Parents, Teachers, Everyone - Opinions on these names please!

[moominleigh94]

Me again

Please be as brutal as you like; whether it's based on experiences of people you've met/taught or just plain opinions. Trying to create long-lists that we can then turn into shortlists (we're having a surprise so we'll just pick the name on the day, hopefully off our shortlist).

Celyn (pronounced Kell-in, Welsh for 'holly')
Dylan
Alistair
Sienna
Georgia (as a middle name)
Rhys (as a middle name)
Rory
Bradley
Skye (girl)
Saffron
Ava

I'll be adding to this list later, just gauging some basic opinions first

[noblegiraffe]

Teacher here, Celyn will cause pronunciation issues, so I'd avoid.

Not keen on Bradley or Saffron, but the rest are fine!

[MrsT2007]

Opinions of Bradley, Dylan and Rhys tarnished by some naughty boys here I'm afraid......others are lovely. Taught a lovely girl called Saffron.

[moominleigh94]

Thanks :) we're in Wales so hopefully pronounciation won't be too big an issue (should've clarified that earlier, sorry).

Thanks for the opinions!

[SandStorm]

Celyn (pronounced Kell-in, Welsh for 'holly') - is this a girl's name? I know you say you're in Wales but that might not always be the case.
Dylan :)
Alistair - love this but I would spell it with an a (Alastair) but that's just personal preference
Sienna - not sure, I would think of Sienna Miller but that's a generation thing probably
Georgia (as a middle name) - love this, would use as a first name
Rhys (as a middle name) - as above
Rory - love it
Bradley - it's okay but you've got nicer names on your list
Skye (girl) - as above
Saffron - no, would remind me of Ab Fab too much
Ava - no, too common round here (for common, read popular)

[DiamondsAndRust]

Teacher here. From your list I really like Alistair, Rory, Celyn and Skye. No negative associations with any of these.

Not keen on Bradley, Rhys or Dylan (have taught several 'challenging' boys with each of these names, which does taint them a bit unfortunately!). Sienna has suddenly become incredibly popular where I am (London) and I sense it's going to be a bit of a 'flash in the pan' name. Saffron and Ava OK but Ava's very trendy and Saffron does remind me of Ab Fab (plus I went to school with an incredibly annoying one).

Georgia also very common as a FN, but works fine as a MN I think.

[DiamondsAndRust]

Just noticed MrsT2007's post with the same three names mentioned - must be a theme!

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Really like Celyn for a girl, and Dylan or Rory for a boy. Not terribly fussed about the others, actively dislike Georgia, Saffron and Skye, sorry.

[moominleigh94]

Thanks :)

At the moment our favourite for a girl is Celyn Georgia :)

[livenlet]

Love Georgia know a real sweet kind and buetiful young girl with this name, also like celyn will it be a xmass baby love names with meaning , the rest are names I would stay well away from I really despise the names Rhys, Rory Bradley

[HyvaPaiva]

LOVE Georgia, Rory and Alistair. Like Ava. I don't like the others at all. Sorry, OP

[moominleigh94]

livenlet It's a spring baby rather than xmas, but the lake we pass every time on the way from where we live now to home, and also the lake my parents used to pass on the way up to visit my brother in hospital before he died, is called Celyn lake, which is where the significance for our family lies :)

[FairyTiggybelle]

Celyn (pronounced Kell-in, Welsh for 'holly') - I like it but nobody will pronounce it properly.
Dylan - Hippy snail.
Alistair - Just don't like it much.
Sienna - OK.
Georgia (as a middle name) - All right I suppose.
Rhys (as a middle name) - ONLY AS A MIDDLE NAME!
Rory - Nice.
Bradley - Holy crap no! Bradleys are...interesting.
Skye (girl) - Hippy name again.
Saffron - Posh hippy name.
Ava - OK.

[Gillian1980]

We have an Alistair and a Rory in my family and so I associate those with lovely people

I like Dylan and Georgia too.

[grizzabellia]

Celyn (pronounced Kell-in, Welsh for 'holly') - like the idea but sounds a bit too much like a made up combination of Kelly and Lynn (to a non welsh speaker)
Dylan - like a lot
Alistair - quite nice, not to my taste personally
Sienna - not massively keen, always makes me think of senna
Georgia (as a middle name) - like better than your other girl names
Rhys (as a middle name) - dislike
Rory - like this
Bradley - really dislike, seems to be a different type of name to your others
Skye (girl) - quite like but think treads quite a fine line between hippy and common
Saffron - like this a lot, also Saffy
Ava - ok, but massively overused so uninteresting

I would go for Saffron Georgia (really pretty combination!) and Dylan ? from that list (like Dylan Rory)

[moominleigh94]

Fairy How do you think people would pronounce it? It's probably because of being Welsh but I can't imagine a different way of pronouncing it as she (if it's a she) will be raised bilingually, and will go to Welsh schools all being well, I'm hoping there won't be a problem.

Glad Dylan is liked as it's our top choice for a boy, closely followed by Alistair/Alastair (haven't decided on spelling yet). Rhys as a middle name is probably going in there as it was brother's middle name too but not for definite, still really keen on Saffron but Celyn has overtaken it, and we'd like to have an element of Welsh in either name.

I promise I'm not a posh hippy Fairy - got some more names I'll be adding in a second, those were just the ones that popped into my head this morning. OH and I are comparing lists as we go along. I think Bradley was a choice inspired by hormones as all I can think about is Bradley Bear from Haven Holidays, so I think that one's out I'd also struggle in that case with Rory, as it's Rory The Tiger... Also just remembered the hippy family from where I used to live had a daughter called Skye and she wasn't very pleasant, so I wouldn't want that association will post an updated list now :)

[noblegiraffe]

I just asked my DH how he would pronounce it and he said Selwyn

I thought maybe Seelyn.

[moominleigh94]

GIRLS
Celyn (probably Georgia as a mn)
Saffron (either Celyn or Georgia as mn)
Sienna
Evie (I love but OH has a friend called Evie and says her ego will go through the roof, but apparently he likes the name enough to overlook that)
Harper (OH likes as a middle name but not sure what for. I like the link to Harper Lee but not in love with the name yet)
Arden (definitely as a middle name rather than first, but we're worried about her being called "hard-on". Also, not sure if it's more boy or girl, but we like it for the Shakespeare link)
Alexa (nn Lexi, but we're worried it's a bit... nothing-y. I love the name but there's no real reason that I love the name, if that makes sense?)
Autumn (we both love, but probably wouldn't work because she's due in the spring)
Hero (Shakespearean connotations we like, hippy-ness and Myleene Klass choosing it we're not so keen on)

BOYS
Dylan (either Rhys or Rory as a middle name, with Edward as a second middle name, a link to OH's family)
Alistair/Alastair (probably Dylan as a mn)
Oscar (I love, OH not so keen)
Finlay/Finn (I like, OH worried that it's inspired by Glee character)
Toby (we both like, but don't love yet)
Travis (OH likes, I'm not overly keen)

[RegularVoltaire]

Celyn (pronounced Kell-in, Welsh for 'holly') - I'm not Welsh but would have pn this as Kell-in anyway. This is my favourite of your girls names - it's lovely
Dylan - I don't like this
Alistair - I don't like this either
Sienna - Not keen
Georgia (as a middle name) - Love
Rhys (as a middle name) - Not keen
Rory - Love
Bradley - Really don't like
Skye (girl) - Love
Saffron - Really don't like
Ava - Not keen

I like Celyn, Georgia and Skye for a girl.
The only boy's name that I like on your list is Rory.

[moominleigh94]

I still reckon I'll be ok on the pronounciation front because the majority of people she meets in her first few years will be those who speak Welsh (we live in the very Welsh-speaking stronghold of North Wales ) but would be interested to hear from some Welsh speakers if they'd struggle to pronounce Celyn.

[noblegiraffe]

Isn't Posh Spice's DD called Harper?

[moominleigh94]

Keen to play down that association as much as possible noble

[OKmum]

I like Rory & Dylan best, also Skye & Saffron (nn Saffie)

Not so keen on the rest, sorry....

[noblegiraffe]

But she will be Celyn for longer than her first few years! School might not be an issue, but when she gets a job, communicates with people by email etc, they're likely to not be Welsh.