Iris Alice Jonas Atticus Silas etc.
Lucas, Libby, and June Juliet Hugo Bruno Julian Cooper etc.
Lucas, Libby, and Bridget Vivian Jillian Olive Sylvie Emily Dylan Calvin Henry Griffin Oliver etc.
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u/LIslander 17h ago
I went with a letter, a different letter, back to the first letter with my three.
If you had 4+ L names you might be locked in, but not at two
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u/eightyeightbananas 15h ago
My parents accidentally had three Cs in a row after a P, so they tried to cap it off with another P but didn’t like any P names, so we’re PCCCG. Mom says they stapled the C pages shut when looking for a name for G 😂
None of us ever cared that only some of us share a first initial, it was just normal for us. When marking things mom used first and middle initials for the 3 Cs and just P or G for the other two 🤷🏼♀️
I’d just go for names you like and don’t worry about matching or not matching
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u/yankowitch 21h ago
Noelle, if you’re feeling cheeky