First Draft

[thebrightside]

So here it goes, opinions please before we start trying to make any sort of decision...

Boys
Adam
Aran
Caleb
Daniel
Joshua
Lauchlan
Leo
Nathan
Reuben
Rory

Girls
Abigail
Amy
Aphra
Ayla
Bethan
Indie
Isla
Kendal
Lacey
Scout
Zia

[thebrightside]

Hmmm seems not to have worked properly

Girls

Abigail
Amy
Aphra
Ayla
Bethan
Indie
Isla
Kendall
Lacey
Scout
Zia

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

I like Rory and Leo but none of your girls' names. Aphra, possibly.

[diddl]

Caleb, Rory Leo.

Abigail
Bethan(y)?
Prefer India to Indie

[TessOfTheBurbs]

What a mix... I'm guessing you and your OH have quite different tastes?

Boys -

Adam - neutral
Aran - spelling could be a pain though I prefer the look of this to Aaron (it's an island too, isn't it?)
Caleb - not my taste
Daniel - neutral
Joshua - neutral
Lauchlan - prefer spelt Lachlan, v. nice
Leo - nice
Nathan - OK
Reuben - not my cup of tea
Rory - OK, prefer Ruaridh (have I spelt that right? the one pronounced "roo-ery").

Girls:

Abigail & Amy - both lovely names, classics, but run the risk of feeling a bit bland as they've been so popular. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, though.

Aphra - not keen, looks like the name of a plant or something and not sure how to say it, but I understand it's a name with a good namesake in Aphra Behn.

Ayla - is this pron. like Isla? Prefer Isla spelling if so.

Bethan - nice, Beth is a nice nickname for it too.

Indie - dislike. Would be better with India as the full name.

Isla - nice

Kendall - does not feel like a girls' name, it's all Kendall Mint Cake or a surname to me, or at a push a geeky boys' name. She will get called Kenny...

Lacey - I think it's a little... how shall we say... not so upmarket.

Scout - wasn't even the character's real name in To Kill A Mockingbird, I don't think I'd like to just be called Scout.

Zia - not familiar with as name, think it means auntie in Italian, have been to more than one Italian restaurant called Zia so-and-so's.

[thebrightside]

We do have very different tastes and ended up going through each others lists with a big black marker to find names we could both live with.

Have always loved to character of Scout and recently the name, but this may well be pregnancy brain, quite happy to be told it's ridiculous!

Love Bethan, but HATE Bethany, so thinking this may be an issue.

Zia was one of the dh's contributions, he's convinced it's a real name.

Aran is after the island, beautiful, beautiful place, where we've been many times.

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

It's spelt Arran, though.

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Arran

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

...although I forgot about the Irish Aran Islands. sorry.

[mathanxiety]

Boys
Adam -- a bit wet
Aran -- LOVE, also love Arran, both islands
Caleb -- dislike, sounds clunky
Daniel -- ok
Joshua -- meh, and very popular
Lauchlan -- LOVE, but with Lachlan spelling
Leo -- LOVE
Nathan -- dislike
Reuben -- LIKE A LOT
Rory -- LOVE

Girls
Abigail -- a bit 70s
Amy -- a bit insipid
Aphra -- LOVE
Ayla -- too close to Ella and Ellie, and sounds a bit made up
Bethan -- dislike, also dislike Bethany
Indie -- dislike, and also dislike India
Isla -- LIKE
Kendall -- dislike, knew a few in the US, name shouts northern Virginia to me
Lacey -- stripperish name
Scout -- NO
Zia -- LOVE (means light/splendour in Arabic)

So:
Aran
'Lachlan'
Leo
Reuben
Rory

and
Aphra
Isla
Zia

[Hulababy]

Adam - not sure
Aran - not keen
Caleb - quite like this
Daniel - ok
Joshua - I like this but not sure how much I like the nn Josh
Lauchlan - don't like
Leo - not keen
Nathan - not keen
Reuben - ok
Rory - don't like

[DuelingFanjo]

I love Scout.

[Hulababy]

Abigail - not keen, although I do like Abi/Abbie, but would need full name on BC
Amy - prefer Aimee
Aphra - don't like
Ayla - don't like
Bethan - prefer Beth (or Bethany - might be a bit too 90s though)
Indie - prefer India which is v pretty
Isla - ok
Kendall - dn't like
Lacey - really don't like
Scout - really don't like
Zia - don't like

[thebrightside]

Aran Islands in Ireland, haven't been to Isle of Arran, looks lovely though. Spelling would be an issue however you did that one though, guessing most would assume aaron

[pointydog]

Rory and Isla

[BelligerentGhoul]

Adam - yes
Aran - no
Caleb - really dislike this
Daniel - yes
Joshua - ok
Lauchlan - oh dear no
Leo - ok
Nathan - no
Reuben - no
Rory - no


Abigail and Amy only from the girl list.

[LittleCheesyPineappleOne]

I think Aaron/Aran/Arran is a spelling issue whenever according to a friend of mine who has had all sorts of combinations, including Aron/Arron/Arun/Aarron etc

[mathanxiety]

I would never assume Aaron (which I would pronounce AIR-on) but then I have an Irish accent.

[BelligerentGhoul]

Beth is nice as nn for Elizabeth.

[frankenfanny]

Adam -- OK
Aran -- OK but how to spell?
Caleb -- becoming popular so OK just not my taste
Daniel -- OK
Joshua -- popular for good reason, can't go wrong
Lauchlan -- OK, but spelling again - different sounds if Lachlan
Leo -- OK
Nathan --like Nat/Nate
Reuben -- cool
Rory -- cool also Rhuari if you like Scottishy pronunciation

Abigail - OK
Amy - OK
Aphra - Nice sounding not so popular name
Ayla - don't like
Bethan - OK
Indie - Nice
Isla -OK
Kendall - unusual,sounds OK
Lacey - don't like
Scout -don't like for a girl ( know too many dogs called this)
Zia - don't like the sound of it and it is a male name in Arabic (although unisex meaning)


So the ones which are "OK" - because they are good, popular,can't go wrong sort of names I have no preference over.

My favourites would be Reuben and Indie, or Rory and Isla if you prefer a Scottish flavour.

[Tyson86]

Love Daniel
Love Bethan

Scout is abit odd imo

[thebrightside]

Thank you everyone! Has helped to possibly slim down the list. I find it so much easier to find boys names I, (and others it seems) like.

[Isla77]

Love Reuben and als love Isla (surprisingly (wink)