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Baby names

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

Original poster

We just can't decide on a girls name! I like traditional/old and slightly unusual/quirky.

90 replies

chuffingalong · 19/02/2012 11:21

Hi, we've have a little girl called Lucy and if we have a boy, he'll be Oliver. We've loved that name forever!
We just can't decide on a girls name. There are so many we like, but none of them really stand out as our favourate. Here is our list.

Amelia
Tabitha
Bryony- (this is step sisters name, but we hardlyever see each other)
Lavinia- (not sure)
Seren
Cora

Emily
Grace- (DH likes more than me)
Merryn- (we like but none of the family do) Sad

If you can think of any along these lines please let me know, and please be honest about my list of choices. Smile
I like names that can be shortened to something nice too.

OP posts:
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Stellan · 22/02/2012 12:00

MamaBearCharlie, Seren is only really unusual if you don't live in Wales!

Original poster
chuffingalong · 21/02/2012 20:52

Congratulations dirtydishes! Rosemary is a lovely name, that we had not thought of. Smile I like Rosie for short too. Thanks

OP posts:
ThePathanKhansWitch · 21/02/2012 11:19

Mabel

MamaBearCharlie · 21/02/2012 11:16

Ah, I like your list (apart from Tabitha and Lavinia (Lavvy for short?!), - sorry!).

Think Seren is lovely, really unusual.

Emily and Amelia are both lovely (on my list) but if you're looking to be a bit braver, what about...

Imogen
Amelie (a kind of cross between Emily and Amelia)
Alexandra (Lucy and Lexi go very well, I think!)
Maisie
Molly
Calli
Polly
Penny

Good luck!

mathanxiety · 21/02/2012 01:47

Congratulations, and what a lovely name.

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 20/02/2012 23:28

We called our new baby Rosemary Jayne. Shes only 6 days old but quite a few of the midwives etc have commented on how they dont see many rosemarys!

mathanxiety · 20/02/2012 23:03

Miranda
Clementine
Hazel
Serena

BikeRunSki · 20/02/2012 22:41

Mabel
Elsa
Ailsa

Original poster
chuffingalong · 20/02/2012 22:36

I think Oliver sounds like a gorgeous cuddly teddy bear kind of name. I've even given this unborn fantisy child a nick name of Ollie-pops. Grin (I know, I'm sad).

Alice in wonderland was my favourite book and film as a child too.

OP posts:
Original poster
chuffingalong · 20/02/2012 22:31

I know Lucy and Oliver are popular names, that's why I wanted to choose something a bit more unusual incase we have another girl. Some of the names like, Emily, Grace etc I threw in as they were ones my DH likes.
It's so tricky! Funnily enough, there were 3 Tallulah's at my daughters very small primary, but not one other Lucy. I don't know of any other Lucy's but loads of Olivias and Ellie's It might be where we live.
I like Florence but my DH said "are you kidding!" (No taste)

OP posts:
EssieW · 20/02/2012 22:30

I have an Alice and Lucy was also on the shortlist. DS is Oliver!
Other names that I think go - Hannah (not as popular these days), Anna, Ellen, Beth, Emily, Cecile/cecily,

Clary · 20/02/2012 22:21

Some of the names on yr list are not really unusual, nice tho they are. For example Emily, I know dozens (literally - I work in a school and a lot of classes have two in!) of children called Emily; Grace, Amelia, almost as popular. Mind you Lucy and Oliver are also v v popular. Not being funny, just giving you a heads up, they are all lovely names.

Of your list and thinking about quirky, I like Cora (due a revivial) and Merryn (very unusual and pretty).

How about
Erin
Harriet
Mabel (a fave of mine)
Florence

wafflingworrier · 20/02/2012 22:13

Edith
Theodora (Thea for short)

mathanxiety · 20/02/2012 22:12

That's Alice...

I think Clara goes best with the mn Ivy though.

mathanxiety · 20/02/2012 22:11

Willa is a name all unto itself (as in Willa Cather) but it could be short for Wilhelmina.

I love Willa, Alica and Clara too.

Original poster
chuffingalong · 20/02/2012 22:05

Oh and Caroline is my mums name. I never thought that would make a come back!

OP posts:
Original poster
chuffingalong · 20/02/2012 22:01

Wow, thanks everyone! I'm loving Alice, Clara and Willa so far. (Although I'd like to know what Willa is short for).There are others I like, but these stand out to me. Elowen sounds lovely! Not sure if I'm saying it right though.

Good point about having something soft and pretty to compliment Lucy. Smile

OP posts:
redrubyshoes · 20/02/2012 16:30

Elowen - very pretty and Old Cornish, unusual but not 'weird' and lovely on a baby, young girl, middle aged woman etc and will sound professional no matter what she does.

loobylu3 · 20/02/2012 16:27

Do you prefer something unusual/ quirky or something more traditional/ popular? I'm just wondering because your other choices, (Lucy ad Oliver- lovely names), are v popular (both top 20, I think).

Amelia- pretty, popular
Tabitha- much less popular, quirky. I like it but prefer Jemima personally which is a similar type of name.
Bryony- a bit too similar to Brian
Lavinia- don't like this.
Seren- nice
Cora- fine but always sounds a bit harsh to me. Flora would be lovely with Lucy or Dora.
Emily- fine, also v popular. Emmeline is lovely and less popular.
Grace- nice but v popular.
Merryn-nice. What about Merle, Marin, Maia or Marina?

With Lucy, I can see: Alice, Eleanor, Charlotte, Harriet, Rose, Daisy, Eve, Eliza, Clara.

More unusual classic choices: Juliet, Rosalind, Susanna, Celia, Helena

Stellan · 20/02/2012 15:18

I really like your suggestion of Lucy & Seren. I don't like Bryony, Lavinia or Merryn at all. The others are lovely but, with the exception of Tabitha (possibly a bit witchy?), too popular for my own tastes.

Lucy is a very pretty, girly name so I think you ought to pick something that compliments it. I really like Cora/Dora/Nora but I can't help but think they are a bit 'granny chic' in comparison to Lucy.

Using your list as a starting point -

Instead of Amelia/Emily/Grace: Lucy & Alice, Ada, Aimée, Alice Amélie, Angelina, Audrey, Carys/Charis, Cecily, Celia, Claire, Clara, Clemency, Elodie, Eliza, Eloise, Eden, Esmé, Esther, Emma, Evelyn, Faith, Felicity, Fiona, Helena, Honor, Hope, Juliet, Ottilie, Sophie, Verity, Violet, Vivien, Willa, Zoe

Instead of Bryony: Lucy & Bethany

Instead of Lavinia: Lucy & Eleanora, Lydia

Instead of Merryn: Lucy & Corinne, Erin, Karen, Maren, Meredith, Miranda, Miriam

Instead of Cora: Lucy & Caroline, Coralie, Dora, Flora, Isadora, Nora, Pearl

Kveta · 20/02/2012 13:26

I love Emily :) (and have an Oliver, with an Emilie on the way!) I don't care how common it is, it's a lovely name. Think it means 'rival' too, which is very apt for a 2nd child :o our other name options were Matylda or Alice (strange spellings due to foreign DH!)

dontthinkicanbebothered · 20/02/2012 13:24

Go with Merryn. Does it matter if your family dont like it? Your baby, your choice!
They will love baby no matter what name it has.

AppleAndBlackberry · 20/02/2012 13:18

If you like Tabitha how about Talitha?
Esther
Anna

I like Emily but think it is very popular

Beans36 · 20/02/2012 13:14

Poppy or Prudence?

BlueChampagne · 20/02/2012 13:06

Vashti
Tamsin
Meryl
Corinna

and another vote for Meredith

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