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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Cassandra, Eulalie, Pandora..Suggestions?

61 replies

Roxy25 · 19/07/2011 14:48

Hello!
Pregnant with no2. No1 is Araminta.
Need an equally frilly, unusual, English name for no2!
Also needs a good nickname as DH's family shorten everything!
Any suggestions?

Here's my list:
Pandora - almost name of DD1, no nickname put us off
Theodora
Eulalie (not sure on "Lalie" nickname, bit like popular Layla, Lola names)
Jessamine - too similar to my sister Jasmine's name
Pomeline - French and not French
Claudine -ditto
Melisanda -ditto

Want to avoid "A" names and "M" names (as nickname Minty for no1) as well as Rose names (I'm Roxanne).

Middle name will be ALICE.

Thanks very much!! :)

OP posts:
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BertieBasset · 19/07/2011 20:15

I have a Claudia and also liked Cassandra so clearly name meanings don't deter me and dh!

What about

Isadora,
Ottilie,
Aurelia,
Persephone

helendigestives · 19/07/2011 17:51

I'm a Cassandra and I love it. It's great being a Cassie.

minipie · 19/07/2011 17:29

Oh and Clementine too.

minipie · 19/07/2011 17:25

Cecily

Felicity
Venetia
Jemima
Genevieve
Christabel
Violet
Lavinia
Clarissa
Evangeline
Georgiana
Laetitia (sp?)
Octavia
Phyllida
Seraphine

I'd probably go for something that doesn't end in an A sound but that does narrow down your options rather.

MummyCubed · 19/07/2011 17:12

Araminta's lovely, I'm considering that if I have another. Must admit I'm not terribly keen on any of the other names, apart from Eulalie, although never heard it before and not even sure how to pronounce it, but it looks nice, and Claudine, although I prefer Claudia tbh.

ghosteditor · 19/07/2011 16:58

I totally love Calliope but I'm not sure I could go through with it - the only Calliope I've ever seen is a character in Grey's Anatomy known as 'Callie', but she gets a sound mocking for her full name when it's found out Grin

Also I don't think it passes the Yorkshire test...

Tattyhead78 · 19/07/2011 16:53

DoubleDegreeStudent, I agree that the Penelope story is slightly better than the other two! If we are talking (Ancient) Greek names I also quite like Calliope, which I suppose could also be shortened. However, one of the other reasons I like Penelope is that I know quite a few older ladies called Penelope / Penny who are all a) nice and b) successful so it has positive connations for me. (I must admit I have never heard of a cat called Penny until now!)

JanMorrow · 19/07/2011 16:49

Ah lovely, Araminta is gorgeous and I really like Pandora but I think in your position I'd call number 2 Cressida!

RainboweBrite · 19/07/2011 16:32

Melisanda is gorgeous. I also like Pandora, and what about Claudina instead of Claudine? I think you should have another name that ends in a, rather than e.

DoubleDegreeStudent · 19/07/2011 16:28

Not to throw a spanner in the works, because I LOVE Pandora,Cassandra and Penelope, but if the meaning of names puts you off, Cassandra met a pretty sticky end in Greek mythology.

Penelope had to wait around for a while, but ultimately her cheating bastard of a husband came home and she was happy again.

BibiBelle · 19/07/2011 16:28

Delphine
Seraphine
Cecilia
Millicent
Arianne

greenzebra · 19/07/2011 16:27

Theodora nn Dory but could have 'whats my name' follow them around from finding nemo.

greenzebra · 19/07/2011 16:25

how about Callista/ Callisto (nn Callie)
Thomasina/Tamasin (nn tammy)
Kerenza it means love in cornish (nn Ren)
Demelza (nn Demi)

Original poster
Roxy25 · 19/07/2011 16:24

Yes I agree re Cassidy, is an American male name, reminds me of Butch Cassidy! But DH has terrible taste and loves it..hmm hence put as a middle name.

I meant to put Melisande - typo.

Thanks for the comments all!!

What good nicknames are there for Theodora apart from Theo?
I like that Araminta & Theodora are 'said as they're spelt' kind of names.

OP posts:
lisianthus · 19/07/2011 16:19

Theodora is great and has lots of fascinating history- the Byzantine empress and so on.

Melisanda, Cassandra and Perdita, particularly Perdita, are also gorgeous.

I don't really like the others and hate Pandora- Adrian Mole, ugh!

mathanxiety · 19/07/2011 16:15

Oh, I love Penelope; your mum is a genius.

mathanxiety · 19/07/2011 16:13

Pandora -- nice, and nn possibilities are nice too
Theodora -- LOVE
Eulalie -- too close to ukelele
Jessamine -- prefer Jasmine
Pomeline -- 'Mrs Pommelhorse, I want to get down now.'
Claudine -- All the 'Claude' names sound harsh to my ear
Melisanda -- prefer Melisande
Cassandra -- Cassie/Cass nice, Sandra/Sandy horrible.
Perdita -- 101 dalmations

Theodosia?
Mahalia?
Constanza?

Cassidy is trailer parkish -- please avoid. It jars terribly with the classical/French first names.

IvyAndGold · 19/07/2011 15:57

Oh, Pandora is lovely! Perdita is pretty, but always reminds me of the mother dog from 101 Dalmations Blush

Original poster
Roxy25 · 19/07/2011 15:56

I like Penelope - my mum suggested it yesterday actually.

Hmm food for thought!

Quite an elegant name?

And good to avoid another "a" ending name!

OP posts:
ghosteditor · 19/07/2011 15:50

Tatty I really like Penelope too - unfortunately in my case one of my cats is called 'Penny' (she came from a rescue centre with her name already in place). Having said that, legend goes that I'm named after a mean spirited dog belonging to my great-grandmother...

Original poster
Roxy25 · 19/07/2011 15:47

Hmm well I could change Alice, (my middle name from Grandmother & GreatGrandmother) to something like:

Perdita Cassidy (DH loves Cassidy)
Theodora Posy (always loved Posy from Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes)
Cassandra Alice

I agree with the double A - that's why DD1 didn't have Araminta Alice (her middle name is the low-key Susan after MIL)

Thanks for your excellent suggestions all!

OP posts:
Tattyhead78 · 19/07/2011 15:45

Well, those are mainly (Ancient) Greek names, so how about Penelope? Can be shortened to Penny. "Penelope Alice"?

ghosteditor · 19/07/2011 15:40

Although actually I've just realised that you can't really have Perdita Alice as the double A sound is really jarring. I have a friend whose name ends in 'a' and her middle name is 'Ann' - she hates it. Alice probably isn't as bad as Ann for the effect though as it has two syllables at least!

Domesticbodess · 19/07/2011 15:38

If I was choosing names of that ilk, I might go for Constance -Connie or Cassandra -Cassie.

thesurgeonsmate · 19/07/2011 15:36

Well, yes, it might put me off. Children do go through a stage of discussing the meanings of their names, don't they. Hard one to explain...