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Baby names

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

Original poster

Please give your humble opinions on five girls names....

68 replies

mummabug · 29/08/2012 20:35

Juliet

Sylvia

Mae

Rachel

Vivienne

Which do you love, like, dislike, or loathe? Be as honest as you like!

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maybenow · 29/08/2012 21:42

I LOVE maya or maia...

Viviennemary · 29/08/2012 21:41

Juliet Nice enough
Sylvia Lovely
Mae Not keen
Rachel It's a bit ordinary and quite over used but nothing wrong with it
Vivienne. Ah well what can I say. It's the best. Grin

Cupcakes24 · 29/08/2012 21:37

I know someone who loved the name Mae but felt it was too short so called her DD Maeya....... Think she regrets the spelling now though as for 3.5 yrs she has had to spell it & pronounce it, often her DD is called Maya, she blames pregnancy brain & the fact she was shell shocked at having twins

AWomanCalledHorse · 29/08/2012 21:35

Juliet- Meh, she'd get constant 'and is this Romeo' comments about her boyf, plus I'm not a fan of the nn Julie (blame Ali G and Me Julie).

Sylvia-Like, but Sylvie is a bit meh.

Mae-Hate, just because of all the people I know of with Lily-Maes, Daisy-Mae, Rose-Mae's etc.

Rachel-Ok.

Vivienne- Love, would've been DS's name if he were a girl, my fav spelling of the name.

GW297 · 29/08/2012 21:30

Juliet is the best one.

cansu · 29/08/2012 21:24

Love Juliet.

maybenow · 29/08/2012 21:23

Vivienne - would always be spelling it if you were around here people would write vivien (which somehow isn't as nice)
Juliet - ok. why not juliette (since you've chosen vivienne)
Mae - hmm reminds me of the violinist's surname
Sylvia - i quite like actually
rachel - solid, not exciting but nice.

herhonesty · 29/08/2012 21:22

Juliet is my fave. Others don't do it for me!

Nobhead · 29/08/2012 21:18

Vivienne- God no! I think the punk character from 80's sitcom the young ones
Juliet- Not keen
Mae- Meh...so so
Sylvia- It's a Grandma's name
Rachel- Love it, I would have this for a future DD but my surname would clash with it.

lljkk · 29/08/2012 21:09

I'm not keen on Vivienne or Sylvia, others are good.

HaggisMcNeeps · 29/08/2012 21:08

Vivienne is beautiful.

Stellan · 29/08/2012 21:02

Juliet is a lovely choice and one that is hard to top but if you can't convince your husband, he might like:
Harriet
Margaret
Violet
Scarlett
Charlotte
Colette
Bridget
Julia
Juliana

If you like Mae, maybe you would love Mabel.

While Sylvia is quite grannyish, it has a lot in common with Olivia so might be more wearable in the playground than I've given it credit for.

In terms of other classic girls' names that aren't boring, how about Susannah, Rosa, Josephine, Georgina, Cordelia, Celia, Louisa, Serena, Esther, Martha, Helena or Honor?

Original poster
mummabug · 29/08/2012 20:51

Thanks for your replies!

I love Juliet so much but DH is dead against. Maybe I will just keep on with it until he agrees (and maybe even if he doesn't!)

Agree about Mae being too short (I love it but that is the one thing that puts me off), Sylvia too old-ladyish.

Rachel is a bit boring but maybe this is why its stood the test of time!

Lydia is lovely but unfortunately I associate the name with a girl I didn't like at secondary school.

OP posts:
MrsJohnDeere · 29/08/2012 20:49

Love Juliet (underused IMHO)

Don't like the others.

fivegomadindorset · 29/08/2012 20:47

I love Juliet, Sylvia and Vivienne, others are lovely but less so.

Yika · 29/08/2012 20:46

I dislike Mae and Vivienne. Too trendy, too fanciful. I like Rachel, it's simple, beautiful and timeless. Juliet and Sylvia are nice enough, but somehow a bit prim.

InTheNameofTheWeeMan · 29/08/2012 20:42

juliet - gorgeous in every way

Sylvia - middle aged, maybe Sylvie?

Mae - hate that spelling, sorry

Rachel - lovely, but in a quiet, slghtly dull way

vivienne - lovely.

Can I add Lydia to the mix?

Stellan · 29/08/2012 20:41

I like Juliet.

Rachel is inoffensive. It is a perfectly respectable, solid name that would suit any girl but since it has been used so frequently over such a long time, it's hard for me to find it fresh or exciting or interesting. If anything, that's a reason to pick it though!

Mae is a little short for my own tastes.

Sylvia is a pensioner. I haven't come around to the idea of it making a come back yet. I heard a mother telling off her young daughter, Sylvia, at Center Parcs recently. She said to her: 'Sylvia, mummy and granny want to finish their ice creams. Go and sit down.' Since then, I find it to be a name ridiculous mothers who refer to themselves in the third person give their offspring.

Vivienne is OK.

I don't loathe any of them and wouldn't really bat an eyelid upon meeting a child named any of them but the only one I'd actually consider for my own child is Juliet.

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