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Baby names

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Can anyone find a middle ground between me and DH’s name lists?

213 replies

namepains · 25/05/2025 21:57

Have NC’d for this Blush

DH and I have very, very different tastes when it comes to names. I’ll give you our lists below, but we’re nowhere close in terms of taste. What sounds nice to me DH hates and vice versa. I apologise profusely if anyone’s name comes up, I am really not meaning to offend anyone but names are very personal and tastes are very different. Please don’t take any offence and fwiw, my name always comes up on outdated/names people don’t like threads Grin for context, we live in Scotland and DH is Scottish, I’m English. If there’s a specific reason for DH not liking mine, I’ve put it next to the name.

My list:

Lily- too twee apparently
Rosie- he’s said he likes it but not enough to say it every day henceforth. He doesn’t like variations such as Rosaline/d, Rosa or Rose.
Daisy- brief period of time a girl wasn’t nice to DS with this name
Jasmine - Aladdin (who honestly thinks that!)
Ophelia- apparently pretentious, although I love Hamlet!
Scarlett
Tara- his first dog was called that so apparently he can’t name DD ‘after’ his dog Hmm
Emily
Ruby

DH’s list:

Michelle
Siobhan
Lisa
Louise
Mhairi
Bernadette

I particularly don’t like Bernadette and Siobhan. But honestly, I don’t like any of them. No connotations or personal issues with people with these names but I just don’t like them. Does anyone have any suggestions for a middle ground? I’m not sure there is one! We had a boy name agreed immediately but we’re worlds apart on a girls one Sad

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
7catsisnotenough · 26/05/2025 06:23

How about Ailsa @namepains? It's got all the letters from Lisa in it 😉and it's Scottish!

ButtonMoonBlanketSky · 26/05/2025 06:03

Eliza is really nice.
Flora
Lorna
Elisabeth (Lissie)
Clare
Charlotte (Lottie)
Madeleine (Maddie)
Marissa
Serena

user1492757084 · 26/05/2025 05:53

Ideas ..

Eloise
Margarita
Lisa - LOVE
Eliza
Louisa
Odette
Bridget
Claire
Catherine
Mietta
Rachel
Jamima
Floella
Nichola
Sarah

UnPetitCochon · 26/05/2025 00:46

I’m not keen on Lisa but what about Annalise or Alicia. Both have Lisa vibes but they’re better names!

desperatedaysareover · 26/05/2025 00:20

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:09

@NuffSaidSamthat’s fair, I still feel vindicated that his are worse Grin he does like Rosie but apparently because he likes Cracklin Rosie by Neil Diamond, he can’t call his DD that as it’s about a prostitute (I think?). If I HAD to call DD one from his list, I’d pick Lisa, but I give it a 5/10 on how much I like it.

The name we would’ve called this baby if it was a boy would’ve been Finn.

He’s takin the piss with the Cracklin’ Rosie patter. Just wait til you’ve had the baby then cry about your perineum every time he suggests something you don’t like 😜

How about Erin, Tess, Cassie, or Sara (pronounced to rhyme with Tara) I also quite like Mhairi pronounced Varry. Caitlin. Or just go with Finn(uala). That’s cool. Weirdly Lisette also came to mind and someone else suggested it.

If he wants Scottish and dated, tell him go hard or go home - Aggie. Vera. Jean. Bessie. Jessie. Jetta!

LovelyBranches · 26/05/2025 00:10

Ruth / Ruthie
Clara
Emma
Esther
Lauren
Elsie
Georgina
Catherine / Katie
Cecilia

MNWineDrinker · 26/05/2025 00:01

Sorry if its been suggested, tonnes of great ideas here! The name that immediately popped into my mind (especially if Eliza is a possibility) is Eilidh - pretty Scottish name, not too out there, and a similar sound to Rosie/Daisy/Maisie etc, with a little 90s throwback style like Louise/Hayley haha 😄

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 23:46

Aria999 · 25/05/2025 23:30

With apologies for ignoring your drip feed:

Gillian
Beth / Bethany
Fiona
Lucy
Marianne
Lynne
Corrie

(Scottish names from my school in the 80s that I didn't hate, I basically like your list and dislike his with the possible exception of Lisa)

Edited

Yes I didn’t think either Lisa or Louise were so bad op, though both are “ updated” by having an E in front : Eloise, Elisa

EvadneMillicentClundersnatch · 25/05/2025 23:40

Ariadne
Amelia
Aurora
Betsy
Bonnie
Clara
Cordelia
Cassandra
Delia
Delphine
Eloise
Emily
Flora
Faith
Gaia
Genevieve
Harriet
Honor
Jacintha
Joy
Katherine
Kitty
Louisa
Lottie
Margot
Matilda
Nellie
Nora
Ophelia
Orla
Posie
Poppy
Queenie
Rachel
Rosanna
Stevie
Sascha
Talia
Tallulah
Una
Verity
Valencia
Wanda
Winnie
Xanthe
Yvette
Zara
Zena

Delphigirl · 25/05/2025 23:40

if you both quite like Tara (except for the dog) maybe you would like Tamara or Lara?
If he wants a scottish name do you like Katrina / Catriona?

Aria999 · 25/05/2025 23:30

With apologies for ignoring your drip feed:

Gillian
Beth / Bethany
Fiona
Lucy
Marianne
Lynne
Corrie

(Scottish names from my school in the 80s that I didn't hate, I basically like your list and dislike his with the possible exception of Lisa)

Crapbagg · 25/05/2025 23:25

@namepains

Eliza
Emma
Emmeline (Emmy/Emme for short)
Ella
Erin
Lois
Lucy
Alice
Anna
Willa

Gattopard · 25/05/2025 23:25

Eliza
Elise
Elsa
Eloise
Louisa
Julia
Rosina

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/05/2025 23:24

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:09

@NuffSaidSamthat’s fair, I still feel vindicated that his are worse Grin he does like Rosie but apparently because he likes Cracklin Rosie by Neil Diamond, he can’t call his DD that as it’s about a prostitute (I think?). If I HAD to call DD one from his list, I’d pick Lisa, but I give it a 5/10 on how much I like it.

The name we would’ve called this baby if it was a boy would’ve been Finn.

What about Finne? Or Fiadh/Fia?

For what it's worth, I'm not a fan of either lists but like his marginally better. Except for Bernadette. But that's due to a horrible French teacher with an obsession with St Bernadette. Teacher was a nun obviously.

ByLimeAnt · 25/05/2025 23:23

JohnnyLuLus · 25/05/2025 22:33

Can I offer you a name that's not an actual name, but I think works beautifully as a name? I had it on my list, but DH doesn't know Hamlet, so didn't "get it".

Elsinore.

Omg that was on our shortlist! Fabulous name!

RareGoalsVerge · 25/05/2025 23:20

Rowen32 · 25/05/2025 22:00

I do think Aladdin when I hear Jasmine though

I think of the evil goddess in Season 4 of Angel (buffy the vampire slayer spin-off series)

@namepains we had a similar dilemma with zero overlap and real dislike of eachothers favourites. We resolved it like this: we each wrote down a paragraph that described what we liked about our favourite names, without using the names (so eg you might write that you like names that make you think of flowers, colours and light, and that you have a preference for eee endings). Then we swapped papers and had a week to each come up with at least 3 names that met the description on the other person's paper and that we didn't dislike.

This enabled us to find one name that vaguely matched both sets of criteria and which both of us thought was kind of ok, and which we both eventually learned to like, and DC was given 2 middle names one from each of our actual-favourites lists.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 25/05/2025 23:19

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:54

Okay soo

I don’t know who suggested it but I quite like Eliza. I asked DH and he said maybe! Now this could be a palm-off maybe, I’m not getting excited yet, but maybe is better than his usual flat-out no.

I feel like this is a drip feed, but you’ll notice I like names ending in ie sounds or y. Our surname does end in ie Blush

Lydia
Amelie
Elodie
Melody
Penny
Ivy
Maisie
Elsie
Charlotte nn Lottie
Matilda nn Tilly
Bonnie
Paisley
Connie

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 23:17

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/05/2025 23:14

Eilís or Eibhlís is the Irish for Elizabeth.

I think Elise is French.

Yes Elise is definitely more European than English.

Agapornis · 25/05/2025 23:17

His are 1980s top names, yours are 2010s top names. Maybe get the 2024 top 50 names and compare?

LimitedBrightSpots · 25/05/2025 23:15

Finnula is another version of Fionnuala. I know a little one called that. Ace name, you can have Finn or Nula for short.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/05/2025 23:14

Newstartplease24 · 25/05/2025 22:02

Elise is Elizabeth in Irish. So he might like that (it’s like Lisa too) while being pretty enough for you?

Eilís or Eibhlís is the Irish for Elizabeth.

I think Elise is French.

rubbishtv · 25/05/2025 23:14

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:54

Okay soo

I don’t know who suggested it but I quite like Eliza. I asked DH and he said maybe! Now this could be a palm-off maybe, I’m not getting excited yet, but maybe is better than his usual flat-out no.

I feel like this is a drip feed, but you’ll notice I like names ending in ie sounds or y. Our surname does end in ie Blush

Eliza is a really lovely name..maybe work on that idea !

Allthesnowallthetime · 25/05/2025 23:13

Ettie

Ottilie

mathanxiety · 25/05/2025 23:11

If you both like Finn, how about Finola? It's an Anglicized version of Fionnuala.

His names are quite RC 70s Irish.

I do agree that your names are quite 'English'. Scarlett and Ruby are especially so. Emily - I can sort of see where he's coming from. It's a little bit wet.

Would Saoirse be a step too far for you? Would it make life difficult for a girl in Scotland?

Martibum · 25/05/2025 23:08

Katie and Zoe
They were the first names I thought of going through both lists! Girlie but not frilly, classic but not dated (I don't think)

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