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Baby names

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

Original poster

REALLY want your opinions - Josephine or Paloma??

65 replies

Clewlesss · 25/11/2018 21:31

Our baby really needs a name (she’s a month old) and we’re being indecisive.

Don’t want anything too common, and like a nice meaning. And want it to sound okay with other dd’s. Already have a Talia, Evangeline and Phoebe-Noelle.
We are currently between Paloma and Josephine... (list previously had Florence, Penelope, Laurel, Davina so you can see our style).
Worried Josephine is too long? We would prob give her a nn (Josie or posie) but worried others would automatically shorten to ’Jo’.
And is Paloma not a good choice as will then have 2 dd’s names starting with P??
And which goes best with my sibset?
THANX!!

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SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 26/11/2018 09:33

Paloma.

NinjaGoSaysNo · 26/11/2018 09:29

I like Laurel... and if these two Josephine nickname Josie. Palmoma always sounds like a dessert to me!

slappinthebass · 26/11/2018 09:26

I'm completely in love with Paloma, it was on the list for my girls. It's outrageously cool but also pretty and fits with your other names. My only reservation is it doesn't have a nickname I can think of, and I do love a nickname. I do also like Josephine, and know a baby and a 7 year old Josephine both nn Josie, but it's not as amazing as Paloma.

Disfordarkchocolate · 26/11/2018 07:36

I like Paloma but I loved Josephine.

TheOldestCat · 26/11/2018 07:36

Cordelia is great too - unusual as well (growing up I hated my common name but DS and DD with more unusual names are sad they can never buy tat with their names on!)

TheOldestCat · 26/11/2018 07:34

My Josie (aged 12) has never been known as Jo. I love Josephine, obvs, but Paloma is fab too.

barnet · 26/11/2018 07:27

I was going to say Paloma, since it is as original as her sisters’ names,
But Cordelia is even better.

Original poster
Clewlesss · 26/11/2018 07:23

Yes Cordelia is really nice.. and I like nn Coco for it

OP posts:
llangennith · 26/11/2018 07:17

Josephine or Josie for short. What about Cordelia, shortened to Cordie?

Original poster
Clewlesss · 26/11/2018 07:15

Notso - your thought are helpful 👍👍

Yourwinter - I was wondering about mail 🙈 I can see that is a problem.

OP posts:
BumbleDevon · 26/11/2018 07:14

I like Paloma.

I can see the appeal of Josephine, but personally I'm not keen on girls' names derived from boys' names, so that would swing it for me.

Notso · 26/11/2018 05:37

I think Paloma sounds more like it goes with your other children's names. That's not to say I dislike Josephine though

TakeMe2Insanity · 26/11/2018 05:33

Paloma is such a beautiful name.

If your other dds have P names I’d go with another P so she doesn’t feel left out.

Original poster
Clewlesss · 26/11/2018 01:49

Thank you everyone. It’s such a mixed response for both Josephine and Paloma Confused

Shadow1234 - appreciate the suggestions. Quite like Millicent nn Millie. And my husband has suggested that name before too but I think I wasn’t sure if I liked the ‘cent’ part of it. Think it has a nice meaning too.

I’ve not fallen totally in love with any names for this new little cutie. It’s like my mind has been numbed from looking at names so much they all look the same now. And it’s nuts a month has passed (and the other 9 months 😆) -and still no name but desperately to find her an awesome name that ticks all the boxes.

OP posts:
YourWinter · 26/11/2018 00:12

Josephine is gorgeous, my friend's daughter is in her 20s and it's always been the full three syllables, also I've known girls who had it shortened to Josie and to Sephie, (not to Feenie, which would make sense!). They had an Edwina who was known as Dweenie.

I loathe the name Paloma, loathe the current celebrity with the name, it reminds me of Una Paloma Blanca, or whatever that stupid 1970s song was called, and you really don't want two daughters with names starting with the same letter. My brother has my father's name, my daughter has the same initial as I do, and when mail arrives for Ms X blah blah it could mean either of us.

The names on your discarded list are all gorgeous too.

RavenWings · 26/11/2018 00:10

Paloma, gorgeous name. Josephine is very dowdy imo.

ladybirdsarelovely33 · 26/11/2018 00:03

Paloma was on my shortlist for dd. I really like it.
Josephine will be shortened but Josie is a pretty good shortened name.

Bojangles33 · 25/11/2018 23:56

What have you been calling her for the last month?!

Josephine

BackforGood · 25/11/2018 23:45

I love the name Josephine, but if you are looking for 'matching styles' then I'd have thought an unusual name such as Paloma would 'fit' that criteria more, with your other dcs' names, which are much more 'out there' than Josephine.

TatianaLarina · 25/11/2018 23:39

Paloma.

I like Josephine, but you’ve already got an Evangeline.

5BlueHydrangea · 25/11/2018 23:19

Definitely Josephine, but it is a family name here so possibly biased..
My dd has it for a middle name and I often call her Josephina instead (could be Josefina) which I think is softer. I like girls names ending in A it has a nice sound too it (and have 3 of them!)

AdaColeman · 25/11/2018 23:14

Paloma is lovely!

DramaAlpaca · 25/11/2018 23:12

Josephine by miles.

ColdCrumpetsAndButter · 25/11/2018 22:45

Paloma Paloma Paloma

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 25/11/2018 22:40

They are both lovely but I think Josephine is nicest

Its not too long (only 3 syllables so shorter than Evangeline)

I like Josie as a nickname

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