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Baby names

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

Original poster

Amelia or Grace?

80 replies

Mamajules43 · 05/04/2021 22:11

Thoughts?

OP posts:
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HetMeal · 07/04/2021 23:42

If you like Grace and it has the family connection, use it!! You clearly don't care if it's popular and that's really the main downside.

I also like:
Lucinda
Clara
Vivienne
Celeste
Evelyn
Emma

jackstini · 07/04/2021 21:48

I know an Amalia, could be a good alternative

MadeOfStarStuff · 07/04/2021 21:39

Amelia

NotATomato · 07/04/2021 21:22

Amelia and Grace are massively popular, overused. So is Millie. I don’t see Millie as a proper name, more of a nickname.

Alicia? (Alice-ee-ah, rather than Alisha).
Angelina
Lydia
Aurelia
Clara
India

Original poster
Mamajules43 · 07/04/2021 15:31

@Tianatiers

Grace is my favourite, I'm not as keen on Amelia but I love Emily and Milly.
Pretty alternatives! I really like Millie!
OP posts:
zigaziga · 07/04/2021 15:22

Grace.

I love Grace. It always seems to elegant.

I know it’s not that rare but there are no other names like Grace whereas Amelia, already more popular than Grace to start with, sounds like so many other popular names that they all blur into one.

Tianatiers · 07/04/2021 15:11

Also, have you considered Alice? It's a bit of a mix of the two names you like I think.

Tianatiers · 07/04/2021 15:09

I have two very young DDs. I vaguely know one Amelia who is 6 and no Graces. So I don't see them as overly popular names personally. Choose a name you love OP. I have a name that is very popular in my generation and it has never bothered me, I love my name.

MsTSwift · 07/04/2021 15:03

I gave a few alternatives. There are stacks of lovely traditional girls names outside the top ten. Off top of head

Miranda
Zoe
Helen
Mary
Anna
Honor
Hester

Would all sound soooo refreshing after the Amelia/Grace/Lily/Eve/Isabel/Olivia thing. Having two older girls all those names are wallpaper to me now as almost every girl is called one of these names...

Tianatiers · 07/04/2021 14:10

Grace is my favourite, I'm not as keen on Amelia but I love Emily and Milly.

Violetlavenders · 07/04/2021 14:08

It's always posters on here that rip into the names you like but can never provide any alternatives. Funny that...

You asked for opinions on two very popular names and many of us are saying that we find them overused and a little dull as a result.

As for alternatives, if you are looking for them, have a look at the ONS list of baby girl names used, most of those outside the top 100 will be more interesting and more memorable than Grace or Amelia.

KirstenBlest · 07/04/2021 12:56

Alternatives could be any name that doesn't start with a vowel, and that has more than consonant that isn't L or V in.

How about Tamsin or Melissa?

KirstenBlest · 07/04/2021 12:50

If you are using Grace after a family member, then fair enough, but most Graces or Something Graces won't have been named after a relative. It has become a filler middle name, along with Rose and May - just like Anne or Jane were when I was born.

I'm not keen on Amelia at all. Amelie is nice in a french accent but meh in a UK accent. It became extremely popular after the film came out.

Olivia, Amelia and Grace were not much used before the 1990s. Were they not as lovely before then? I see the names as the Sarahs and Clares of their generation.

Original poster
Mamajules43 · 07/04/2021 12:28

@KirstenBlest

With trendy names there's usually a celebrity connection.

For example, Harry wasn't particularly popular until a prince was named it.

Sebastian is more popular recently, as is Jenson.

Ezra - George.

Cora - Downton

Keira/Ciara - Knightley

There are few Olivias, Chloes, Freyas, Amelias etc my age.

I'd love to know what names you might suggest?

It's always posters on here that rip into the names you like but can never provide any alternatives. Funny that...

OP posts:
Original poster
Mamajules43 · 07/04/2021 12:26

@KirstenBlest

They are popular, yes, but they are popular for good reason! because the parents have no imagination?
That's a bit mean, Grace is to be named after my Grandmother and also my Grandmothers, Mother. It's a family name.
OP posts:
Original poster
Mamajules43 · 07/04/2021 12:24

@LittleTiger007

I love both names... we are considering Amelie Grace for our baby if it’s a girl. Personally I love the meaning of grace and prefer it as a middle name. I don’t care that it’s a popular middle name, it’s lovely.
Love Amelie, that's gorgeous!
OP posts:
KirstenBlest · 07/04/2021 12:08

@StressedTired, "It's not a case of having no imagination. You should name your child something you love, regardless of anyone else. "

Out of all the names in the world, a parent chooses the name Amelia Grace or Olivia Rose - it does seem unimaginative.

I might love the name Dorabella or Amberlynn, it doesn't mean I should use it.

octoberfarm · 07/04/2021 02:15

Grace Smile

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 07/04/2021 01:45

Grace for sure , far too many Amelias as common as Olivia .

StressedTired · 07/04/2021 01:36

@KirstenBlest

They are popular, yes, but they are popular for good reason! because the parents have no imagination?
It's not a case of having no imagination. You should name your child something you love, regardless of anyone else. I have a name that's very popular, I often meet others with the same name, I was at school with several, I work with a few, and that has literally no impact on my life.
KirstenBlest · 06/04/2021 20:43

With trendy names there's usually a celebrity connection.

For example, Harry wasn't particularly popular until a prince was named it.

Sebastian is more popular recently, as is Jenson.

Ezra - George.

Cora - Downton

Keira/Ciara - Knightley

There are few Olivias, Chloes, Freyas, Amelias etc my age.

MsTSwift · 06/04/2021 20:11

It is odd how particular generations are drawn to the same few names. When I got pregnant with dd1 in 2006 my list was Lily / Emily / Olivia until thankfully I realised everyone else was drawn to the same few names! I picked something more interesting at the last minute just before she was born. The first baby class I went to there were 3 other Olivias the mums were all 🙄 as they hadn’t realised how popular it was.

CoffeeAndCaramel · 06/04/2021 18:16

I have an Amelia. Yes it's became very popular but who cares, it's a gorgeous name, I had a dolly I named Amelia when I was a wee girl and always said one day I'll have a daughter called Amelia and it always stuck 🥰

KirstenBlest · 06/04/2021 16:05

They are popular, yes, but they are popular for good reason!
because the parents have no imagination?

Violetlavenders · 06/04/2021 15:51

They are popular, yes, but they are popular for good reason!

Unfortunately anything very popular inevitably falls out of favour and becomes unpopular/old fashioned.

So yes, these names became popular because they used to sound fresh and interesting.

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