Long list for girls - very mixed bunch!

[AngieWatts]

Girls:

Annie
Anna
Anya
Grace (I know it is incredibly popular, but still love it)
Rosa
Rosanna
Roxanna (Roxy and Ronnie connotations now?)
Maria
Zora
Emmeline (seems to be gaining popularity)
Etta (also really like Loretta, but most people I have mentioned it to seem to hate it!)
Roisin
Saoirse
Caoimhe (but would go with Keeva rather than Kweeva)
Aoife
Liadan


Suggestions welcome.

I like flowery names and names ending in 'a' (but not too flowery), but also like short snappy names (e.g. Etta - loved Eve but they are everywhere now) and Irish names (am Irish). DH is Jamaican with Portugese and French roots, so we are a real mixed family and could look at names of all sorts of origins, I guess.

TIA

[wigglesrock]

Your list is lovely, I have an Anna (8 months), and several of your names were on my short list. I say Keeva for Caoimhe (in NI). If you like Anya, would you consider Aine. I have been absolutely no help at all, I realise this , but I love, love Grace as well. I used a very popular name for dd2 and in all honesty she has just gone into nursery school and she's the only one, we also don't know any others.

[Psammead]

Annie - lovely. I personally prefer 'proper' names which can be nicknamed, so would go for Anne or Annika or something and use Annie. That's just me though and I am sure it works fine as a name in its own right.

Anna - very nice.

Anya - lovely

Grace - beautiful! It gets used as a MN a lot. Not sure on popularity as a first name.

Rosa - very nice

Rosanna - I prefer Roseanne, but it's ok.

Roxanna - fiesty name. Not one I'd personally choose but ok.

Maria - classic, simple, beautiful

Zora - dislike

Emmeline - meh

Etta - brilliant but you need to watch out with surnames. Etta Fish, for example, not good. Love the association with Etta James though.

Roisin - not keen, but I am not Irish so it's not got the same associations for me.

Saoirse - ditto

Ditto the rest, too.

Maria, Rosa, Grace, Anna, Anya and Etta are my faves.

[Psammead]

Have you considered Rosemary?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I like Anna and Maria but Emmeline is my favourite. Not over-fond of the others, particularly Zora and Roxanna.

[manicinsomniac]

Annie - don't like it as a standalone. Know several lovely Annies but they are all Annabelle's and I think they've spoiled their pretty name personally.
Anna - Really like it. Pretty and timeless.
Anya - Lovely. Not too run of the mill
Grace - Like it.
Rosa - It's okay. Prefer Rosie for a child
Rosanna - Nice enough, not a massive fan but it's fine.
Roxanna - I don't know, I kind of like it but somehow it's a bit 80s pornstar in my head
Maria - Not keen.
Zora - Never heard it before but could like it I think
Emmeline - Like the pronounciation Emma-Lynn but not others really
Etta - Pretty and unusual
Roisin - Not overly keen
Saoirse - Not sure how to say it so don't know
Caoimhe - Really like it
Aoife - Very pretty
Liadan - Again, don't know how it's pronounced so not sure.

I would go for Anya, Etta or Aoife I think.

[AngieWatts]

Thanks all.

Not sure about Rosemary. Still has old lady connotations for me, but could be a grower...

Saorise is Seer-sha

Liadan is Lee-ah-dun (its a very old gaelic name and the name of a famous Irish poetess)

Yes re: 80s porn star for Roxanna / Roxy! This is my fear.

Zora - inspired by the name of an African-American writer - Zora Neale-Hurston.

[AngieWatts]

Saoirse even!

[exoticfruits]

Anna or Rosanna

[AngieWatts]

I love Clara but its my niece's name, so a no-no.

Any thoughts on Ita?

[scaevola]

Annie - lovely, would use it as nn for
Anna - also lovely
Anya - ok
Grace - ok
Rosa - lovely
Rosanna - lovely
Roxanna - like
Maria - lovely
Zora - sorry, makes me think disinfectant
Emmeline - ok
Etta - ok, lovely as nn for Eithne
Roisin - ok
Saoirse - ok
Caoimhe - don't like
Aoife - don't like
Liadan - no

[wigglesrock]

Pronounced like Eata (sort of) ? Its very grannyish where I am.

[AngieWatts]

Yes, Ita like eater /eeta

It is a very old fashioned name, but wondering whether I could revive it as, say, Ivy and Violet in the UK?

[AngieWatts]

TSC - I love Marianne (and also Mariana) and all of your names, actually!

Maybe not madly keen on Zoe, but love all the rest.

Your final names are lovely.

[Staverton]

How about Louisa or cecily?
I also love marianne

[Fixture]

LIKE

Grace
Rosa
Rosanna
Emmeline
Annie - as nickname for longer name

OK

Anna
Maria
Roisin
Aoife
Anya

NOT KEEN

Zora (but I like Zara)
Roxanna
Etta
Saoirse
Caoimhe
Liadan

[ShroudOfHamsters]

Anna, nn Annie

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

From the list I love Anya (and Aine), Saoirse and Aoife.

[lurkinginthebackground]

Annie- Agree not a "proper" name more of a nn. Not keen a bit cutsey.
Anna - Like, much more to it than Anne or Annie, far more classy.
Anya - Like.
Grace (I know it is incredibly popular, but still love it)- ok
Rosa - not keen
Rosanna - not keen but fine if you like flowery names.
Roxanna (Roxy and Ronnie connotations now?) - not keen
Maria - not keen
Zora - slightly masculine sounding
Emmeline (seems to be gaining popularity) -very nice and unpopular/unusual
Etta (also really like Loretta, but most people I have mentioned it to seem to hate it!) - I like this.
Roisin _ like
Saoirse -ok
Caoimhe (but would go with Keeva rather than Kweeva) -ok
Aoife - ok
Liadan - never heard of this so not sure how to pronounce it.

[cazzybabs]

I like grace and Aoife (but you would need to tell people how to pronounce it). I don't like Roxanna, Etta or Roisin.

[Rhubarbgarden]

Oh I like Zora. Especially with your reasons. And I love Anna, Maria and Rosa. Good, classic elegant names.

[jellybeans]

Annie DISLIKE
Anna LIKE
Anya DISLIKE
Grace LIKE
Rosa LOVE IT
Rosanna OK
Roxanna LOVE IT
Maria OK
Zora DISLIKE
Emmeline DISLIKE
Etta LIKE
Roisin DISLIKE
Saoirse DISLIKE
Caoimhe NICE BUT SPELLING TO CONFUSING
Aoife SAME AS ABOVE
Liadan DISLIKE

How about

Leona
Leonie
Bryony
Skye
Faith
Hope
Ezra

[FessaEst]

I really like Etta. We had it down as a nn for Harriet.