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Baby names

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

Sister for Barnaby…

38 replies

Indecisivenamer · 05/07/2022 13:10

Hi everyone, due a girl in September but struggling to cut down a very long list of names.
Any faves or thoughts on the below, or even new suggestions despite this already being v long?!

Ideally we want something not too popular (a few of these are which is why we probably won’t choose them), and nothing too girly, although I know some will argue that Primrose is! Unless we love the name, we’d rather it didn’t end in an ‘ee’ to differentiate it from Barnaby.

Stella
Dillon
Paloma
Elva
Alva
Sydney
Nancy
Stevie
Frida
Anaise
Allegra
Mabel
Anouk
Anoushka
Aster
Aurora/Rory
Bluebell
Cecily
Clover
Fleur
Flora
Cosima
Delphine
Etta
Effie
Mila
Evangeline
Ever
Nola
Gabriella/Gigi
Iris
Maeve
Marigold/Goldie
Marla
Marlowe
Uma
Pandora
Robin
Romilly
Vivienne/Vivi
Xanthe

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FASDE1517 · 10/07/2022 17:55

I really like Mabel, Maeve, Etta and Nancy. And I love Barnaby!

Bluevelvetsofa · 10/07/2022 17:52

I’ve come across Greer in a novel.

I think there was an actress called Greer Garson.

Penfelyn · 07/07/2022 02:23

I like Mara, Vivienne, Iris and Robin.

Not so keen on the others due to either pronounciation, style or perception.

I'd suggest Anya, it has a similar feel ? And Alanna.

If you like Mara there's also Marina (though I think I prefer Mara).

Fivebeanchilli · 06/07/2022 17:47

Ooh just saw that you added Tabitha.
That's my favourite!

Fivebeanchilli · 06/07/2022 17:45

Barnaby is lovely.

Stella - gorgeous and perfect with Barnaby
Dillon - awful. An entire lifetime of no I'm a girl
Paloma - not keen. Too linked to Faith
Elva - not keen at all. Sounds like a baby eel (elver)
Alva - nope don't like
Sydney - don't like. Really doesn't go with Barnaby
Nancy - lovely and goes well
Stevie - don't like at all
Frida - nice but the spelling is always tricky
Anaise - looks like a mistake
Allegra - I like it in principle but would worry about "leggy" even though nn's don't normally bother me
Mabel - nice enough but popular
Anouk - nice
Anoushka- lovely
Aster - ok
Aurora/Rory - nice and goes really well with Barnaby (as long as the Rory is just a nn)
Bluebell - awful
Cecily - gorgeous. Definitely my favourite
Clover - also gorgeous
Fleur - lovely
Flora - lovely
Cosima- don't like
Delphine - can't get past the donkey
Etta - it's ok. Prefer Henrietta
Effie - don't like at all
Mila - not keen
Evangeline - it's ok
Ever - is this one a mistake? Nope
Nola- don't like
Gabriella/Gigi - like Gabriella. Don't think Gigi works that well from it
Iris - gorgeous
Maeve - ok - a bit dull
Marigold/Goldie - nope
Marla - nope. Feels very middle aged big-haired Floridian
Marlowe - awful. Really down-market feeling
Uma - prefer Una
Pandora - nope
Robin - prefer the Robyn spelling. It's ok
Romilly - not keen
Vivienne/Vivi - nice
Xanthe- lovely

Cecily, Iris, Stella and Clover are all lovely and would be my picks

MerryMarigold · 06/07/2022 14:26

I think the meaning of Mara is 'bitter' (it is in the bible).

Luredbyapomegranate · 05/07/2022 23:55

I mean Dylan, obvs..

Luredbyapomegranate · 05/07/2022 23:54

That’s quite the list Op!

My main thing would be that Barnaby is a lovely name with a rich cultural history, and if I were his sister I’d be expect the same, so -

1sts
Cecily

Flora
Stella
Nancy
Aster
Vivienne
Allegra

Other ideas - Rosanna, Claudia, Marianne, Jemima, Tabitha, Oona, Esther, Philippa nn Pippa, Adela, Lois, Caroline, Emmeline, Iona, Isadora, Dorothea nn Dora / Dorey, Francesca, Serena, Frances, Katharine nn Kit or Kate, Susannah, Edwina, Jasmine, Genevieve, Cassia, Fernanda

2nds - nice but slightly odd w Barnaby
Elva
Frida (Freida better)
Sydney
Romilly (not odd but Too Much)
Anouk
Anouska
Robin
Xanthe
Dillon (it’s Dylon)
Evangeline - it does go with Barnaby, but she will be one of a zillion Evies
Paloma - lovely but jars with Barnaby a bit
Cosima - same, but a bit less lovely

No
Alva - ugly. Aphra?
Stevie - only if short for Stephanie, and that’s not great with Barnaby
Anaise - what?! Annelise is nice
Mabel - meh
Aurora/Rory - former is too Disney princess, latter too popular as a boys name
Fleur - always sounds like someone trying to get to the loo before throwing up
Etta - meh
Delphine - sounds like a drug store perfume
Mila - meh
Gabriella / Gigi - OTT, also will likely end up Gaby
Iris - lovely but done to death
Maeve - ugly, also overused, weirdly
Uma - ok, but very weird combo

NO!!!
Bluebell. She’s a baby, not a barbie, and one day she will be a grown woman
Clover - as above, but substitute cute baby cow for Barbie
Effie - wet as a full name, sweet as a nn for Euphemia, but that’s too much
Ever. Do you mean like the French pronunciation of Eva?! Anyway, no.
Nola - no, she isn’t 77 and the victim of a repressed Catholic childhood
Marigold/Goldie - just no:They called her Marigold and hoped she would..
Marla - no. Depressed 1970s barmaid
Marlowe - no. Very low rent indeed
Pandora - no, come on - Pandora’s box?
Primrose - wet and Prim. So no.

TempsPerdu · 05/07/2022 23:40

Love this list OP - way most interesting than most I’ve seen on here lately, and lots of these were on our (also ridiculously overlong) list for DD.

Immediate (honest) thoughts:

Stella - quite like, but feels a bit ‘harder’ than Barnaby to me - different style
Dillon - not keen on this for either sex
Paloma - pretty, bit try hard, different style from Barnaby
Elva - too elvish. And will be confused with the endless Evas
Alva - as above, but with Ava
Sydney - Aussie city, not a girl
Nancy - nice, bit more commonplace than Barnaby but similar feel
Stevie - like this but it doesn’t pair well with Barnaby - edgier feel
Frida - love, would be in the running if we had another DD
Anaise - not keen and unconvinced by spelling
Allegra - pretentious and I dislike the ‘leg’ sound
Mabel - very overdone right now
Anouk - cute, quirky but
Anoushka - not keen - feels pretentious and a bit ‘Eurotrash’
Aster - loved this for DD but we were worried it would be heard by some as ‘Asda’!
Aurora/Rory - too frilly/Princess my for my taste
Bluebell - no, feels celeb twee and not very classy (sadly I know one of whom this is very true)
Cecily - weak and insipid
Clover - a guilty pleasure name of mine, but feels super twee with Barnaby, and possibly better suited to a pet
Fleur - no, dislike how it sounds…
Flora- …but really love this.

Cosima - pretentious, even though I quite like how it sounds
Delphine - OK
Etta - no, just feels like a suffix
Effie - too flimsy and nicknamey
Mila - extremely bland
Evangeline - too frilly, and the world doesn’t need yet another Evie!
Ever - nope
Nola - meh
Gabriella/Gigi - too princessy for me, and realistically she’d end up as Gabby or Ella.
Iris - like this a lot, but super popular right now
Maeve - having a moment. Suspect it will date.

Marigold/Goldie - sounds a bit clunky and awkward. Really dislike Goldie for anything other than a dog.
Marla - feels a bit made up and nothingy
Marlowe - no, too celebrity trendy
Uma - OK
Pandora - either Adrian Mole’s sweetheart or Pony Club brat
Robin - quite nice, but a bit nondescript compared to some of the others. Think I’d stick with the Robyn spelling to avoid potential confusion.
Romilly - automatically makes me think of Field Marshall Rommel. Plus it’s too frilly - I dislike ‘illy’ names - and too similar sounding to Barnaby

Vivienne/Vivi - just OK
Xanthe - really like this, but suspect it would mean a lifetime of correcting people’s spelling and pronunciation.

Love both Tabitha and Mara. My shortlist would be those two, plus
Frida
Nancy
Flora
Aster
and maybe Xanthe, if you’re unfazed by spelling/pronunciation issues. Possibly also Stella, if you don’t need the names to ‘match’.

Threelionsandalioness · 05/07/2022 22:49

Effie
Iris
Allegra
Paloma are such pretty names

Ocean
Star
Esmeralda
Blue

Liz1tummypain · 05/07/2022 22:38

Stella

AnchoredNomad · 05/07/2022 22:11

+1 for Francesca, but from your first list I love how “Barnaby and Flora” go together

Mumofgirls2017 · 05/07/2022 22:05

Stella- ok
Dillon- no
Paloma- like
Elva- ok
Alva- ok
Sydney- nah
Nancy- like
Stevie- ok
Frida- ok
Anaise- no
Allegra- not keen
Mabel- like
Anouk- no
Anoushka- no
Aster- no
Aurora/Rory- love
Bluebell- like
Cecily- ok
Clover- love
Fleur- ok
Flora- like
Cosima- ok
Delphine- like
Etta- like
Effie- ok
Mila- meh
Evangeline- like
Ever- no
Nola- ok
Gabriella/Gigi- no
Iris- like
Maeve- ok
Marigold/Goldie- like
Marla- no
Marlowe- ok
Uma- no
Pandora- like
Robin- no
Romilly- like
Vivienne/Vivi- no
Xanthe- love

Indecisivenamer · 05/07/2022 21:50

@buckleten thank you for the suggestions…Gabriella on the list and one of my faves, not too keen on Eliza but really like Sasha, it is just too much of a mouthful with our surname though (lots of ‘sh’s!)

OP posts:
Iamnotamermaid · 05/07/2022 21:49

Jessica

Indecisivenamer · 05/07/2022 21:47

@17caterpillars1mouse great suggestions thank you 😊. Really like Francesca and also the NN’s associated with it eg Frankie or Cesca - will add to the list. Priscilla I can see being vetoed by husband but I also think that’s fab

OP posts:
Indecisivenamer · 05/07/2022 21:43

@17caterpillars1mouse Astrid was on the list, love it! But doesn’t work with our surname unfortunately. Really like Noa!

OP posts:
buckleten · 05/07/2022 21:35

How about Eliza, Sasha or Gabriella?

Indecisivenamer · 05/07/2022 21:32

Thanks a lot everyone for your honest feedback and suggestions, has really helped narrow it down (have now removed quite a few names on the list such as ‘Ever’, there’s probably a reason that name is barely used 🤪)

Our surname is hard to spell too so also think that removes the likes of Xanthe as you say @CatkinToadflax , don’t want to make it harder than it already is when you need to give your name!

@mondler I think Fern/Fearne is a lovely name but I just think of Fearne Cotton and it puts me off (who I like so have no idea why that is!)

Adding Mara and Tabitha to the list too now 😊. Clara I like as well but a close friend’s daughter is called that so that one is out I’m afraid

OP posts:
Freeasabird76 · 05/07/2022 21:24

Sorry,skipped over the ee bit of post 😬

Rainbowqueeen · 05/07/2022 21:24

Anais or Allegra

Freeasabird76 · 05/07/2022 21:22

I know a Barnaby and Kitty.

17caterpillars1mouse · 05/07/2022 21:20

Oh if you like Nola you might get also like Nala, Noa, Astra, Astrid

17caterpillars1mouse · 05/07/2022 21:19

I love Barnaby

Stella - it used to make me think 'wife beater' but now I see it as a strong, sassy name. I like it

Dillon - love on a boy but not for a girl

Paloma - lovely name and I think it really goes with Barnaby. Barnaby and Paloma so lovely. I can just imagine a little Paloma

Elva - not a fan
Alva - ditto - I would avoid names that are similar to Vulva

Sydney - I really like it, a bit 80s / 90s but not in a bad way

Nancy - not a fan. There also seem to be loads in my local area

Stevie - Nice as a NN

Frida - it's nice enough

Anaise - not a fan

Allegra - not a fan

Mabel - cute but there are nicer names on your list

Anouk - love it

Anoushka - lovely but overly frilly for my tastes

Aster - not a fan

Aurora/Rory - hate Aurora, love Rory

Bluebell - too cutsy

Cecily - pretty just not my style

Clover - the cow

Fleur - gorgeous
Flora - lovely but growing in popularity

Cosima - not a fan

Delphine - it's ok

Etta - seems incomplete

Effie - cute but nicknamey. I've heard it can be a NN for Josephine

Mila - meh

Evangeline - lovely but Evie's are everywhere

Ever - Ever what?

Nola - ok

Gabriella/Gigi - like it

Iris - love it but getting more popular

Maeve - like. I also like Mavis

Marigold/Goldie - love it

Marla - meh
Marlowe - no
Uma - not a fan but like Oona

Pandora - nice except for the jewellery brand association. Makes it tacky like using Tiffany. Like Pandie as a NN though

Robin - prefer on a boy

Romilly - no

Vivienne/Vivi - georgous

Xanthe - lovely but not for me

My top choices would be Barnaby and Paloma Iris or Barnaby and Marigold 'Goldie'

Suggestions

  • Francesca
  • Raya
  • Gloria or Gloriana
  • Meredith
  • April or Avril
  • Adeline or Adelaide
  • Priscilla
Danielle8p · 05/07/2022 20:41

@Indecisivenamer Mabel goes lovely with Barnaby x

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