There’s excitement in the air for Little Mix enthusiasts as former band member Jesy Nelson is set to become a mum.
The 33-year-old songstress revealed her pregnancy on social media, posting an Instagram photog alongside her 25-year-old beau, musician Zion Foster, cradling her baby bump. Jesy said she is now “eating for three now”, fuelling speculation among fans that twins might be on the way.
With the ‘Secret Love Song’ vocalist expecting, the quest for the perfect baby names suddenly becomes a search for two. Selecting a baby name is often laden with significance and requires considerable thought. While certain parents have envisioned their future children’s names long before conception, others wrestle with picking a name that resonates with their own taste or one that will blend seamlessly with the family surname.
In Britain, over half of parents (54%) believe in the value of siblings having harmonious names, with a notable 43% finding it more challenging to choose names for subsequent children. To lend a helping hand to parents navigating this dilemma, maternity retailer JoJo Maman Bébé has called upon baby name expert Colleen Slagen to offer guidance.
Colleen provides insight on how to balance names that complement each sibling while still upholding each child’s uniqueness—and highlights current naming trends that might be better steered clear of. Colleen remarked: “It’s not easy to get both parents to agree on a name as they’ve possibly already used the one name they could agree on and are struggling to find a second.
“I often find that with their first child, parents use a name they have always loved and struggle to find another name they feel just as connected to. With a second child, considering what names pair well with the name of the first child, can narrow the field.”
She also noted that while many parents try to make their children’s names sound good together, it’s important to choose names individually too. Colleen added: “Sibling names are spoken together a lot, so it’s nice for them to feel like they sound good together.
“While I think this is important, I think it’s also crucial to remember that they will be their own person and once they are off in the world they aren’t going to be introducing themselves in relation to their sibling.”
How to find the perfect baby name for siblings
The baby name expert suggests choosing a second child’s name that has a similar style, rather than phonetic pairings. She explained: “I like names that tie together stylistically rather than phonetically.
“For example, I prefer Brooks and Hudson as opposed to Brooks and Banks. Or for classic names I prefer Adeline and Susannah rather than Adeline and Caroline.She notes that Royal Family children George, Charlotte and Louis are a perfect example of names that have different starting and ending sounds but are very cohesive in their timeless style.
The baby naming expert added: “She points out that Royal Family children George, Charlotte, and Louis are a perfect example of names that have different starting and ending sounds but are very cohesive in their timeless style.”
The baby naming expert commented: “Parents often gravitate towards shorter or longer names, but it’s not a one size fits all. I think names like Ada and Bernadette go really well together, despite being very different lengths.”
Colleen also highlighted the significant impact of social media and celebrities on the popularity of names. She noted that many people follow the Kardashian-inspired trend of choosing names that start with the same letter.
This has caused a split among UK parents, with only 47% in favour of siblings having matching initials, while 23% are against the idea. Colleen added: “I find that the Kardashian naming style is a love-hate trend. For some, it provides a way to tie together two names that may be stylistically different but share the same starting letter, however, I think it can force people to choose names they don’t love or dip into some very unusual spellings just to keep the trend going.”
She further remarked: “Social media has created more obsession with matching names. For obvious reasons as baby name accounts often talk about sibling name cohesion.”
“It’s often what we go off of when we’re recommending other names because it gives us a glimpse into someone’s naming style. But I think it can cause people to have too much angst about this aspect, putting a lot more pressure on your choice of name.”