I don't love Olive, but Juniper, Magnolia, and Allegra are all lovely.

Can you give us a hint about the sound of your last name?  Flow is so important.

Agreed. I love Magnolia and Allegra, and Juniper has grown on me a lot during the years of reading this blog. Olive isn't my style, but what's important is whether it's yours. I think that it's also important to know whether you are looking for an obvious nature theme or not (or whether you are okay either way).

I think Allegra is a beautiful name. I had a suite mate in college called Allegra, her parents were admirers of Longfellow and his poem 'The Children's Hour'.  Growing up, she loved her name, but when the allergy medicine came out and she became really frustrated with the connection.  It's been out for years by now, so maybe it's a moot point? 

Magnolia is also charming!  I just love saying it!  If a nature theme is what you are looking for, Magnolia and Violet sound adorable together.

I'm not a huge fan of Juniper, don't exactly know why, but I've never liked it.

My favorite for a sibset with Violet though is Olive!!! As of now, I know I'm in the minority with this opinion, but I think Olive is such a sweet sounding revival name that's still nature themed and not too frilly (although sometimes I do love me some frill, simple pretty names get me really excited at the moment).  Violet and Olive together = loveliness!

Some other suggestions: Aurelia, Coral, Clementine, Dahlia, Flora, Hazel, Hyacinth, Iris, June, May, Pearl

Olive Allegra

Olive Susannah

Magnolia June

Magnolia Ruth

Allegra Grace

Allegra Louise

Good luck!

My favorites form your list are Juniper and Magnolia. I also like Olive, but I feel it is a bit less feminine than Violet, so maybe not as great a sibling match.

What about Hazel?

Of the 4 I like Magnolia best. Allegra is very pretty but I associate it with the medication now, unfortunately. Olive is ok but I much prefer Olivia. Not a fan of Juniper.

Other names:

Iris

Hazel

Ruby

Gemma

Alice

Esme

Middle names:

Magnolia Ruby

Magnolia Ruth

Magnolia Grace

I actually love the sound and cadence of Magnolia Juniper, but that is a bit nature-overloadish.

What is Violet's middle name? It might help to get a sense of combinations you're drawn to.

I love your options!  Juniper, Allegra and Magnolia are all on my shortlist for girls and Violet and Olive and are on my longer list so we do have a similar style. I am often drawn to nature type names.

I think Juniper may not flow that well with your last name (although it's hard to tell without knowing exactly what it is).  

Olive and Violet sound lovely together and I don't think them largely sharing the same letters is an issue.

Magnolia I love and has lots of great nickname options. 

Allegra was very close to the name of our daughter (it was hubby's initial favourite) and I do love it and it fits all your criteria. The allergy medication was never a concern for me as I don't live in the US but if you do it might bother you.  Allegra is the best option if you don't want to go too naturey,

Other suggestions (some of these have been mentioned above but I also love them for you):

Hazel

Iris 

June

Azalea

Amity

Sage

Juliet

Boronia

Clementine

Acacia

Zinnia

Briar

Alice

Delphine

Clara

Harriet

Magnolia is beautiful and has so many fun nickname options. It also sounds great with Violet. 

I love it with short, fun middles like

Magnolia Pearl

Magnolia June

Magnolia Mae

Magnolia Blythe

Magnolia Fleur

Allegra is too associated with the medication for me.  Magnolia and Juniper are both great names-I have a slight hesitation with Juniper and your last name though.  My surname is also 2 syllables ending in "er" and I find I generally don't like it with first names also ending in "er".  Violet and June are lovely together and would avoid the "er" ending, maybe you'd consider June?  The botanical theme isn't as strong as with your other names, but the springtime association of June gives them a subtle connection.

Olive is my favorite of your names, I love that Olive and Violet have a double connection with the botanical theme and that they are both colors.  I would totally do it, but you may want to consider if the color plus botanical would make you feel too restricted if you ever have a third.

Of the other names suggested, I adore Iris and Hazel with Violet.   I also like Opal, Lucy, Heather, Ruby and Calla.

I like Olive, but for some reason it isn't hitting me right as a sister to Violet. It seems too serious for easy-going Violet. These are just my personal feelings on the names as I have no idea the personalities of your girls, especially when one is in utero.

Juniper is nice also, but not with your ln. Like others have said, June is a lovely substitute if you want to go that route.

LOVE Magnolia, it's easily my favorite of your choices.

Don't like Allegra. There was a kids' show on Nick Jr called Allegra's Window that had a very catchy theme song that was stuck in my head for about 3 years in elementary school, and I never got over hating it.

I want to cosign with the others on Hazel, Clementine, June, Pearl, Alice, Clara, Harriet, and Lucy.

I'd like to add Penelope, Rosemary, Avril, Maude, and Matilda.

Some of my favorite combos-

Magnolia Penelope

Hazel June

Matilda Clementine

Rosemary Pearl

I think @terrav hit the jackpot with Magnolia Blythe, though. That combination is perfection.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the thoughful replies!  There are so many excellent points that I hadn't considered.  Our first daughter's name is Violet Elyse. Her personality is very outgoing and light, and she loves to laugh.  Who knows what the personality of Baby #2 will be, but I agree with the post that Olive might be a bit serious.  I love the name Olive for the right child, but wonder if we are capable of producing a baby with the right temperament to pull off the name.  We have liked the name Olive for a long time, but something about it just seems off.  My husband suggested that if she has a personality like her sister, she could just go by Livie, so it is still on the table.  Excellent points regarding the near-anagram and double association of plant+color, which might make choosing a third name difficult if we have another child.  We also can't seem to find a middle name that fits.

I adore Magnolia Blythe!  I have always loved the "Anne of Green Gables" series, but the names of the female protagonists (Anne, Diana) aren't my style.  Blythe could be a sweet literary reference to the series.  My husband, incidentally, also grew up watching the movies with his sisters and actually owned the movie series when we met.  We had only considered heavier middle names for Magnolia, like Magnolia Scarlett, I like the lighter name pairings better. 

I also love the suggestions for Matilda and Lucy.  Incidentally, I love June, but my husband has a very negative association with the name, which is the basis of his trepidation regarding Juniper. 

My one concern for Magnolia that hasn't been addressed yet -- is it bit like Victoria, where there are many nicknames but the full name is rarely used?  I don't mind nicknames, but would also like the option for her to go by her full name.  I know that some other long names, such as Isabella, flow well enough to be used in their entirety.  What do you think about this aspect of the name? 

Thanks again for all of the thoughtful input!  I will be excited to share these ideas with my husband, as our name conversation had reached a bit of a standstill.  Fresh ideas will hopefully get us started again!

I started typing this last night but didn't post, and I see others have covered some of the same points by now, but here goes!

Congratulations first of all! 

I too would say Olive is the option that I'd be least likely to pair with Violet. While they both have a botanical reference, Violet is a more contemporary choice and more conventionally "pretty" and feminine than Olive, which feels a bit offbeat and hipsterish on a kid today. In addition, you'd have two color names: (more girly) purple and (army drab) green. Olivia seems a much likelier choice, and you still get the olive reference without it being quite so in-your-face. I'm guessing given your other choices though that you'd like something less popular. Lastly, the matching Ls and Vs in the two names make your second girl's name seem more like an echo of her sister's, so I'd personally go with something that has a bit more contrast.

Are you set on a botanical theme for your girls? [guess you answered this already!] My sister and I enjoyed that we both had flower names, but mine was the first name and hers was the middle. You may want to do the same if you go with Allegra. You could also consider a bird, gemstone or other nature reference. Either approach (or both) would work well if you’re feeling hesitant about the link being too obvious but don’t want your second daughter to feel left out. Another name that references a color as well as nature (Rose, Ruby, etc.) would be extra matchy, so personally I’d probably want it in the middle slot.

Juniper feels very jaunty next to the sweetness of Violet. Though it’s generally used for girls today, it was traditionally a male name often bestowed in honor of St. Juniper, but it’s not likely many folks will know or think of this. A more recent reference is the Donovan song, “Jennifer Juniper,” which is certainly all girl. You also have the option of the nickname June, which matches the vintage feel of Violet. Like Olive, this name is far less popular than Violet. The one Juniper I know of, a toddler, has urban hipsterish parents but the name reads somewhat more hippy than hipster to me. Juniper trees are generally small but sturdy evergreens with a distinctive woodsy scent (their berries are used to perfume gin), so that helps contribute to an outdoorsy, sporty, maybe somewhat tomboyish image for the name.

Magnolia, like Violet, is very feminine but in a different way: there’s something about it that feels voluptuous to me, probably in part because the flowers themselves are known for their creamy/pink color, fleshy texture, and strong perfume. I associate them with the American South, where they famously grow, and the cross of romantic image and geographical reference makes me picture a “southern belle” in an antebellum hoop skirt. (There’s also the Steel Magnolias reference, though not having seen the movie I don’t know how much this would color others’ impressions.) While Violet also has a sensual side, it seems much more fresh-faced and innocent in comparison; of course, magnolias are trees too which also makes them seem a bit more “grown up.” Magnolia does give you the nickname Maggie, which feels more casual and straightforward and fits in easily among the many young Mollys and Maddies today (I know a few young Margarets nicknamed Maggie as well). [I do think Magnolia would tend to get nicknamed a lot, but you could avoid it if both you and your daughter insist on the full name.]

Allegra also feels a bit more romantic than Violet, but not as dramatically so as Magnolia. It is, as you probably know, the Italian word (feminine adjective) for “happy,” and it also makes me think of the musical term Allegro, used to denote a happy upbeat tempo or a piece/movement of music played at that tempo. I remember for a number of years posters would mention liking the name but deciding not to use it because of there was an allergy medication with the same name. This connection thankfully seems to have faded (has the drug gone generic by now?) and it always seemed too bad for people to feel they had to pass on it for that reason, but I figure you’d rather know. I’d say Allegra best matches the sweet, sunny side of Violet and I love the musical connotation.

I could see any of these paired with Violet, but they do create different contrasts and play up different sides of Violet as well as the second name. Juniper is probably my favorite of the names but I’m not sure it’s my favorite together with Violet – maybe Allegra?

Possible middle name combos with these four:

• Olive Abigail, Olive Carlotta, Olive Irene, Olive Jane, Olive Marie,
• Juniper Alice, Juniper Claire, Juniper Justine, Juniper Lisette, Juniper Maren,
• Magnolia Colette, Magnolia Grace, Magnolia Joy, Magnolia Louise, Magnolia Ruth, [love suggestion of Blythe!]
• Allegra Brooke, Allegra Fleur, Allegra Lily, Allegra Linnet, Allegra Rose, Allegra Ruby

Here are some other names you may like. They cover a range of styles, like your own list, and some (being very matchy in either meaning or sound with Violet) are probably better for middles than firsts: Amber (golden gem/color), Amelia, Anneliese (or various spellings), April, Aurelia (golden), Bridget/Birgitta (Celtic fire goddess), Calla (a type of lily), Cecilia (patron saint of music), Charlotte, Chloe (green, as in chlorophyll), Coralie/Coraline, Cordelia, Daphne (mythological reference to laurel), Evelyn, Genevieve, Giselle, Gloria (morning glory?), Greta (pearl), Gwendolyn, Hazel (also a shrub and a green/brown color), Hillary (joyful), Holly, Iris (means rainbow as well as the flower and eye part), Jewel, Jolie (means joyful), Julia/Julian/Juliet, Laurel, Linnea (= twinflower), Lucy (light), Magdalena/Madeleine (or various spellings), Marigold, Margaret/Marguerite (two nature meanings: pearl, daisy), May, Melissa (honeybee), Opal, Pearl, Rosalie, Sage, Savannah, Scarlett, Selene/Selena (moon), Skye, Soleil (sun), Stella (star), Susannah (lily), Sylvia/Silvia (forest), Talullah, Virginia, Willow, Wren (a bold little bird), Zinnia (a colorful daisy)

On the birth announcements board there’s a welcome to an Amelia Wr3n, sister to Ev3lyn Violet, and one of the threads on this board (you may have to dig around a bit) is asking about the name Ophelia combined with several possible middle names – you may find those an interesting read.

Best wishes!

- kalmia (not logged in)

I'll be the odd one out here, I suppose.

If it weren't for the allergy medication, I'd choose Allegra.

It's pretty and interesting, and it pairs well with Violet without being so matchy.

I'm just not a girl who loves theme names, and I do think if you go with another botanical, you're going to be quite boxed in if you have a 3rd (I only mention that because you said it may be a possibility).

Lucy would be my favorite suggestion, except that I think of the Peanuts pair. Perhaps no one else would, though....

My overall thought would be to look for something with the sweet, confident, quirkiness of Violet without the plant/flower theme.

Oh, and while I do adore Magnolia, I think you'd find it very challenging to keep folks from calling her Mags or Maggie. I do, indeed, know Rebeccas who are never Becky, and Katherines who are never Kate, but Magnolia strikes me as a particular challenge.

Suggestions:

Phoebe

Augusta

Verity

Freya

Marcella

Araminta

Charlotte with nn Lottie

Waverly (I think it translates to fields of heather sometimes, so there is a subtler connection)

Willa

Eloise

I also very much liked the suggestions of Esme, Daphne, and Pearl.

I also think Blythe as a first name would be a great match to sister Violet.

My favorites of your choices are Magnolia and Allegra. Everybody else has offered a lot of wonderful first and middle name options (Blythe is inspired!), but I haven't seen Felicity suggested. It seems to fit your upbeat, antique style.

I'm probably mostly echoing things that others have said, but here are my two cents:

Olive - I agree that it's a bit drab next to Violet, and the almost-anagram makes it a bit too close for me as well. It's a sweet name, but I would pass on this one.

Juniper - I like it, but I'm afraid it might end up sounding rather sing-songy with your last name. Not a deal-breaker, but not ideal, considering that you have other great options. The fact that your husband seems lukewarm on June/Juniper makes me think you should take a pass on this as well.

Magnolia - Beautiful, and underused, with lovely nickname potential if you want to go that route (I love Maggie, and Nola is a great suggestion as well). I think you could pull off the whole name if you choose (I've actually known Victorias who go by the whole thing—I've heard them correct people occasionally, but it didn't seem like a big deal). The only concern is that it kind of locks you into the botanical theme for future kids, but you may not consider that a problem.

Allegra - This is probably my favorite, though I'm biased—I have a cousin named Allegra, and I've always thought the name was just stunning (and I've watched her grow up from a baby to a very elegant young woman). It's such a bright, happy, musical name (as kalmia explained). I really don't think the allergy meds are a big deal—anyone who meets your daughter will have her as their primary association with the name, and won't think of the meds. Also—they're just allergy meds—it's not as though the association is with an STD or mental illness or something more stigmatized. I don't really see the problem. And I think kalmia is right that the drug has gone generic, so hopefully even that association will fade soon. I like that the pair Violet & Allegra gives you more of an opening to branch out with subsequent kids, so you don't feel compelled to use another flower name (though you certainly could if you wanted to). 

I love the suggestion of Blythe as a middle, and I think Allegra Blythe would work as well as Magnolia Blythe. 

- EVie (not logged in)

Our tastes are similar. My youngest daughter is an Allegra and all three of my girls have botanical middle names. It was an accidental theme after the first two beause we are drawn to botanicals and decided to carry it on with #3 since it was in the middle spot where not many people outside close friends/family would ever notice. I do like Hazel (one of our middles) as a good match for Violet which other people have already suggested.

When we were choosing Allegra we also considered the following as names with a similar sound (but which would then be ruled out for future use because they are too similar): Esther, Aurelia, Ada

One of those might jump out at you?

Thank you very much for all the ideas!   My husband read through all of your replies, and surprisingly loves the sound of Magnolia June, despite his negative association with June as a first name.  We will wait to make it official until we meet her, but unless she doesn't look like a Magnolia, her name will be Magnolia June.   It is such a pretty summery name, and fits well with Violet.  Thanks again, your input was extremely helpful!

Thank you very much for all the ideas!   My husband read through all of your replies, and surprisingly loves the sound of Magnolia June, despite his negative association with June as a first name.  We will wait to make it official until we meet her, but unless she doesn't look like a Magnolia, her name will be Magnolia June.   It is such a pretty summery name, and fits well with Violet.  Thanks again, your input was extremely helpful!

I know this wasn't on your list, but some great names to consider are Astrid, Ingrid, Maeve, Ruby, Opal, and Emerald.  I am also a fan of Cordelia or Cassandra or Delia.  !!!Oh, Sorry, I didn't see that you had already decided!!! Magnolia is lovely !

Update!  Our daughter was born last week, and we waited to make our final decision until we saw her.  We thought beforehand that we would go with Magnolia June, but she just didn't look like a Magnolia to us.  We ended up deciding on Olive, nn Livie.  Livie suits her very well, and her daddy is happy that we were able to use Olive, a family name on his side.  Thanks again for all your help!

Yay! I think Olive is a fabulous name and sounds great with big sister Violet :) 

What did you choose as the MN?

Congratulations! Lovely choice!