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Baby names

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

Original poster

Strong girl names

90 replies

properandprim · 12/09/2024 22:14

I'm after girls names that are strong, pretty and not frequently used. The names we quite like all seem pretty different to each other, so I'm not sure it would help to give examples, especially since none are 'quite right' but I'll try:

  • Rosa - too popular
  • Beatrix - we don't like the shortenings
  • Frieda - just not convinced
  • Domino - the pizza chain link is a shame!
  • Juno - can't use
  • Delphi - seems a little unfinished, but then Delphine seems quite fussy
  • Tess - a bit simple?
  • Celeste - not sure it sounds that 'strong'

Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks :)

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Hiji · 16/09/2024 02:01

Eliza
Rosario
Gloria
Peony

Anisty · 16/09/2024 01:16

Hannahspeltbackwards · 15/09/2024 11:08

I've never really understood what is meant by a "strong" name.
Is it the same as a traditional name?

I love Theodora and Primrose, but not sure what category they would come under.

Strong to me means Classic, salt of the Earth, rock steady. Traditional.

So i would go Elizabeth for strong girl. To me, that name is associated with someone who is reliable, steady, honest, solid (in a rock steady kind of a way)

But, seeing the suggestions on this thread, different names have different connotations to different people!

TheCultureHusks · 15/09/2024 23:34

Sabina

Honeytutu · 15/09/2024 22:38

Clarice
Candy
Sherwyn
Cherith

Petal7 · 15/09/2024 22:32

Nell
Tess
Hero
Penelope
Ariadne
Georgia
Jessica
Kate
Ann(a)
Adelaide
Harper

Theoldwoman · 15/09/2024 22:27

Leilani
Estelle
Rhiannon
Faith
Coral
Lillian
Brooke
Astrid
Josephine

Daisybuttercup12345 · 15/09/2024 22:23

Georgina
Elizabeth
Margaret
Thea
Andrea
Olive
Rachel
Stephanie
Iris
Kay
Vivienne
Jayne

Gigi58 · 15/09/2024 21:14

Jonie as a nod to Joan (of Arc)

SeaGlasses · 15/09/2024 12:22

Hannahspeltbackwards · 15/09/2024 11:08

I've never really understood what is meant by a "strong" name.
Is it the same as a traditional name?

I love Theodora and Primrose, but not sure what category they would come under.

A lot of people seem to use it to mean ‘something that doesn’t sound frilly, or ultra-feminine, that isn’t a flower name, and that doesn’t end in ‘a’, and isn’t a diminutive’. I’ve also heard people come on here and ask for suggestions for ‘harsh-sounding baby names’ for girls, and when asked what on earth that meant they said ‘Dunno, really, I’ve just heard it said on here about X name’.

I would see Theodora as absolutely a strong name, both in sound and associations with the Empress etc, but Primrose not. Primroses are such meek little flowers.

Names I would consider ‘strong’ (associations/meaning/sound) include Maud, Constance, Nell (or Helena), Ursula, Emer, Méabh, Sorcha, Sadhbh, Ida/Íde, Octavia, Mara, Juno.

Hannahspeltbackwards · 15/09/2024 11:08

I've never really understood what is meant by a "strong" name.
Is it the same as a traditional name?

I love Theodora and Primrose, but not sure what category they would come under.

PadstowGirl · 14/09/2024 10:35

Nell
Tess
Meg
Anne
Stella
Nina

anareen · 14/09/2024 01:20

Chrysanthemum

RogueFemale · 14/09/2024 00:53

Diana

ZiggyZowie · 14/09/2024 00:49

Ursula

Ophelia

Cassandra

User4374 · 14/09/2024 00:37

Calliope
Antigone/Tiggy
Xanthe
Cassiopeia/Cass
Electra
Phaedra

wizzler · 14/09/2024 00:33

Kate
Helen
Josephine
Nora

Createausernametoday · 14/09/2024 00:22

Fatima
Tessa
Brenda

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/09/2024 23:56

Marnie
Jane
Katherine
Persephone
Vivienne
Francis
Arya
Ursula

SerenityNowInsanityLater · 13/09/2024 23:49

Carmen
Zelda
Maxima
Maxine
Roxana
Nell
Rebecca
Jocasta
Anouk

sylviesmum · 13/09/2024 23:46

I've got a Sylvie and when she was a little dot she was as sweet and pretty as her name suggests.

Now she's a beautiful yet difficult teenager taller than me and she's been through it a bit but is strong and brave and extremely awesome. So, sylvie is a strong name now.

Give your baby girl any name you like and show her she can be strong and brave and resilient and then her name will be strong girl's name.

Also, in reference to someone else's suggestion, my lovely Sylvie had a fearsome female cat called Hero. That's a flipping strong girl's name too, imo

ScabbyHorse · 13/09/2024 23:41

Ailsa

JustCallMeKeith · 13/09/2024 23:40

Lois
Bridget
Jean
Elizabeth
Nancy
Jessica
Alice
Heather
Margo

BBBusterkeys · 13/09/2024 23:37

My niece is called Stevie. I quite like it as it’s slightly masculine/androgynous, so gives off strong independent woman vibes.

Domoda · 13/09/2024 23:33

Esther
Harriet
Hannah
Francis
Erin
Nina

Palsywalsy · 13/09/2024 23:03

I’m finding it quite interesting to hear the different views on female names of strength. There’s some I’m personally baffled by, and others I think I would choose if I was having another dd. But its all relative and people take different perspectives of the same name. Hope the op is inspired and finds the right one somewhere.