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Baby names

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

Original poster

Help! - Maia, Anya, Iona, Abigail, Emma

24 replies

chickabilla · 04/01/2013 17:27

Have loved Maia (my-ah) all along but there are 2 variations in the top 100 and Mia is very popular and similar so I am not sure.

Other options:
Anya
Iona (worried about 'I own a...'
Abigail
Emma - liked by ds as well and like a lot but do know some grown-up ones which puts me off slightly.

Surname S and ok with most names. Middle names undecided but will be a family name.

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persephoneplum · 05/01/2013 09:35

Sorry, I meant Iona of course :)

persephoneplum · 05/01/2013 09:13

Ione - although my favourites are Ione (I-own-ee) and also Io. The rest I find pretty bland.

GW297 · 05/01/2013 08:52

Agree Grace would make a lovely middle name for Anya.

MackerelOfFact · 05/01/2013 08:35

Maia wil be a nightmare as she will invariably be in a class full of Mias, Myas, Mayas etc and will constantly have her name mis-spelt.

I like Iona the most, it's lovely (unless you have a surname that's a noun!)

AppleOgies · 05/01/2013 08:34

Out of your list is go with Emma, it's a lovely name and yes there are lots of adult ones about but it is a classic.

ELR · 05/01/2013 08:28

I like Emma as its my name! It's no 21 so not in the top 20!

Love Isla that's on our list with middle name Grace.

Anya quite nice too Anya Grace would be nice.

Don't like Iona

Original poster
chickabilla · 05/01/2013 08:20

Thanks for all the replies. I have crossed Abigail off, I wasn't too sure about it - it doesn't end in a like all the others :)

Love Isla but is DH's goddaughter so couldn't go on the list.

Popularity isn't too much of a problem but ideally not top 20. Maia is a hard one as all the variations may equal top 20.

I don't know why it is a problem knowing grown up Emmas, guess it makes it seem very popular when it isn't so much.

Hmmm, thought girl names would be easy after 2 boys but they are not!

Any middle names for Anya with quite a lengthy surname starting S? All mine spell ASS or ARS!!!

OP posts:
AmandaPayne · 04/01/2013 22:50

It's soooo personal isn't it. I think Maia seems a bit dull and safe because I know so many of them Star. Emma seems positively exotic round by me!

mrsnobby · 04/01/2013 22:46

Love Anya

Startail · 04/01/2013 22:45

I have trouble with unusual names I couldn't spell if I heard them and couldn't pronounce if I read them and Maia falls in that group.

Iona would be my first choice then Anya.

Emma and Abigail are, I think a bit dull and safe if you are considering Maia.

My DDs have dull safe names deliberately, because they get teased enough for their mad eccentric parents.

AmandaPayne · 04/01/2013 22:44

Anya is the only one I don't know any of.

In London, I know dozens of Maya/Maia/Mia variants aged about three. I think that would bother me more than knowing some grown up ones (what is wrong with that BTW?). I rather like Emma - classy and timeless.

lovedimsum · 04/01/2013 22:26

There are so many Maias/Mayas around. I much prefer Anya- a very pretty name.

Yika · 04/01/2013 21:53

All lovely names. My preference would be Anya followed by Iona and then Emma.

baskingseals · 04/01/2013 19:59

I really like Maia, Iona and Anya. i am so helpful.

i know 2 Maias, one Iona and no Anyas, so if you are concerned about popularity i would pick Anya.

StellaNova · 04/01/2013 19:59

I like Anya. Would you say Ann- ya or Ahn-ya?

LolaDontCryOverSpiltEggnog · 04/01/2013 19:56

If this little one is a girl she will be Iona Grin

GW297 · 04/01/2013 18:34

I like all those names!

Mu1berryBush · 04/01/2013 18:25

Anya is my favourite from your list.

Abigail I don't like. Maia is too popular.

Emma is nice but I prefer Jemma or Gemma. There is nothing wrong with Emma though.

Notquite · 04/01/2013 18:25

Iona is lovely. DD2 might have been Emma if DD1 hadn't been Anna!

perceptionreality · 04/01/2013 18:25

Emma was very popular in the 80s

perceptionreality · 04/01/2013 18:23

I have an Abigail. The name suits her but we named her knowing it would be shortened to Abi, which it is - we were happy with that as a nn.

hatebeak · 04/01/2013 18:22

Iona is beautiful, followed by Anya. Like them both more than Maia, to be honest.

TrippingTheLifeFantastic · 04/01/2013 18:20

My dd is Anya (an-ya not on-ya) but we call her Annie.

Of your list, my vote would go for Anya or Emma.

MoonHare · 04/01/2013 18:18

Not that keen on Maia anyway, and as you say there are lots of similar variants; Maya, Nia, Tia.

Of your alternatives Anya is lovely. If you like Iona but not the possible mickey taking what about Isla or Innish as they mean island, and Iona is an island. Emma is lovely too.