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

Completely torn between two 'boring' names!

108 replies

intheshallows · 21/01/2021 06:19

I'm beginning to panic a bit as we still haven't settled on a name for our baby girl- and I'm desperate not to wait until she's here to decide (so please don't suggest that as an option!)

We love both Emily and Alice. I've always loved Emily and that's the name we settled on at first and started using it to refer to bump. But I felt that we hadn't tried hard enough to explore all options and after reading the whole baby name book I thought Alice was nice. My husband prefers Alice too (although he does like Emily).

So we settled on Alice thinking it was slightly more underused and I got very excited about it. But we keep on accidentally referring to her as Emily still and I can't help but feel in my gut I prefer the name Emily?

So which do you think? Emily or Alice?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Fluffyandsilly · 21/01/2021 23:45

Alice. No offence meant but I find Emily very dull.

Passiveobserver · 21/01/2021 23:43

Emily Smile

partyatthepalace · 21/01/2021 21:14

Either fine

Sorry to be boring Grin

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/01/2021 21:02

Of the two, Alice. It's much more timeless (has generally stayed well used/popular since the 1300's) and stands out more. Although still a classic name, Emily is more subject to the whims of fashion, as well as suffering from the popularity of all the soundalike names also in the top 100 (Emma, Emilia/Amelia, Millie, Lily) .

MrsXx4 · 21/01/2021 20:19

Alice gets my vote!

welliguessitwouldbenice · 21/01/2021 20:08

Alice. I think Emily is twee

Firebird83 · 21/01/2021 20:04

Alice, definitely. Emily is very bland.

Mncrmum · 21/01/2021 13:48

I had the same dilemma back in 2019, abs we went with Emily (Emily Kate), and I’m pregnant again with 2nd and considering Alice if it’s another girl. My partner always says “Alice, who the F is Alice”, so this makes me question the choice 🙄

Connelloni · 21/01/2021 13:46

I like both but prefer Emily. I don’t like that Alice has the word ‘lice’ in it.

Chilldonaldchill · 21/01/2021 12:53

I like both but prefer Alice.
But go with the one that you love more deep down.

Arrierttyclock · 21/01/2021 12:44

Alice

ParisJeTAime · 21/01/2021 12:37

Thinking about it and, despite my previous comment, I think you need to forget popularity entirely. They are both well used, nice names.

Personally, I agree with you that Alice has something more about it, whereas Emily feels like a default name if you can't think of anything else. But that's my perception entirely and someone else's view will be completely the opposite.

Just pick the one you like best, basically!

NatashaAlianovaRomanova · 21/01/2021 12:30

I love both names but I have an Emily so slightly biased towards that - as a PP said although it was the most popular name for ages my Emily is 21 this year & she's the only one I have ever known.

Original poster
intheshallows · 21/01/2021 12:25

Thanks so much again all for your feedback! I'm not going to pick on the basis on which is least popular. I'm a teacher (secondary) and would consequently expect there to be far more Emilys than Alices in my school, but it's actually the reverse. There's one class with three Emilys in but none at all on year 7 or 8, so I know first hand it's completely down to luck how many there are in each class.

Rumours Princess Eugenie might be considering Alice for her little one- if something like that happens then it will have a massive boom!

Regardless, I agree that Alice seems a little more 'special' whereas Emily would be construed as more 'boring'. Not sure why! I just prefer the sound of the name Emily for some reason? Think Alice might sound a bit 'wet'? But which is better- boring or wet!! I just love both! Going to tally up your answers soon but think it's ridiculously close...

OP posts:
BungleandGeorge · 21/01/2021 12:21

Emily may be popular with babies at the moment but I don’t think there’s much between them in society as a whole, neither is unusual. My kids have not had an emily in their class but we know people of both names. I wouldn’t pick based on being more unusual as alice could boom next year! Personally I prefer Emily but they’re both nice

user686833 · 21/01/2021 12:15

I much much prefer Alice. Emily is just SO dull and bland to me. What about Emmeline, nickname Emmy/Emme/Emmie? Bit less bland than Emily on its own. Both will wind up as Em as an adult regardless.

20viona · 21/01/2021 12:13

Alice

nevernotstruggling · 21/01/2021 12:13

Alice - because there are less of them. Both names are perfectly nice.

ParisJeTAime · 21/01/2021 12:12

@Didyousaynutella

Be prepared for her to be known as Emily initial when she goes to school if you pick Emily. There are always two in every class.
There are A LOT of Emilys tbf. It is not that high overall in the ONS table, but if you look at slightly older mums, (35+) it's #3 or so. Where I live, mums tend to be that sort of age, so we get a lot of Emilys.
ParisJeTAime · 21/01/2021 12:10

Alice

ShelleyI83 · 21/01/2021 10:33

Alice 1 million times, Alice

lemorella · 21/01/2021 10:31

Emily.

But either one you pick will be lovely, they're classic names not boring!

Didyousaynutella · 21/01/2021 10:10

Be prepared for her to be known as Emily initial when she goes to school if you pick Emily. There are always two in every class.

Edenember · 21/01/2021 10:07

I prefer Alice. Known but underused now, everyone knows how to say and spell, cute on a little one but sophisticated on a lady, feminine but not frilly.

golddustwomen · 21/01/2021 09:10

I'd go Emily purely because My ds has a little friend in nursery called Emily and the way he says her name is so cute Grin

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.