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Baby names

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

Original poster

Callista, Liliana, Marina or Mara...

55 replies

CatLoaf · 08/11/2022 18:25

I don't even know the sex of my baby yet, but seem to think I'm having a girl. 🙊 (Surname begins with M)

What do you think of these names? Fire away, I am prepared! <girls loins>

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AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 11/11/2022 20:22

I like Callista. It's classy. Not keen on the others. Liliana seems unnecessarily fussy and Lilian sounds like someone who props up the bar in the Rovers Return, so that's a no from me.

QuicheQuoche · 11/11/2022 20:16

Slightly prefer Callisto to Callista but both are lovely and uncommon without being unpronounceable.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 11/11/2022 20:06

Calista is beautiful - but I'd spell it with one L , especially since the most famous bearer (Flockhart) spells it that way and people will likely assume. Can still use Callie as a nn with no problems imo.

Liliana a bit frilly even for me, I much prefer elegant, international Lilia (also seems more your style if you like international Marina?) Lilias is not so much my cup of tea, but I don't think it's horrible - although names ending in "as" always feel masculine to me (Tobias, Elias, Lucas etc)

Marina - gorgeous Shakespearean beauty, Mina is a lovely nn.

Mara - A bit quirky and so slightly different in style to the others but I really like it (and also think the "meaning" is unimportant personally - but then I love names like Claudia and Cecilia too and they don't have great supposed meanings either!)

Really hard to pick - but I'd probably swing towards Lilia as I just love -ia ending names.

You might also like Antonia, with the nn Anya or Nina? Or Cassia with nn Cassie? (I did warn you I like -ia ending names Grin)

emmathedilemma · 11/11/2022 19:18

Surelyitscoffeetime · 11/11/2022 13:55

Callista makes me think of a contraceptive pill or and STD for some reason. Sorry!

Love all of the others though.

Me too!

Original poster
CatLoaf · 11/11/2022 19:09

*sexual organs 😅

OP posts:
Original poster
CatLoaf · 11/11/2022 19:09

My last kid's name was deemed by some on MN to 'sound like vagina', as well as being disgustingly frilly 😁 So clearly I have a thing for names which sound like STDs/serial organs 🙄

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Original poster
CatLoaf · 11/11/2022 19:06

Yes, it means bitter

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Footle · 11/11/2022 14:39

Doesn't Mara mean bitter?

Surelyitscoffeetime · 11/11/2022 13:55

Callista makes me think of a contraceptive pill or and STD for some reason. Sorry!

Love all of the others though.

minipie · 11/11/2022 13:53

Ooh Marianne is a great name

Spookypig · 11/11/2022 13:28

To me, mara has a horrible meaning but is also very meh. Just bland. It merges into a sea of Ava, Eva, Eva, Mias and although it’s rarer it’s less nice.

Liliana is okay but has a kind of ‘My house is entirely grey and velvet and I have a Live Laugh Love sign’ vibe.

Callista to me sounds more like a product than a name.

Marina is classy, ancient, strong yet feminine, a saints name… it ticks so many boxes, I love it.

Original poster
CatLoaf · 11/11/2022 13:16

PinkSyCo · 11/11/2022 13:11

I thought you might like it because, like Marina, Marissa is a Latin name meaning ‘of the sea’, but guess I was wrong. 🤷🏻‍♀️
PS There ain’t no name worse than Callista! 😬

Show quote history

Thanks for the suggestion anyway 🙂
Obviously I don't agree about Callista, so I'm not sure why you keep telling me how much you hate it.

OP posts:
kneeldownandenter · 11/11/2022 13:13

Marianna

PinkSyCo · 11/11/2022 13:11

CatLoaf · 10/11/2022 22:12

Nah, Marissa is worse

I thought you might like it because, like Marina, Marissa is a Latin name meaning ‘of the sea’, but guess I was wrong. 🤷🏻‍♀️
PS There ain’t no name worse than Callista! 😬

emmathedilemma · 11/11/2022 13:05

I always think Callista sounds like it should be a drug brand and doesn't work well with Marina if you use that as a middle name.
My thoughts on Liliana may be skewed by the one I know but it just seems like another of those frilly names that will start to merge into all the other Milly, Lily, Ellie type names.

Spookypig · 11/11/2022 12:51

LOVE Marina 😍

Original poster
CatLoaf · 10/11/2022 22:12

Nah, Marissa is worse

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schoolsoutforever · 10/11/2022 20:03

I like all apart from Liliana - too fussy. I really do like Mara but the others too.

PinkSyCo · 09/11/2022 21:28

CatLoaf · 09/11/2022 18:32

I think Marissa is awful

Yeah can’t say it’s my most favourite name in the world, just nowhere near as awful as Mara or Callista?

Original poster
CatLoaf · 09/11/2022 21:10

Mara also means bitterness, which I guess isn't great!

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Luredbyapomegranate · 09/11/2022 20:30

MARA I mean (although same applies to Marla), I like there might be slight echoes of Myra Hindley, but I have a strong feeling there is a female demon called Mara that’s quite well known

Luredbyapomegranate · 09/11/2022 20:28

Marina 💯great name
check with your parents, they might well be delighted to have your sister’s niece carry her name on

Marla sounds like an evil stepmother, with cheap lipstick stuck in her smoker’s lines

Liliana is way too frilly and Lily done to death, Calista is a bit too fussy for me, but I like Callie so that would be second choice

Mina is grand as a nn for something (including Marina) but too insubstantial as a full name.

If you are still looking then maybe

Lois
Linos
Cassia
Clara
Miranda
Marianne / Marianna

Original poster
CatLoaf · 09/11/2022 18:32

I think Marissa is awful

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PinkSyCo · 09/11/2022 16:08

Marina’s ok, I prefer Lianna to Liliana and Marissa to Mara. Callista is awful.

FayCarew · 09/11/2022 15:59

Callista - prefer Calista
Liliana - dreadful. Lily is much nicer but overused.
Marina - 1970s car
Mara - not keen