List is too long. Please help!

[Babynamelist]

DD2 is due soon and we're really struggling (think we used up all the names we liked the first time round!). We do have a very long list we're thinking about now and would welcome your general thoughts so we can cut it down. Also, are there any names that seem obvious to you, given the list, that we're currently missing?

Things it might be useful to know:
Our DD1 has a very unusual literary name. Only 7 girls shared the same name in the year she was born. We are very OK with unusual.
Our surname is a normal, one syllable colour name.
Would really prefer to go for something on the rare side again but I do have a soft-spot for Olivia and Isla.

Thanks so much for your thoughts...

Felicity
Penelope (but dislike Pen, Penny and Nell)
Elise
Flora
Poppy
Olivia
Isla
Iona
Coralie
Juno
Blythe
Annabel
Saskia
Cecily
Tess
Thea
Theodora
Octavia
Marina
Iola
Violetta

[gotredonyou]

These are just my first thoughts on each name, please don't take offence
Felicity - reminds me of a cat?
Penelope (but dislike Pen, Penny and Nell) - Like but nicknames could happen
Elise - Really pretty
Flora - margarine?
Poppy - pretty
Olivia - pretty but popular
Isla - pretty
Iona - not sure
Coralie - unusual but nice
Juno - just reminds me of the film about the pregnant teen
Blythe - sounds like a surname to me.
Annabel - lovely
Saskia - European?
Cecily - not sure
Tess - nickname for Tessa?
Thea - nickname for the below?
Theodora - posh
Octavia - dislike
Marina - fishy.
Iola - odd.
Violetta - prefer Violet

[Marmaduke123]

Isla seems to go with a lot of the colours, and it has a nice ring to it.
Isla Grey
Isla White
Isla Green
I also like Elise, i have onltever met one person with that name.

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Isla is gorgeous but I wouldn't go with it if your surname is White!!

I like Flora, Elise and Thea best from your list.

Least favourites are Juno and Marina.

[CakeRattleandRoll]

Favourites are Coralie and Saskia. And Penelope, but only if there was a nn that was acceptable to you.

I think if your DD1 has such an unusual name, you should probably give DD2 at least a fairly unusual name (rather than Olivia, Poppy, etc), or it may seem that DD1 got the more 'special' name.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Yes list
Felicity
poppy
Olivia
Juno
Annabel
Cicely
Elise
Isla
Marina
Thea
Blythe
Don't like Coralie but like Cora
Octavia but unless you're royalty. It's trying to be something you're not.

No list
Violetta but like Violet
Flora
Penelope
Tess
Theodora
Saskia
Lola

[TempsPerdu]

You have quite a selection there! Some lovely choices though. Here are my opinions (again, first thoughts so please don't be offended - names are so subjective! )

I'd definitely keep:

Blythe - gorgeous, best with a longer surname I think
Thea - love this - feminine but not overly girly
Juno - very nice. Also like Juniper.
Marina - elegant and underused; love the Shakespearean connection
Saskia - pretty and unusual, and Sassy makes a fab nn!
Coralie - I used to work with a lovely one. She was always being complimented on her name.
Tess - really like it, although I'd be inclined to choose Tessa as the full form and shorten

I'd get rid of:

Felicity - always seems stereotypically horsey/Jolly Hockey Sticks to me
Elise - nice enough sound but lacks 'personality' imo.
Poppy - way too popular and already becoming dated
Isla - pretty but again incredibly popular at the moment
Olivia - ditto
Violetta - way too frilly and precious. Reminds me of Wall's Viennetta or a large and divaesque opera singer!
Iola - seems a bit 'off' - like Iona spelt wrong or a shortening of Iolanthe
Cecily - too lispy and wan-sounding (says tragic Victorian invalid to me)
Octavia - sounds harsh (the oct- part) and a tad try-hard.


Jury's out on:
Penelope - I do like it, but you've already ruled out most of the obvious nicknames, and it's bound to get shortened
Flora
Iona - very nice if you can get beyond 'I own a...'
Annabel - similar impression to Felicity, but in a less extreme way for some reason!
Theodora - OK but prefer Dorothea

Agree that a more unusual name would probably be better so that DD2 doesn't feel hard done by!

[Zzzsnatcher]

Blythe is a lovely name! Would have called my DD2 that but didn't go with DD1s name

[Moltenpink]

I love Octavia and Blythe.

How about Thomasina?

[TSSDNCOP]

I'm at Isla White.

[CruCru]

I like:

Felicity
Elise
Flora
Coralie
Cecily

The rest I would ditch.

[SylvaniansAtEase]

The ones that stand out for me, and I think would hold their own against a rare literary name:


Flora - just, this always strikes me as a lovely old fashioned Scots name - but it's not AMAZING
Juno - lovely
Blythe - probably the best of the lot, beautiful and unusual
Saskia - like lots, very attractive
Cecily - Also like Celia
Tess - lovely, but I'd have as a short form for Theresa
Theodora - v good
Octavia - v good
Marina - like lots, but wouldn't actually pick. Not a massively pretty name, but dignified.


Juno Blythe, Blythe Juno, Cecily Juno, Blythe Octavia, Theresa Juno?

[akorda]

My favourites are:

Blythe - gorgeous, soft-sounding name
Tess/Tessa
Marina with shortening Mary

All lovely and I have rarely/never come across a little one with these names.

[wesH]

DITCH:

Penelope - she's bound to get Penny by somebody
Elise - ugly name
Poppy - always a nightmare of a child!
Isla - dull
Iona - okay, but there are better ones on your list
Juno - wth????
Saskia - not a pleasant sound, or spelling
Cecily - just not a great name imo, though Celia is similar and lovely
Annabel - too cutesy for an older girl. I met a 45 year old Annabel the other day and it didn't suit her one bit.
Tess - this is a nickname and an ugly one at that
Thea - like Isla: overused and dull
Iola - there are better ones on your list
Violetta - too much!!! Go for Viola or Violet instead!

KEEP:

Felicity - bright, cheerful, girly-girl name
Flora - I adore this name because of Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm. Great book!
Olivia - its pretty popular so avoid it if that bothers you, but I still think it's a pretty and sophisticated name
Coralie, Blythe, Marina - these are fine
Octavia, Theodora - posh, but okay

[ClareAbshire]

Iona and Juno are my two favourites from that list. Both were on our list for DD.

[Stinkersmum]

Coralie without a doubt is the nicest name there.

[RiverTam]

Elise is lovely.

[Sophronia]

I like...

Penelope - I've heard Poppy as a nn for this, that could be an alternative?
Elise
Flora
Iona
Juno
Blythe
Saskia
Cecily
Tess
Theodora
Octavia
Marina
Iola

My favourite is Marina

[selly24]

Just a thought....

My mum said my name just popped into her head when she held nevfifvthd first time. Wasn't one that they had even discussed prior! So perhaps you are over thinking and will be hit with divine inspiration!...?....

[Ikeameatballs]

I'm trying to think of other names you might like...

Emerald
Cordelia
Adelaide
Maeve
Ianthe
Genevieve
Portia
Francine
Fenella
Lois

[lurkymclurkerson]

Coralie is beautiful :)

[Babynamelist]

Oh my goodness. Thanks so much for your speedy and thoughtful replies! And no offence taken - everyone's been really kind as I know how easy it can be to be very, um, blunt about name choices and some of the names I listed are a bit left field.

I think you're right about picking something fairly unusual to keep some equality between both girls. That rules out Olivia, Isla and Poppy, even thought our surname isn't White! I'm probably going off Felicity, Cecily and Saskia too. I LOVE Sass or Sassy as nicknames (probably the main reason why I like Saskia) but I can't think of any other name that lends itself to them - short of Sarah but can't use that for family reasons. Can you think of anything? What about nicknames for Penelope? Are Pen, Penny or Nell inevitable? TempsPerdu is right about Violetta sounding like Walls Viennetta. I wondered why it sounded so familiar!

So, these are the names that remain. Definitely a shorter list! We're moving in the right direction:
Elise
Flora
Iona
Coralie
Juno
Blythe
Annabel
Tess
Thea
Theodora
Octavia
Marina
Iola

We'd definitely be looking at two middle names, if that helps. Though DD1's first name dates from the 16th century, the general impression (together with those middle names) is something quite 1930s/40s. Never thought I'd type this but we could also be considered to be a bit (though not very!) posh so wouldn't discount a name on that basis.

selly24, I'm hoping that you're right about a name 'presenting' itself to us when our baby arrives. We had a short list with DD1 and tried out some different options over her first couple of days but her name really seemed to fit her. It could be we don't have the right list at all now!

Ikeameatballs, thanks so much for your suggestions. I'd already suggested Fenella to DH but he didn't like it. I love Genevieve too but think being called Gen or Genny will be inevitable.

[Quasilulu]

The name Vivienne Coralie Blythe jumped into my noodle!

[TheCowThatLaughs]

Coralie, Blythe and tess are all good names imo

[Monkay]

Blythe is lovely

Reading your list all I could come up with as a suggestion was Marissa.

Felicity is my personal favourite.

[SylvaniansAtEase]

I know two Genevieves and BOTH have always been Vivi, never Gen/Jen.

Lovely name and lovely short form which I think if you used from the start would easily stick - I think most people would associate Gen/Jen more with Jennifer/Jenny.