If I like these... what else might I like?

[ClaryIsTheBest]

DD is Clarissa.
Boy's name for DC2 are basically sorted but girl's names are... Idk. Very complicated imo. They are a minefield.

I like Gemma and Donata (probably sounds like donation in English, right?)


Millicent and Astreia are also names currently on our list (a very frank conversation with my mother has unfortunately depleted the previous list severely...)

[NameChange30]

Don't discuss names with your mother!!
Her opinion is not relevant.
I'm not a big fan of the names you list but my opinion isn't relevant either
My favourite is Millicent - makes me think of Millicent Fawcett and I like Millie for short.
Anyway, the most important thing is that you like the name. Has your mother put you off anything you love?

[ClaryIsTheBest]

no. No, I wanted my mother's input. Seriously :)

Because I for example like the name Natalia, which would honour my cousin (who will be the godfather). But she explained why this would really upset my grandmother and great-grandmother, for example. We have a huge (!!!) and complicated family, so some names are already "taken" (there's for example a Mila, Milo and a Mira...) or have something "bad" attached.

[NameChange30]

Is your cousin male or female? Just a bit confused that it's a female name but you say godfather.

It sounds as if your family isn't British in origin - what's your/their nationality and language? As I'm assuming you will want the name to work in both cultures and languages.

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

How about ;
Cadence
Constance
Aurelia
Cressida
Domenique
Araminta
Antoinette
Emmanuelle
Jacqueline
Raphaella

[Knifegrinder]

Honestly, OP, if you take the position that names are a family collective decision, you're on a trip to nowhere and may as well call the baby 'Girl#2'. Your mother, grandmother and great-grandmother presumably got to name their own babies. Natalia is nice.

Your names don't seem to follow a general style. Gemma sounds very dated and 1980s to me. I would have pronounced Donata 'Donn-AH-ta'...? Millicent is nice, but seems to inevitably get shortened to the twee 'Millie', which I don't like. I've more usually come across Astreia as Astraea (pronounced As-TRAY-a') and I like it.

[ClaryIsTheBest]

Right. My cousin started transitioning the day he (back then she...) turned 18. So, his birth name is Natalia, he's Nate, nowadays. And please let's not make this a discussion about trans rights. He's one of the kindest, loveliest and most decent people I know and his fiancé is great. I really want them in our DC's lives :)


I'm from Switzerland. My mother's side of the family is primarily Italian, my father's is primarily Swedish. the cousins is Italian-American, btw...


Oh... I really like Cressida!! That's gorgeous!

Are Cressida and Clarissa too similar?

[NameChange30]

Ah OK! I have no desire whatsoever to start discussing trans issues, I was just a bit confused but it makes sense now. The only thing I will say is that it probably is wise to avoid the name if it will cause upset - more for your cousin's sake than for your grandparents', though.

I do think Cressida is too similar to Clarissa, sorry

[NameChange30]

With your international heritage you have lots of sources of name inspiration

[minipie]

I do think Cressida is too similar to Clarissa - sorry!

Clarissa and Annabel
Clarissa and Isabelle
Clarissa and Marianne
Clarissa and Madeleine
Clarissa and Eloise
Clarissa and Luisa
Clarissa and Arianna
Clarissa and Alessia (maybe too similar again)
Clarissa and Allegra
Clarissa and Juliet
Clarissa and Leonora
Clarissa and Beatrice
Clarissa and Marina

[NameChange30]

What about Daniela?

[ClaryIsTheBest]

name exactly.

Yes, that was actually one of my mother's arguments as well. He's really chill and still goes by Nate, but eh... Maybe not.

Yes. But the name has to work in the UK (like Gemma for example, a name that's classic/unusual to me but isn't at all in England...), has to sound good in German (my first language) and preferably sound good in Italian as well. There are actually a surprising small of names that work because of this ;(


Right? I also like Carlotta and decided it sounds too much like Clarissa. I think Cressida is even more similar than Carlotta?

Millies is imo a cute nickname, btw. DD is usally Clary (or Chip...)

[NameChange30]

Yes we found it hard enough to find a name that works in two languages (French and English) so I imagine it's even harder to find one that works in German, Italian and English! Although I suppose there must be a lot of of bi/trilingual people and names in Switzerland?

[Astro55]

Orianna - or Orianne
Ariminta
Sasha
Tamara / Tara
Tabitha
Sophia
Harriet
Rihanna

[ClaryIsTheBest]

Although I suppose there must be a lot of of bi/trilingual people and names in Switzerland?

Well, yes. I mean, we all need to study 2 langauges in school. In the German part that's French and English, for example... Plus, there are a lot of people with foreign backgrounds (like I have, for example) and Italians are a huuuge group in Switzerland.


Names are usually Italian or French or sometimes German. I think there are very few exclusively "Swiss" names. Maybe Flurina (it's Rumantsch, which is genuinely exclusively Swiss, I think).


Oriana is really, really nice :)!! THank you! :) I also like Annabelle.

I know a horrible Sasha.

Tabitha is unfortunately a cat imo.

[NameChange30]

I like Oriana and Annabel(le) too.

Sasha is a boy's name in France and Russia, so doesn't work brilliantly as an international name. DH liked it for our DS but I vetoed it because it sounds like a girl's name to me (English).

[ClaryIsTheBest]

The Sasha I know is actully a woman. But I think she purposely went with a male nickname...

It's also a boy's name imo, tbh.

Currently have Oriana, Annabelle/a, Gemma, Donata and Millicent on the list.


I think I may prefer Annabella to Annabel/le. But that are a lot of As...

[ClaryIsTheBest]

And Astreia as well.

I don't think Millicent really goes with Clarissa, tbh.

Oriana, Annabelle/a, Gemma, Donata and Astreia are in a way all similar. Classic names with a lot of vocals...

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

CLARYLS, Oriana is really, very nice !

[RuthB4]

I've never heard of Oriana so if you want a name that is known in England don't choose Oriana. Although it seems easy to pronounce - I presume you pronounce it as it is written.

What about Alana as a similar sounding name that is known in England but (presumably) easy to pronounce in all your languages?

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

Oriana Magnolia
Magnolia Oriana

[ClaryIsTheBest]

sugar Thank you :)! astro really did suggest a great name!


The Song of the Lioness was one of my favourite books... So, I guess I do have a soft spot for the name Alanna?

The pronounciation seems obvious to me (and DH does it correctly. But he speaks French and some Italian, so eh...)

Basically like this:

Is this how you'd pronounce it? (just with an English R, I assume)?

But I'd also totally be ok with o-RYAH-nah. Clarissa is also pronounced differently in the UK. That's totally fine, as long as there is a nice sounding pronounciation. Not sure of that makes sense?

[NameChange30]

I think Oriana will be easy for English speakers to pronounce. It's phonetic. I'd pronounce it like this:
o (as in Oreo) - ri - AH - na

[NameChange30]

Like Tropicana

[ClaryIsTheBest]

Tropicana. The fruit juice... Shoot. That's... Does it really sound like Tropicana`?

[NameChange30]

No no it doesn't! Sorry! I was just trying to think of bits of words that sounded similar to illustrate how I'd pronounce it. It's only the -ana bit at the end that's the same.

Ori- as in Oreo and -ana as in Tropicana
I'm food obsessed at the best of times but going through a starving phase (end of pregnancy!)