Boys name is William not Williand

Hmmm. I like Leona better than Maci or Lexi, actually... I would probably pick a grown-up name myself, because the baby will be a grown-up for most of her life, and I like the idea of naming her after someone in your family, because it is more meaningful. What about coming up with a cute nickname for Leona to use while she is young? Leo, Lea/Leah, Leilei... I am sure there are more that others could think of.

You could also pick a longer name that works with the nicknames Lexi or Maci... Alexandra or Alexis or Alexia would all work with Lexi as a nickname, but also have a more classic feeling (Alexia is a little more modern of a choice too, since you are looking for that). I don't have any ideas for Maci off the top of my head, but I'll think about it.

For other potential choices... I think that Ruby sounds very fresh and modern lately. It sort of has a similar sound to Lexi or Maci (with the -i or -y sound at the end), but is more classic and works on an adult too.  Lana is also short and snappy and feminine, like Lexi and Maci, but definitely has a more classic feel.

First off, I wouldn't worry too much about the style of your boys' and girls' names matching. Lots of people have different styles for boys' and girls' names, and it's easy to overthink matching sibling names in general: after all, they'll hopefully only be sharing a household for a small part of their lives. What's most important is to choose names you love for each kid and be able to tell them what you love about each choice. Secondarily, there are practical considerations like not having names that sound really similar or - and this can be more subtle - inadvertently calling up cultural associations than can lead to annoying comments (e.g. siblings George and Martha). Another thing to keep in mind is that the pool of popular names for boys is much smaller, so classic names like William and Bennett have been paired with all manner of adventurous girls' names. Of course, unless you plan on a whole passel of kids, you may end up with just boys or just girls anyway. So, yeah ... don't stress about it too much!

I think I and others have already weighed in on Lexi and Maci, so I'll focus on your other two. Leona and/or variations like Leonie are currently very popular in several European countries, and I can easily picture them launching a comeback here. Especially with Leo climbing the charts as a modern favorite for boys, the general surge in L names for girls (Lily, Lilah, Layla, Leah, etc.), and its open vowels fitting the contemporary fondness for what Laura W. calls "bell-tone" names, it fits right in to the modern naming soundscape. Altogether that makes me feel that a little Leona will definitely not be out of place among the names of her peers, and a nickname like Leelee or Lo will only make it more girlish and contemporary. At the same time, Leona is a classic name, one that almost everyone will recognize and be able to spell correctly, but isn't yet a current hit. Your daughter will almost certainly be the only one in her class, and she'll stand out just a bit from the crowd of Lilys and Leahs. Honestly, I'd say you've got what many modern parents consider the holy grail of names: not too common, but still classic and matching current styles. Plus, it's a family name, and that automatically makes it special. I think you can't go wrong there!

Gemma also feels contemporary, nicely complementary to but still distinct from current hits like Emma, Emily and Genevieve, and a little fresher than recent favorites like Jennifer and Jenna. Again though, as you say, people will recognize it as a classic. I like how the double M goes with the double L in William and the double N in Bennett - it's subtle but still ties the names together in a nice way. Leona also shares a letter and sounds good with either of your boys' choices, and Gemma and Leona would work nicely for sisters as well.

One last thought - the -a ending on Leona and Gemma matches the majority of popular girls' names today, and the -i, while still used, does feel somewhat date-stamped. It's not a big deal, but it would be somewhat more noticeable with a pair of girls' names, especially alongside a brother with one of your boys' choices. That said, with the -i being something of a family tradition I wouldn't want that dissuade you; it's just something to be aware of.

Oh, and I like the suggestion of Ruby - that would make a good sister name to any of the choices on your list.

- kalmia

I absolutely love Gemma, and I will echo the suggestion of Leonie.

I don't prefer Lexi and Maci myself, but if you do choose on of them, I would suggest a more common spelling (Macy) or a longer name that gives you Lexi/Lexie for a nick name (Alexis, Alexa, Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexia).  It's good to give kids options for when they get older.

Out of all your names, I like Gemma the best.

Gemma is a great name and my favorite of this list.

I absolutely agree with Leona being a holy grail name. Familiar but uncommon, easy to say and spell, a long history without feeling old, a family name, and lots of nickname potential while still being a great fallback to use as an adult. Strong, pretty, fashionable, and classic. Love it.

For nicknames I like Leelee, Leah, Lo, Lola, and Lena,

Gemma is also lovely. Feminine without being juvenile.

I'll also second Ruby, and I'll add Juliet and Felicity.

I think with names like Maci and Lexi is that they feel incomplete, and feel too much like just nicknames. I like Alexandra, Alexis, and Alexa for Lexi. Maybe Marissa/Marisa or Marisol for Maci?

Out of these, I like-

Marissa Ruby

Leona Felicity

Leona Alexis

Alexandra Marisol

Gemma Juliet

Do any of these work for you?

Sigh--I am sure I responded to this earlier, but my post seems to have been eaten.  In short, I think Leona is perfect and does not sound too old at all--I think it works just as well on a spunky little girl or a serious adult.  I had Leona on the list for my daughter, but my DH didn't love it.  Gemma is also great--definitely sounds youthful and fresh, but it's a classic and my association with it is very British--I think it would also be a lovely choice.  And I think either of these two names are a much more fitting match for your favorite boys' names, which are both handsome, traditional, and stylish choices.