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Baby names

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

Original poster

Shortlist for baby girl with stubborn Greek daddy..

78 replies

Sushibo · 13/08/2011 20:55

DD is due any day now and we have a shortlist of names and I need help!! DH (and I) want a name that means something to us/our family/ is preferably a family name. It has to fit with our (multisyllable) Greek surname and the names of our older 2 (Cosmo and Alex). Need a first name and 2 middle names (family habit)

Delphi - Dh loves this as he is from very nearby there and I think he thinks "we" have settled on this... I love it too as it sounds very pretty, but I am worried that a) its not a proper name (bit too fancy-pants try hard?) b) the nicknames that I can think of are all awful c) its the name of a computer programming language and a communication technique...

Cryssa - DH loves. My exDH v similar name - unreasonable I think!!

Maria/Marianna - OK, doesn't do anything special for me really

Xanthe - like, don't love

Zoe - like, don't love

Sylvia (Sylvie for short) - my fave, but has no sentimental/family attachment and, is, erm, not very Greek! But I think it sounds a bit more namey IYSWIM

Elizabeth
Victoria ... completely not Greek - my choices!! But could try and make them middle names.

So can you make me a nice name out of this lot? Any other suggestions?

Is it normal to be in such a total tearful hormonal muddle?! About name?! Can't recall this with the other 2 - they were just obvious choices somehow (after FIL/ my brother so Greek and family, tick tick)

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mathanxiety · 14/08/2011 21:18

How about Charis?

Rhubarbgarden · 14/08/2011 18:22

Isn't Nerina Greek? I think it's beautiful, and is also a very lovely flower to boot (well Nerine is anyway).

Bearcrumble · 14/08/2011 18:12

I know two Delphis so I don't see it as a made up name at all. It's lovely.

LilRedWG · 14/08/2011 17:09

Kassandra
Helen

LilRedWG · 14/08/2011 17:07

Eleni
Eleanora

PainSnail · 14/08/2011 17:04

Thea is a lovely name, however it is also the Greek word for 'aunt'...

Maybe don't call her that.

Booboostoo · 14/08/2011 13:39

First of all you all lucky not to be stuck with your MIL's name as is the case with most Greek grandchildren!!!

I've never heard of Delphi as a Greek name for either girls or boys and Delphine just sounds like the Greek word for dolphin and again I have never heard of it used for a person. Then again you might not care for how the name sounds in Greek so if you like Delphi go for it!

How about Despina? That is a fairly straight-forward Greek name that's not too common in Greece and not too unpronounceable in English.

lockets · 14/08/2011 12:42

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MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 14/08/2011 12:40

Within my family (or DHs family to be accurate) there was a tendency to use the English forms of names rather than the Greek - so I know a lot of Helens rather than Elenis. I've noticed lately though that a few of them have started using the Greek form and it's actually making me regret doing the same thing with my DCs. I thought it would be too OTT to give them greek Greek names given they were half English and living in London. I do like their names but a little bit of me wishes I hadn't chickened out! Grin

emmanumber3 · 14/08/2011 11:56

I'm just realising how many pretty and underused greek names there are out there - well, underused in the UK at least Grin.

emmanumber3 · 14/08/2011 11:53

Delphi is beautiful. IMO it is definitely a "whole" name, although short enough to not actually need any nicknames.

I also like Eleni, although there is a little Eleni at DS2's school & she does quite often get called Eleanor by mistake when people (usually other parents or children) mishear.

littletreesmum · 14/08/2011 11:51

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telsa · 14/08/2011 11:45

Why not use Delphine - which means woman from delphi (and is a flower). It is certainly a proper name. It sounds so pretty.

SaffronCake · 14/08/2011 11:06

What about Evanthe?

TruthSweet · 14/08/2011 10:53

lockets - that's DD2's nickname (well that and Theadopolopodus the dinosaur Grin) and one of the reasons I chose her name as it's beautiful.

hermioneweasley · 14/08/2011 10:22

My DP is Greek so we had a similar discussion. considered Athena, Artemis, Danae and Ariadne, but we settled on Delphi. I get lots of compliments on it and because she is half Greek and brother has a Greek name too, I think we just about get away with it!

lockets · 14/08/2011 10:16

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TruthSweet · 14/08/2011 06:18

I have an Alethea and a Callia, and in my fits of pg naming madness I contemplated Iphegenia, Ianthe, Iolanthe and Calantha (not that they are bad names, it's just I'm a Welsh/English mix and DH is English so no Greek roots, I just love ancient Greek literature, and by extension ,Greek names).

mathanxiety · 13/08/2011 23:30

Beautiful names, Imnobody.

I love Theoni myself.

Linnet · 13/08/2011 23:24

Calista is a lovely Greek name that means Beautiful. There is also Calliope, which I was desperate to call dd1 but was shot down in flames sadly.

imnobody · 13/08/2011 23:19

I wanted Nefeli for my daughter but sil beat me to it Angry my little one is Danai and eldest is Ksanthi (just outed myself)

birdofthenorth · 13/08/2011 23:15

PS I knew a posh old woman called Delphi which was short for Delphinium... but don't let that put you off!

birdofthenorth · 13/08/2011 23:14

Delphi is perfect. I do like Xanthe too.

ifaistos · 13/08/2011 22:35

Calliope is Greek, yes.
Don't know if this matters to you but to a Greek person Delphi sounds quite odd because it's a plural. Given that in Greek you conjugate names it would lead to some strange phrases iyswim.

Cassandra, Eleonora, Daphne, Xenia, Lia...

SlinkyB · 13/08/2011 22:26

I too like Lynette's suggestion of Delphi Marianna Elizabeth - different/pretty/classic - fab combination.