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Baby names

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

Original poster

Narrowing down boy/girl top two

39 replies

MamaLoLo1 · 02/10/2025 21:29

We don't know the gender and I'm struggling with the lack of direction for both boy and girl names so I'd welcome any help in narrowing down some frontrunners!

For a boy:
Rudy
Lucien
Jesse

For a girl:
Sylvie
Valerie
Nancy

Would love to hear other similar names that we might have overlooked too

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Namethoughtsplease · 05/10/2025 12:10

How about Cillian for a boy? Etta for a girl? I might totally have missed your vibe on names but they came to mind so thought would suggest

mathanxiety · 04/10/2025 23:59

Rudy and Nancy

fairycupcakes · 03/10/2025 20:06

I think Sylvie is so lovely!

Others you may like:

Sadie
Daphne
Edith
Iris
Manon
Cecilia
Lucia
Camille
Sybil
Lilian
Vivienne
Juliet

Lucien out of your boy names!

Some others you may like:

Adrian
Julien/Julian
Max/Maximus
Cassius
Sebastian
Matteo
Pascal
Dylan
Otto
Hugo
Otis

Original poster
MamaLoLo1 · 03/10/2025 17:58

PickledElectricity · 02/10/2025 23:34

Might I suggest Robin for a boy?

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We have one 😆

OP posts:
IfHeWantedToHeWould · 03/10/2025 15:01

I hate the name Valerie, and Val is awful. I just don’t like the sound of it and would hate to be named it. Out of the three Sylvie is the best and Jesse.

UninitendedShark · 03/10/2025 12:54

Lucien and Sylvie (Nancy close second)

HugoYorway · 03/10/2025 08:58

Jesse - big jesse, Jessica
Lucien- Lucy

Valerie- Val. Just No.
Sylvie - Lipsyl, really don't like the 'ylv' bit

Lemonadepie · 03/10/2025 08:55

Jesse is a derogatory term in Scotland

Sparklesandspandexgallore · 03/10/2025 08:44

Jesse and Valerie.

Gruffporcupine · 03/10/2025 08:26

Lucien is really cool and unusual. And options to shorten, like Luc (soft or hard C)

I love Nancy. So cute

user2848502016 · 03/10/2025 08:22

I don’t really like any of your boys names sorry, Lucien at a push

For a girl I like them all but Sylvie best

Mumofgirls2017 · 03/10/2025 07:52

Rudy and Nancy

Cinnamonbunn · 03/10/2025 07:42

I love Jesse, in fact we’ve chosen it for our little boy due in a couple of weeks.
MN really made me have a wobble about the name a few months back for being too feminine. But when I posed it to family and friends/colleagues alongside more traditional boys names, they all preferred Jesse. No one made the association with the Scottish insult.

I love Sylvie but some other suggestions:

Celeste
Amelie
Elodie
Estelle
Colette
Genevieve
Daphne
Delphine
Camille

Elias
Julian
Adrian
Rowan
Reuben
Silas
Isaiah
Micah
Caleb

Lemonadepie · 03/10/2025 05:23

Jesse is very feminine especially if shortened to Jess. I know so many female Jessies / Jessica’s

I like Lucien best or how about Quentin or Reuben?

For a girl I like Sylvie best.

Snugglemonkey · 03/10/2025 00:12

Handrearedmagpie · 02/10/2025 22:53

Jesse is an insult in Scotland, even if you aren't in Scotland, it sounds like a girls name.
Lucien is awful, too posh for me, how would friends shorten it - Lucy,?!?
Rudy is great.
What about Jonah or Abraham (Bram)?

Sylvie is ok, not too keen on Valerie, love Nancy.
Genevieve or Lorelei?

I really like Lucien. I know a 20 something year old Lucien who goes by Lucky as well as Lucien.

I also love Sylvie.

DietQueen2023 · 02/10/2025 23:59

Rudy and Nancy

Pennyhillxxx · 02/10/2025 23:39

MamaLoLo1 · 02/10/2025 22:17

Reuben I love but friends have one! There are so many on your girls list that I love. Selena, Celeste, Heidi and Marceline especially! I'll put them forward.

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Don’t be influenced by friends choices..I am quite old and many friends wander into our lives and then disappear.My grandson is Reuben and it’s a beautiful name.

HugoYorway · 02/10/2025 23:38

Nancy and Rudy. I don't like the others.

Pennyhillxxx · 02/10/2025 23:35

Rudy and Sylvie would be my choice.

PickledElectricity · 02/10/2025 23:34

MamaLoLo1 · 02/10/2025 22:17

Reuben I love but friends have one! There are so many on your girls list that I love. Selena, Celeste, Heidi and Marceline especially! I'll put them forward.

Show quote history

Might I suggest Robin for a boy?

GetToHeaven · 02/10/2025 23:31

I like Rudy and Nancy best of those

Handrearedmagpie · 02/10/2025 22:53

Jesse is an insult in Scotland, even if you aren't in Scotland, it sounds like a girls name.
Lucien is awful, too posh for me, how would friends shorten it - Lucy,?!?
Rudy is great.
What about Jonah or Abraham (Bram)?

Sylvie is ok, not too keen on Valerie, love Nancy.
Genevieve or Lorelei?

Alexandrine · 02/10/2025 22:52

Sylvie is gorgeous. I think Rosalie, Coralie and Juliet are a similar style. Moving away from the French, maybe also Xanthe, Ianthe or Verity.

Lucien is also quite nice (and makes a lovely sibset with Sylvie actually). You might also like names of a similar style like August, Valentin, Felix, Maxim or Marius.

Less keen on your other boys and girls choices, sorry - they either feel a bit too retro or too trendy for me.

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 02/10/2025 22:42

I love Vivienne.
i wanted it for my second daughter but it got vetoed…mainly because we were watching Pretty Woman when I suggested it, and for a short while (after watching Moulin Rogue) I had wanted Satine for my eldest daughter, so my OH thought I just had a really strange idea for a theme.

Shinybrightdarling · 02/10/2025 22:40

Lucien and Celeste - or, failing that, Sylvie.