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Baby names

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

Original poster

Please help - girls names, unusual, but not too modern/unique names

40 replies

DoraDee · 26/11/2022 16:52

Hi all, please help me with girls names!

We have a shortlist but cannot agree on a favourite so wondering if a name is still out there to be discovered!

We like names that are not used frequently, and some older names, names with two or more syllables, names like Astrid or Elowen, Cecelia etc.

Looking forward to hearing some I’ve not thought of!

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thegreylady · 02/12/2022 22:47

Stella
Imogen
Sukie
Gaia ( my favourite)
Sylvie
Elodie

SalviaOfficinalis · 30/11/2022 12:04

Leonora

Leonie

Sylvie

Good point by pp about “L” names being very popular, but I quite like these ones.

iAteSantasPie · 30/11/2022 11:59

Older, 2+ syllable name suggestions:

Agnes
Cressida
Agatha
Daphne
Margaret / Maggie
Gertrude
Frances
Sylvia
Caroline
Lydia
Minerva
Abigail
Dorothy
Josephine
Rosalind

iAteSantasPie · 30/11/2022 11:54

RE Elowen and hunting for an unusual name-

In the current Top 100 girls names there are a lot that either start with EL/L or have L/LL in the middle.

These are ALL top 100 atm:

Lily
Lilly
Lyra
Lyla
Lola
Lucy
Layla
Lexi
Lottie
Luna
Elodie
Ella
Eleanor
Elsie
Ellie
Eliza

Plus:
Willow
Millie
Hallie
Bella
Holly etc

Worth mentioning that Eloise sits just outside of the top 100 at #106 so if you call her Elowen there is a chance she may be in a year group with an Elodie and Eloise and maybe even another Elowen. As these names aren't timeless like Elizabeth or Alice they may become faddy and be associated with a particular decade.

If you're looking for an unusual name it may not stay unusual for long.

Pythonese · 30/11/2022 11:29

Ophelia

LittlemissMama67 · 30/11/2022 11:26

Aura
Billie
Delilah
Dahlia
Daisy
Edie
Elora
Freya
Florence
Felicity
Honey
Hattie
Heidi
Indie
Loella
Luna
Mabel
Marnie
Millie
Orla
Ottilie
Polly
Penelope
Posie
Pippa
Piper
Rosie
Sienna
Sadie
Tilly
Violet
Zara

ThatshallotBaby · 29/11/2022 22:36

Isolde

Mirabel

Stella

Greta

Valentina

Lara

Octavia

SophiaLarsen · 28/11/2022 11:55

Catherine
Elspeth
Elizabeth
Margot
Bronwen
Seren
Yolande
Verity
Coralie

Mumofgirls2017 · 28/11/2022 11:49

Eloise
seraphina
aurelia
meredith
juliet
helena
esther
melody
beatrix
emmeline
cora
daphne
flora
juniper
cleo
genevieve
ottilie
vivienne
tallulah
lydia
tabitha
hazel
rosalie
dorothea
theodora
selena
estelle
celeste

ShadowPuppets · 27/11/2022 15:33

We have a Bryony. We also considered:

Genevieve
Juliet
Josephine
Tabitha
Helena
Octavia
Hazel
Amber
Edith
Clementine
Stella
Claudia
Colette
Jocelyn

Leeds2 · 27/11/2022 15:30

Cadence

CaptBuckyOHare · 27/11/2022 14:55

Lorna
Viola
Celia
Tamsin
Yvette
Samira
Vita
Rosalie
Bianca
Leonie
Audra
Selene
Adair
Esme
Celeste

Jaffacakeorisitabiscuit · 27/11/2022 14:45

Vivienne
Veronica
Harriet
Francesca
Miriam

Whataretheodds · 27/11/2022 14:43

Heather

Somethingvague · 27/11/2022 14:42

Seren
Juniper
Cordelia
Juliette
Lyra
Ursula

Theoldwoman · 27/11/2022 14:38

Rhiannon
Siobhan
Katerina
Tabitha
Katya
Erica
Erina
Millicent
Antoinette
Anthea
Catriona
Felicity
Susannah
Josephine
Henrietta
Lucinda
Natalia
Octavia
Karina
Matilda
Ailsa
Annaliese
Tiffany
Jordana
Neroli
Naomi
Genevieve
Ebony
Aurora
Bethany
Yasmina
Talia
Demelza
Mahalia
Dyani
Saskia
Tiana
Louella
Miranda
Meredith
Nicolette
Nardia

CoalCraft · 27/11/2022 13:41

Dolores
Damaris
Jocelyn
Edith
Harriet
Evangeline
Collette
Clementine
Bethany

The first five were all on my list but vetoed by DH :/

Chickenvoicesinmyhead · 27/11/2022 12:38

Estelle
Clementine
Matilda
Julia
Kiara
Mary
Verity
Demelza

GlassDeli · 27/11/2022 12:34

Beatrix
Meredith
Joanna
Claudia
Leah
Vanessa
Natalia
Heather
Xanthe
Susannah

Phrazing · 27/11/2022 12:19

Romela

AmandaMirandaPanda · 26/11/2022 20:36

Alicia
Antonia
Briony/Bryony
Calista
Cornelia
Daphne
Fiona
Ingrid
Jessamyn
Líadan
Nadia
Perdita
Rosalie
Sigrid
Tatiana
Vanessa

Coolyule · 26/11/2022 20:20

Marilla
Merryn
Elora
Arianwen
Rhiannon
Eira

Luredbyapomegranate · 26/11/2022 20:20

Lois
Carys
Inez
Linos
Annis
Agnes
Frances
Artemis

Anest

Oona
Thora
Aphra
Aster
Honor
Hera

Catrin
Olwen
Arran
Ffion
Jocelyn
Rosen
Mirren

Maryam
Marianne
Annalise
Genevieve

Ishbel
Christabel

Cassia
Adela
Allegra
Fernanda
Saskia
Sabrina
Serena
Iona
Diana
Miranda
Augusta

Rosaria
Abriella
Olympia
Domenica

Verity
Cecily
Christophie
Selene (Sell-ee-nee)
Ione (Eye-oh-nee)
Ismene (Iz-mee-nee)
Ianthe

as a pp said, do check it on darkgreener.. it’s surprising the way names suddenly get popular

DinaofCloud9 · 26/11/2022 20:18

Saskia
Brogan
Camille
Talia
Estelle

toastofthetown · 26/11/2022 20:15

Not sure how you are defining unusual, but these names are all outside the top 300. It might also be worth considering that if popularity is important to you then while Elowen is unusual, El- names are ten a penny so Elowen won't feel distinct in a classroom with Ellie, Eliza, Ella, Elodie, Elsie etc. Also worth considering how the name is trending. The Darkgreener website is great for visualising whether names are rising in popularity and maybe names to avoid, liek Astrid which is rising quickly at the moment.
Adelaide
Claudia
Juliet
Linnea
Odette
Petra
Ramona
Runa
Vita