Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Struggling to find a name for a baby girl

31 replies

ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 10:22

I'm 40+5 with DC1 and struggling to find a name that DH and I both love. We are happy with our shortlist if it's a boy (Henry, Theo, Oliver, Jacob, or Max, with a family middle name) but we don't have any firm contenders for a little girl. I'd love your opinions on some possible combinations?

Surname is a three syllable fairly common surname starting with W. My wishlist is for a longer name that can be shortened, something that's not too popular, and nothing that looks odd when shown as initials (a risk with W for a surname). Still with me?

Calliope Isobel (nn Callie)
Juliet Roslyn (nn Jules)
Philippa Clio (nn Pippa)
Alexandra Kathryn (nn Lex or Lexie I think)

Other names I like but can't quite fit in are Edith, Hester, and Zoe. I have a classics background and love names with classical connections, and my name is a long name with an obvious nn which I go by, so I really like that idea. Would love suggestions for new combinations or likely candidates!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
mathanxiety · 18/01/2012 15:12

Congratulations - well done Smile

Original poster
ghosteditor · 18/01/2012 08:42

Thanks ladies! Name now decided but not ready to announce yet. Grin

Xposting from elsewhere but:

Hi ladies!

I'm delighted to announce the birth of our beautiful daughter at 00.50 this morning!

I'm overwhelmed and thrilled and enjoying serious snuggle time with my beautiful little girl! Smile

OP posts:
TheLittleFriend · 17/01/2012 20:32

What about Eleanor - nn Ellie or Nell?

CheerfulYank · 17/01/2012 20:26

I love Magadalena/Magdalene. Also Magnolia is really pretty and a "different" flower name from your usual Lily or Rose.

marshmallowpies · 17/01/2012 19:58

Magdalena instead of Margaret is a great name...would never have occurred to me. What about Margarita? (OK I know it's a pizza...but I think it's a really pretty name).

I also like Calliope a lot. Callie is a lovely nn too.

I had a brief dalliance with Hester but I don't think it goes with our surname very well. How lovely that it means 'star', though, I didn't know that.

Also like...
Flavia
Cornelia
Susannah
Miranda
Romola
Lamorna
Ramona

Weirdly I like Pippa as a nn but not Philippa (don't like Philip either, I think it's the Ph spelling I'm not keen on).

mathanxiety · 17/01/2012 19:39

How about Laetitia (or Letitia) or Daphne?

Hope all is well..

EddieIzzardIsMine · 17/01/2012 19:14

Oh frick ghost!

Well good luck!

CheerfulYank · 17/01/2012 19:14

OMG! Congrats! Shock

CheerfulYank · 17/01/2012 19:14

Annabel is popular but so pretty. Some that are a little less popular are Arabella and Mirabelle. :)

I love Callie and Pippa! Pippa was on my shortlist but I feel like it's ruined now. :(

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 19:09

Thanks looby - won't be posting more this evening as I seem to be in labour Shock

OP posts:
loobylu3 · 17/01/2012 17:50

Juliet Isobel is lovely, Penelope too.

I quite like Annabel but not as much as the two above.

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 15:20

I do quite like Annabel - does anyone know how popular it is these days? Presumably nn options would be Annie or Bella - anything else?

OP posts:
Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 13:38

Thanks Shanghai - Juliet Isobel is definitely a contender now I've thought about it more.

Helena is a lovely name but doesn't quite wow me enough.

OP posts:
Shanghaidiva · 17/01/2012 13:09

Helena?
love Juliet Isobel

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 13:03

Thanks looby - I guess we have different taste in abbreviations/full names.

I'm a bit concerned about the Middleton thing too - funnily enough, it's DH's suggestion, so I wonder how many men who are rather partial to Ms Middleton have been suggesting the name Philippa Grin

DH prefers other varients of Kathryn too, but it's my best friend's name and any other spelling just looks odd to me. 'Roslyn' is an uncommon variant so I can see that people prefer the more standard option, but the 'lyn' ending is a family thing which I won't go into. 'Rosaline' is indeed thoroughly lovely.

I love Cassandra but DH is not keen, and I love Athena too. The Penelope/Nell idea is a very appealing one and I might think about that! The others don't do that much for me, but thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 12:47

Ooh rasputin thank you; I hadn't considered that and I like it!

OP posts:
loobylu3 · 17/01/2012 12:44

Juliet is lovely although not too keen on Jules.
I like Calliope too and Philippa is fine although Philippa Middleton a little off putting.

I personally much prefer Rosalyn and Kathryn as Rosaline/ Rosalind and Katharine/ Katherine.

How about:
Cassandra
Hermione
Athena/ Athene
Penelope but using Nell as a nn.
Isadora/ Pandora
Cecilia
Anastasia
Rosemary
Marguerite
Lucinda

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 12:43

Thanks jester - I do like Calista but it's an old online handle of mine so feel funny about using it. And the others don't quite do it for me. My worry with Calliope is that it feels a little 'try hard' for my background, and some of my family might be a bit Hmm about it, and wouldn't know how to pronounce it on seeing it written down.

Hmm...

OP posts:
rasputin · 17/01/2012 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

rasputin · 17/01/2012 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JestersHat · 17/01/2012 12:39

I do like Callie, although I don't really like Calliope.

How about Calandra, Calantha, Calista, Calpurnia, Caroline?

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 11:53

annakin thank you! I really do like it. Calisse is lovely too, and it's interesting to hear about the Gaelic connection.

OP posts:
Annakin31 · 17/01/2012 11:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 10:54

Nobody likes Callie, do they? Sad It's my favourite and I love the idea of a Greek muse (hence Clio too).

Juliet feels like such a safe option but then again I really do like it! We are content with the idea of a shortlist and then deciding when we meet the baby what he or she looks like, but I don't want to end up rushing the decision or having name disagreements when we have a newborn!

OP posts:
Original poster
ghosteditor · 17/01/2012 10:48

thanks littlecherub! I absolutely love Penny but it's the name of a family pet already and Abby is lovely too. Several others you've listed are names of friends, how funny! I do a lot of team sports so I think I'm being influenced by how many women I know with names already, which is silly as they won't be in our lives forever.

I will say that one of my shortlist names is the name of a friend of mine who shares my surname - is that a bit weird? She does go by a different nn!

Philippa Kathryn and Juliet Isobel are nice. Is 'JIW' an odd set of initials or am I overthinking it?

OP posts: