Maia, Nina or Mabel

[Kathleen123]

Had decided on Marianne (shortened to Mari). I now think I prefer the shorter names, and have a new shortlist. Although not ruled out Marianne.

Could you kindly rate the following:

Maia
Nina
Mabel

Our surname is similar to Gresham.

Thanks all,

Kate

[Kathleen123]

Another name in the mix, my hubbie likes Lorna.

[noteventhebestdrummer]

Have met loads and loads and loads of Maias at nursery, think Mabel is lovely!

[Kathleen123]

Thanks, we seem to be having an afternoon on baby names, and Mabel has now been changed to Amabel.

Our new shortlist:

Maia
Nina
Amabel
Marianne
Lorna

No closer to deciding on the name though!

[TheFallenMadonna]

I love Marianne, and also Nina.

[SoLongAsItsHealthy]

Amabel - looks like a spelling mistake. She will be called Annabel and spend her life correcting people.

Maia - sounds a bit trendy and very "now"

Nina - ok but beware "nee-nor nee-nor" in the playground!

Marianne - Faithful

Lorna - Doone

Mabel was the best by far. Why did she get ditched?

[valiumSingleton]

I love Mabel and Nina.

Maia is nice but ........ I prefer Amaya to just Maia. There's a bit more to it.

Marianne is gorgeous too. Lorna is ok. Maybe just becuase it sounds dated I don't like even though it is nice.

Amabel is silly. Decide between Annabel or Mabel. sorry.

I'll rank

Marianne Gresham
Mabel Gresham
Nina Gresham
Amaya Gresham

[Kathleen123]

I like the way amabel rolls off the tongue.

I think its pretty, although agree people may consider it a silly name as so similar to Annabel or Mabel. I think I prefer to both these names though.

[valiumSingleton]

I don't think Amabel does roll of the tongue at all! I am making weird face shapes here, but when you say 'Amabel' you have to put your lips together twice! Try it! Makes me feel like a fish blowing air bubbles when I say it!!

Annabel you put your tongue to the front of your mouth and then put your lips together. In comparison that is easier to say.

Obviously I'm totally over analysing this, but I just don't think that Amabel rolls off the tongue at all!

Mabel, Nina and Marianne all roll off the tongue very well.

[Kathleen123]

Valium - I like Amaya.

I think its sounds rather exotic (middle eastern), and my hubbie and I are both a mixture of Welsh and English, from farming backgrounds, and both blond and blue eyed. I just dont think it would suit us.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Kathleen123]

Your right Valium, its probably an unkind name for my daughter, so should stay clear. Still like the name though.

[Horton]

Nina and Marianne are my favourites. Both beautiful.

I think Mabel is pretty but very now and will be like Karen or Barbara in twenty years time - very much tied to a particular era.

I quite like Maia.

Don't like Amabel or Lorna at all.

[CapitalText]

Maia - like, but with spelling Maya
Nina - very nice
Amabel - prefer Annabel
Marianne - very nice
Lorna - prefer Laura or Louisa

[Avocadoes]

Love Marianne and Nina. Timeless names but also a little bit different.

Mabel is a step too far with the old lady name trend. I don't even think it's a pretty sound. Just reminds me if Label and Cable.

Amabel - made up and silly I am sorry to say.

Lorna - okish but I prefer Laura which is another underused but pretty name.

[Kathleen123]

Thanks for all your opinions.

By the way, Amabel is an older name than Annabel. Apparently Amabel got mispronounced as Annabel. Similarly Mabel is a shorter version of Amabel. We've decided not to use Amabel, as it seems our daughter will have a lifetime of correcting people.

I love the name Louisa but its my SILs name. My hubbie dated a Laura for 6 years, so rules out that name.

I'm thinking of just doing a top five names and leaving my hubbie to decide.

[Helokitty]

I love Amabel - isn't it a very old scottish name??

[meala]

How about just Mairi?

[Kathleen123]

Apparently Amabel was used frequently in the middle ages, but now the diminuitive Mabel is more commonly used. Not sure whether its scottish.

I'm afraid Lydia has been spoilt for me, by a work colleague called Lydia, who I dont like. I know I should be more grown up, but I am intending to go back to work after baby, and dont want them sharing a name.

To me Mairi is just another way of spelling Mary, which although I like the name, its not what I want to call my daughter.

Thanks for the comments, it seems that Marianne and Nina are the favourites.

[Easywriter]

MMmmm! Tough choice.

Good luck with it though!

(Be happy in the knowledge you'll have picked a lovely name whichever one you finally go for!)

[violetsmile]

nina- by far the nicest and prettiest name on your list but they are all usable. None of them are horrible imo.

[JaynieB]

They are all nice - why not keep a list and wait til your baby arrives and see what name suits? I was keen on Amelia but DD did not look like an Amelia, we ended up with a name from our longlist rather than shortlist and it suits her beautifully.

[MrClaypole]

Marianne is my favourite and I also like Nina. Maia will end up having to spell her name out for people - maya? Maia? Mya? Mia? etc etc!