Auden, Corin or Merryn? (for a girl)

[Laquila]

Ok, I think my husband and I have it down to the above three for a girl, after much chaffing and changing-of-minds.

Just to clarify re gender suitability etc:

Auden is allegedly technically a boys' name but this doesn't bother us as it just seems waaaay more feminine than masculine.

Corin is unisex - according to the ONS, there were 9 boy Corins in 2012 and 8 girls. We aren't keen on Corinne or Corrine, due to pronunciation confusion.

Merryn - to me this sounds feminine, especially with the nn Merry (discounting the hobbit...)

Which is your preferred option? Ay other suggestions along similar lines? Middle name is likely to be Grace.

[badtime]

Merryn is the best.

I think a lot of people would assume Corin was actually Corinne (because however many girls are given this name, it is traditionally a boys name cf. Aubrey).

Auden just doesn't sound very nice.

I also like unisex or unisex sounding names, though. I know you haven't asked for suggestions, but have you considered Rowan, or Robin, or Morgan?
How about Carmen, or Elin, or Eden?

(As all your names end in 'n', I thought you might be going for that)

[Laquila]

Thanks badtime. We do like Rowan, but I think we prefer it for a boy! I like Eden but husband not so keen. I'm not sure about Carmen....could go either way on that one, although I don't like Robin or Morgan, I'm afraid - thanks for suggestions though!

We also considered Delphine and Althea (nn Thea) but I don't know how I feel about those now. Delphine maybe just too girly?

[BikeRunSki]

Merryn. It is 1 - the nicest name and 2 - the only one that is clearly, no questions asked, no explanations needed, a girl' s name.

[Laquila]

Hah, you say that, BikeRunSki, but when I first suggested it to my husband he said, "For a boy? Yeah, I like it!". He can be a bit dopey on the names front, though.

Having said that, St Merryn was male (not that he'd ever heard of St Merryn...)

[2kidsintow]

Auden - doesn't sound like a name to me. No idea why, just my opinion. Also risking it being morphed into Auden-ary for a nasty nick name.

My Mum is Corenne, so I'm used to that one and I like it.

Merryn - I know a Merryl and think that Merryn is nice.

Slightly jealous that you have a DP who is happy to consider 'unusual' names - my DH was firmly against anything that wasn't pretty run of the mill.... mind you, after having to spell my name to anyone and everyone for my whole life, I didn't mind giving them names they wouldn't have to explain.

[SoupDragon]

Merryn.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

Merryn is lovely - I know a tiny one.

The other two seem very masculine to me, rather than unisex.

Why Grace? Does it have specific meaning to your family, or religious significance? Only it's hugely popular - almost a default middle name, like Jane or Louise in the 70s and 80s.

[Noggie]

Merryn

[Laquila]

Thanks all - 2kids my husband has an unusual name and is quite open-minded (a bit of a hippy at heart) so he's been quite amenable to slightly less standard options! Do you kind if I ask how your mum pronounces Corenne?

Horry - Grace is a traditional middle name in our family - I don't mind that it's so popular as it's special to me.

[JacqueslePeacock]

Not Auden. Merryn is good. I think Corin would end up confused with Corynne.

[KateCroydon]

Auden makes me think of W.H. Auden. This is a very good thing, but it's not the most little girly association.

[craftycottontail]

Another vote for Merryn - sounds a happy name (merry!) which is nice

Not a fan of Auden, but then to me it sounds like a surname and I don't really like surname sounding names.

Corin is just a bit bland to me!

[fanjodisfunction]

Which name do you like best OP?

Merryn is lovely and is on our list, though DH is going off it in favour of Cora or Thora.

Not sure on your other choices but they are not totally out there.

Delphine is also a favourite of mine.
I also like
Isis
Xanthe
Thea
Hera
Hazel
Olwen
Una

[Ogg]

Merryn

[TenthMuse]

I'd go for Merryn too. I quite like Auden and Corin too, but as others have said they both sound masculine to me, rather than unisex. Merryn is gorgeous, and unmistakeably feminine without being frilly. Have never heard it used as a boy's name.

[IsSpringSprangedYet]

I like Merryn best. But I know a Coryn (spelt with a y), and she is lovely. Both lovely names. Not overly keen on Auden, but it is nice.

Not much help - sorry!

[5madthings]

love merryn, my dd is a merryn.

its mentioned a bit on mnet but is actually not very common, there were 36 baby girls named merryn last year.

i also like corin, it was also on our list :)

[Laquila]

Thanks very much all! Interesting to me that Auden in particular is coming out as seem as masculine - I just can't get my head around that, despite the obvious poet :) Maybe because I associate it with Audrey, Aurora, etc?

Fanjo I'm really not sure!! I've liked Corin all along, then we found Auden and I transferred my affections to that...also like the nn Aud or Audie.

Then last week we found Merryn and I just thought it was so cheerful and somehow straightforward, and unusual without being bonkers.

From your list I do like Isis. I know a Xanthe and a couple of Olwens - I like both it couldn't see myself using them, IYKWIM.

I haven't completely discounted Delphine or Althea yet though...

[Laquila]

Ahhh 5mad I think you are my most consistently similar taste-in-naming mnetter! In fact, it might have been from a post of yours that we got Merryn, so thank you! Do you mind me asking what else was on your list?

[5madthings]

we reallu struggled with girls names so not many.

we liked genevieve but thought it would get shortened to jen which we dont like.

bonnie

casey/cassie

arden

i also like felicity and violet but they are becoming more popular.

my dd is merryn lola eden :)


i love thalia but we have a theo so couldnt use it!

umm will have a think.

the poster frigg has a girls name thread somewhere and has very similar taste.

ooh astrid was om our list

and i like hebe as well :)

[Laquila]

Merryn Lola Eden is lovely! My husband isn't convinced about Eden, otherwise that'd be on our shortlist too.

Theo was initially my top boy's name but we've now pretty much agreed on Nathaniel.

Well look it for frigg's thread, thanks! (thinking about it I may have posted on it...)

[fanjodisfunction]

My DH and I had a similar talk abou the name Eden, we both love it, but I wanted it for a girl, he thinks its a boys name.

Corin is nice, its totally unisex to me. I know of female corin spelt that way too.

[nooka]

They all sound like boys names to me to be honest. I think it would be irritating to have a name where the default assumption is that you are a boy/man.

Especially Corin, where there is a very obvious female form, I just don't understand why you wouldn't use that (not sure what pronunciation issues there are, although I can see there are multiple spellings, but that doesn't tend to put people off Catherine) Likewise with Auden, given you are thinking about using Aud/Audie as nns then why not Audrey? Both names are still relatively unusual, and neither are 'frilly' feminine.

Anyway its obviously entirely your choice, but Delphine is lovely

[5madthings]

my dp doesnt like eden as much either, but he wanted lola as a middle name and i said if he got lola i got eden! i think eden is unisex tho i think of it as a girls name.

casey is also unisex imo.


i.like nathaniel but dp didnt.

[Laquila]

Nooka I see your point but with Corin, it's that pronunciation that we want (rhymes with foreign), and having done some straw-poll threads on here, if you spell it Corrine or Corinne, you tend to get people assuming it's pronounced either Co-REEN or Co-RINN.

Now I know that it (or variants) can also be spelt Corenne, Coryn or Corynne, that just sort of throws me into further confusion! At least with Corin there's only possible pronunciation?!