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Baby names

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Original poster

My list v his list - help us find a happy medium or suggestions, please?

41 replies

Babymakesthree · 19/06/2013 20:40

Hiya all, first post, first baby, first discussion with fiancée this evening re our daughter's name. (Due date is September 9th). I've been canvassing these boards for a while and it has been suggested before that both parties make a list of eg. ten and then see what common ground you have.

It appears I like popular, vintagey pretty girl's names and DP likes more stoic, classic solid names (this is not a criticism at all, an observation on the both of us...)

I would be grateful if you could assess both our name lists and help us find that happy medium we clearly need.... :) Thanks in advance.

HIS LIST

Elizabeth / Sarah/ Eleanor / Michelle / Victoria / Olivia / Emmeline / Harriet

MY LIST

Phoebe/ Isobel / Romilly/ Florence/ Georgia/ Thea/ Polly / Alice

From his list I could 'bear' Olivia at a push and perhaps Elizabeth, but with the nn Betty or something like that. From my list he says he could only tolerate Alice - but that he would think of the song everytime.

Perhaps I am being selfish by not saying 'problem solved- she'll be an Olivia' but fiancée has suggested that we will have to start again from the beginning and pick a name that makes us both smile :)

HELP!! :)

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IrisScentedCandle · 23/06/2013 16:46

They're both lovely. I prefer Lydia. Penelope is lovely but a bit much.

Allalonenow · 23/06/2013 16:45

His list is a bit dull, and I'm not keen on Michelle or Harriet. Your list is more interesting, though I don't like Polly, as it is a diminutive.

Alice and Isobel are wildly popular just now, so my favovourite from your list is Romilly.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/06/2013 16:32

Meringue

I knew a girl who used to call her sister Lydia-std name when they were arguing.

Meringue33 · 23/06/2013 16:29

Don't like Lydia because of the rhymes with an STD

Like Penny

Meringue33 · 23/06/2013 16:27

My MIL is Elizabeth, nn Lily. I think it's beautiful!

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/06/2013 16:21

Ooops just saw your update...when will I learn to check for them?!

Love Penelope.

Not so keen on Lydia.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/06/2013 16:20

I like Emmeline from his list and Florence from yours

fussychica · 23/06/2013 16:14

Alice May or Alice Olivia for me but Lydia is nice - not keen on Penelope though.

mrsyattering · 23/06/2013 14:38

olivia alice ... like my dd Grin

invicta · 23/06/2013 14:30

Love Penelope!

HoneyandRum · 23/06/2013 14:25

Be prepared for Penelope to become Penny (I don't know a Penelope that has avoided this in the UK). LOVE Lydia - it's classic (Biblical) but not overused. Love Olivia but there are thousands in the under 18 crowd, be prepared for your DD is consider her name "boring" if she is Olivia as there are sooooooo many.

xigris · 22/06/2013 12:48

Love Penelope!

bugsybill · 22/06/2013 12:44

Penelope and Lydia are very nice choices! Lots of options for lovely middle name that go well too.

LittleDirewolfBitJoffrey · 22/06/2013 11:39

Out of Penelope and Lydia I would go for Lydia, but both are pretty.

I have to say your lists seem incredibly similar to me!

DontmindifIdo · 22/06/2013 11:24

Lydia is gorgeous ! (Lydia from Pride and Prejudice is quite possibly the most fun)

Penelope is also a pretty name - would she be Penny?

Writerwannabe83 · 22/06/2013 09:28

I absolutely love Olivia - me and hubby are TTC and if we had a girl I think We would opt for that. I really like Phoebe too.

Phoebe Olivia sounds nice as a first and second name Smile x

Original poster
Babymakesthree · 21/06/2013 20:43

Thanks so far guys...

Well he totally threw me for a loop after coming home this evening and announcing that he ''loved'' Penelope and Lydia. I asked what bought on this sudden change - apparently work were discussing things you used to watch when you were a child...

Penelope Pitstop
Lydia from Beatlejuice

ahem Hmm

I like both - this could be the start of the end :)

OP posts:
DontmindifIdo · 21/06/2013 12:38

Oh and we solved the problem of DH's love of 80's names by having a DS for our first DC, we'd agreed on a 'solid, traditional' boy name (one good thing with boys names, there does seem to be less 'fashion' so it's easier to get a name that would work for someone in their 80s, 40s, 20s or a toddler) - we were arguing about girls names on the drive to the hospital. With DC2, our DD, he'd been convinced we were having a second DS so was happy to pick a name off my list for a girl having no suggestions of his own had time to come round to my way of thinking.

Hazelbrowneyes · 21/06/2013 11:53

Natalie
Samantha
Stella
Laura
Sophie
Danielle
Emma
Hannah
Freya
Elena
Catherine
Rebecca

AdiosMuffinTop · 21/06/2013 11:45

Yes, my children's father did that. Both of our children have names that were used (but not popular) in the 70s. Anything like romilly or Thea would have met a very blank face. In the end, I am happy with the choices, but new names that weren't used at all in my childhood were what appealed to me!

DontmindifIdo · 21/06/2013 11:10

Elizabeth will get called Liz...

I agree with FetaCheeny - he's picked names from his generation, DH did the same when discussing names for DC1, by the time i was pregnant with DC2, he'd had 3 years of metting little DCs with the "old fashioned" names and was more open to less dull 80's sounding names. Do you habe friends with small DCs? Start introducing him to the more current sounding names. I'd also give him a link to the most popular names for 2012, let him see how 'normal' your name choices are...

From your list, I like Alice, from his, Harriet (particularly with the nickname Hattie). But agree, keep looking for a name you both love.

FobblyWoof · 21/06/2013 10:37

I agree with your OH- you both need a name/names that you both really like. As you said, he could tolerate a name off of your list and you could go with a few off of his but it doesn't sound like any of them are a "yes!" name for either of you. (though Alice is beautiful )

From looking at both your lists it seems like you have a lot of common ground (at least one of you isn't traditional and the other ultra-modern) so I don't think it will be hard for you to draw up a short list together of your favourites.

FetaCheeny · 21/06/2013 10:29

I think your issue here is that he likes names he is familiar with, and has therefore chosen names he recognises from his generation, and your names probably sound quite alien or old-fashioned to him.
Harriet is lovely, as is Emmeline, but Michelle? far too dated.

I don't think you should go with Olivia if you don't love it. The final decision should be yours, men don't understand babynames Grin

Exhaustipated · 21/06/2013 09:18

I think Elizabeth with Betty or Betsy would be a good compromise. Otherwise my first thoughts on overlap names were:

Beatrice
Rose or a variation of (eg Rosa or Rosalie)
Marianne
Cora
Violet
Lois
Louisa
Josephine
Faye
Nina
Penelope

Any good?

manicinsomniac · 20/06/2013 14:52

Your lists don't seem that far apart to me.

In the Olivia and Alice vein, how about:

Annabel, Alexandra, Abigail, Amy, Bethany, Bryony, Charlotte, Catherine, Emily, Emma, Erin, Esther, Francesca, Felicity, Grace, Georgina, Hannah, Imogen, Jessica, Joanna, Julia, Katie, Laura, Leah, Lydia, Mary, Madeleine, Melissa, Matilda, Natalie, Natasha, Naomi, Rebecca, Rachel, Rhiannon, Robyn, Sophie, Sylvia, Tabitha, Violet, Xanthe, Zoe, Zara.