Mumsnet Talk

between me and DP! We've got a while to go but don't seem to be on the same page at all name-wise! Which of our lists would you discount and why? (Feel free to be honest - don't want to saddle child with name I think is amazing but everyone else it ever meets thinks is ridiculous)

DP's list:
Emma
Ali
Leah
Amy

Lee (boy)

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha)
Seren
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!)
Natalia
Mercedes
Genevieve (Eve for short)

Joseph

Thanks.

sorry, with the exception of Ali I prefer your DPs list for girls - prefer Joseph for a boy though. Megan is the only girls name fro your list that I like.

amck5700 said exactly what I was going to say.

I like Emma, Leah and Seren. If we have another DD her middle name will be Seren.

badtime My favourite from the girls would be Emma, so Emma or Joe it is then

Saoirse and Seren are lovely but do you have any Irish or Welsh connection? Not that you HAVE to, but I can see why your DH would be a bit if you haven't.

I like Joseph very much for a boy.

The rest of your girls names are a bit much for my tastes, prefer your DH's list - again with the exception of Ali!

You could mark each others names out of ten and then use the names with the highest scores as a shortlist. Maybe keep the 3 highest scoring names from each others list.

DP's list:

Emma - Dated
Ali - People would assume it was short for Alison, also dated
Leah - v chavy where I live
Amy - Dated

Lee (boy) - Too much potential for teasing (wee, pee etc).

My list:

Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha)- child would have to spend time correcting
Seren - Nice
Megan – Awful and very dated imo
Natalia – Ok
Mercedes – Ruined by car association
Genevieve (Eve for short) – Lovely my favourite from both lists, great nicknames
Vivi, Evie, Eve, Genna

Joseph – Ok

Your dp has made a good list - all fine.

I don't like your list, with the exception of Natalia and Joseph.

Emma- A pretty name though dated
Ali- Reminds me of Ali G not a fan sorry
Leah- I love this name
Amy- Too common a bit boring

Lee (boy)- Husbands Name- bit boring

My list:
Saoirse -Not particulalry Keen
Seren- Very pretty lovely meaning
Megan- (My babys name and its gorgeous- never been called Smegan
Natalia- I like this a lot
Mercedes- Sorry really really dislike
Genevieve (Eve for short) Pretty and unusual

Joseph- I like but dont love this name

thanks for the comments so far - maybe dp has a point about some of my names then!

I should have added, as far as I'm concerned, Joseph is non-negotiable (after my late dad, easy to shorten, I think it's lovely), DP is not convinced but it's one I just won't be budged on. However, I do also like Aidan, Aaron and Owen.

I love Genevieve because of all the way you can shorten it, but DP thinks why give a child one name and call it another. (Hence the 'Ali' on his list - which i really really dislike).

He also likes Callie, a combination of both our mothers names, but I'm not keen.

We both like Ruby - but neither of us loves it, iykwim

ps - I have strong Irish and Spanish family connections! Hence some of my choices.

Emma- Don't really like it
Ali- Horrible
Leah- I quite like this
Amy- too common for me

Lee (boy)- not keen

My list:
Saoirse - Not that keen
Seren- Love this!!
Megan- I really like Megan
Natalia- Nice
Mercedes- Its ok but I instantly think of the car. Its like calling a baby Vauxhall for me
Genevieve (Eve for short) My favourite out of all the names

Joseph- I do quite like this.

Your list is best, especially Genevieve.

DP's list: I think they are all fabulous. I disagree with people think some of them are dated. I guess Ali is my least favourite, but i don't even dislike that one (I like Callie better though). My order would be Leah, Emma, Amy, Ali.

Your list: I think they are all beautiful except I don't really like Natalia (sounds really Russian, I prefer Natalie but hate the short form Nat). And I don't really like Mercedes. I love all your other names though.

Joseph is great for a boy.
I agree that why name your child something if you plan to call him/her something else...just name them the name you want to call them.
Good luck!!!

Joseph

I like Lee/Leah, both on your DP's list, sorry!

I prefer your DPs list for girls (with the exception of Ali) but my favourite names are actually Genevieve and Joseph which are both yours ! What about Leo for a boy (similar to Lee, but much more classic and less dated). Really love Genevieve.

Your DP's list is boring. Yours is more interesting. Some people think boring is a benefit.

I detest both the boys' names (although your reason is excellent) so I really really hope you have a girl

DP's list:
Emma - classic, but will be one of many in class
Ali - is a nickname. If not Alison, how about Alisha/Alicia?
Leah - i like this (Lee-ah not Ley-ah though)
Amy - again, safe but one of many. Ps does your dp watch Hollyoaks??

Lee (boy) - I've never met one who wasn't an arrogant tosser tbh

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) - will spend her life being called Sauce
Seren - increasingly popular, personally i think it's a bit foreshortened and prefer Serena
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!) - dated
Natalia - trying too hard to be exotic. Natalie or Natasha?
Mercedes - Benz
Genevieve (Eve for short) - to go with the 72 bazillion other Eve derivatives of the last few years

Joseph - like this

I prefer your list. All OK though imo except Lee (just not very keen) Ali (unless short for Alison, or Alastair for a boy) and Mercedes (beautiful, but it really is a car's name now, sadly).

Favourites in themselves are Saoirse, Natalia and Genevieve - so all from your list!

If you have Jewish (Leah) Irish (Saoirse, Genevieve), Welsh (Seren, Megan) or Russian (Natalia) connections then I'd be inclined to pick the name with the appropriate cultural connections.

Only really like Callie and Joseph.

I think your names are more interesting. Although from your DP's list I think Emma is a sweet, classic name as is Leah. Ali I don't like - it sounds like a nn or a boys name.

Joseph is lovely, and I love your reasons for calling a child this.

Jodie is sweet for a girl

I like your dp's list and actually go against the grain because I love Ali. I know two Alexandra's who both go by Ali.

From your list, I like Genevieve, but wouldn't shorten to Eve, and think Seren is beautiful.

oooh i didn't realise Genevieve was Irish - I loved it anyway but this makes it even more apt!

I actually prefer Natalie to Natalia but I can't stand it when people miss out the T and pronounce it "Naaah...alie", but you sort of have to pronounce the T in Natalia, if that makes sense?? But doesn't go with surname, admittedly.

Jodie was one of DP's suggestions!! I could be convinced on this...(only having one child so would never be in the situation of having a Joe and a Jodie).

Didn't consider Ali as a shortening of Alicia. Think it's quite pretty...hmm...at least middle name potential....

I'm getting that Mercedes is definately a no-no (sadly!). What do you think of Maya (pro. M-eye-a)? Or does it just sound like someone is questioning their surname (ie. Am I a ...Smith eg.)

I don't like Ali or Leah. Amy is a bit [meh]. Emma is nice/classic. I don't like Lee at all.

Don't really like Saoirse (unless you are Irish) because of the difficult spelling or Genevieve and hate Mercedes. Megan & Natalia are fine.

Seren, I love (but I am biased ) and I love Joseph too (completely unbiased)

Emma - nice name but I know so very many of them that it would put me off
Ali - like
Leah - like
Amy - ok but not so exciting

Lee (boy) - fine but not thrilling

Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) - great name - does it still have political implications? I guess in the past it would have been chosen for its meaning IYKWIM which is great if you are happy with that.

Seren - nice but as per another thread v. popular in Wales
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!) - nice but also v. heavily used if you're in Wales
Natalia - don't like so much
Mercedes - great if you're Spanish, tricky otherwise
Genevieve (Eve for short) - like

Joseph - like

yy Saoirse is still seen as a big IRA name (I still love it though)

Have you thought of Mercy? It's a shortening of Mercedes but of course is a "virtue" name in its own right.

DP's list:
Emma very plain
Ali i'd think it was a boy, but there is Ally Sheedy...
Leah very biblical
Amy very common, will date

Lee (boy) hate this, awful they are all chavs

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) stick to middle name as no one will pr it right
Seren ok but sounds a bit pretentious
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!) fine, a bit of the moment, and maybe like 'smag' for red dwarf fans
Natalia love this plus talia nn
Mercedes you just really cant do that to a child!
Genevieve (Eve for short) pronounciation problems, cant contril nn- might be ginny, gene, viv, jenny

Joseph a bit Stalin but if you have to use it...
Aidan a bit common but ok
Aaron ah-ron or a (as in ape) ron will be the question asked all his life
Owen very welsh but ok

Callie I'd think it was a nn for Calista
Ruby I like it but it is very of the moment
Maya this is my favourite, great name

Don't like your list, sorry.

Emma is the nicest. It's a classic for a reason.

I also prefer your DP's list. I like all his names though Ali does sound like a nn to me. Of yours, I like Natalie best (not so much Natalia).

Emma (love) and Joseph. Not keen on the others.

thanks -as it definately has car connotations, Mercedes is off the list. I'm put of Mercy, because all it makes me think of is a slightly unhinged woman screeching it a few years ago on x-factor!

It will (would have) been both sets of grandparents ruby wedding in the month baby is due, which made me think that Ruby would be nice as a first or maybe middle name. But friends have recently named their dog this!

I do like Emma, as I would imagine there aren't that many of them around at the moment. I've also loved Kate for a long time, but would be frightened people might think I'd named her after waity katy!!

Any other suggestions?

DP's list:
Emma. Good choice my name !
Ali . No
Leah . No
Amy . Maybe

Lee (boy). No . Awful .

My list:
Saoirse No
Seren . No . I like Serena though . Seren just looks like a spelling mistake
Megan Not too bad
Natalia . Maybe , but it's a Christmas name
Mercedes . Lovely
Genevieve Lovely

Joseph . Lovely

Emma is far and away the nicest name on that list and of all names generally

Genevieve is ok.

Others not my cup of tea.

I like Leah and Joseph

Ali is not good for a girl, its more of a boy's name?!

You could go for Natalia with the stated aim of having Ali or Lia (Leah) as a shortening

If he hates Megan then you need to delete it

As for Lee, it's a bit of a 'meh' name so I prefer Joseph

I like Emma, Megan & Genevieve (but not Eve for short)

Maya is beautiful, prob my fave.

Love the name Joseph biased .

I like Emma, Saoirse, Kate, and Natalia/Natalie of your lists combined. Suggestions:

Saskia
Sasha
Erin
Eloise
Louisa
Susannah
Anna
Thea
Clara
Juliet
Elsa
Josephine

I say go for Ruby!

Your DP's list is very 80's, I went to school with several Emma's, Leah's and Amy's. Ali is horrid I'm afraid.
Lee is another 80's name to me, not that nice.

Joseph is a classic name, it's great. I'd have used it for my ds except my DH pronounces it "Josieve"

I like Natalia best out of your girl's names, or Seren.

Leah is very popular at the moment.

One DC I know was going to be Leah Kate right up until she was born. Then she became Amelia.

I hate the name Lee. Maybe it's just the Lee's I've met, but it's a bit 'Kevin' to me, in the sense of: I can't believe someone would call their child that without a family connection to the name when there are so many nice names out there.

Love Joseph though.

Lee's? Lees.

Genevieve and Joseph are the only ones to my personal taste.

Good luck, OP!

Thanks all! I should have added that the only reason I was even letting him think about Lee is because it's my beloved granny's maiden name. Hearing how it's universally disliked has just made me dig my heels in more about Joseph! Tho I do also like Aidan, Aaron, Caleb and Reuben.

Thanks for the girls suggestions - I'm really liking Erin, Clara and Sasha - i love the 'sh' sound in girls names. I also like Laura and Lara.

It's so much harder than I thought it would be!!

I think Emma is timeless, It was my Grandmother's name (she would have been 95 this year), it is also the name of one of my friends who is 36.

Similarly, Joseph was my Grandfather's name and also the name of DS1, 25.

These two are my favourites for obvious reasons!!

I do like your taste Iheart, I have a Sasha and a Joseph .

Saoirse is really pretty I think. But your DD will probably have to spend her life telling people how to pronounce and spell it (unless living in Ireland).

Ali as a stand alone name for a girl is just bizarre. Makes you think of Mohammed Ali, Ali G, etc.

Lee works as a middle name - Joseph Lee.

If you needed to offer your DH some kind of crumbs

I'd go for Genevieve and call her Genevieve

<hides from Soupy>

Apart from Emma, which is a classic, your DP is stuck in 1980!

I think there's good and bad not so good on both lists

Emma - lovely, classic
Ali - no, unless it was spelt Ally or was short for something else
Leah - really like it
Amy - don't like

From your list I like Seren and Natalia, also Erin and Ruby (good middle name)
Kate makes me think of waity Katy too.

YES to Joseph, especially over Lee. I love Aidan as well.

I agree with your DH about Megan. I have a Meg and she gets Smeg, however she also gets a long list of other nicknames too and im not uptight.

I prefer your dhs list, Amy the best but prefer Aimee.

Seren sounds too much like sarin to me so would be a no in my book. Bad word association.

The list:
Emma - nice
Ali - too nicknamey and girl next doorish
Leah - nice but very 80sish; is it Leah he likes or Princess Leia?
Amy - too girl next door-ish

Callie -- too nicknamey and girl next door..

Lee (boy) -- too 70's ish
(or 1980 -- yes I agree here with pp -- were these the names of girls he went to school with by any chance?)

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) -- nice
Seren -- lovely
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!) --- I hate this name but not primarily for the same reason your DH does
Natalia -- lovely
Mercedes -- lovely but people will think you named her after the car unfortunately
Genevieve (Eve for short) -- lovely but it is not one teensy little bit Irish afaik, it is French) and Eve is nicer imo.

Joseph -- fab name

I would choose from:
Emma
Leah
Seren
Natalia
Eve - because why shorten a perfectly nice name to another perfectly nice name? If you like Eve then call her Eve. If you never intend to call her Genevieve then don't call her Genevieve.

Would you consider Leo or Alice, or Alicia?
Kate (if short for Katherine), Laura, Lara and Clara are lovely too.

I dislike Maya -- too wispy, neither here nor there as a name. It's a big crossover name from hispanic to anglo culture in the US. Maybe this would be a plus for you?
Jodie is beyond awful -- is your H is a timewarp?
Erin and Ruby I don't really like.

Joseph Lee sounds nice for a boy.

This will be brutal. Apologies.

Emma dull
Ali Not a name
Leah meh
Amy Ok ish, bit meh

Lee (boy) truly awful, please don't do this to a child

Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) pronunciation nightmare, otherwise OK
Seren OK
Megan lovely
Natalia OK
Mercedes Not so good if not living in Spain - will get car jokes forever
Genevieve (Eve for short) Awful

Joseph lovely

absolutely not natalia!!!! I unfortunately know of 3 natalias all of which have very few friends and all are horrible bullies!!! no no no!!!

Amy, Megan, seren, saiorse, Joseph - lovely names!!!

Emma - boring
Ali - not a name, will spend a lot of time correcting people
Leah - nice but very chavvy round these 'ere parts
Amy - boring

Lee (boy) - agree with others; have never met one that wasn't a total bell end.

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha) - pretty but will spend her life correcting either spelling or pronunciation.
Seren - prefer Serena.
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!) - sorry not keen, although I haven't heard a Megan being called Smegan since Red Dwarf was popular in about 1995
Natalia - better than Natalie, but sounds a little silly if your surname is very standard e.g Natalia Smith
Mercedes - Benz. It used to be beautiful but now it makes me think of strippers
Genevieve (Eve for short) - gorgeous but would use Ginny as NN - so many Eve-Eva-Evie-Ava's now.

Joseph - nice, classic, popular but you can't really go wrong.

From you other ones Ruby is nice but popular, Callie is short for something else, Maya is getting increasingly popular and IME has the same spelling but several pronunciations (My-ah, Mey-ah). Catherine/Kate is so classic I don't think anyone would think you'd names her after Kate Middleton. Love Leo. and I wanted to call DS2 Reuben but its the name of a sandwich in the US & DH vetoed it on that basis.

Elizabeth (Libby, Beth)/Eliza
Holly
Kirsten
Amber
Caitlin
Olivia

Boys
Oliver
Joshua
Elijah
Harry

I think Saoirse is pretty and I would know how to pronounce it despite being American. (Because of the actress from the Lovely Bones)

Seren and Emma are ok. I'm Megan and have never been called Smegan.

I like Joseph and Jodie. Would be a nice way to honor your dad, I think.

I'd be upset people thinking my children were polish but Polish doesn't bother me.

Ok, yours are nicer.

Joseph is lovely, Lee is awful and makes me think of 'tough' little kids with grade 1 haircuts who spit in public and will probably end up in prison (that's quite a specific association isn't it but i've only ever met one nice Lee).

However, Mercedes is too much unless you live in Spain.

Ali is a unisex nn and would have people asking what the full name is. I'm not a fan of Alison, though Alice / Alicia are nice.

I love Genevieve because it has so many nns, all nice and is a great grown-up name in full.

Maya is really nice (better than Mia IMO) and Callie is nice but short for Calliope or Callista (any Greek heritage? Nice names anyway).

Amy and Emma are nice but dull, not a fan of Leah.

Hmm. I like Emma, Amy, Seren, and Joseph.

I like Kate too, of the other names you mentioned!

Oh, if you like Sasha, how about Alexander/dra? The Russian diminutive is Sasha - that's where the name comes from. Gives you an opprtunity for Ali too!

Erin is a bit fashionable at the mo, don't think it will last. It's an Irish man's name that somehow became female in the US.

I love your reason for using Ruby as a middle name. I'd do that.

What is upsetting about people thinking your children might be Polish?

Erin was never an Irish man's name that became female in the US .
Erin is a poetic name for Ireland that is used in hymns with the same theme of 'England's green and pleasant land' (for instance 'On Erin's green valleys/look down in thy love'); it's derived from the Irish term for Ireland, Eire, and was first used as a girl's name, by Irish Americans, to proclaim their pride in their heritage.

That's what the male, Irish Erin I know told me!

Wikipedia agrees with you mathanxiety, I shall have to mention this to him!

mumsnet works!! i showed DP the comments and he has finally come to realise that what he considers 'normal' names (ie 1970/80s names of people he went to school with) are no longer the norm! So we have both revised our lists.

Does Amelie Ruby flow as a name, or is it too much with them both ending in a 'ee' sound? She could have Amy as a nn if she wanted, i just think Amy is a bit dull as the proper name.

He still likes Lee as a boys name, but it's 100% not happening. I'll give in for a middle name but no way for a first name! We both love Daniel tho, to the point i may relegate my dads name as a middle name for it, so

Daniel Joseph or
Joseph Lee?

I prefer your list overall OP

DP's list:
Emma- Just sooo boring
- Ali- also boring
Leah- yep, boring again
Amy- dull dull dull

Lee (boy)- Really dislike this name

My list:
Saoirse (pronounced Seer-sha)- lovely, love the way it's spelt
Seren- lovely
Megan (I love this but DP HATES it with a passion!Says she'd be called Smegan?!!)- i'm with your DP on this one
Natalia- ok
Mercedes- Awful, really awful
Genevieve (Eve for short)- gorgeous name

Joseph- really like it, prefer Joseph to Joe though

Aidan and Owen- Gorgeous names

Aaron- Don't like it

So, i'd say for a girl go for Saoirse, Seren or Genevieve.

For a boy go for Joeseph, Owen or Aidan

I think for a girl - Emma or Seren
I think for a boy - Joseph

Ah, my DS1 is called Joseph - Joe - and imo it is the best boys name ever. Of your girl's names, Genevieve with Eve or Evie for short, which is what we would have called a girl if we didn't keep having boys.
(PS I am not a mum of 47)

Lee is awful. Sorry.

From your list I love Joseph and Natalia. From your DPs, Ali is the best.