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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 Please don’t take any offence and fwiw, my name always comes up on outdated/names people don’t like threads Grin for context, we live in Scotland and DH is Scottish, I’m English.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?
namepains · 25/05/2025 22:46

@Itisallabitvagueisn’t he just 😂

OP posts:
Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 22:46

Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:44

Ok he's just being a pain now. I'm Irish and Emily is certainly not 'too English' 😂🙄

Then what about Amelie to make it French?

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:45

@OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevonsame! Except I grew up with Aladdin and still think of the flowerSmile

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namepains · 25/05/2025 22:45

@ReadytohealnowI like the sound ie makes, just personal taste Smile

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OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 25/05/2025 22:44

Interesting - I am clearly very old :) as Jasmine is a flower, Aladdin didn't even occur to me.

Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:44

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:42

@ItisallabitvagueJuliet was my very first suggestion but was shot down. He just hates Scarlett, Emily is ‘too English’ and not sure why he doesn’t like Ruby. Eve would be too biblical for him.

Ok he's just being a pain now. I'm Irish and Emily is certainly not 'too English' 😂🙄

Snicksnacksnora · 25/05/2025 22:44

Verity?

thestudio · 25/05/2025 22:44

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:40

@thestudioI’m actually the Catholic one as wellGrin

😂Ah well then look at my list and do some googling!

There are a load of really lovely more fancy Catholic names - you know, the more romantic ones you're always gobsmacked to discover is the given name of the terrifying aunt of your best friend who you call Missus 😂

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 22:43

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?

I was going to suggest this. Or Elisabeth spelt with an s not a z.

His names are quite typical 80’s stock - though Bernadette is quite left-field!

In fairness to him, apart from Tara, which I think sounds heavy and a bit masculine, and Ophelia, which I like but admit is has an OTT vibe, I can see how he might feel your list had quite “ slight” names - pretty and sweet but maybe a bit lightweight for a grown woman?

I’m surprised he doesn’t like Tara though; it’s quite 70s/80’s to me and definitely not a sweet sort of name. it makes me think of car tyres.

But would Elise or Elisa work for you both?

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:42

@ItisallabitvagueJuliet was my very first suggestion but was shot down. He just hates Scarlett, Emily is ‘too English’ and not sure why he doesn’t like Ruby. Eve would be too biblical for him.

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angelinawasrobbed · 25/05/2025 22:42

Ffion ?

AnneMarieW · 25/05/2025 22:42

Julia instead of Juliet? Less obviously Shakespearean (even though it is) and quite classic.

He seems to like quite 70’s names, where as yours are a mix of classic and more trendy. Perhaps you both could compromise by choosing names that were popular in the 70’s like Louise or Helen but add an “a” so they feel a bit more timeless - so Louisa or Helena?

Or maybe names that were heavily used in the 70’s but still feel fairly classic like Laura or Sarah? Or Anna? Emma?

ACynicalDad · 25/05/2025 22:41

Stick them in chat GPT and see what it comes up with

Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:41

InterruptingRabbit · 25/05/2025 22:25

You need the baby name app that’s like tinder. You link your accounts and swipe right on names you like - if you both swipe right on the same one, it tells you.

It's awful they are practically all American names.

Readytohealnow · 25/05/2025 22:41

His are awful except Louise

Most if yours are awful because they end in ‘ie’

But I do like Jasmine. Lovely name.

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:40

@thestudioI’m actually the Catholic one as wellGrin

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Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:39

What's his problem with Emily, Ruby or Scarlett? All gorgeous names.

I had a boy, if we had a girl she would have been Eve or Juliet.

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:39

@thestudioScotland Grin

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Lisbeth50 · 25/05/2025 22:38

Elisa
Elise
Elsie
Emma
Alice
Eloise
Lucy

SwedishEdith · 25/05/2025 22:38

I think men just don't have conversations about names in general. I think women are more in tune with trends and like noticing and discussing names. This thread has reminded me that my brother's daughters have dated for their time names. His wife wasn't brought up in the UK so probably wouldn't have been aware of that.

thestudio · 25/05/2025 22:37

He will have gone to school in Ireland in the 80s/90s then?😂

Ok, on that basis, maybe look at 'Catholic' names that are a bit more frilly and Frenchified, and a bit less ... solid stock 😂

Lisette? I love that. Also Cecilia, Beatrice, Benedicta, Claudia, Delphina, Dolores, Francesca, Marcella etc?

InkWTF · 25/05/2025 22:36

Yasmin
Amber
Isla
Iona
Katherine
Catriona
Morven
Mirren
Hazel
Lauren
Connie
Stella
Marianne
Penelope (Nell)
Natalie
Honor
Florence

GloriousBlue · 25/05/2025 22:36

His names are quite outdated and not to my taste unfortunately.

How about Elodie, Elsbeth, Maeve, Isabelle, or Clara?

Twinhearts · 25/05/2025 22:34

If you are nearly there with Rosie, what about Rosalie or Rosamund and then you can still eventually call her Rosie? :)

Amelia and Colleen are others that came to mind. Elisa or Alisa if you didn't mind Lisa.

I find that many men I know are stuck in the 80s with girl names, lol.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/05/2025 22:33

I like Mhairi and Emily. Also Louisa