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Baby names

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

Original poster

Matilda, Amelie, Freya, Arabel

65 replies

tdam · 01/05/2019 06:42

Hi all,

I'm due in just over two months and am endlessly debating between these names. To be entirely honest, Arabel isn't likely an option as my partner doesn't love it but I've included it out of curiosity (and I'm hoping it grows on him).

Which is your favourite and why? Do you know anyone/many people with these names? Feel free to rank them as well.

Some others I love but that have been vetoed by my partner are Olive, Iris, Margot/Margaux, Violet and Juno. I'm desperately hoping he comes around to some/one of these as I feel, particularly with Olive and maybe Margot too, that I'd happily use them tomorrow if I gave birth.

Thanks so much for any help/opinions!

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1990carey · 04/05/2019 16:00

I will advise that Amelia is a very common name (I work in a school and in my class alone we have 3 Amelia's) I like Freya, that's not as common and Matilda is nice too.

WonkyDonk87 · 04/05/2019 12:16

We have a Matilda, but also not keen on Tilly as a nn. Most often being referred to as "Tilda" (which makes me think of T Swinton Grin) or "Moo". I also really like Juno.

Painsnail · 04/05/2019 09:03

I like Arabel! I loved the "Arabel and Mortimer" books as a child

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 03/05/2019 07:03

They are all ok about from arabel which makes me think of crop farming.

I hate the nickname Tilly for Matilda. It's so awfully twee.

jcq17 · 03/05/2019 07:02

Amelie out of those. Freya and Matilda are pretty common.

AnnieDianaLulu · 03/05/2019 06:56

My favourite is Matilda Smile

Muchtoomuchtodo · 02/05/2019 23:00

All the Freya’s that I know (11 or younger) are very hard work. Very!

There are lots of matilda’s In the under 5’s here too.

Arabel looks like a spelling mistake.

Amelie is my favourite of the 4 by far.

dangerrabbit · 02/05/2019 22:56

Arabel will be confused with Annabel when written down which your DD will find annoying having to constantly correct

irregularegular · 02/05/2019 22:55

I like them all a lot except Arabel. It just looks like a typo.

JemSynergy · 02/05/2019 22:53

Matilda

AnotherRubberDuck · 02/05/2019 22:13

Totally thought this was a spoof "Sean, Daniel or Balonz" thread!
Arabel just reminds me of arable farming. Nope.

Matilda gets my vote. DS was going to be Matilda, and by the time we had DD a couple of close friends had used it so we couldn't 😭

Bumblebeesmum · 02/05/2019 20:54

Love Matilda
Hate the rest

Isleepinahedgefund · 02/05/2019 20:51

I like Arabel best (Arabella better) - mostly because every other girl in our school is called Matilda, Amelie or Freya.

Flamingosnbears · 02/05/2019 15:52

I have a Matilda fabulous name nothing but compliments and she lives up to her name too... cheeky, clever, wise for her years.

MMama18 · 02/05/2019 13:29

@tdam exactly the reason why we used Matilda. I’m a huge book worm and Matilda was my favourite growing up, I always said I’d have a little girl named Matilda.
Olive is lovely, another my DH vetoed, keep pushing 😉

Original poster
tdam · 02/05/2019 11:40

@outvoid I absolutely adore the film too, it's definitely had a big influence on my feelings for the name. And it isn't common here so I'm quite glad about that. It's by no means highly unusual or anything but it's not in the top 100. Matilda is one I've loved forever and I had no idea it was so popular until I fell pregnant and began researching names and their usage. Such a shame as I'm a huge Roald Dahl admirer and would have loved to use the name as a reference to the book/the character herself and to my love for reading. Oh well... I'm still working on my partner with Olive!

OP posts:
WellVersedInEtiquette · 02/05/2019 11:28

My third would have been a Matilda. I love it.

Lllot5 · 02/05/2019 11:21

Arabella I like not arabel x but I like all the others. No help at all sorry

outvoid · 02/05/2019 11:19

I’ve always loved the film Amelie so am slightly disappointed it’s now a fairly common name. Same with Matilda, I loved the book and film as a child but it seems all too common nowadays Sad.

Not a fan of Freya, it’s overused. Olive is great!

Idonotlikeyoudonaldtrump · 02/05/2019 10:42

Arabel reminds me of arable, as in arable land. Prefer Amabel.

Pegaroo · 02/05/2019 10:21

I have a Margot so that wins it for me. I like Freya as well.
Not keen on Arabel, makes me think of arable crop farming! Do like arabella though.

Louiselouie0890 · 02/05/2019 10:15

Matilda, although I do despise the nickname tilly

PattyCow · 02/05/2019 10:10

Matilda or Amelie. Arabel just isn't nice and I don't like Freya.

DobbysLeftSock · 02/05/2019 10:03

Have met lots of Matildas and Freyas over the last 5 or 6 years, but naming trends are likely to be different in Oz I guess.

I love Margot and Olive, try to talk your dh round!

MMama18 · 02/05/2019 10:00

We recently Elmer an Australian couple in our holiday who loved the fact our DD was called Matilda, the husband would sing ‘waltzing Matilda’ at us whenever we crossed paths! Perhaps I’d give Matilda a miss in your shoes 😂