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Baby names

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

Original poster

Ethereal/fairy names

139 replies

Ginnywoofly · 07/03/2021 16:59

Dd1 has nickname Pixie (not related to actual name but she is very pixie like) and dd2 is likely to be very fair. We are looking for an ethereal/fairy type name (not too “out there” but unusual/maybe vintage style) that conjures up images of nature, Celtic folklore (Irish surname so open to Irish or possibly welsh suggestions) magical forests, nymphs, or maybe an underused flower name. We have Scandinavian heritage so a Scandinavian/Nordic folklore name could be good. We want it to be like a Disney princess/lord of the rings style name, but an actual name not made up/obviously named after a character. This is what we have so far:
Althea
Dorothea
Gwyneth, Gwendolyn
Arwen, Ariel (similar sound to these but real name suggestions?)
Fae, Faith, Effie
Tatiana/Titania/Tiana
Flora or Frida
Lilith/Lilian
Felicity
Sylvie
Elif (we have no Turkish background)
Elinor or Elin
Elodie, Melodie, Eilidh, Elsa, Elspeth/Elsbeth
Laurel (suggestions for similar real name?)
Morwen, Marion, Miriam, Merida, Mara, Mabel
Katja

Any other suggestions/feedback?

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EileenGC · 07/03/2021 20:48

Love Elin and Eilidh. How about Aileen?

I also adore Marion. Laura but with the Italian/Spanish pronunciation (Lau as in allowed)?

Whineandwine · 07/03/2021 20:47

Merryn (Cornish - means something to do with the sea), Rhoswen (Welsh, means white flowers) are two of my favourite Celtic girl names.

Ifixfastjets · 07/03/2021 20:44

Peri/perrie queen of fairies?
Rhiannon
Eleri
Mali
Lily
Farrah
Mabli

Sidesaladofchips · 07/03/2021 20:34

Yes it's lovely to have an airy fairy name for a girl up to the age of around 9 or 10 I'd say. Also try thinking a bit further ahead in what you'd like your DD to have on her CVHmm

Just saying.

YukoandHiro · 07/03/2021 20:16

Elvira

I love Elodie and it was on our possible list

WeeFae · 07/03/2021 20:13

I went to school with an Arwen, she really suited the name!

Drunkenmonkey · 07/03/2021 20:09

Wow aren't Welsh names beautiful!

Violetparis · 07/03/2021 20:03

Willow
Esme

CaffiSaliMali · 07/03/2021 19:58

www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?e

You can hear some of the names I have suggested pronounced at the above link

CaffiSaliMali · 07/03/2021 19:56

Some Welsh names below. (I also like names with an ethereal sound). I would make sure you can pronounce any unfamiliar names properly though before use and check you have got them right. Baby name sites sometimes suggest random Welsh words as names, such as snake, wheel and torture!

In Welsh the emphasis is usually on the penultimate syllable and names ending in Wen (pronounced when) are feminine, and wyn (pronounced win) are masculine. So Bronwen is a female name and Bronwyn isn't a name but if it was, it would be masculine.

Esyllt - this is Welsh for Iseult. It's hard to say if you're not a Welsh speaker due to the aspirated L - Ll. The Cornish version, Eseld, is easier to pronounce.
Eira - Welsh name meaning snow. It's pronounced EY-ra - ey as in hey and ra as in rabbit.
Eiry - same as Eira but with a ree instead of a ra.
Eirlys - snowdrop, EYR-liss.
Enfys - rainbow, EN-viss.
Ffion - foxglove, FEE-on (on as in opposite to off)
Aneira - anne-EY-ra
Nia - NEE-ah, Welsh for Niamh - in Irish Nia Ben Aur and Osian are Niamh and Oisín.
Eleri - EL-erry (to rhyme with Kerry). See also Teleri and Meleri.
Mari - one of several Welsh versions of Mary, pron. Marry.
Seren - SEH-rehn, en as in hen and the same short e sound for the first e. Welsh word for Star used as a modern Welsh name. Cornish version is Steren.
Morwenna - MORR-wenna. A welsh and cornish name. In Welsh we roll the R but I think the Cornish don't (I could be wrong).
Sabrina - not really Welsh but it's the latinate version of the Welsh Hefren, the goddess of the river Severn.

A few other names:
Ishbel
Iseult/Isolde
Elowen
Fay/Faye
Mara

Drunkenmonkey · 07/03/2021 19:44

Aeryn, pronounced Air-in. It comes from the name Erin, so it has Irish links, but it is also a very minor character in LOTR I believe, and it has that LOTR feel to it, like Arwen.
I think it's beautiful.
I also really like Daphne and that has a fairy, woodland feel, but a bit more vintage. You can't go wrong with Sylvia/Sylvie either.
I don't think the name Lorna has the feel you are looking for at all personally.
Good luck choosing, I love your criteria!

Synchrony · 07/03/2021 19:14

Sephryn?

PattyPan · 07/03/2021 19:06

Do not name a child Phaedra! Hmm In Greek mythology Phaedra fell in love with her stepson and when he rejected her she lied that he raped her and he got dragged to death by horses.

Sylvia
Lucia
Bronwen
Cecily/Cicely (like Cicely Mary Barker)
Elowen
Violet
Lisette
Hilda
Enide
Lunete

Carouselfish · 07/03/2021 19:06

The only one I don't like is Althea. All the others are lovely!!!

RoseMartha · 07/03/2021 18:58

Eleri
Fern

lockdownbreakdown · 07/03/2021 18:55

Mabli is a beautiful Welsh girls name and can be shortened to Mab, Queen of the night hunt!

willibald · 07/03/2021 18:54

Ceinwyn

Sussexbonfireviking · 07/03/2021 18:53

One of my middle names is Fey (always have to spell it out)

Milkshake7489 · 07/03/2021 18:52

I love Sylvie!

crumble82 · 07/03/2021 18:49

Aurora
Iris
Cressida
Astrid
Rosalie
Aderyn
Fleur
Hazel

Sawyersfishbiscuits · 07/03/2021 18:44

Seraphina - ok more angelic
Enfys - Welsh for rainbow 🌈
Fai

Aria20 · 07/03/2021 18:41

Freya/Freja
Arielle/Ariella
Arabelle/Arabella
Celeste
Laurel/Loreli

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 07/03/2021 18:39

Probably repeats but Alethea sounds more ethereal than Althea to me. You might also like similar Theia ("Thay - ah") too.

Laurel is a real name, it's just less popular than Laura - although similar Lara or Larissa sound more ethereal to me.

Gwyneira ("Gwin - ay- rah") or Guinevere also sound more ethereal than Gwyneth or Gwendolyn to me (or just simple Eira, Eirwen or Aneira too).

You might also like Scandi Linnea ("Lin -nay -ah") or Alva, or ancient nature/Goddess names Thalia, Gaia or Cassia. Or Verity or Nerissa.

Words · 07/03/2021 18:17

Edna?

wizzler · 07/03/2021 18:16

Elvie is beautiful I think