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Baby names

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

Cleo, Grace, Fern or Freya?

70 replies

WillingSpringTime · 06/01/2020 09:40

These are our current top 4 but I am struggling to decide which one I like best for a girl.

I think they all fit with our surname but nothing is leaping out at me.

Grace - I like this but it is very popular around here and also a bit bland compared to the others.

Cleo - I like how unusual it is but wonder how many Renault Clio jokes she would get...

Fern - I think this is my favourite at the moment but unsure on the spelling. Should it be Fern, Fearne or Ferne?

Freya - I quite like this but is it a bit pretentious?

Also, any other names that follow these sorts of lines? I feel like I have read every baby name book going trying to find some but unfortunately our surname is a bit of an odd one and not a lot goes with it. Begins with a H and ends with a Y.

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MillicentMartha · 06/01/2020 23:58

Not so keen on Fern, it sounds a bit plain.
Cleo is nice.
Lots of Graces and Freyas but I like Freya.

How about Flora or Florence as an alternative?

Whatsyourflava · 06/01/2020 23:54

Grace is beautiful
Hate Fern

Tillygetsit · 06/01/2020 23:01

Fern is a beautiful soft name to my ears. Definitely my favourite on your list.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 06/01/2020 21:21

Grace, Freya or Fern are all lovely.

God I hate Cleo, sounds like a magician's assistant from the 70's....

user1493494961 · 06/01/2020 19:09

Like them all except Fern.

Hayls17 · 06/01/2020 18:34

I love all 4, I so wanted Fern for both DDs but DH vetoed it!

YourOpinionIsNoted · 06/01/2020 18:24

Cleo for the win!

Flymetothestars · 06/01/2020 18:10

Don’t like Fern

Love all the others
Cleo Grace and Freya all gorgeous

TheBeesKnee · 06/01/2020 18:02

I like Cleo the best from your list - lovely to say and unusual without being "made-up" imo.

missmouse101 · 06/01/2020 17:56

Fenella is the more usual form.

Lllot5 · 06/01/2020 16:52

I like cleo best like Cleopatra.
Fern next. Spelt like this
Freya and Grace lots of these.
@BobbyBlueCat I’m short, fat with ginger hair and glasses🤣🤣 but my names not cleo.

Gonewiththemadness · 06/01/2020 16:06

Ooh I like Fernella!

hellocleveland · 06/01/2020 15:50

I'm a teacher. Freya and Grace are very popular names. I've taught one Fernella shortened to Fern. Cleo makes me think of Carry on Cleo and Cleo Roccas but that's probably my age. I think my favourite would be Fern.

Gonewiththemadness · 06/01/2020 15:44

I personally would go with Grace but lengthen to gracie.
I love the name Isla.
On a separate note, is Fern becoming a popular name nowadays then?
I know of one Fern other than Fearne cotton and Fern Britton and that’s in 30 something years!

mondler · 06/01/2020 15:36

I know more baby Freyas than Grace's at the moment. I love the name Grace.

I know a Fern and think it's such a lovely name, not many around and sounds beautiful and fits with all the flower type names that are popular at the moment.

Cleo is nice too, never met one.

Great list x

BobbyBlueCat · 06/01/2020 15:36

I don't like Cleo at all. For some reason (maybe I saw a character on TV at some point or something), I picture a short, fat, ginger girl with glasses!

The other three are all beautiful. Really, really pretty names and I can't chose between them!

ButterflyRuns · 06/01/2020 15:34

Love Freya but it’s my cat’s name Grin Always loved Fern! I also think Grace is pretty but you’re right that it’s used a lot, could use it as a middle name?

cuteglasses · 06/01/2020 15:33

I have a Cleo. She's nearly 12 and loves her name xxx

Sparklypurpleunicornsaremyfav · 06/01/2020 15:32

Cleo or fern

Nonameyet1 · 06/01/2020 15:11

Fern is lovely and my favourite out of your choices

diddlediddle · 06/01/2020 15:03

Cleo

AmazingGreats · 06/01/2020 14:04

Other similar names I can think of are Clara and Thea

DramaAlpaca · 06/01/2020 14:01

Fern, that spelling, is my favourite, closely followed by Cleo.

spiderlight · 06/01/2020 13:59

Freya is by far my favourite from your list.

Nonnymum · 06/01/2020 13:45

I dont think of a car at all when I hear the name Cleo. Its just a nice name. If I think of anything it is the film Carry on Cleo and Cleo Laine. The Renault Clio might not even exist when she grown up anyway.
I would think most names have some sort of association with something anyway.

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