Please be brutal(ly honest)!

[jusdepamplemousse]

No offence will be taken - honest opinions please. Having a hard time persuading DH to any of my suggestions as he thinks them all 'odd' and is worried about teasing. Would it be cruel to saddle a child with any of these?

Girl
Theodora
Persephone
Cliona
Hero
Eila
Darcey
Clara
Stella


Boy
Max
Aengus
Theodore
Ethan
Luca
Jeremiah
Joseph

[Showy]

I like most of them except Darcey and Ethan. They seem v at odds with your other choices.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

I'd keep clear of Persephone with the Underworld connections and Cliona - too close to clitoris for comfort.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Sorry - 'Max' should not be on there. 'Max' is sanctioned. But just Max, cannot be short for Maxamillian. I think Max on it's own maybe too short?!

[Showy]

Don't know Eila btw. Is it pronounced like Isla?

[jusdepamplemousse]

Oh dear god never occurred re Cliona / clitoris. Ok. Thanks!

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Maxamillian? No.

[CleanLinesSharpEdges]

No to Hero and Cliona. I like all the others.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Eila - more like ai-la pronunciation wise.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Showy, why at odds just out of interest? I'm in Ireland so might be different connotations with some names maybe?

[whatsagoodusername]

I have an Ethan. I know a Max (Maxwell), Theodore (Theo) and a Luca. All pretty standard names, I think.

I don't like Aengus, especially with the e.

[Hakluyt]

"Theodora nice
Persephone will be shortened to Percy which is horrid
Cliona No
Hero OK
Eila everyone will always think it's a typo
Darcey no
Clara nice - but I prefer Clare
Stella nice

Boy
Max lots about
Aengus typo issue again. And a bit poncy (sorry)
Theodore nice
Ethan loads about
Luca sounds like a girl's name
Jeremiah not a nice person to be named after. And Jerry is grim.
Joseph lovely.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Hakluyt, who is the bad Jeremiah? Am I being dim?

Thanks everyone appreciating the honest feedback! At least I can narrow back my choices and go forward confident that the remainders are NOT odd!

[Lazymummy2014]

Stella = beer

or battered wife (streetcar named desire)

[Changingnames32]

I love Stella and Theo.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Lazymummy I know re beer but not such a big deal over here (not really popular). And streetcar too. Not great. But, stars! Stars are lovely. Definitely they are. Right?!

[MehsMum]

Theodora/Dora - lovely
Persephone - no
Cliona - big no
Hero - no
Eila - no
Darcey - no
Clara - lovely
Stella - nice

Max - ok
Aengus - no
Theodore - lovely (I know one, he's gorgeous!)
Ethan - no
Luca - no
Jeremiah - no
Joseph - nice, quite popular

[Chandon]

I would say they are all fairly aspirational.

Clara is ok, Joseph too

[QueenofallIsee]

Girl
Theodora - Like it
Persephone - Will never understand why people use it, pretty name/awful Myth
Cliona - Sounds like a house plant
Hero - Brand of hotdog
Eila - Nice
Darcey - Nice
Clara - Nice but makes me want to sing 'Long Distance Clara
Stella - Beer

Boy
Max - Like it
Aengus - sounds like the airline
Theodore - like it
Ethan - Nah
Luca - Like it
Jeremiah - Sounds a bit Amish/Evangelical (not offense intended, I just picture beards and horse drawn buggies)
Joseph - Like it

[DilysDerwent]

I love Clara and Joseph. Max, Ethan, Stella all nice. Not keen on the rest.

[Delphine31]

I'm such a fool. For a good minute or so I thought 'Girl' was one of your name ideas and was baffled! (I'm not well - obviously it's affecting my thinking ability!).

I like Theodora and Darcey. I also like Eila but think people would end up writing Ella. Stella, I quite like but I wonder if Estelle is better and then can be shortened etc.?

I like Max, Theodore, Ethan and Joseph.

My reasons for not being so sure about the others are the same as PPs have covered.

You've got some lovely names shortlisted there.

[Legionofboom]

Theodora - love this and Thea
Persephone - no
Cliona - definitely no
Hero - absolutely no
Eila - never heard it before so no idea how to say it. Would it be confused with the very popular Ella or Isla?
Darcey - no
Clara - This gets a lot of love on MN but I really don't like it. Also it feels like it is suddenly being talked about all the time.
Stella - OK


Max - great but lots and lots of them about.
Aengus - Is this pronounced the same as Angus? I love the name Angus
Theodore - nice but prefer Theodora
Ethan - No.
Luca - Too feminine sounding
Jeremiah - too frilly for a boy's name
Joseph - OK.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Delphine - at 'Girl'. DH would probably love it!

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Because you are in Ireland [and I am Irish] I would say:

Theodora - borderline pretentious - will definitely be shortened permanently
Persephone - only if you like Percy, the phone on the end is likely to result in a lot of nicknames, plus will be viewed as the height of pretentiousness
Cliona - haven't heard it for a while, never heard the clitoris connection at home
Hero - depends on your surname. Scores highly on the pretentious gauge but not as bad as Persephone
Eila - yes
Darcey - yes, not really to my taste
Clara - yes.
Stella - yes, though the nickname for the beer in the UK is wifebeater as it's so strong.

Boy
Max - yes
Aengus - quite oldfashioned so some ribbing possibly
Theodore - yes, again will be shortened
Ethan - yes
Luca - not unless you have Italian connections, otherwise it's pretentious imo [you did say be brutal]
Jeremiah - he'll just be called Jerry
Joseph - Joe

[squoosh]

Girl
Theodora - too long and too fussy
Persephone - too long and too fussy
Cliona - lots of Clionas in my year at school, it's a bit 1970's. No one in Ireland will think 'clitoris' though.
Hero - bit much to live up to
Eila - It sounds nice but have you made up this spelling?
Darcey - will date badly.
Clara - great name
Stella - like it

Boy
Max - okay
Aengus - No way, sounds far too much like anus. And it reminds me of poor old Wandering Aengus and the salmon of knowledge.
Theodore - LOVE Theo
Ethan - nope
Luca - becoming quite common in Ireland
Jeremiah - only if you give birth to a 187 year old.
Joseph - okay

[squoosh]

You've just reminded me of Theodora Fitzgibbon though, my mother makes all her Crimbo recipes.