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Baby names

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

Original poster

Alice or Anna

87 replies

Carsadv · 29/08/2025 12:04

Hi All, expecting second baby girl, our toddler is named Emma. We absolutely love Anna and don’t really mind that they are similar sounding (actually we almost like it more for this) but we also like Alice.

Baby girl will absolutely be one of these 2 names, we aren’t looking for new ideas.

Which would you pick Alice or Anna

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excusezmoi · 29/08/2025 19:06

Deffo Alice. It's timeless, pretty and pairs nicely with Emma.

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 19:05

Emanwenym · 29/08/2025 19:01

@Didshejustsaythatoutloud , an 80 yr old woman would not be all that likely to be called any of those names. The names weren't popular in the 1940s.

They were.

Emanwenym · 29/08/2025 19:01

@Didshejustsaythatoutloud , an 80 yr old woman would not be all that likely to be called any of those names. The names weren't popular in the 1940s.

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:58

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 29/08/2025 18:57

Anna is lovely. But if you give birth an 80yr old lady then Alice
Sorry 😞

Rubbish. Alice in Wonderland escaped your notice. I work in primary education Alice is consistent but not common.

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:57

MissingCrumpets · 29/08/2025 13:15

When you’re downstairs and they’re upstairs with a bit of background noise they won’t know who you are calling.
So Alice.
(I would have said Anna otherwise.)

This

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 29/08/2025 18:57

Anna is lovely. But if you give birth an 80yr old lady then Alice
Sorry 😞

Emanwenym · 29/08/2025 18:57

@CosyNavyLeader , they're still around, but other similar names are popular.

Emma - Ella, Emily, Emmeline, Emilia, Amelia...
Anna - Hannah, Anya, Annabelle, Annabella, Annalise, Anneli, ...
Alice - Alicia, Alyssa etc

The 'boring' names will outlast the others.

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:56

Jane Austen wrote a book called Emma. These are classic names .

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:55

FullOfMomsense · 29/08/2025 14:07

You must be very old, because I don't know any 80 year olds called Alice, Anna or Emma! Old and unkind, what an unpleasant mix.

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My great aunt Alice is 95.

Firsttimebabymummy · 29/08/2025 18:54

Pemba · 29/08/2025 12:29

Both lovely names. I do prefer Anna overall though , but with Emma as a sister it doesn't really work, so for that reason I'd go with Alice.

Same here.

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:54

marshmallowfinder · 29/08/2025 13:48

Both v boring. Alice sounds wet too, so I'd probably have to reluctantly say Anna in that case.

Ugh

greengreyblue · 29/08/2025 18:54

Too similar sounding so I think Alice. Unless you would consider Annabel or Annalise.

granthamgrizzler · 29/08/2025 18:52

youalright · 29/08/2025 17:42

Be careful don't have an opinion unless you want people coming at you and calling you unkind

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It’s an opinion thread, surely? I don’t think I said anything too inflammatory. Sorry if I have offended you.

CosyNavyLeader · 29/08/2025 18:31

ILoveWhales · 29/08/2025 17:32

A unique name is something nobody else has. You'd have to make it up for it to be unique.

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I meant unusual, for this generation.

I feel like you don't hear those names very often anymore. Especially Anna.

HarryVanderspeigle · 29/08/2025 18:06

Alice is beautiful. Anna is also great, but way too similar to Emma. You will need to spell each one out on every phone call, doctors appointment etc to get the right one.

LlynTegid · 29/08/2025 17:46

I'd choose Alice in your case, because of avoiding similarity. I think enough time has passed for it to be unlikely that too many people remember the Roy Chubby Brown song, which could be used as bad taste.

DeafLeppard · 29/08/2025 17:44

I prefer Anna and you can’t move for Alices around here, but agree it’s too similar to Emma.

youalright · 29/08/2025 17:44

FullOfMomsense · 29/08/2025 14:07

You must be very old, because I don't know any 80 year olds called Alice, Anna or Emma! Old and unkind, what an unpleasant mix.

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Why do you think old people are unpleasant?

youalright · 29/08/2025 17:42

granthamgrizzler · 29/08/2025 17:40

Alice sounds like plate glass to me.

Anna is nicer but too similar to Emma. What about Annie?

Be careful don't have an opinion unless you want people coming at you and calling you unkind

granthamgrizzler · 29/08/2025 17:40

Alice sounds like plate glass to me.

Anna is nicer but too similar to Emma. What about Annie?

ILoveWhales · 29/08/2025 17:32

Emanwenym · 29/08/2025 17:25

@CosyNavyLeader , Two of them are in the top 100 names used in 2024. Names are either unique or they're not.

A unique name is something nobody else has. You'd have to make it up for it to be unique.

WildCountry · 29/08/2025 17:27

I love Emma and Alice. Both beautiful and timeless names. I know girls and women called Alice of all ages and ones of the great things about the name is it isn’t a name that will date.

I also really like Emily and Anna but you can’t really change the elder daughters name 😂

Emanwenym · 29/08/2025 17:25

@CosyNavyLeader , Two of them are in the top 100 names used in 2024. Names are either unique or they're not.

CurlewKate · 29/08/2025 17:23

I prefer Ann to Anna because I don’t like the English pronunciation, but I like Alice best!

citygirl77 · 29/08/2025 17:23

Both beautiful. I think you are going to have to make the final decision!