Unusual Girls name shortlist.. Honest comments please. Not long to go.

How about Delphine? I think it sounds nicely with Cecelia, really sorry to hear baout your loss

Lydia and Beatrice (but she will be Bee) Also like Verity.

Not keen on Nancy, and don't like anything that's more than but if you don't want names that can be shortened, you need to aviod anything with 3 or more sylables.

Just caught up with your post about you 1st daughter. I'm so sorry. Forget Delia/Cordelia then. I think it's a good shortlist - if you need more it sounds like Shakespeare's a good source for you.

Just choose your favourite, none of those are bizarre or likely to be burdensome - depending on where you live they probably range from "haven't heard that before" to "oh I know another little ???".

Enjoy her whatever you decide to name her, she will be gorgeous!

And Romilly makes me think of Romulan! Sorry - geeky partner.

great list. To be picky...

Verity may get shortened to Very or Rita and is on the increase.
Definitely avoid any Harry Potter names for a while
Xanthe is lovely to hear, but could be a pain to spell/pronounce
Rowena/Rowan is nice - could get shortened to Row

Lydia, love it.

Others similar are:
Aria
Sorrel
Erica
Delia/Cordelia

also Fleur just reminds me of Cilla Black's accent iykwim

Fleur is slightly pretentious, xanthe more do. Apart from that you've ranged from inoffensive (not meant in a bitchy way, just mean not a fave) to the lovely. I'm not specifying which, cos it's maybe a taste/regional/family thing for me. But any of the others would be fine. Sorry I've put all this badly but hopefully you'll get my drift.

Xanthe, Rowan or Romilly are lovely.
some of the others sound too dated, like Lydia or Cynthia or Verity.

So sorry to hear about Celia

Romilly is lovely. As are Nancy and Beatrice. I love Fleur and prefer Rowan to Rowena - it's simpler, and more sassy IMO.

I'm not keen on Verity, Serena (although I do like Seren), Selina or Cynthia. Lydia is a name that I know others love but I really really can't bring myself to like it. I have no idea why.

How do you pronounce Xanthe?

My favourites are Romilly, Fleur and Beatrice.

Good luck.

out of the list I would take out

Verity, Serena, Nancy, Lydia, Beatrice and Selina

If you specifically wish unusual as they are all names people come across semi - regularly (all pretty names but nothing I think (ohh unusual over)

Out of the last 5
Romily I agree with other poster who said this will likely rise.
Xanthe Love this
Cynthia not my style
Fleur pretty
Rowena adore it it was on our short list for dd3

Some suggestions
Ilona, Talia, Farah, Nia, Tansy, Sylvia/Silvia

So sorry to hear about your Cecilia.

I personally don't think that Xanthe IS too pretentious (and I'm normally totally against any names I think are remotely 'out there'), as it's such a pretty name. Serena is also very pretty and wouldn't obviously be shortened.

Adelphie has a similar kind of sound to it as Xanthe, so I would maybe go for Serena Adelphie (Adelphie meaning 'sibling', so acknowledging the relationship between both of your daughters).

Very sorry to hear about your Celia :(.
I would actually discount Cynthia then, as being just that bit too similar but of course it's up to you.

You're not so keen on Iolanthe then?

I like nancy out of your list but if you love Xanthe then you should go for it.

Sorry to hear about your Celia x

Love Romily, like Fleur, dislike the others especially Verity which I detest.

I'm so sorry to hear about your Celia. Such a pretty name and I'm sure she was the light of your life.
From your list, my absolute favourite is Xanthe - I've only ever known one and she was lovely, beautiful and dignified even at fifteen when most of us are a bit iffy! Serena is very pretty too but, for me, just not quite as special as Xanthe. The other name I really love, and which vied with Xanthe for top of my list of names for girls, is Celeste.

Sorry about your DD.
I like all the names you have chosen so not much help! :)
I met a little girl called Serin today.i thought that was lovely.

So sorry about your dd.

You have a great shortlist and some names you love. Why not wait until she is born to decide? It may help you to stop comparing all the names to Celia as you get to know your baby a little and she shows you how much of her own little person she is.

i am so sorry about your Celia.

from your short list l like Xanthe and Lydia. be brave and call her Xanthe. i think it is lovely and not pretentious.

I was slow posting there and missed your reply - I am so sorry about your Celia. It is a beautiful name.

Sorry if this sounds rude, but to me, Xanthe is a bit pretentious, not because it's so weird and out there, but because it looks like it's trying to be weird and out there, if that makes sense. Maybe it's just the X, which I know is unfair, but it does just seem to be a bit much. It is pretty, though.
Cynthia, Lydia and Beatrice are really lovely (Romilly just makes me think of Rommel) and Nancy is a pretty good child-to-adult name. Serena's fine, but you have some other good choices there...

Love Verity, Lydia and Rowena. The others are all nice too.

Good luck!