Is it Chavy or too popular, or too.......

[bevlin]

Oh im driving myself nuts here. I wish I hadn't looked on this site!
My names were

Olivia - now seems too popular
Orla - too weird? Do you imagine ugly?
Serena - is it chavy?

my boys names were

Alexander (Alex) - now seems too popular
Brennan - Is it silly with Evan?
Colm - Is it silly or chavy?

Any suggestions would be sooooo appreciated along with honesty on the above.
Obviously im trying to avoid over used or chavy names!

[franklymydear]

I love them except

Serena always reminds of 1) the teenage witch and 2) the terrible remake of the classic Humphrey Bogart movie

Brennan is a surname and too close to rhyming with Evan and don't like Colm

[Deemented]

Firstly, the teenage witch was Sabrina, and secondly Brennan goes really really well with Evan. I also love Colm too, and Orla is nice.

[Qally]

Olivia was very unusual when I was born, in the mid 1970s - but now it seems every 5th girl is called it. Serena seems a bit pretentious, tbh. I love Orla, though, I knew a lovely (and incredibly pretty) Orla at university. Unusual, but simple and elegant as well. And very feminine with the "a" ending, too.

Brennan and Evan do sound odd together, tbh, and Colm trying too hard in a way, plus Evan and Colm sounds like a menswear shop! You could always call an Alexander Xander if you wanted a bit more unusual? He can be Alex at primary school when all they want is to fit in, but has a "cooler" name for teenage years as well!

[blametheparents]

Olivia or Orla for a girl

Alexander for a boy

[nickytwotimes]

I like Olivia and Orla and Alexander.
I don't think any of them are remotely chavvy though. They are all nice names.

[jellybeans]

Olivia - OK but yes too popular IMO
Orla - don't like it, abit weird/unpretty
Serena - I like this, not chavvy at all

Alexander (Alex) - bit boring, don't like unisex names
Brennan - This is quite nice, goes well with your other name. Like Brendan too.
Colm - Don't like it, abit weird.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I love all the names especially Orla. Apart from Colm, never heard of it, not sure how to pronounce it but don't like it.

[MamaLazarou]

They are all lovely names.

[hippipotamiHasLost53lbs]

I love love love Orla and Alexander.
Not too keen on Olivia, nor Brennan.
There is a Col'm in dd's class. (note the apostrophe) and it is pronounced Collum.
I had never heard it before either adn had to do a double take when his name appeared on my group list at the school trip

[bevlin]

Thanks everyone.
Colm is apparently Irish and trying to get Irish names to go with silly irish surname (im scottish). Not that keen now either.
Do you know what, I need to scrap them all now! Im a pain in the ass librian who can't decide on a flavour of crisps never mind my childs name!

[maggievirgo]

Olivia - Lovely but very popular.
Orla - Lovely, nice name, nice meaning, easy to spell for English people, can't go wrong imo.
Serena - Not chavy! beautiful. I knew a very posh one growing up. Might have been attached to the guinness brigade.

my boys names were

Alexander (Alex) - ok but dul.
Brennan - NO!, please use Brendan. Brendan is a lovely strong classic name, and Brennan is a sur name. It's a theme Irish name. Taken up in American because they erroneously consider it Irish, well, It is I guess, but it's a sur name. And a type of white bread!

Colm - ok, but a bit dated to me.. Very blah. Calum, Cathal, Conor, Cormac all have a bit more fire iykwim.

[Deemented]

There's nowt wrong with Brennan, MaggieVirgo - Tis a good, strong name.

[maggievirgo]

oooops, how's little Brennan?

I don't think it's awful, it just sounds like there's a d missing to me, that's all. If I came across one in rl I wouldn't be so harsh honestly!

[Caitni]

I'd be with Maggie and say Brendan instead of Brennan...but only to try and stem the tide of surnames as first names

If you like Colm how about the Scottish version, Callum? That's much more familiar in England and is also lovely.

And you have lovely taste in names so you'll pick the right one eventually

[Deemented]

[5inthebed]

Olivia - My friend has a little girl called this, and shortens it to Liv. Nice.
Orla - Not ugly at all, although prefer it spelt Orlaith
Serena - Not keen, what about Seren?

Alexander (Alex) - NEither here nor there
Brennan - Sounds silly with Evan
Colm - Lovely name

Nothing wrong with your choices, lovely names.

[skybright]

I like Orla from your girls and i have a son called Colm so obviously love the name.

It means dove...it can be pronounced a couple of ways,my boy is col(as if you were going to say colin) then M.

I have never met another and it suits him too a tee.

[bevlin]

Although...That's 7 for Orla and 1 against. Maybe give it more thought. Thanks. x

[RubyBlueberry]

Spelling it Orlla might be nice?

[AitchTwoOh]

colm and orla both lovely imo.

[Marthasmama]

Another vote for Orla here. It is more interesting than Olivia (which I like but you're right it is very popular). I like the name Alex, it's always been one of my favourites.

[Wonderstuff]

I love all of them, particularly Orla, very pretty. Olivia is pretty popular, but if you like it go for it. Difficult to know what will be popular in the year you have a baby. I thought my choice was unusual (isla) but turns out it is bang on trend

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

Olivia - fine, but too popular round here
Orla - love it
Serena - don't like

Alexander - like, don't know any in RL
Brennan - not keen
Colm - like, not chavvy. Callum very chavvy imho

[piscesmoon]

Alexander and Olivia-dislike the rest especially Orla.

[macherie]

I have an Alexander, we call him Sacha, very cool and suits him. He knows he can change it to Alex if he wants to, but he likes being a bit different.

I also like Liv as a shortening of Olivia.

Not keen on the rest, sorry.