Is our list too boring?

They are all quite classic names, quite 80s/90s.

Chloe - I like this name.

Sophie - Not fussed on this name, it’s a bit boring.

Emma - A good classic name. probably my favourite on your list.

Sarah - Really don’t like the name. Hate it more when it’s shortened to ‘Sar/e’

Sarah- Jane - strongly dislike both names, so really don’t like them together.

Annabelle - It’s ok. Likely to be shortened to Anna or Belle, which are both nice.

Eva - I don’t like any of the Eve/Eva/Evie style names. Overdone IMO, although I haven’t heard many Eva’s.

Jolie - Angelina’s surname? I don’t like this as a name.

Zoey - never liked this name.

Hannah - it’s ok, but all Hannah’s I know get called just ‘Han’ and I really don’t like that.

Jolie gets said as Joe Lee, not as the french word for pretty (zholl-ee). Not a fan.

Draw up a list with these names:
Amelia
Sophia
Olivia
Freya
Isla
Mia
Lily-Rose
Evie-Grace
Ellie-May
Isabella
Your friend will probably think it's wildly exciting.

I think you need to take a few steps back, maybe you and your friend have different ideas of what makes a good name. Does it have to be interesting? What does that even mean? Being unusual for the sake of it?

I really like Sarah, due a come back. Not sure how to say Jolie - save as joely?

From your list I'd go with Sarah or Zoe. I like Sadie too.

With the exception of Jolie, I think they are lovely names - so much nicer than some of the daft trendy names that may people choose nowadays. I prefer the usual spelling of Zoe.

Aww Jolie is lovely and definitely not boring!

I love the classic names Zoe/ Zoey and Hannah. I'd have used them myself if I didn't have some in our lives already :)

I'd avoid Sarah-Jane (sounds a bit old western cowgirl or doll to me) and Annabelle personally.

I don't like the addition of Jane on the end of other names. Sarah-Jane or Mary-Jane etc. However, I do like the name Jane on its own. It feels quite fresh and different for now. Perhaps a bit 70s but then that's a while ago now. Could be quite cool.

I like Hannah of all those. Sophie and Chloe and Zoe all ok but not my favs. Jolie is different. What about Jodie? Also like Jo names like Josephine and Joanna and Johanna which might fit with the kinds of names you like. Annabelle's feels a bit frilly for me but I like Anna, Annie, Annaliese, Anya, Annika and Anneli. Reading anne names, apparently Nina is another variant which is nice too.

Ignore your friend, there are some lovely names in your list. More refreshing than another Isla or Lily. Except Jolie which is a bit odd as a name really, how are you pronouncing it? Bit awkward to be named 'pretty' if she ever goes to a French speaking country.

But as far as spellings go, I would say :

Sarah Jane, not Sarah-Jane (hyphens are a bit tacky, no need for them)
Annabel not Annabelle (belle ending too frilly and unnecessary, plus the association with those horror films about the doll)
Zoe, not Zoey (more classic, though I realise that you would be naming her after that actress)

Chloe - has been popular for a while but still going strong. I know a couple of baby Chloes. Nice.

Sophie - Very popular, though personally I don't know any little ones named Sophie. Pretty, classic, safe.

Emma - Very big in the '80s and '90s and on a downward trend here, but currently popular for babies in the US (where it wasn't so popular in the '80s.)

Sarah - Was the top girls name in England between the early '70s and mid '80s. A pretty, classic 'safe' name, that would be more unusual now among your daughter's classmates

Sarah-Jane - every Sarah-Jane I knew (admittedly only a couple) shortened it to SJ. Do you like SJ?

Annabelle - On the rise as an alternative to Isabel/Isabelle/Isobel. Nice enough. Prefer the spelling Annabel, but suspect Annabelle will shortly take over as the default spelling.

Eva - Currently very, very popular. Pretty but likely to date.

Jolie - not to my taste. Personally, I would avoid a name so closely linked to a celebrity on the basis that Angelina Jolie may do something terrible and forever tarnish the name!

Zoey - Far prefer the Zoë or Zoe spelling.

Hannah - Very popular in the '80s. Classic but I prefer Emma and Sarah as names from that era.

I think they are all safe names noone will bat an eyelid when you use any on that list. Your friend perhaps prefer more unusual names?

I really like Annabelle personally

I don't know any little Emmas or Sarah's. Both are lovely names.

The first few are very 80s/90s.

Eva and Sophie are very overused. I also like Zoe but with no y

Chloe - relatively unusual nowadays. Was super popular in the late 90s / early 2000s. Pretty enough
Sophie - super popular. Again pretty name.
Emma - a classic. The could be 2 in her class or none in her school. This is one of my favourites from your list because it's less popular
Sarah - relatively unusual nowadays. A real 70s/80s name. But pretty.
Sarah-Jane - I would avoid double barreled first names. They're so awkward and honestly a bit tacky nowadays with the thousands of Something-Mays
Annabelle - nice. Another classic.
Eva - very very very popular
Jolie - I don't like this because it's hard to be called "pretty" and also it sounds as though you're naming her after Angelina
Zoey - I love love love Zoe but I don't like this spelling
Hannah - ok. I do think this is a bit boring. I prefer Anna.

Emma, Zoe and Annabelle are my favourites from your list.
Generally though it's a relatively classic list which isn't the same as boring.

Yes, they’re unremarkable and dull, apart from Sarah-Jane and Jolie which are a bit affected for me — I’d also go with the Joely spelling unless you want people to pronounce it the the French way with the French ‘zh’ sound.

Hannah is the only one I like — for me that’s plain in a good way.

They're conventional and rather on the safe side, which is absolutely a good thing!

Made-up yoonique names are just so cringy. It would be a kindness to give your child a classic timeless name. Don't worry!

I like Joely too. I don't like Eva at all.

Is the list boring? No, it's got a few different vibes

Chloe - seems dated, was #1 25 years ago so will be a mum name
Sophie - I like it a lot but it was taken
Emma - love it
Sarah - ok, but know a lot of them, mainly 50+ yrs old
Sarah-Jane - most Sarahs I know are Sarah Jane. Hyphens tend to ruin the two names
Annabelle - too frilly for me. Anna is much nicer
Eva - too popular if you consider all the Evies and Avas
Jolie - just no
Zoey - Zoë or Zoe is much better
Hannah - I like it

I'd say sarah and sarah-jane, possibly Hannah are a bit dated now but the others are fine. Like Eva and Annabelle a lot. They are mostly classic names and nice.

There is nothing wrong with them. That is just one person's opinion and they clearly have different tastes. Go with what you love. They are classics for a reason.

I like most of them.
I am not a fan of hyphenated names, so don't like Sarah-Jane
I don't like Jolie
I would spell Zoe without the 'y'

But apart from that, the rest are all nice names.

They’re lovely, especially Chloe.

I do know three 7 yr olds called Eva though.

The baby name chat is so tricky because people give you their opinions and it’s such a personal decision. I don’t think your friend should have been negative about you choices (unless you were calling your child Apple Rainbow or something like that).

A twist on a few of those:

Cleo or Clio, though I love Chloë too
Sophia
Zoë without the y
Joely as in Richardson
Ava sounds really elegant too.
Anya

45 year old me googling 'zoey deutch'

Chloe. Like this
Sophie. Like this
Emma. Like this
Sarah Like this
Sarah-Jane. Like this without hyphen
Annabelle. Ok
Eva ok
Jolie Not keen
Zoey Not keen
Hannah ok