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Baby names

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

Original poster

Opinions and suggestions for a girl's name please

31 replies

CertainGecko · 28/03/2020 03:53

I'm having a girl in a few months and am really stuck! We already have a Francesca who is always known as Frankie.

Firstly, I always quite liked Joey short for Josephine as a girl's name, but I worry that if I have girls called Frankie and Joey people will think I desperately wanted a boy which is not the case at all. I don't really care for Josie. DW likes Billie but I'm put off for the same reason.

Secondly I'd love some suggestions of other names based on the list I've got so far. Nothing is really jumping out at me. With my first, I really loved Frankie just needed to decide if I liked Francesca enough to use it as the long name. This time there are no strong contenders except maybe Joey.

Winnie (but don't like Winifred as the long name)
Iris (strong possibility this will be middle name)
Thea
Isobel
Matilda
Florence
Penelope/Penny
Audrey
Margot
Madeleine
Daphne
Beatrice
Josephine/Joey
Imogen
Martha
Phoebe

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PlantPotting · 02/04/2020 17:56

Penelope nn Penny is lovely @CertainGecko

PlantPotting · 02/04/2020 17:56

Love the following names from your list:

Iris Imogen Martha and Margo

jfoyo26 · 02/04/2020 17:43

I think Francesca and Josephine go really well together. And think Frankie and Joey are great "everyday" names and also go well together...it's actually kind of fashionable to have a unisex name right now. It never would have crossed my mind to think maybe you wanted a boy.

We have a second daughter due in a month. Her sister is Louise and we plan to call her Rachel, using the nicknames Lou & Rae :-)

Original poster
CertainGecko · 31/03/2020 09:27

Frankie and Benny! Grin We have joked about that a few times. The thing with Frankie and Joey is that they're not just nicknames, it's what they'll be known as. Most people don't know my daughter is a Francesca, it's only on official docs and used by my PILs because they can't bring themselves to use Frankie. She doesn't even really respond to it when they call her it.

I don't like any of the suggestions for lengthening Winnie so I think I'll strike that one off. I don't mind Winona but I'm not sure we can pull it off as it's a bit quirky. Literally the only Winonas I've ever heard of are Ryder and Judd.

@MikeUniformMike not planning to use Olwyn etc but why is it an unfortunate misspelling? Does it give it another meaning?

I'm leaning towards Joey or Penny at the moment. I really like Beatrice and Audrey but it's don't think DW is on board for those. Definitely not Audrey. DD says I can't use Beatrice as one of her dolls is called that! 😂

I appreciate all the suggestions, thank you. Not many jump out but it's good to consider names I haven't looked at already even if it is just to rule them out. I've tried a few baby name apps but haven't found them particularly helpful.

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 29/03/2020 18:06

Not keen on Joey for a girl (dunno why, possibly cos of Friends)
I like Joss.
Winnie could be Winona.
Daphne Iris or Florence Iris are too flowery

How about Marguerite (not with Iris though) instead of Margot.

MikeUniformMike · 29/03/2020 18:01

Please do not call a girl Olwyn. It is an unfortunate misspelling of an old Welsh name, @emmathedilemma.

bridgetreilly · 29/03/2020 15:22

From your list, I would pick Daphne Iris or Audrey Iris.

bridgetreilly · 29/03/2020 15:22

Harriet (Hattie)
Rosalind (Rosie)
Penelope (Nell)
Elizabeth (Betsy)
Catherine (Kitty)
Charlotte (Lottie)

DramaAlpaca · 29/03/2020 02:46

How about Joely instead of Joey as a diminutive of Josephine?

Mumtobe193 · 29/03/2020 02:43

Nora
Rosa

Krazynights34 · 28/03/2020 21:11

Wilhelmina nn Mina
Merryn
Lyra
Antoinette
Petra

emmathedilemma · 28/03/2020 15:40

Or Olwyn/ Olwen or Anwen nnn Winnie?

Blackcountryexile · 28/03/2020 12:32

Winona nnWinnie?

AllRainbowsAndUnicorns · 28/03/2020 12:29

I know what you mean about Frankie and Joey, but they're only nicknames. I don't think it matters at all, so I say go for it!

ellanwood · 28/03/2020 11:45

I think Frankie and Joey are great names that work really well together, and the longer names are also lovely. It wouldn't occur to me that they are overly masculine, mainly because all the Frankies I know are women and I've only ever met two Joeys - one male, one female. Go with what you love.
I also like Billie, which spelled that way is 100% female.

I like Beatrice best from your list. Bea, Beata or Bettie (not keen on Beattie - memories of Maureen Lipman ads. )

Audrey is unusual and works well with Frankie. Not sure how you'd shorten it though if you wanted a nickname.

Whatsyourflava · 28/03/2020 11:34

LOVE Iris Imogen Martha and Margo

Other names I like:

Willa
Sadie
Edith / Edie
Margaret /Maggie
Clementine/ Clemmie
Roxanne/Roxanna/Rosanne
Pearl
Delilah
Ottilie (Ottie)
Cora
Eliza
River
Winter
Jemima
Holly
Cleo
Mabel
Peggy

BubblesBuddy · 28/03/2020 08:43

I have never heard a girl called Joey as shirt for Josephine. Mainly because it’s a baby kangaroo I think. Also if used to be a name for parrots. Jo was the usual shortened form. Or Joss. You could do Frankie and Bennie.

Chocolatecake12 · 28/03/2020 08:36

Or Joanna/ Joanne with nn Jo

Ikeameatballs · 28/03/2020 07:43

You have a lovely list! I’m not keen on Margot but think the rest are fab.

Penelope could have the nn Nell?

How much do you want a short nn type name with a longer formal name? Is that your main criteria?

Vivienne with nn Vivi
Felicity with nn Fliss
Matilda with nn Matty or Tilly or Tilda
Cordelia with nn Cordy or Delia
Persephone nn Sephy

Or, if a nn isn’t that important

Juniper
Lydia
Bella
Nina
Polly
Collette
Willow
Liberty

VenusClapTrap · 28/03/2020 07:25

Josephine is lovely. I don’t think the nickname thing matters at all. But from your list I like Thea and Audrey the best.

UnrulySalvia · 28/03/2020 06:59

Jessica/Jessie

But I really like Josephine/Joey too.

Rocketinapocket · 28/03/2020 06:57

Josephine. Josie/Posy for short.

Ricekrispie22 · 28/03/2020 06:55

Harriet
Alexis
Meredith
Saskia
Alice
Georgia
Lydia
Cassandra
Cecily

Ricekrispie22 · 28/03/2020 06:52

I love them all apart from Audrey and Daphne.

mathanxiety · 28/03/2020 06:34

Was going to suggest Elowen too, with nn Winnie.

From your list I love Penelope/Penny.
Francesca and Penelope/Frankie and Penny sound lovely together imo.

Other suggestions:
Beatrix
Stella
Helena (Lenny)
Tessa
Jessamine