Opinions on these unusual girls names?

I like Brontë, Leonie and Zola but the others I'm not keen.

Emile Zola
Chase Manhattan bank
Fallon Shoulderpads
Zoella Youtuber

are these really the best names to honour your daughter?

@blameitonthecaffeine , it was the surname of three sisters who were writers. It was an invention of their father IIRC, and the original surname was Brunty.

Brontë - love it, one of my favourite names. But I haven't seen it with the accent before. Does it change the pronunciation? I love Bron-tee but I'm not keen on Bron-tay.

Chase - ok for an American boy.

Dolly - cute for a little girl. I would want the choice of Dorothy on the bc.

Fallon - really like it. I've only come across it in the US but I think it's really cool.

Ginny - quite like it. But too Harry Potter and, like Dolly, I'd want a full name. Not Virginia! Georgina or Genevieve maybe.

Jay - I like it but have only ever come across it for boys.

Leonie - really like it.

Noelle - quite like it. Slightly masculine sounding for my tastes but it's a solid name.

Zola - plenty of other Z names I like better but this is quirky and cool. Like it.

Brontë - It's okay
Chase - Like the (male) Policeman dog from Paw Patrol? No!
Dolly - LOVE as a nickname for Dorothy, Dorothea, Theodora or Dolores. Really don't think it works as a full name though.
Fallon - reminds me of phallus
Ginny - I love Ginny but prefer it as a nickname, I know a Genevieve nn Ginny?
Jay - No boring
Leonie - cute and great meaning! Nickname Leo is cute too
Noelle - pretty but very Christmassy, would suit a winter baby!
Zola - A pretty sound

I like Leonie and Noelle, that’s it

Fallon (Faah-Lon) it’s an Irish name. Pronounce with a long soft aaah
Means Ruler , Leader
popularised here in the archers

Falan I’d pronounce Faylan or FaLAN emphasis on the Lan

I've always loved the name Fallon, we had a cat called that, presumably after the Dynasty character. I think we spelt it Falan though?

Leonie is nice and Noelle is alright, but I don't like any of the others, especially not Jay which isn't a good name for girls or boys.

Ok I might be being dumb here but how do you pronounce Brontë?
I would pronounce it Bron-tay like the authors? But someone upthread said that's not right?
How is it meant to be said?

Brontë - dreadful
Chase - dreadful
Dolly - ok
Fallon - surname
Ginny - ok if short for Virginia
Jay - ok if short for something
Leonie - not keen
Noelle - awful
Zola - Zola Budd

Brontë - no
Chase - boys name/dogs name
Dolly - cute but can’t imagine an adult called this
Fallon - nice
Ginny - old granny vibes
Jay - different for a girl, neither love or hate.
Leonie - nice
Noelle - nice
Zola - sounds made up

you like Jay, have you considered Shay? I’ve heard it being used for both girls and boys.

Brontë - I like it. But bear in mind if you spell it that way the umlaut will forever be a PITA for others to type if you live in the UK. It will just get left off when it’s not seen as essential.

Chase - boys name. Cliché American. Popular guy in a high school themed film who doesn’t have a proper main part and doesn’t get much screen time.

Dolly - Parton. Or the sheep.

Fallon - American talk show host I don’t know much about, but I know his name. Jimmy I think? He has an annoying face. Also reminds me of the word phallus - as in penis.

Ginny - It’s ok.

Jay - Boring male name. Making it a girls name doesn’t make it more interesting.

Leonie - Lovely. Not that unusual.

Noelle - Also lovely. And also not that unusual.

Zola - Also lovely. And is unusual.

I like Noelle the best I think.

Love Dolly, Brontë (have met 2 under 8 years old), and Leonie. I've met two Chase's and they were male.

• Brontë - surname, no one will use the dieresis
• Chase - as in Manhattan Bank - No
• Dolly - ok as a nn
• Fallon - ok for a heroine in a chick lit book
• Ginny - ok as a nn
• Jay - boy's name
• Leonie - no
• Noelle - needs a dieresis (Noëlle) but No
• Zola - as in Emile? no

Brontë- it’s ok, don’t love it. Is it just a name to you or a homage to the writers?

Chase- prefer Monzo or Starling

Dolly- bit weird when you think what it actually means.

Fallon- Dynasty

Ginny- Weasley

Jay- Quite like it

Leonie- ok

Noelle- only for a Christmas baby or risk a lifetime explaining otherwise

Zola- Emile or Budd. My friend whose surname is Zola spent his school days known as Gorgon.

Too fast. Leonie is boring. Zola sounds like a disease. Noelle is pretty

Fallon - felon...Fallin (place)...or "fall on my c---" once she hits high school

P.s. I agree names are fun!

Brontë - love it
Chase - male Dr on house TV show
Dolly - toy
Fallon - stuck up lawyer
Ginny - nickname for vagina
Jay - kay is better
Leonie
Noelle
Zola

I know a Dolly, a Ginny and two Leonie's so perhaps not unusual as such but they are uncommon certainly. I don't personally like any of the names listed but that doesn't matter, it's not hat you and your partner want

Brontë - surname not a first name and everyone pronounces it wrong
Chase - male name, a bank
Dolly - cloned sheep
Fallon - not a first name, Jimmy Fallon
Ginny - Weasley
Jay - male name
Leonie - really like it
Noelle - a bit blah but at least it’s a first name and a female name…
Zola - surname of depressing French author, not a first name

Brontë - Will always be spelt without an accent so accept that, or don't choose it. Moaning parents of a chosen complicated name annoy me. Otherwise it's nice.
Chase - american
Dolly - Parton. I prefer names not associated with one thing only.
Fallon - Dallas! Or was it Dynasty. No.
Ginny - nickname
Jay - boyish
Leonie - lovely
Noelle - sounds like an Instagram influencer
Zola - budd. So, a no from me as I only associate it with one person.

Brontë - not that unusual. I know quite a few but not with the accent.
Chase - horrible. And it's so much more common for boys
Dolly - again not that uncommon. But really dislike it
Fallon - ok. Not very pretty
Ginny - I like this.
Jay - again so much more common for boys. Don't like it for girls or boys
Leonie - I quite like this. I prefer Ione though
Noelle - I like this
Zola - it's ok. Just reminds me of Budd.

Ginny and Leonie are the only ones I like.

• Brontë - I only see it as a surname

• Chase - would've thought it's a boy name

• Dolly - I have transgender associations

• Fallon - very like felon

• Ginny - nope. Gin or gene?! Nope.

• Jay - Ok for nn for J names. But only for not nice J names. Otherwise, a bit of a shame to shorten a lovely name to an initial.

• Leonie - knew one. I like it. Not sure if it hasn't had it's time/ whether it's timeless.

• Noelle - No. I like Elle.

• Zola - i don't like any Z names.

Sorry, if too honest. Only because you said you're not actually expecting.

Brontë - too much a surname for me
Chase - isn't this a boys name?
Dolly - OK
Fallon - very Dynasty
Ginny - Weasley (major Harry Potter character, so won't be seen as unusual)
Jay - I'd think boy
Leonie - like this one
Noelle - only for Christmas babies
Zola - OK, but the athlete was controversial

Brontë- knew a lovely little Brontë. Quite like.
Chase- boy to me

Dolly- short for Dorothy

Fallon- ok I guess. ?short for something
Ginny- like short for Imogen, Ginevra

Jay- boy.
Leonie- ok

Noelle- dated

Zola- kind of like!
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LadyWithLapdog · Today 19:49
Leonie and Noelle, maybe Ginny. Not a fan of the others. I love baby names too.

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MarmiteCoriander · Today 19:50
Brontë- I like it, but it will rarely be written with accent
Chase- Sounds American and male, or a dogs name
Dolly- I'd constantly think of the singer. Might be ok as a nn
Fallon- sounds like a male name or something rude like fellatio
Ginny- Reminds me of Gin. Not keen, better as a nn only
Jay- I only know male Jays
Leonie- Its ok and better than some above
Noelle- I know one born in April. I like it
Zola- Like Cola? Its different, but it the actual work sounds harsh somehow.

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Zone2NorthLondon · Today 19:51
Brontë ok I don’t have strong feeling either way. Bit whimsy and girly

Chase, fucking hell it’s dreadful. Just don’t

Dolly No, the sheep, or the big haired country singer

Fallon love it

Ginny Ghastly horsey and old lady name

Jay it’s a boy name

Leonie Love it

Noelle naw, it’s a granny name

Zola Ok

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IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · Today 19:56
Brontë- OK, accept will be a nuisance

Chase- High school jock
Dolly- cute nn for Dorothy

Fallon- don't like it

Ginny- pet form of Virginia

Jay- I only know male Jays
Leonie- Ok
Noelle- ok for a Christmas baby

Zola- Controversial runner

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Smartiepants79 · Today 20:00
Dolly is a nickname or for if you’re a huge Parton fan. Fallon and chase are awful.
Bronte is a bit pretentious.
I rather like both Leonie and Noelle.

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Touga · Today 20:07
Brontë - nice, but a bit twee & pretentious
Chase - boys name
Dolly - nah, sounds like a pets name
Fallon - not particularly feminine, just sounds like a surname
Ginny - nice, but prefer it spelled as Ginnie/Jinnie
Jay - boys name
Leonie - sounds chavvy

Noelle - Like it, but I think she'll just get called Noel by lazy speakers
Zola - sounds like a coldsore cream

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drinkallthecoffee · Today 20:12
Leonie is my favourite, followed by Fallon and Noelle. I'm not so keen on the others.

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youcantry · Today 20:30
My Daughter is a Brontë - now 23, not at all twee or precocious! Confident, strong willed, Successful career, great social life, lovely boyfriend.....
She also really likes her name. Our Irish and Canadian family do pronounce it Bron-tay but no one minds.

It's only ever shortened to 'Bee' which i quite like - don't like 'Bron'

Also know another one who is a teenager.

I love Dolly but the cat got that one!

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youcantry · Today 20:31
*pretentious

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HorribleHerstory · Today 20:44
Brontë - instant association with the Brontë sisters which by definition means the name is pretentious. The whole reason the sisters had that name with the diaeresis is because their Irish father Patrick thought Brunty was too common and wished to hide his ancestry/origins/go up in the world and associate with the aristocrats.

Chase - paw patrol. Boy.

Dolly - noun, the opposite of what I want to teach my daughters they are. Parton. Would assume diminutive but I’m not sure what of - Dorothy?

Fallon - Fox. Interesting association.

Ginny - Weasley. Great Aunt who uses it as a nickname for Virginia. Regardless it’s a diminutive.

Jay - nice bird. Boys name. Would assume it was a nickname and spelt J for a girl short for something. Jayne?

Leonie - it’s a nice enough name, not too keen on feminine forms of masculine names though.

Noelle - see above.

Zola. Footballer. Gianfranco i think? Very famous. Not heard it as a first name or a girls name. Nola?

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OldEnoughToHaveReadBunty · Today 20:50
Leonie is nice & not too unusual I don't think.

Fallon is fine too. Not sure any of the others would be my choice TBH.

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Smogtopia · Today 22:02
I'd go so far as saying I hated chase, dolly and Jay. The rest aren't necessarily what I'd choose but I wouldn't pay too much attention to hearing them. None I'm massively keen on. Some would sound ok as a nickname should they have naturally come about - eg Charlotte became Chase as she was an early Walker and you ran around after her - but not a nickname in a premeditated sense

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Wouldloveanother · Today 22:05
I like Ginny and Noelle, not keen on the rest

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ohffsomg · Today 22:06
Love dolly

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RuthW · Today 22:27
None of them are particularly unusual.

Brontë. Not my taste but nice

Chase too unisex for me
Dolly love Dorothy with Dolly as nn
Fallon - just no
Ginny - a nickname so no
Jay - too unisex for me
Leonie lovely
Noelle too Christmassy
Zola ok. Reminds me of Zola Budd

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PortalooSunset · Today 22:27
If I'd had a girl she'd have been Dorothy, nn Dolly.

Like Leonie, Noelle and Zola too. Not keen on the others.

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