Rate my list and please be as brutal as you want

I love Helena, and Jane is nice. I prefer Moriah to Mariah.

So many “Tess is a dog’s name” type comments, which make no sense to me. Tess is a human name which some people use for their dogs. I know dogs called Lily, Maggie, Penny, Sylvie, Helen, George, Rory, Louis....etc. So are they all out of bounds for babies too??

FWIW I don’t know any dogs called Tess, but know at least half a dozen humans called Tess or Tessa. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Tess / Tessa - no , reminds of a dogs name
Helena - yes beautiful name
Jane - definitely not, dated, uninspiring
Mariah - just makes me think Mariah Carey
Anya - yes beautiful name and nice shortenings too which you have to think about.

I've got the middle name Helen, which I don't really rate but I do like Helena - but much prefer the Hel-ay-na pronunciation. I wouldn't use it just because I know most would go with Hell-enna which I don't like nearly as much.

In order of preference (!)

Helena - pronounced like Eleanor (but with the 'H' obv)

Jane is an underused classic. Often called Janie

I'd go for Tessa rather than Tess. Tess sounds a bit unfinished

Anya - ok . Much prefer Anna

Mariah. Only ones I've known have pronounced it Maareeya. But that's maybe because they were all from Pakistani heritage.

Anya is a nice name, I also like the suggestion of Thea by another poster. Or have you considered Ria ?

All lovely apart from Jane and Mariah. Why not Marie or Maria?

I like Helena and Anya.
Jane is too plain. As is Tess.
Mariah is ok I guess.

A little miracle is a little miracle, they grow into their names, I think they're all lovely but love Morwenna, Flora, Lamorna and Daphne.
Sorry! That doesn't help at all does it!

I like them all except Jane which I find a bit dull. Tess is lovely.

Don’t like any of them. But it isn’t up to me, or randoms on.MN. If you and your partner, assuming there is one, like a name then go for it!

Out of the list Anya is the most tolerable.

Tess is a dogs name.

Jane is old fashioned and not in a trendy way. From the era of Tracey, Keith and Dave. At least it will be unique at school I suppose and you never know these names might become trendy again before you know it. Helena would be in this bracket without the a.

Mariah is OK but it makes me think of Carey and naming a baby after a singer is gimmicky imo.

I know a 16 year old Tess - just Tess - I love it! Only know one but no one ever thinks it’s ‘quirky’, it’s just not very common. She’s a very cool kid, not bothered what anyone thinks, she really suits it

I like Tess and Tessa but I think both sound a bit unfinished. In general I prefer long versions of names, but I'm not that keen on Teresa.

I like Helena but would get annoyed with people pronouncing it in different ways. I'd go for the emphasis on the first syllable personally. I prefer Helen though, and there can be no confusion with that.

Jane is a great middle name, but to my mind a bit plain as a first one.

I don't like Mariah but I quite like Maria. As with Helena the different pronunciations would annoy me, though I think the traditional English RYE pronunciation is very unusual these days. Presumably if people want that sound they now spell it Mariah. I don't like the spelling with the 'h' or the RYE sound - it looks and sounds too much like Pariah or Black Maria!

I don't like Anya.

Really like Tess.

Maria and Anya ok. Prefer Mary and Anna though.

Not very keen on the others. I do like Ellen like a pp suggested.

Tess - I do like but I do think of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and rape or Tess Daly and a poster here (?) TossDaily
Helena - I like although I do think of Helena BC
Jane - meh
Mariah - nope, no, don't do it
Anya - I like (and the dancer/ex Strictly pro)

Some nice names op!

Love Tess, but would at least put Tessa on the birth cert as closer to a proper name (they are both short forms of Teresa really) - or sometimes Tess is a nn for Elizabeth if you prefer that

Helena - yes lovely. Easier if you are happy with the straightforward Hel-en-a pronunciation.

Jane - due to come back I think. Like it’s simplicity.

Mariah - not keen
Anya - ok but prefer the more classic Anna

Tess is lovely.

Tess I like this , but think Theresa on the birth certificate , known as Tess is better
Helena I like this too , might be a problem with pronouncing

Jane. Too plane , middle name ?
Mariah. No just no to Mariah , I like Maria though
Anya No , prefer Anna

Love Tess (prefer Tessa)
Love Helena (pronounced HELL-ena)
Like Jane - definitely due a comeback.
Not a fan of Anya (but love Anna)
I actually quite like the sound of Mariah, but that spelling just makes me think of Carey. But the Maria spelling would always be pronounced Maree-a, which I dislike. So I would avoid that one.

Anya.
No to the rest.

Tess is lovely, but would still go for Theresa nn Tess to give her options. Also love Jane and Helen but bizarrely not so much Helena because of the mispronunciations.

Jane

I like Anya.

Quite a mix of names there!