What's a Good Middle Name for a Girl That Meshes With "Moonbeam" and "Rainbow"?

June 18, 2006 6:54 AM

First girl has middle name Moonbeam. Second girl has middle name Rainbow. What's a good middle name for a third girl in a similar vein?

This is for a friend. She'd really like to name the third girl accordingly, but has already rejected "Star", "Starlight", "Moonlight" and "Twilight". I am stumped. What's a good name for this new kid?

posted by meehawl to human relations (90 comments total)

Sunshine.
posted by majick at 6:57 AM on June 18, 2006

Aurora
posted by Lokheed at 6:59 AM on June 18, 2006

Gloaming. Ha. No, try "Starshine". This gives a nice trilogy: light from moon, light from sun, light from stars.
posted by jellicle at 6:59 AM on June 18, 2006

Aurora
Nimbus
Skye

I once knew a girl named Phoebe Rainbow Summersquash.
posted by Biblio at 7:00 AM on June 18, 2006

Photon? :-) Anthelion? Or, perhaps more in the line, Dawn or Aurora. Andromeda?

On Preview: Yeah, Aurora.
posted by anotherpanacea at 7:01 AM on June 18, 2006

Biblio -- I always had a little crush on Pheobe Summersquash! You from Providence? (apologies for the derail.)

I like "Aurora" too, btw.
posted by TonyRobots at 7:04 AM on June 18, 2006

Sunshower.
Skye's good.
posted by Radio7 at 7:05 AM on June 18, 2006

Also, look into the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. I was sort of thinking Mnemosyne (pronounced Nu-moe-soo-nay), which means memory.
posted by anotherpanacea at 7:05 AM on June 18, 2006

i like suncat
posted by pyramid termite at 7:10 AM on June 18, 2006

How about "ImsureashellgoingtochangethiswhenImolder"? ;)

I was going to say Dawn or Aurora, so here is a "me too".
posted by Orange Goblin at 7:10 AM on June 18, 2006

Comet
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:20 AM on June 18, 2006

Starshine
Sunbeam
Sunshine
IAmSoSuingMyParentsWhenIAmOlder
posted by theora55 at 7:26 AM on June 18, 2006

Tony Robots --- I'm from Cranston...but I took ballet with Phoebe in Providence! Small freakin' interweb.
posted by Biblio at 7:27 AM on June 18, 2006

Lightning Bolt
posted by kcm at 7:30 AM on June 18, 2006

Earthshine or Ashenglow.
posted by Wolfdog at 7:30 AM on June 18, 2006

Danger.
posted by blag at 7:34 AM on June 18, 2006

Xanax.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 7:37 AM on June 18, 2006

Vespertine
posted by 517 at 7:39 AM on June 18, 2006

Trogdor.
posted by Harry at 7:49 AM on June 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

Hmm, "Afterglow" probably wouldn't be too good. :)

Starshine was my first thought, already suggested above.

Raindrop?
Morningdew?
posted by Malor at 7:49 AM on June 18, 2006

Ultraviolet.

Or Jennifer. The third daughter can be the normal, levelheaded one.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 8:00 AM on June 18, 2006

stavrosthewonderchicken
posted by jmgorman at 8:00 AM on June 18, 2006

• Meadow.
• Sunflower.
• River.
• Gypsy.
• Daisy.
• Gloriole. (A gloriole is a nimbus/halo, which would fit in well with moonbeam. Actually, now that I think about it, definitely nix that suggestion: that's one letter away from tormenting the kid for life.)
• Moonbow. (Yes, there are moonbows.)

posted by WCityMike at 8:01 AM on June 18, 2006

pornstarnamefilter (all links NSFW obviously) . . .

Nature-y names are big hits with the adult film industry. I love the idea of a unique middle name, but do some checking beforehand to spare her the possible future grief. Immediate redflags went up when I heard Aurora and Skye (again, both NSFW).
posted by datacenter refugee at 8:13 AM on June 18, 2006

Moonshine :P

How about "ImsureashellgoingtochangethiswhenImolder"

How about "putasidesomefundsformesoicangotoashrink"


Jokes aside, how about Moonflower or Morning Glory?
posted by moonshine at 8:20 AM on June 18, 2006

OK, the first one's named 100% after the moon, the second after 50% earth's atmosphere 50% sun, so if you want to equally represent the moon, earth, and sun, you need another sun-earth interaction. Aurora would fit. So would "Sundog" or Corona, hee hee. You chould browse http://www.atoptics.co.uk/ and related sites.

"Glory", maybe? That's a sun optic and a not untypical anglo middle name.
posted by anthill at 8:24 AM on June 18, 2006

'I am Captain Lavender, and I'd like you to meet my common law wife, Rain Melon'

/high on raisins
//clone high
posted by GleepGlop at 8:31 AM on June 18, 2006

Moondog! That, or Aurora. I'm leaning towards the latter.
posted by kimota at 8:31 AM on June 18, 2006

I knew a family with a Moriah, a Rainbow, and a Shekinah. They all had "straight" middle names they could use instead if they wanted, but they didn't.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:33 AM on June 18, 2006

katrina?
posted by brandz at 8:35 AM on June 18, 2006

Starshine! It really is the only choice, as per jellicle.
posted by Meatbomb at 8:36 AM on June 18, 2006

- Nova
- Sunrise
- Starblaze
- Butterfly
- Bell
- Wave
- Aura
- Radiance
- Starsong
- Starfire
- Starflower
- Firefly
posted by jann at 8:49 AM on June 18, 2006

Jane.
posted by zadcat at 8:50 AM on June 18, 2006

honeydew . . . or canteloupe for that matter
posted by marxfriedrice at 8:50 AM on June 18, 2006

Another vote for Starshine. The perfect name for an "earthtone" baby! Congrats to your friend.

"Good Morning, Starshine" lyrics from Hair
posted by bim at 9:09 AM on June 18, 2006

Halo?
posted by Wolfdog at 9:29 AM on June 18, 2006

Aurora
posted by phrontist at 9:30 AM on June 18, 2006

F*cking-Hippy
posted by Methylviolet at 9:47 AM on June 18, 2006

Morningstar
posted by peep at 9:48 AM on June 18, 2006

Iris.
posted by teleskiving at 9:50 AM on June 18, 2006

Second Nimbus
Lumina
Dazzle
Nebula
Gloriana
Chroma
posted by jamjam at 9:52 AM on June 18, 2006

One of these?:

Daydream
Do-Your-Best
Funshine
Grumpy
Harmony
Tenderheart
posted by about_time at 10:18 AM on June 18, 2006

Eärendil: "our most beloved star."
posted by SPrintF at 10:22 AM on June 18, 2006

I like Stardust better than Starshine, but maybe because I know a Stardust.
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 10:26 AM on June 18, 2006

In some countries, it's illegal to give your children unusual names.

God bless the yew-ess-ay.
posted by jason's_planet at 10:26 AM on June 18, 2006

Another vote for Starshine (or Stardust). Or perhaps Sunshine. Since both the others are compound words, something like Skye or Aurora sounds wrong to me.

(tho I disapprove of names like this in general. I had to say it for the record)
posted by ClarissaWAM at 10:43 AM on June 18, 2006

I really hope they have decent first names, or else they're crippled for life.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 11:02 AM on June 18, 2006

Spring.
posted by craniac at 11:02 AM on June 18, 2006

- Firelight
- Sunfire
- Raindrop
- Windsong
- Nightingale
- Starling
posted by jann at 11:05 AM on June 18, 2006

Barrista.
posted by m@ at 11:08 AM on June 18, 2006

Cinderblock
posted by notswedish at 11:31 AM on June 18, 2006

Astral
posted by concourse at 11:44 AM on June 18, 2006

Regarding the idea of the moons of Saturn and Jupiter above, though not necessarily in keeping with Moonbeam and Rainbow, I quite like these:

Narvi, Mimas, Tethys. (Saturn's)
Thebe, Io, Mneme. (Jupiter's)

On the theme of light:
Lux, Halo, Ignis, Aurora, Lumen, Sun, Sol, Shade, Dusk, Eve.

On the themes of weather/nature more generally:
Tide, Foehn.
posted by headlessness at 11:52 AM on June 18, 2006

How about sunray?
posted by necessitas at 12:07 PM on June 18, 2006

Misty
Zephyra
posted by Rumple at 12:19 PM on June 18, 2006

I know of a woman named Harmony Eve. I like it, actually. It fits her, and it sets her apart.
posted by miltoncat at 12:26 PM on June 18, 2006

Hailstorm
Sleet
Monsoon
Sundog
Downpour
Dewpoint
Stacey
posted by DieHipsterDie at 12:43 PM on June 18, 2006

crimefighter
posted by freshgroundpepper at 12:55 PM on June 18, 2006

it's got to be a two syllable compound word and kind of generically earthy & an immediately recognizable/ common term to fit with the other names. Stardust is the best option so far.
posted by mdn at 1:05 PM on June 18, 2006

I like "Elizabeth".
posted by cadastral at 1:14 PM on June 18, 2006

katrina?
posted by brandz at 11:35 AM EST on June 18

Shut your jokey mouth, bub.

whaddayathink the '-kat' stands for?
posted by ersatzkat at 1:18 PM on June 18, 2006

Waterfall
Mist
Spring/Autumn
Gaiea
Colour
Fresh
Crystal
Diamond (or any other gem)
Storm
Sunrise/Dawn
Rose
posted by b33j at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2006

I also joked I was going to name my kids Trout (f) and Sturgeon (m). But that's not quite as atmospheric as the trend she has going.
posted by salvia at 1:43 PM on June 18, 2006

Skippy.
posted by horsewithnoname at 2:02 PM on June 18, 2006

'Hippie' seems fitting.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 2:32 PM on June 18, 2006

Lambence
Astrina
Umbra
Zodia
Lumella
Eclipsa
Glimmer
Glisten (with apologies to Kirth Gerson)
Albedonna
posted by jamjam at 3:12 PM on June 18, 2006

Gossamer
posted by KAS at 3:39 PM on June 18, 2006

Birkenstock
posted by moift at 3:47 PM on June 18, 2006

quonsar

(hey, someone had to suggest it)
posted by pyramid termite at 4:19 PM on June 18, 2006

Twinkle
posted by dmo at 4:30 PM on June 18, 2006

Patchouli
posted by DieHipsterDie at 4:38 PM on June 18, 2006

What about Sunburst or Starburst?
posted by ajbw at 4:39 PM on June 18, 2006

Dubya
posted by raider at 5:18 PM on June 18, 2006

Keepin' it celestial*:

Alpenglow
Nebula
Redshift
Fauxtonne
Selene
Hubble
Miranda
*And hey, there's always Celestia!
posted by rob511 at 5:20 PM on June 18, 2006

Barista -- laughing my ass off, m@.

(Also think funky names are nice.)
posted by ontic at 6:02 PM on June 18, 2006

Thanks to those with good suggestions and who chipped in. Some of the names I'd already pencilled in, others I was surprised by.

I was leaning towards suggesting a mythological name associated with optical phenomena, such as:

Nüwa

Indra

Wuriupranili

Yhi

but some of the other suggestions are better.

And for those few with nothing useful to add to a simple request except lazy cynicism, vaguely misdirected ideological hostility, or just a general attempt at useless gall, really, seriously, find something more constructive to do. You'll feel better in the long run.
posted by meehawl at 6:13 PM on June 18, 2006

You should go for demon names for the 3rd. If you don't choose the obvious one (Baphomet), try Demogorgon, Azrael, Asmodeus, Moloch, Cthulhu, Samael, Adremelech...way more fun than than the hippy crap.
posted by baphomet at 7:15 PM on June 18, 2006

Dewdrop!

Its sooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuute!
posted by Kololo at 7:27 PM on June 18, 2006

Hippie.
posted by tnoetz01 at 9:10 PM on June 18, 2006

Eos.
posted by trip and a half at 9:35 PM on June 18, 2006

I thought I heard my name...

I'm seconding "Celestia"; it's quite pretty.
posted by vespertine at 9:36 PM on June 18, 2006

To add: I have a wonderful friend named "Fairlight"
posted by trip and a half at 9:37 PM on June 18, 2006

Splughvox.
posted by symphonik at 9:48 PM on June 18, 2006

Dawn?
posted by parallax7d at 11:57 PM on June 18, 2006

For consistency, she needs a composed name of
(1) a celestial body or phenomenon &
(2) a synonym of "ray", "streak" or "guiding force".

(1) | (2)
Star | line
Sun | ray
Moon | beacon
Dust | bow
Dusk | beam
Night | streak
Day | glint
Dawn | shine
Cloud | glow
Wind | flare
Rain | light

Match and Mix
posted by ruelle at 8:21 AM on June 19, 2006

Excellent, ruelle! I choose Dust Beacon.
posted by horsewithnoname at 9:15 AM on June 19, 2006

that is a good method, ruelle, but for futher consistency, you'd want to rule out elements that are more than one syllable each. so no beacons.
posted by jann at 4:28 PM on June 19, 2006

No need to involve flesh-and-blood brains when silicon help is available:

Pagan Name Generator

Lady Pixie Moondrip's Random Craft Name Generator
posted by Creosote at 6:38 AM on June 20, 2006

Starshadow
posted by jamjam at 7:42 PM on June 24, 2006

To bring closure to this thread, the eventual name chosen was...

Tamzin Star
posted by meehawl at 12:45 PM on September 19, 2006