Who wants to hear my friend's shortlist for her baby girl...?

[TurnThatFrownUpsideDown]

Posting with aforementioned friend's permission.

She knows her choices are 'unique' and won't be to everyone's taste, but would love more than just my opinion.

Anastasia
Ever
Lake
Marilyn
Starla
Ella
Rae
Tate
Haven

She says Marilyn is her favourite (which i actually love!), but also likes Lake and Ever (which i'm not so keen on).

[WeasleyWoo]

I like Anastasia, but the 50 shades connection would put me off.

Also quite like Haven & Ella.

Not so keen in the others.

[Mcnorton]

Some interesting choices. In my mind Tate is a boy's name. Lake and Ever and don't sound like names to me. I love Anastasia though!

My DM and DMIL are both called Marilyn and have faced a lifetime of a) feeling dated (they were born in same era as Marilyn Monroe, obviously not an issue for your friend's child, and b) no-one can spell it correctly! That goes for loads of names though I suppose... sorry, not much help.

[DrMcDreamysWife]

Starla is my favourite, unique, unusual and pretty. . Tate is defo a boys name. Ever and lake are silly. Marilyn just doesn't sound like a baby, too old sounding.

[Littlecherublegs]

To me Lake, Ever and Haven are not names.
Tate is a boys name.
Starla sounds made up but does have a nice ring to it.
I like Rae and Ella.
Don't like Marilyn or Anastasia.

[Elquota]

I like Anastasia, Marilyn, Starla and Rae.

Haven is a caravan holiday park, and a tate is a potato.

[elQuintoConyo]

Oooooh, I like Starla, it's the first time I've seen it.
The other are a bit meh for me, except Marilyn, obviously for the Monroe connection. I think people would get used to it and it would suit most little girls.

[KLou1105]

I love anastasia, like Rae and Ella
Not sure on starla or Marilyn
And don't like Tate, Ever, lake

What about Skylah? Enya? Esmerelda?

[ZolaBuddleia]

I like Starla and Rae.

[Branleuse]

Haven? How about eurocamp?

[VodkaRevelation]

Ever sounds like Heather in a cockney accent.

Marilyn is nice

[HerRoyalNotness]

My favourite is Anastasia from the list.

I know a little Ever, I'm not sure if it works tbh. They're Canadian so avoids the 'eava (heather) connotations.

[MustafaCake]

Anastasia - lovely, unusual but not made up, my favourite
Ever - made up and cockney for heather
Lake - it's a body of water not a name
Marilyn - old lady with permed blonde hair
Starla - sounds like starling
Ella - pretty but very very popular
Rae- yee ha cowgirl
Tate - boys name
Haven - holiday camp

So anastasia wins!

[Onesleeptillwembley]

some of those are truly, truly awful.

[Rhubarbgarden]

Marilyn is pretty. Please not Haven. Who wants to be named after a caravan park?

[ClartyCarol]

Haven is bizarre, both for the holiday camp associations and rather more, ahem, grown up associations as an adult.

Not really keen on any of them, I guess Ella is the most conventional and least likely to result in "Sorry, what was that?" every time the child/woman is asked her name. Anastasia obviously is known too but is a bit of s mouthful.

[Turniptwirl]

I like Rae

Funny how there's all these "out there names" and then Ella!

[HighInterestRat]

Marilyn is my boss' name. I actually really like it!

[OhTiger]

Haven is a caravan park.

Lake and Ever are not names.

Starla is made up.

The others are lovely. HTH

[HighInterestRat]

And not because I have to say that because she is my boss.

[MacaYoniandCheese]

Anastasia is the only proper name from that list, IMO.

Marilyn makes me think of Manson, peroxide and bottles of pills. Sorry [grim].

[pinkr]

People use shaven haven as slang for genitals don't they?
Marilyn is lovely

[TheRealFellatio]

Why Ever? Is it pronounced like the word ever, or is it like Eva? Either way I think no.

Lake is ok for a boy, but not a girl. Same with Tate. Not wild about Marilyn, I think it's a bit cheesy but I am 47 so it's a name from my mothers' generation.

Anastasia is quite nice but I hate the NN Stacey, and I imagine it will become common after 50 shades.

Ella is a bit run of the mill now.

Rae I love.

Haven meh. Bit daft.

Starla quite nice. Very 50's American sounding.

[DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper]

Marilyn is probably ripe for revival, actually.

As I've said a zillion times on here before, we're starting to edge away from the very frilly, feminine names that have been popular for a while now, towards stronger names, and consonant-ending names is a feature of this.

I'm personally not ready for it - or it's just not to my taste - but I can definitely see it being part of the next group/style of names to become popular.

Haven is dreadful. Sorry to beat about the bush but it is. And yes,
pinkr is right. She will be slaughtered with a name like that.

[StrawberryMojito]

Rae is great. Anastasia is ok. Ella is fine but she wiil be one of about 5 in her class. Marilyn will sound middle aged from birth, am quite amazed that so many on this thread seem to like it. Starla isn't bad. I don't like the rest.

[nooka]

What a weird mix! From extremely popular (Ella), through slightly unusual (Rae, Anastasia, Marilyn), porn star fabulous (Starla) to not names at all (Lake, Ever, Haven) with a boys surname as first name (Tate) thrown in.

The slightly unusual names are OK I guess, Ella is a bit 'meh', the others are awful verging on cruel, especially Haven for reasons already mentioned.

My cousin is called Anastasia, and I can't really see where Stacey would come from as the second s is a 'z' sound. Although the Russian diminutive is Nastya, so it could be worse!