Opinions/suggestions on names please :)

[Foggymist]

Looking to get opinions and ideas based off the names we have so far and like. We have a very short last name, one syllable, so I tend to like 2-3 syllable first names with it. Classical type names go best with our surname, or it's more that very modern names don't go with it, it has particular local (we're in Ireland) connotations that are hard to explain without giving massive background and being really identifiable! But I don't want it to be something that is too popular, as our surname is not unusual so if we went with John or something there would be just tonnes of others with the same name.

So far for a boy we like:

Alex
Dara/Daragh (hubby not convinced on this one)
...that's it. I love Ethan, Nathan and Evan, but can't use them for a couple of reasons. We're struggling with boys names.

For a girl:

Alison
Vivien/Vivian (which is the girl one??)
Olivia
Gillian

Work your magic mumsnet! :)

[klog]

Alex - OK, fine name.
Darragh - I like it but I'm not British.
Ethan - I like, prefer Nathan slightly
Evan - not sure, it's a bit wet.

Alison - no, too 70s
Vivien - love it!
Olivia - pretty
Gillian, again 70s but I like it! I would spell it Jillian as it looks fresher but ti's a pretty name and there wouldn't be any others. i like Melanie too.

[klog]

oh you cant use those three boys names. sorry.

What about Reuben. I would expect somebody that likes Ethan, Nathan and Evan to like Reuben.

[Foggymist]

Thanks klog. We won't be using Ethan/Nathan/Evan I just included them to show the names I like.

I work with a Jillian so there are definitely others! Funny that you say Alison is 70's, that's the name my friends have all loved out of the list!

[Foggymist]

I can't work this, is there a way to edit/delete posts?

Meant to say above that I included them to give people an idea so that they can suggest more names, having only come up with 2 boys names halfway through the pregnancy is pretty poor so we need help!

[klog]

Well, seeing as I like other 70s names, like Lindsay and Stefanie, then if the worst thing I can say about it is that it's too 70s I guess it holds no weight!

I think I like the idea of paying attention to the names that aren't used anymore, the nices ones obviously, not tiffany or wayne or darren obviously, but everybody is busy lokking for the perfect name that is unusual but not weird. I think it's a good idea.

[Foggymist]

X posts sorry, I'm used to editing posts on other sites and not posting continuously!

I don't like Melanie, it would be bad with our surname too.

I hate the name Reuben!

Meant to say too, Vivien is totally loved on mumsnet at the mo, does that mean there will be loads of them over the next few years? That's what I'd like to avoid, which is why I guess I like 70's/older names, not much chance of them being used soon.

[Foggymist]

I also like Gavin but hubby has said no because of the good old he knows somebody with that name that he doesn't like (hmph).

I thought I liked Dominic but the more I say it the more I don't.

[babyblabber]

I have vivienne on my list but not sure coz hate Viv.

What about Senan for a boy? I adore it!

I know a baby Alison, her brother is Rory. Or what about Lucy, Clara, jennifer, emily or I always think sarah is s very classic, pretty name.

[Foggymist]

I like Vivi for short for Vivien, would just have to make it catch on because everyone hates Viv :D

Senan is ok, we don't hate it, it would be ok/definitely not common with our surname.

I love Lucy but it can't be used due to being a pets name in our family! What a crap reason!!

Thanks for your suggestions so far ladies.

[mollister]

No not Gillian, she will spend her whole life saying 'with a G'. I really think giving kids names that they have to spell out every time they say them is bizarre - Niamh being a case in point. Dara and Daragh would go the same way.
Annabelle?
Isabelle? Izzy is nice shortening and it is classic
Jennifer is a bit 70s but pretty
Charlotte?
Jasmine?

Boys
Guy - nice and strong
Piers? Too pretentious?
Callum - Cal is a nice shortening

Good luck
x

[Foggymist]

I purposely want to pick a name that they don't have to spell forever more, but for some reason just having to state an initial doesn't bother me as much as odd spellings of normal names or difficult ones. Same with Dara, here it's more common to be Daragh, lots of my friends would have to specify that it's the Irish way or not etc. Niamh is very easily spelled here, they will be getting a middle name that is completely easy to spell in case they want to travel abroad, and definitely not a very Irish or complicated first name.

Annabelle and Isabelle, no, not our cup of tea, and falling into the "bad" category with our last name really. Too cutesy and so many Isabelle/Isobels around now.
Jennifer, nope.
Charlotte, yeah, that's kinda nice.
Jasmine would definitely be awful with our last name.

Boys
Guy and Piers are too unusual/English for where we are really, would just seem out of place. Callum...nah. I liked Cillian but himself doesn't.

Thanks :)

[Foggymist]

Oh and Guy and Piers are so short, meaning their entire name is two syllables and...I dunno, boring!

[mollister]

I am such a dolt, didn't read your post properly, you must think I am a complete idiot going on about Niamh, hardly unusual in Ireland.
Olivia is very overdone here, I think Alison is 70s and Al is a bit masculine as a shortening.
what about Verity? Hope? Constance?
For a boy
Aidan?
Ronan?
Tiarnan?

I'm going to do some work now, I just love choosing names...

[klog]

Senan is dreadful. Hate that name. I have heard of it before but it's just like a cross between senna and semen. Please don't use it!!!

[Foggymist]

Hubby said it reminded him of Senna too! Yeah, I think it's not very "us", which I know is no good for anyone making suggestions!

In fairness mollister I'm posting on an English site so I've accepted that people might misread or point out things like Niamh etc. I wouldn't give a child a difficult Irish name that was pronounced differently to how it's spelled. My absolutely favourite boys name ever is Donnacha but I want my kids to travel and I just couldn't do that to someone!

I wouldn't shorten Alison so that wouldn't bother me with the Al thing, I've only ever heard it shortened to Ali anyway. We love Christopher but it will be shortened to Chris, which is just too plain with our surname.

Unfortunately Aidan and Ronan fall into the people we know and dislike category, and one is also used in hubby's family so would be the exact same as an existing cousin. Such a minefield, all this naming a human business!

Verity, Hope and Constance, there's already a Constance in the family...and I don't like it. God I seem to be so picky. Hope is too short (and I don't like it, what's new!), Verity is nice...ish...

[snufflebum]

How about Gareth? Owen? Michael?

[Foggymist]

I like Owen but it's been shot down. Michael, I don't like, but even if I did there are about 7 of them in our families!

I don't like Gareth but it's on the right track, two syllables, not used much, easy to spell...thanks so far everyone :)

[BlueStarsAtNight]

How about:
Helena
Miriam
Georgia
Laura
Hayley

Frederick/Freddie
Zachary
Sebastian
Jonah

[Foggymist]

I like Helena, don't like any of the other girls names, and none of the boys names, sorry.

So far I think Alex/Daragh and Vivien/Olivia are still the only ones we both like and agree on. How can there be so many names out there and so few that will work?? Stupid last name!

[Cuppatea14]

If you go for vivienne, as far as I know you need the extra 'ne' or else it's the masculine version of the name.

[rootypig]

Cuppatea Vivien is feminine, Vivian is masculine. Though Americans often spell a girl's name Vivian. of course.

OP how about Rose?

[rootypig]

Or Mary? which I love.

[Foggymist]

I love the Vivienne spelling but nobody else I've asked likes it, too long and complicated.

I can't stress how much of a No Mary & Rose are. Mary is so, SO, plain, old and boring, so dull and common with a common surname like ours. Maybe in the UK it's seen as twee and cute but here it is just an old Irish name that should be ignore and never used again! Rose is too short and also fits riiiight into the bad connotations with our last name around here, nope, nope nope.

[rootypig]

I thought you might say that about Mary. My family is Irish (with several older Marys!). I love it - it doesn't seem twee, but strong. But I do see that the context matters.

[rootypig]

Cora?