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Baby names

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

Totally stuck for girls names - overthinking this ??

110 replies

MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 11:07

Our DS has an unusual but 'old fashioned' but strong name. We love it, family loves it and it totally suits him. But I am not stuck on theme names, so girls name doesn't need to also be old-fashioned but I do like Unusual-Classic. Both DH and I have got unusual names. Mine so much so it has never featured on any MN list, ever!

No names that end with 'ee' (as DS's name is a **y and two names ending with Y or an ee sound make me think of a pair of small lap dogs Blush )

Names that that have made it as far as a being considered are :

Pepper
Cressida
Willow

  1. Cressida was extremely popular with both of us as a name for DS if he has been a DD when he was born 5 years ago but less so now as now there is Cressida Bonas (my objection)
  1. There is a very unattractive car called a Cressida - albeit not in production anymore and not in our main country of residence (DH's objection)

Would these things matter to you ? I have visions of Harry marrying Cressida Bonas and there being a wave of little Cress's..

Pepper is pretty unusual (odd to some I am sure) but is a family name further back. Both previous Pepper's were very successful women.

I like Willow but only a bit, but it sounds a bit.. hippy and although we are a quirky, kind of international kind of family, we are not at all bohemian really! And, although both of us are very tall, slender isn't really a family trait, we are more 'Oak' or 'Plane' Grin and Willow, to my mind creates a tall, slender image.. Is that just me ? Am I just preggo-hormone mad and overthinking everything ?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 13:11

Wow! Long list, thanks Smile

I like,

Honor (DH says no)
Saskia (not sure.. is it a bit Posh?)
Henrietta (do not like Etta as a nn, what other nn would that name be given?)

Cicely - I like it but too near Cecily ? (Already used in close enough family)

Anyone good with French/Belgian names ? DH is Belgian a couple of gens back and I like some of the names but hard to find a list !

OP posts:
MollyBdenum · 15/07/2014 13:09

Hmmm, both of DDs middle names have been suggested, so I'll try to remember our baby name shortlist.

Mogz · 15/07/2014 13:08

MyNameIsSuz brony much? Wink

How about Salix instead of Willow?

Sidge · 15/07/2014 13:07

Clara
Jessamy
Mirabel
Evelyn
Nancy
Felicity

EvilHerbivore · 15/07/2014 13:03

Any of those any good?!

EvilHerbivore · 15/07/2014 13:02

Adira

 Albany

Amabel

 Ambrosia

Annora

 Anouk

Antonina

Augustina

Austen

Blanche

 Branwen

Caia

 Carmelita

Celestia

 Cerys

Cicely

Circe

Clementina

Corin

 Cornelia

Cyra

 Dariela

Dillon

Domenica

Easton

Electra

 Federica

Finola

Fleur

Gracia

Guinivere

 Henrietta

Hester

 Honora

Ione

 Isolde

Jacinta

 Lenore

Lilibeth

Lilou

Lucienne

Marlin

Mireille

Ondine

Philomena

Rafaella

Sabra

Saffron

Saskia

Sidra

Sinead

Taja

Tana

Toril

Tulip

 Valentine

Verena

Veronique

Vita

 Zandra

Ihearthickson · 15/07/2014 13:02

Talitha
Margot
Clothilde

MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 13:00

Not Ursula (my PE teacher at school. I am still terrified of her!) but Claudia, that's nice.

How best to pronounce ? Cloud-ee-ah or Claw-dee-ah ?

The first one would be shortened to Cloudy. I can see it. Would that be awful ?

So we are getting places! So far, that I hadn't really considered and will be on The List ;

Cosima
Aphra
Claudia
Lila

OP posts:
MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 12:51

Only1scoop - underneath my virtual drawing board is littered with ideas that have been tossed.. I only need 2 names, how hard can it be!!

OP posts:
saffronwblue · 15/07/2014 12:48

What about some of the Latin names
Claudia
Ursula
Aurelia

MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 12:42

Had never heard of Aphra - I kind of like it Smile I like Lila over Lyra, but DH not sure about Lila (Kate Moss.. Everyone, bar me perhaps, knows someone with the same name, right ? Does it really matter if a sleb has a child of the same name ?)

MyNameIsSuz - Grin .. "Darling, I've sold the car so we can call DD Octavia" ... I would but I love my Octavia! Our other car is a Kia Sorento, I know a child called Kia. She's a beautiful little thing. Her parents are Asian, one is from South Korea and they don't give two hoots! Perhaps Sorento ? (joking!)

Cecilia is lovely but I have a 2nd cousin called Cecilia after her greatGF, Cecil. So can't use it.

myotherusername - They just sound American to me/us. Dynasty as a child might have ruined Fallon for me. Tamar is Hebrew isn't it ? Sorry if it is European, I thought it wasn't. Amarys is fine, I just don't like the Y in the main body of a name Blush

I liked Willow until I realised it's much more popular than I thought. That and the fact tall is very likely for our children but willowy might not be and it might look odd on a girl likely to be more bodacious than supermodel..

OP posts:
Needaninsight · 15/07/2014 12:37

I have a Willow. Obviously biased but we love it!

weatherall · 15/07/2014 12:30

Willow is quite popular atm isn't it?

What about Athena?

myotherusernameisbetter · 15/07/2014 12:25

Hmm, Fallon etc are Scottish and Tamar is european too. Amaryis isn't made up either, it's biblical. But if you don't like it then you don't :)

Actually not many of those were my taste either but I was trying to suggest more unusual names.

If my boys had been girls then they would probably be Mairi and Kirsty or similar, though I am living Lorna a lot at the moment (not having anymore children!) those wont be to your taste at all though :).

MyNameIsSuz · 15/07/2014 12:13

What about Cecilia? That has musical connections too.

Only1scoop · 15/07/2014 12:12

Hope Mr P loves it ....

MyNameIsSuz · 15/07/2014 12:12

The answer's clear to me - get a new car!

MrsPretoria · 15/07/2014 12:10

Cosima is lovely. Unusual but classical. I love that it has musical connections too. I wonder if DH will like it.

I loved Octavia. But we have a Skoda Octavia. Obv this could change but DH is opposed car names entirely.. No Cressida/Portia - even spelled like that / Octavia etc.

This is SO hard. DS was easy. Heard the name, loved it, turned out to be a family name. Attached other family name/2nd favourite name as a middle name. Hey presto - done!

OP posts:
AppleSnapple · 15/07/2014 12:08

Showy - I jnow a little Aphra! And she is as beautiful as her name!

AppleSnapple · 15/07/2014 12:07

Ophelia
Meredith
Louisa
Eliza
Rowena
Robina
Umm... Running out of ideas now!

Groovester · 15/07/2014 12:03

Rowan?

Showy · 15/07/2014 12:02

I am desperate for a MNer to give in and use Aphra. DS would have been Aphra. Lovely name, old, unusual but not silly and you have the marvellous Aphra Behn as a namesake.

MyNameIsSuz · 15/07/2014 12:01

What about Octavia? It was top of our list and seems to fit the bill. I love Tavi as a shortening.

Ooh, or Lyra? I love it but sounds wrong with our surname.

Only1scoop · 15/07/2014 12:00

Glad You like Cosima....

I also hate American sounding names this side of the pond....especially surnames used as Christian names....