Our reader Sarah has let me know her third baby has arrived — a sweet little girl with the gorgeous name … Claire Marie-Therese!

Sarah writes,

“I wanted to do a name consult but my husband honestly gave me his short list of the only names he would consider (or at least that became apparent in discussion, haha!). So those 5 names were it :). So we are home now with baby Claire Marie-Therese.

Born 1/28/2017
7lbs, 13.5oz
21″ long.

Claire is a name we’ve both loved for ages and obviously, has a great meaning and great Saint attached. My hesitation in using it was her sister’s name: Julianne Clare. But in talking with my mother-in-law, it’s kind of a… tradition?… in DH’s family for siblings to share a middle/first name situation, with a bunch of examples even in this new generation. So I felt better about with so many in the family following this pattern.

Marie is my middle name, and also Marian. My mom’s name is also Mary.

Therese is pretty obviously a reference to the Little Flower, but I also liked weaving in a form of Teresa since Mother Teresa was recently canonized (and her religious name was after St. Therese), and my maternal grandmother’s name was the Polish form of it. I also liked linking Marie and Therese because Mother Teresa and the Little Flower linked the two names (Marie Francoise-Therese Martin and Mary Teresa – Mother’s religious name).

Plus, I wanted Claire to have an extra name in there since she’d be sharing a name with her sister, and her sister kind of (technically not, but practically yes) has a double first name with a lot of Saints in there :).

Debating the hyphen was tough, but we didn’t want her to end up being forced to drop the second middle name on some forms?

So we now have Nathaniel James, Julianne Clare, and Claire Marie-Therese.”

I love this name story! Not only because of the amazing combo Sarah and her husband ended up with (I mean, come on: Claire Marie-Therese is amazing!), but also how Sarah’s hesitation over using the same name for a first name that her older daughter has a middle was assuaged by finding out that her hubs’ family has a tradition of sorts doing that very thing. How cool! I think using a different spelling is pretty great too. And using a double middle that’s sort of like big Sis’ “double” first. And all the saintly connections (I love how Mother Teresa and St. Therese are woven together so nicely!). And Mary! And what great taste Sarah and her hubs have (I love Nathaniel, Julianne, and Claire together!). Great job all around!

Congratulations to the whole family, and happy birthday Baby Claire!!

Claire Marie-Therese