To me, the core of the Baby Name Wizard book is the "sibling name" suggestions. I wanted parents to be able to look up one name they liked and come away with a list of promising ideas. In most cases, choosing the sibling names was fun. Armed with my trusty NameMatchmaker program and a stack of reference materials I could match the style of most names pretty comfortably. But good luck with Tatum.
Try it yourself -- what's a natural sister match for a girl named Tatum? Worse yet, a brother? Here's what I ultimately came up with:
Sisters: Quinn, Ainsley, Rylie, Reese, Teagan
Brothers: Rowan, Gideon, Brody, Hudson, Zane
It'll do, I suppose. But Ainsley? Gideon? Hmm...might have to rethink for the second edition. Part of the challenge is the name's unusual sound (only Autumn comes close). But the real trouble with matching Tatum is its history. This is a name that broke the rules.
Tatum is an old English surname. Like many surnames it derives from a place/habitation name, in this case a contraction meaning "Tate homestead." A number of internet name dictionaries trace Tatum back further to a meaning of "cheerful" via the Norse name Tait, but other sources dispute that connection. Regardless, what we hear is simply an English place-based surname.
Many such surnames have evolved into popular first names. Ashley, for instance, comes from the surname meaning "ash-tree clearing." Whitney derives from "white island." Lindsay too comes from a dwelling name, usually cited as either "linden island" or "Lincoln's marsh."
You may notice another similarity among those three names, Ashley, Whitney and Lindsay. They all became male given names first, then eventually shifted to the girls' side. That's a well-traveled path, followed more recently by surnames like Taylor and Bailey. But Tatum, with its boyish sound, was never a boy's name. Its life as a first name dates to November 5, 1963, the birth date of actress Tatum O'Neal. Like fellow actress Mackenzie Phillips, O'Neal was the child of performers and was named for the surname of a male musician (in this case, jazz great Art Tatum). Also like Phillips, O'Neal found herself suddenly bearing a hot name in adulthood as a generation of parents embraced the surname sound for girls.
By skipping the genteel-boy's-name phase, Tatum acquired a more jaunty sound than Whitney and Lindsay. It's completely contemporary, despite its old roots. So what's a good sister match? Mackenzie certainly has the cultural bona fides but its sound and style are quite different. Given the chance to match it over again, I'd be tempted to toss aside the NameMatchmaker and choose Harper or perhaps Flannery, both surnames associated with prominent women (writers Harper Lee and Flannery O'Connor). As for brothers, darned if I know. Perhaps some surnames that are unfamilar as first names in the U.S, just like Tatum before O'Neal. Turner and Flynn, anyone?
Comments
I met a little boy named Turner just yesterday, so you may be a little behind (or ahead?) on that one! Does Tatum O'Neal have any siblings? What were they named?
"Does Tatum O'Neal have any siblings?"
Good point, I should have mentioned that. Tatum O'Neal's brother is Griffin, which has quite a different style today.
I don't really have anything useful to say about siblings for Tatum, but....
I wanted to add my support to your statement 'the core of the Baby Name Wizard book is the "sibling name" suggestions.'
No question about it; that's what makes the book so useful -- and that's why the NameVoyager and this blog aren't quite enough.
I second the agreement that the core of the book is the sibling names - that is the main reason I love it. And even if for whatever reason you can't use a name you love, you can find a list of names there is that same "family" and style that can get your started with a new choice.
Laura - this article was really interesting. And while I think there might be other options, the original list of sibling names is pretty good, too. I think Rylie and Tatum fit great!
I think Tatum has a Western feel to it. It sounds similar to words like totem, Teton, wampum, etc. Maybe brothers could be Weston and Colton?
You are right, that Tatum is a hard name to match. And I certainly agree that Ainsley isn't the right match. I think I might head straight to the phone book and start pulling out last names that aren't currently in usage as boy names.
I do think that Quinn and Rowan are great style matches. Except that Rowan could go to the girls. But then again, so might any surname, so how can you win?
What about going the place name route? Like Hoboken? Or Seattle? Okay, maybe not those two in particular. ;)
Laura you were right on with matching Tatum with Hudson and Harper. My good friend and her husband have a 2 year old son named Hudson. They just had their second child last month (a girl) and their top name choices were: Vivika, Harper, Presley, Naomi, and Tatum. It came down to Naomi and Tatum Mom wanting Naomi and Dad wanting Tatum. In the end they went with Naomi. If they have another girl I am willing to put money on it that they would name her Tatum.
It goes well with Greer.
Both Greer and Tatum are so godawfully hideous they actually make me kind of angry.
For some reason I can picture Laurel as a sister to Tatum. It sounds a little bit 1960s-ish, a little bit tom-boyish. Not to mention it also ends in a consonant.
I have no idea of the history of the name, but I sure do think the sound of it flows well with Tatum.
i lovethe name tatum..we named our daughter murphy-rose;if we have another we shall name her tatum-grace
I have never heard of Tatum as either a first name or a surname (I'm in the UK) so it's very hard to match with siblings.
It's quite a tomboy name. Do tomboys tend to have brothers with really macho names or brothers with more feminine sensitive names?
I do know a family who just had their fourth child--a girl. The boys are named Brendan, Justin, and Ryan and after the third was born the mother realized that all the names ended in the same sound. As a result, they only considered names that ended in "en" sounds for their daughter such as Alison, Caitlin, and Lillian. They ended up going with Ellen.
So by that measure, Griffin meshes nicely with Tatum. They're both two syllables and end with a similar sound.
To my ear, Laurel sounds very feminine, so I don't think it goes with Tatum. I agree that Greer is a better choice.
I've always seen Tatum as a trendy name (Sydney's best friend in Scream) and dnever really thought about the origins or the last name concept.
I've got a friend whose middle name is Greer - the only time I'd ever heard it before was Greer Garson (old time actress in black and white movies) - where'd it come from? It seems like a good name for today's trends - both the last name thing and old fashioned (because of Greer Garson) and boyish (though I don't know of any boys using it either).
I have totally never thought of sibling name matching before. I guess you could say it's cuz I don't hve kids, but I do think about names a lot...
Anyway, there were sisters at my high school named Lauren and Tatum.
I agree with Greer and Harper. Would add Scout. (The movie star influence?) I don't think Rylie works because I think that most of the people who name a kid Tatum won't go for Rylie as too popular.
Gideon sounds too girly next to Tatum. Think Zane, Hudson, Brody are more in line with it.
I agree with Greer and Harper. Would add Scout. (The movie star influence?) I don't think Rylie works because I think that most of the people who name a kid Tatum won't go for Rylie as too popular.
Gideon sounds too girly next to Tatum. Think Zane, Hudson, Brody are more in line with it.
Include me out of the whole surname-as-first-name craze. But I'll certainly second Laura's endorsement for sibling name harmony. Imagine yourself, the parent, introducing your offspring: "Betsy, Pennington, and Hosea." Where's the kinship? And while you're at it, do take a moment to consider the way the first name sounds when combined with the surname, and watch out for rhymes (I know a Cooper Slaughter, and my heart goes out the little guy), over-alliteration (Walter Waters), and difficult sound-blends such as "Grace Sterling" (the esses get confused). I'm not crazy about the clash of civilizations, either, as in Cisco DeVries (again, an actual human being of my acquaintance--and Cisco is *not* a nickname).
Interesting topic. I don't know how well they match according to scientific standards but I know of two little sisters named Tatum and Ivy.
To me, Tatum has a southern sound. Harper and Scout. Or maybe it would fit in well with Demi Moore's girls--Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah.
The suggestion of Greer with Tatum is so right on! Greer has that same masculine sound, is trendy (ala Brooke Shields) and yes has history (it's an old scottish name. It's also spelled Grier. I too thought of Scout to go with it.
But those are all girl names. The boy sibling names are hard with Tatum. How much more masculine can you get than the sound of Tatum itself? Personally, I am not a fan of 'soft' names for boys (like Cedric or Aubrey). Though Tatum and Aubrey are kinda interesting together....
Girls: Greer & Harper (definitely agree with these 2), Peyton, Camryn/Cameron, Waverly (the name of a 5 yr. old sister of my 7 yr. old daughter's classmate), & Bronte'. I also agree with Scout & Flannery. I don't think Ainsley works, but that's just my opinion. Quinn, Rylie, Reese, & Teagan do, however. How about Michaela or Micah? Shae? Keegan?
Boys:I'd lose Gideon and add Griffin (LOL, isn't that Tatum O'Neal's brother's name?! No wonder it sounds "right" to me!). Rowan could also be used as a girl's sibling name. Ryan (a la papa O'Neal) would work, too. Maybe Declan, Lachlan or Aidan? Not too sure about Zane, but Hudson definitely fits with Tatum to me. Oliver might not be bad or maybe Xavier instead of Zane. Peyton & Cameron could work in the boy's list, too. Perhaps Carson, Carter, or Cooper? Maybe Grayson & Tanner.......
Laura -
I am expecting twin girls and we really like the name Gabrielle Sophie for one of them. We are having trouble coming up with a name for the other girl - we would like to use the letter A for the first or middle name and either H/J/Y for the other after my husband's grandparents. We looked at the sibling names in your book, but are curious if you have other suggestions.
Thanks!
I like the sibling suggestions and the families of names in the back of the book too! I think it helped me realize what types of names I like for boys and for girls. I don't know if I agree that all your children's names should be similar. There comes a time when they grow up and move out and start their own families. It seems silly to make their names all in common when it's only for a short while of their life. I know people do that, but I think it's better if it happens naturally. You shouldn't do it on purpose.
I've seen several comments that are anti cross-ethnicity naming. I think the implications of it would make for an interesting column. I'm Asian American and pretty much any Western name I choose (which is likely) will be "cross-ethnic."
My niece is one and her name is Tatum, her brother is three and his name is Sebastian.
I have six children under the age of ten, so baby/kids names are a hot topic at my house. I have a son named York, which is really uncommon, but recognizeable (which is the perfect combination, as far as I'm concerned). I think that name sounds right with Tatum. How about Atticus?
Definitely no girls names ending with -lyn or -lee. All too common and cutesy. Greer is good, though.
Lisa, how about Arianna or Adelaide for you daughter? The only Y and H names I could think of are ugly (Yolanda or Hildegard?)
Lisa, as the names you have chosen so far are French, why not continue in the same vein? I can think of Jacqueline, Juliette, Josephine.
I like the suggestion Arianna- the French version is Ariane which is very pretty. Also Amelie, Angeline, Angelique.
I like the name Yolanda! The woman who has called the New York State Lotto numbers for years is named Yolanda Vega, and she is something of a hottie.
I love the way the name rolls out of your mouth!
Of the twin name suggestions, I liked Juliette and Amelie best. I am still mulling the question over myself.
Ok--Off the top of my head:
Alanna Jeanette
Alexandria Jewel
Juliana Avery
I do like Yolanda for a 'Y' name, but it is hard to combine with an 'A' name. (Sort of like Juliana, which I think matches excellently with Gabrielle!)
Hannah is difficult to match with 'A' names, being full of a's itself. And it is more stoic than either Gabrielle or Sophie. What other 'H' names are there? Hazel? Heidi? Honesty? Harriet? Honor? HOPE! Hope would be a perfect middle name!
Amelia Hope.
My suggestions to go with Tatum are Cassidy, Connor, Erin and Hayley. Tatum sounds Irish to me, even though it apparently isn't. Sisters Tatum and Cassidy sound perfect in my mind.
And to go with Gabrielle I really like Bianca and Lucia - with a 'ch' sound for Lucia. Not sure if it's pronounced that way, though.
Brooke Shields' daughters are Grier and Rowan, I believe, so Laura's on the pulse. As always. (Even if Rowan isn't a boy's name in this case.)
To the person looking for a twin name for Gabrielle Sophie - how about:
Julia Anne
Annabel Jane
Adeline Julie
Helena Alice
Anna Josephine
Lisa - I like Ariane with Gabrielle. Other H names are Hilarie (or with a Y, but the IE makes it look more french), Hallie, Hadley, Haven, Helene, Holly, Hunter, Hyacinth. J names Jacey, Jaime, Jennaya, Jenica, Jensen, Jillian, Joelle, Joie or Joy, Jolie, Jordane, Juliette.
How about Ariane Jolie or Hadley Amelie? Helene Adair or Hallie Annette? Alexa Joy, Antonia Joelle - you've got all sorts of options with those letters.
Good luck with your girls. BTW, when are they due?
I just cannot stop thinking about this question - I like a good puzzle. I asked some name nerd friends and here are some suggestions they had:
Boy or girl:
Rory, Avery, Campbell, Elliot
Boy:
Declan, Lachlan, Carrick, Teig, Callum, Reed/Reid, Sullivan, Finn, Heath, Bryce, Brooks, Graham/Graeme, Vaughn, Dawson, Nolan, Holden, Dalton, Bryant, Garrett,
I also like the suggestions of Bronte and Waverly for the girls to go with Harper and Scout. Atticus and York are interesting too. York has that same 'place name' appeal while not being widely used as a fn.
Thanks for the fun Laura!
FWIW, I don't think Hudson matches Tatum at all. I know two baby Hudsons - one has a sister named Grace and the other has a sister named Emily. Sounds like a "mainstream" name unlike Tatum.
I agree that Tatum is hard to match. I like the Southern suggestions. It does sound like a Southern name to me.
I can see why sibling names are often a style match because people like the a certain type of name but I don't think they need to. Kids aren't fashion accessories! Our children's names were chosen for their meaning in our family. They are individuals and their names reflect that.
I'm completely with Jan in suppor of "cross-ethnic" names. Does every person you know with an Irish last name have an Irish first name like Seamus? Does everyone with an Italian last name have to be Antonia or Vincenzo? It is a long-time tradition for newcomers in N. America to have names that reflect our different cultural and ancestral traditions.
Besides that, I actually love what I call "Soledad O'Brien Syndrome," the need for people like me, people from multicultural and multiracial roots, to have names that reflect us in our entirety. Some of us are "cross-cultural" blends--rather than clashes--to our very bones. Nothing wrong with a name that reflects that.
Not to mention the transracial/overseas adoptions where a child might take a first name from their biological ancestors while acquiring a very different surname. I was happy when I heard that Angelina Jolie was letting Zahara, a common name in Ethiopia, stay that name.
remembered my parents live next door to two little girls named Tatum and Koryn.
Also I wanted to add more about the mixed ethnic names. I totally agree with Jan. I'm from mixed-Asian background too and living in a very multiethnic place which probably influences my view that names should reflect one's ethnicity. Maybe should is a little strong, but I think having a family name from my dad's country of origin and an "American" (actually British I think) given name tells people sort of the basics of who I am.
Of course it gets more complicated. My future kids will have six ethnicities. Some parents here give their kids a name for each one, which I think is a little overboard but I definitely understand the impulse. I would like to have as many of my future children's ethnicities represented in their name as possible.
Most Americans whose families have been around for awhile have such a mish mash of ethnicity it's hard to remember what your roots are! My husband has a very irish last name, but he's more Dutch than Irish and I was born with a non-culture name (I've never been able to trace the ethnicity of the name, though I've found it in both Scottish and English family name books) - but I'm more German than anything, as far as I know. (My great grandparents were German immigrants as children). I'd love to find something that means something culturally to my family, but it doesn't seem too likely, all things considered.
My sister lives in Sweden and even though there is even more german on her husband's said (last name Heyl) they named their daughter who was born in Sweden a very Swedish name - Mia. It's very popular over there. It means something to them beacuse of where they were in life at the time she was born.
I have Broncos RB Tatum Bell in my fantasy football league. Though I hope he's quite jaunty, he'll be surprised to hear it isn't a boy's name...
(still not as feminine as his teammate Ashley Lelie, though.)
I agree with Camilla, who said that Tatum and Greer are hideous names. They are unflattering in the extreme. I know a gal named Greer and she can't stand her own name! Why these two are popular with anyone perplexes me.
Who would have thought there would be so much conversation about a name ? I can't help but respond...I am Australian, my husband African American. We named our daughter Ayesha Tatum. There is nothing hideous or unflattering about her and Tatum in this case was derived from a nickname we gave her from an ultrasound picture. If we have a boy next he will be an Atticus...probably not a match either!
Hi Laura,
I'm a mother of two from Malaysia and I recently wrote an article on my blog about picking unsuitable names. I quoted you and your book and linked here. I hope you don't mind. If you do, I will remove the quote and link. Thanks. BTW, I like your idea of having matching sibling names. :)
I think Reagan goes well with Tatum. I also think that very few of the names mentioned above have a feminine connocation seems pretty neutral to me.
I think most of the names you picked (e.g., Quinn, Rylie, Teagan, Rowan) work well with Tatum, and I like the idea of adding Harper and/or Flynn to the list. I also think Greer goes pretty well with Tatum--I can see why it keeps popping up in the comments.
How about Sloane?
I know one Tatum and her brother's name is Sam. I like the short and solid boy's name with the rather unusual Tatum.
Have you noticed that even though Tatum is English, many people keep going with Celtic names?
I think Sloane goes great with Tatum, even though it has been a boys name in the past.
for the person looking for an 'h' name, how about hester? am i the only one who likes that name? it has the old-fashioned sound that's so in right now, but the name itself isn't popular.
Heres some English boy names that might go-
Truman(maybe to close)
Handel
Rockwell
Somerset
Ok these are a little weird but they are english surnames from famous people...
But if were not following those rules how about...
Owen
Miles
Callum
Barnaby
Connor
Cormac
Declan
Alistair
Quentin
Lorcan
Killian...
Lorcan? Ouch. Is that a name from that's popular in England? It reminds me of demon/alien names from TV shows like Star trek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe that's weird (my husband has been on a Sci Fi kick lately, that could have something to do with it)
I've always liked the look of Declan, but it seems awkward. How is it supposed to be pronounce - Deck-lan or Dee-clan? Love Connor and Alistair.
My brother in law's name is Leonard, nn Len, but being from a small southern town it always sounds like Lynn. Drives me crazy, though he doenst seem bothered by it at all. He's got a cousin named Leonard, too (family name, i guess) that spells his version Lin.
Declan is pronounced "Deck-lan".
There was a guy with that name in my highschool. Smart and a hottie. Go for it!
Christiana - Mia is pretty popular over here too. Maybe given a boost by Mia Hamm? There are 3 Mias in my daughter's Kindergarden class!
I told my sister that when she was getting ready to defend her choice of names - no one will object, it's fairly common here - I think it's in the top 50 somewhere isn't it? I haven't looked lately.
I also think it's funny that my niece's name in it's entirety has few letters that my first name. Her name is Mia Jo Heyl.
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