Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Girls’ names - unpopular list!

110 replies

Indecision2020 · 03/06/2020 20:31

Hello
I’ve name changed because I’ve discussed these options at length IRL and would like my other posts to be anonymous!

No one likes any of my options for my baby girl due this autumn. Let me know your favourite or any other suggestions!

I’m Irish, DH is English. We live in London and DS has a classic Irish first name.

Mary
Marie (pronounced marry)
Maud
Eliza
Ailbhe
Caroline
Anne

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
AcrobaticCardigan · 06/06/2020 17:30

Really love Maud. Ailbhe is gorgeous, though I admit I had to look up the pronunciation!! Quite like Eliza too.

lottiegarbanzo · 06/06/2020 15:23

Yes Caro is lovely and you could go for Carrie too. Caroline is sensible and grown-up but a bit frilly too. Very versatile.

Kokeshi123 · 06/06/2020 14:55

I love all of them!

A little Caroline would be a refreshing change. And Caro is a cute nickname.
Eliza is lovely too.

As others have said, it will be hard to dictate the pronunciation if you go for Marie---I would always say "muh-REE" if I saw this written down, and if I heard of someone whose name was pronounced "marry" I would assume they were a Mari or Mhairi.

1forsorrow · 06/06/2020 10:42

Have you considered spelling it Marrie, I said before I know two little girls with it spelt that way and it doesn't confuse anyone.

Oliversmumsarmy · 06/06/2020 10:41

Maud is one of those old lady names that seem to be doing the rounds atm
A lot of the names I would associate with the 1950s/60s

If I had to choose one it would have to be Eliza.

LadyEloise · 06/06/2020 10:36

I like the historical connection of Maud to Maud Gonne Mc Bride but I don't like the look of it or the sound of it.
I think of maudlin.

Alana ( pet/ darling ) is a lovely Irish name.
As is Cara ( friend )

wishing3 · 06/06/2020 10:34

I think that they are all lovely names. If you like Marie but are concerned about mispronounciation, how about Marianne? It has the ‘marry’ sound there, but I guess that’s losing the Irish connection?

Topseyt · 06/06/2020 10:25

The only name I would actively discount from your list is Maud. It is ugly and clunky.

Marie is nice, but people won't automatically pronounce it Marry. I used to know a Marie who pronounced it Marry and without fail she had to correct people the first time she met them, and beyond that in many cases too.

I like Irish names, but mostly I admit that I do need the spelling and pronunciation explained to me. It isn't automatic.

LadyEloise · 06/06/2020 09:17

Would you consider Darerca - Dar air ka. ?
It is an Irish saint's name.

Original poster
Indecision2020 · 06/06/2020 08:09

Thanks so much everyone for all the feedback.

I’d really like to give her an Irish name but have ruled pretty much all of them out for various reasons (the ones that are easier to spell are mostly used by family, and I don’t want to use one with a spelling that would be too problematic in England).

I have always loved Ailbhe but my issue with it is there are just so many Isla/Ava/Ada/Ida/Eva/Evie’s around and though it looks completely different it does fit that pattern. Also as many pps have shown on this thread, the pronunciation isn’t obvious and anglicised to Alva you lose the Irish connection completely which is a big part of it for me.

A lot of the other names on my list - Mary, Marie, Maud, Anne - have strong Irish connections without actually being Irish names which is why I like them. (Also why I’m not going to use a Welsh or Scottish version).

I’m still really struggling to decide! I think I’ve ruled out Marie because of pronunciation. And if she isn’t a Mary as her first name it will almost certainly be her middle name. That’s as far as I’ve got.

OP posts:
Mollymalone123 · 06/06/2020 03:28

I know a Maree which I thought was another Irish spelling? Pronounced Marie

DramaAlpaca · 06/06/2020 03:25

I love Ailbhe. If your DS has an Irish name it'll probably go best.

I love your list altogether. So nice to see a list of names that doesn't include a single cutesy one.

Alphablocs · 06/06/2020 03:15

I like Mary and Eliza.

I also like Mari (prounced Mah- ree, as in calamari)

villainousbroodmare · 06/06/2020 03:08

I like them all but would choose Ailbhe. It could always be anglicized day to day to Alva if people can't cope with it.

frenchfancy81 · 06/06/2020 02:19

Mary or Ann

MrsAvocet · 06/06/2020 02:01

One of my friends is Marie pronounced marry - she's English with no Irish ancestry as far as I know. I like it, but that's probably influenced by the fact it is my friend's name and she's lovely.
But I like everything on your list except Maud.

Anoisagusaris · 06/06/2020 01:41

I love Eliza, one of my favourite names.

Love Ailbhe too. And it’s not too popular yet for babies in Ireland. I know several but they are all 25+.

Marie is lovely, but it’s not quite pronounced marry like some posters are saying (obviously the op knows that as an Irish person!).

Sally09099090 · 06/06/2020 01:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Reef94 · 06/06/2020 01:32

Mari isn’t made up, it’s the Welsh form of Mary which is pronounced ‘marry’. I personally like Eliza too but Mari is lovely and would work on the pronunciation side in England :)

CorianderLord · 05/06/2020 11:55

I only like Ailbhe. The rest are just ugly

OnABeachSomewhere · 05/06/2020 11:16

I like Anne - its a classic name and Annie is a nice nickname.

Melissa
Greta
Cara
Sophie
Lucy
Willow
Sara
Naomi
Susannah
Louise
Gemma
Emilia
Faye
Ada
Leah
Robyn
Amber
Joanna
Pearl
Cassia
Rachel

AlpineSnow · 05/06/2020 10:47

I love Mary, Eliza and Caroline

DoctorBambino · 05/06/2020 10:44

Mary - lovely classic name
Marie (pronounced marry) - not keen
Maud - I like Maud's ice cream, hate the name
Eliza - not keen
Ailbhe - not sure in how to say this
Caroline - not keen
Anne - quite like it

I'd go with Mary

Tatum1234 · 05/06/2020 10:42

Caroline or Eliza are lovely

17caterpillars1mouse · 05/06/2020 10:40

Mary - lovely name, it's due a comeback
Marie (pronounced marry) - love Marie, but pronounced M-Rie kind of, rather than marry
Maud - would you really want to be called Maud?
Eliza - pretty though I prefer Mary
Ailbhe - no idea how to pronounce it
Caroline - nice classic, also due a comeback. It's lovely
Anne - I much prefer Anna