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Baby names

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

Original poster

Emma-James?

91 replies

SeaPorpoises · 17/07/2023 14:17

Expecting my first daughter, DH loves Emma and I like it too, but since Blake Lively named her daughter James I have adored that for a girl too.

So thoughts on Emma-James? or suggestions of similar if you're not a fan?

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TeenagersAngst · 17/07/2023 16:12

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 14:25

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc

Might as well just make it a first name and a middle name.

Do you actually know someone called Kevin-Lee?

kcy · 17/07/2023 16:10

Don’t like James, I think Jamie for a girl Is better.

DoctorWoo · 17/07/2023 16:06

Sounds awful, sorry…

I don’t like double barrelled names, but James isn’t a girls’ name in any case.

WanderingWitches · 17/07/2023 14:26

Dreadful
It sounds like James would be her last name

EmmaPaella · 17/07/2023 14:26

It’s a No from me. Emma Jane is lovely but then I am probably old and boring about names.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 17/07/2023 14:25

Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name goes by the first of the two names.
Sarah-louise is Sarah
Harvey-joe is Harvey
Kevin-lee is Kevin
Etc

Might as well just make it a first name and a middle name.

TeleTropes · 17/07/2023 14:24

Emma James sounds like first name surname and so will likely attract a lot of confusion throughout her life.

And Emma and James are such different styles that they don’t really go together, so I don’t think it works.

I quite like James for a girl though.

Guineapigwoes · 17/07/2023 14:24

No it’s awful and you are consigning your child to a lifetime of explaining that James isn’t her surname (until she’s old enough to change her name by deed poll)

Whichclubisittonight · 17/07/2023 14:24

Like a PP said, I would assume her full name was Emma James and would wonder why you were calling by her first and last name all the time.

SomersetBrie · 17/07/2023 14:22

I don't love James for a girl but I think if I did like it, I would go for it and not add it to Emma.
I know an Emma-Jane so that's what I would hear if I heard the name.

YallaYallaaa · 17/07/2023 14:22

No, that’s insane. A celeb kid might pull off James, but in a normal school its going to make life really hard.

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 17/07/2023 14:21

The two names are so different in style- Emma is a classic, traditional name and James is much more modern (as a girls name). The two just don't go together

Ragruggers · 17/07/2023 14:20

Not my style but imagine the little girl in nursery explaining why she has a traditional boys name.

waterst · 17/07/2023 14:19

It would always sound like she was being called by her first and last name for no reason

Vintagecreamandcottagepie · 17/07/2023 14:18

I'm so sorry, I like both names but put together it sounds like an estate agent's

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/07/2023 14:17

I'm just not a fan of double barrelled names. What about James as a middle name?

Emma is a classic choice, nothing wrong there at all.