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Baby names

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

Alianore?

72 replies

Iwantalonglie · 15/12/2020 07:25

Ok, so I'm going to confess, I've posted a few threads asking for advice on baby names so far. DH is very taken with "unusual" names, especially girls' names, and it's useful to have external, impartial advice to temper his enthusiasm. With some help, we've decided on a boy's name but still arguing and throwing things politely disagreeing over our girl's name choice (we're not finding out the sex).

DH's latest suggestion is Alianore. Mine is Jocelyn. Other names in the ring include:

  • Amabel
  • Evelyn
  • Iris
  • Mathilde
  • Alethea

Please don't hold back - which of these are awful? Which one would you pick?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Grandfather · 15/12/2020 22:40

Do we grow into our names or do or names grow into us ?

lottiegarbanzo · 15/12/2020 22:18

Alianore sounds like a bad attempt at spelling Eleanor.

Iris and Evelyn are not unusual.

Matilda is quite common now. Mathilde is a lovely and less usual variation.

Jocelyn is interesting. Joss works as a nn. One of those 'used to be a man's name' names that is still crossing over and could be either.

JudyGemstone · 15/12/2020 22:13

Alianore is awful, you can't call a child that!

Amabel not much better.

My friend has a daughter called Jocelyn/Jossie, she is an utter delight so am biased but love it!

user1493494961 · 15/12/2020 22:09

Alianore is awful.

Nell96 · 15/12/2020 20:48

I don't like Alianore at all, it sounds made up. I like Eleanor / Eleanora though. Not keen on Jocelyn either, though I like Joss as a nn.

Amabel - no, prefer Annabel, Mabel, Mabli or even Amelie
Evelyn - it will blend in with the many many Evies, Eves, Avas etc.
Iris - beautiful name, but again, quite popular. Less popular flower / nature names I like include Fern, Camellia, Tansy, Sylvie / Sylvia and Fleur.
Mathilde - prefer Matilda
Alethea - nope - I really like Thea, Althea, Athena and Alice

How about: Camille, Josephine, Iona, Zoe or Anya?

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 15/12/2020 19:45

Alethea is gorgeous and I don't think it would have spelling or pronunciation issues personally - it has a very different sound to Althea, as the emphasis in Alethea is on the "Lee" sound not the "Al".

However Amabel, while nice, DOES sound almost identical to Annabel in a lot of accents - so there will be confusion imo. Mathilde is also lovely, but in the UK could have spelling issues too.

Alianore is horrible, sorry - just looks like you can't spell Eleanor (or the ancient Alienor). But Jocelyn is fine - I'm not usually keen on unisex names but it's nice. Evelyn and Iris are also pleasant, but very commonplace/popular compared to your other choices.

If you like older, less common names you might like Isolde, Cressida, Jessamine, Cecilia/Celia, Rosamund/Rosalind, Corisande, Dahlia, Thalia, Bryony or Gaia?

Ellmau · 15/12/2020 19:24

I really love Alethea.

Iris is lovely too.

I like Jocelyn and Amabel is growing on me.

Have you considered Jessamine?

ErrolTheDragon · 15/12/2020 18:45

@MsTSwift

The more I think about it the more I like Jocelyn Joss for short
Yes, and she'd have a really great namesake, Jocelyn Bell Burnell

If your DH likes the sound of Alianor then fgs tell him to give his head a wobble, think of the poor girl and call her Eleanor, which is a lovely name.

AgeLikeWine · 15/12/2020 18:39

Alianore sounds like a made-up brand name for a new model of Korean car :

“And tonight on Top Gear we will be driving the new Hyundai Alianore round our track!”

av3nturin3 · 15/12/2020 18:35

Hannalina

Namechangedforthethousandthtim · 15/12/2020 18:32

By favourite is Iris, so beautiful ❤️

Namechangedforthethousandthtim · 15/12/2020 18:31

NOT Alianore! What wohld she be called for short - Alien?

Sausagedog1 · 15/12/2020 17:15

Alianore is awful though Grin

Sausagedog1 · 15/12/2020 17:14

I'm really surprised by some of the reactions to these names as they are really not that unusual.
In my experience children love having a name that's a little different, as long as it's not ridiculous.
Alethea is beautiful and it's obvious how to pronounce it from looking at it, can also be shortened to Ali or Thea if she wanted.
Evelyn, Iris and Mathilde are very normal. I'm not keen on Mathilde personally but the others are fine.
I think Amabel is nice, as is Amabella but it will constantly get mistaken for Annabel which could get a bit annoying for her.
People soon get used to a new name though. At my son's school we have so many unusual names and it makes such a nice change from all the Evie's Olivia's and Isla's etc.

Alethea would definitely be my choice.

Snog · 15/12/2020 16:30

Your dc won't thank you for a name where they constantly have to correct other people's spelling or pronunciation.

Trisolaris · 15/12/2020 16:24

Jocelyn is by far the best. Little used but nice.

MsTSwift · 15/12/2020 16:22

The more I think about it the more I like Jocelyn Joss for short

JanewaysBun · 15/12/2020 13:57

My vote is for Jocelyn, it's also in a different name category to popular names atm

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 15/12/2020 12:16

Iris and Evelyn are far from unusual.
Amabel end. Plus it'll always be mistaken for Annabel.
Alianore sounds like Eeyore. Agree
Alethia will be mistaken for Alicia.
Mathilde is quite nice.
I don't like Jocelyn. However it fits your bill for unusual

Other suggestions.
Tiana
Tamika
Alakina
Trinity
Latrice
Rosabelle
Marcella
Ariadne
Isolde

notarabbit · 15/12/2020 11:30

Mathilde or Jocelyn Smile

NameChange84 · 15/12/2020 10:40

Alethea, meaning truth, is one of my favourite names. It’s popular amongst Christian families so I’d guess this was the case with your family, just something to be aware of.

Jocelyn is nice.

Iris and Evelyn are overdone atm although I love Iris.

Amabel reminds me of Amabella with the nightmare mother in Big Little Lies.

I don’t like the other names.

I know a lovely Spanish Eleanora - pronounced El-ee-ah-Nora. Not dissimilar to the other name but maybe more acceptable?

Somethingvague · 15/12/2020 10:31

Just makes me think of 'alien'. How about Aliona instead? Or Elena? Alana?

Iris and Evelyn are fine, but not particularly unusual if that's what you want. The others sound a bit try hard pretentious - just go with regular spellings. Matilda is lovely in it's own right, as is Althea.

Other suggestions:
Dorothea
Inez
Ursula
Emmeline
Coralie

Coldwinterahead1 · 15/12/2020 10:23

I like Alinor, but I've just read the Philippa Gregory book.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 15/12/2020 10:13

p.s. if you like Alethea, how about Verity instead?
Both have the same meaning - truth.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 15/12/2020 10:09

Jocelyn, Mathilde, Cecily, Iris and Evelyn are all nice names. (Evelyn is much more popular than the others currently).

Jocelyn or Iris are my favourites.

The others are just a bit too unusual for me... as others have said, will cause a lifetime of mishearing, misspelling and mispronunciation.