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Baby names

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

Original poster

Teacher struggling with names

135 replies

ARodeoQueen · 16/08/2025 07:34

I'm 25 weeks and we don't know if I am having a boy or girl. We love old man boys names like Walter, Wilfred, Oswald but we are struggling on girls names. I really love long girls names. My favourites are Genevieve and Evangeline. The problem is I have one lovely niece and her name is Evie. So I feel that they are too close to her name.
To complicate things further me and DH are teachers. I would really like a name that I haven't taught - which narrows it down significantly. Whenever I hear a name I just picture a face of a child I've taught. If that makes sense! I want a 'new' name. It was really hard naming my son 5 years ago and this one is harder. Middle name will be Joan if it's a girl. I do like Gwen so potentially Gwendolyn or Guinervere. I'd be greatful of any suggestions. Thank you!

OP posts:
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Manthide · 17/08/2025 11:38

Duplicate post

Manthide · 17/08/2025 11:38

I went to school in the 70s with lots of girls called:
Jacqueline
Karen
Jane
Charlotte
Heather
Sarah
Nicola
Elaine
Carolyn

Some we considered unusual then were:
Nadine
Michaela
Ailisa
Martine
Melody

Toomanywaterbottles · 17/08/2025 08:57

If you like Guinevere - spelled like that! - you could consider Jennifer, which is a more modern adaptation of the same name.

3at43 · 17/08/2025 08:39

My mum’s name is “Margaret Joan” !

“Autumn” is a beautiful but not widely used name which I have never come across as a teacher for 25 years.:.

Autumn Joan has a nice ring to it!

Soccermom2020 · 17/08/2025 08:26

I would try and go for names from before you ever taught like 90s names maybe or 80s? Its a hard one alright I do like the name Genievieve
You could try
Elizabeth
Deirdre
Laura
Ruth
Sarah

Hope this helps

DangerousAlchemy · 17/08/2025 07:55

I know a lady who chose Seren and Iris for her DD. I was a vet nurse when I was preganant so didn't want any names that reminded me of pets I'd looked after 😆 so no Poppy, Lily type names.

Names that are older that are still nice I think are;

Audrey
Caitlyn
Hannah
Heather
Rosemary
Adele
Madeleine
Lydia
Cassandra
Heidi
Charlotte

I was born 1975 & my class was full of kids called Sarah, Helen, Caroline, Jenni, Amanda, Elaine, Louise, Alison, Catherine, Rebecca, Samantha etc.

My mum's generation (around 80 now) were called Christine, Beryl, Barbara, Sharon, Jane, Gill, etc.

Good luck in your name search OP 💗👏

StarlightBlues · 17/08/2025 02:14

I think Evangeline & Genevieve are possibly too close to Evie.

Gwendoline Joan is lovely, I like Gwen/Gwenny as a nickname.

Other ideas - Clementine, Beatrice, Constance 'Connie', Rosalie, Sylvie

For a boy - Austin, Frank, Albert, Montgomery, Sidney, Stanley

Francine84 · 17/08/2025 00:57

I loved Genevieve and Evangeline - would happily have called my daughter either of those but my husband wasn’t sure.

We called her Cecily instead. I’m biased obviously but it’s a beautiful name - classic but not common.

Skissors · 17/08/2025 00:42

Euphemia
Evelina
Genevieve
Dominique
Christabel
Savannah
Helena

Philandbill · 17/08/2025 00:37

Susannah
Leonie
Josephine
Lindsay (or Lyndsey)

Liliwen · 17/08/2025 00:37

Gwenno (Gwen- o, o as in cot not as in mole)

Gwyneth (could be Winnie or Gwen)

Gwenda

Christiana

Arianwen (you could maybe get Gwen from this but also Ari, Aria and Annie)

Anastasia

Magdalena

Penelope

Josephine

Eiriana

Eleonora

Alessandra

Luciana

Henrietta

Magnolia

Evangelina (nickname could be Angie, Lina, Nina instead of Evie)

gillybombilly · 17/08/2025 00:37

Genevieve
Jemima
Jocelyn

Edenmum2 · 17/08/2025 00:35

Corfumanchu · 16/08/2025 22:13

Ophelia aka 'a feel of yer' is just cruel!

Show quote history

ermm…..what?

Edenmum2 · 17/08/2025 00:31

I think Evie is a completely separate name to Evangeline and if you love it you should just go with that

laurajayneinkent · 17/08/2025 00:15

Have you considered Italian names? My kids have Italian names and I like the fact that they can shorten them if they wish.
My girls are called Eleonora and Arianna but there are tons of Italian names, I'm sure you can find them all on Google! We so liked some that are not exactly Italian but are similar, e.g. Cassandra.

RedRosaLux · 16/08/2025 23:48

Same here with the teacher thing. My boys are Gus (Angus) and Aneurin (Nye). We liked Rosa and Mileva for a girl xxx

Scarylett · 16/08/2025 23:29

Georgiana
Annalise
Cassandra
Susannah

Chipsandricetonight · 16/08/2025 23:10

Corfumanchu · 16/08/2025 22:13

Ophelia aka 'a feel of yer' is just cruel!

Show quote history

Maybe if that’s how you speak…

im guessing by that logic you think Isabelle (necessary on a bicycle/door/house?) is cruel too 🙄 And no, neither DD is named that so I have no skin in that game.

ofcoursethatsnormal · 16/08/2025 23:09

I love the name Nora for a girl.

Amazingstoke · 16/08/2025 22:33

Clarinda

Antigone

Cornelia

TwistedSpout · 16/08/2025 22:30

Cassiopeia

MirandaBlu · 16/08/2025 22:30

Bryony
Calanthe
Clarissa
Cressida
Ginevra
Isabeau
Jessamine/Jessamyn
Jocelyn
Ligeia
Minerva
Naomi
Renata
Sunniva
Susannah
Talitha
Vanessa

Amazingstoke · 16/08/2025 22:29

Gloria

Anastasia

Albert

Jerome

singingirl · 16/08/2025 22:20

My daughter’s friend is Evie, short for Genevieve!! So I do understand the dilemma.

A couple of names no one has mentioned I don’t think…

Adelaide
Adela (as opposed to Adele. Adela is an ancient name and rarely used)
Verity

Hope you find a name you love!

RuthW · 16/08/2025 22:13

Gwendoline is nice.

i love Walter and Wilfred but both are popular at the moment.

I also like Cordelia, Fiona, Rosemary, Josephine, Louisa, Marianne

For boys, how about Edwin, Gilbert, Angus, Wilbur