Our name choices don’t seem very liked

They sound like stripper names to me I’m afraid.

Strippers.

I’m just curious, was someone a Gilmore Girls fan? It’s just you mentioned Rory as having been on the list and Rory had a half-sister Gigi. Gigi’s full name was Georgia and Rory’s full name was Lorelai Leigh.

Agree that Gigi and Lola sound a bit unserious/flighty/ladies of the night. Apolline and Gabrielle are beautiful. I would give those as first names. Lola and Gigi could be nicknames or middle names. But it’s your choice and people will get used to them.

I think I'd choose a longer name for Gigi and use Gigi as a diminutive.
Gianna
Giada
Georgina
Georgia
Giulia
Gemma

Lola is lovely.

I think when choosing names it's a good idea to imagine them as grown ups in professional careers or applying to Med school, or Oxford University and see how it sounds... sadly there IS still a bias when it comes to names.
Gigi and Lola are very cute on babies but maybe not Dr Gigi? ( My DD1 is a GP and is quite often know as Dr first name)
I love the middle names!
Unfortunately I actually know a snappy little Shitzu called Gigi, and quite a few doggy Lolas so that may be skewing my judgement!

Congrats. Their names are lovely. If people say rude things about their names call them out on it. It’s incredibly rude to be rude about someone’s name.

I have always loved Juno, Alba, Tessa and Ines. Honestly your taste seems so similar to DH - you can’t be too far off having this sorted. Gigi and Ines is a winner for me.

Or, if you liked Zara (which is also nice) how about Zoe?

Are you asking what we think of the names, or what we think you should do ?

I'm not keen on cutesy diminutive names. Clearly your taste is the opposite of mine. Nothing wrong with that.

You should name your daughters the names you like. Don't let relatives sway you. My mother hated my second son's name, was awful about it, and the result was that I didn't tell her my daughter's name. She found out from my brother. I know she hated it too but I think she got the message because she didn't say a word to me about it. Your relatives can either like it or stfu.

I do agree with pp that it's a bit unfair for one of your daughters to have your dream name and the other to have a compromise name, so for that reason I'd suggest taking another look at your lists with your dp to see if you can't agree on something you both like/love.

Love their full names

Congratulations on your new twins!
If you love their names then keep them , why should you change them , it is nobody's business and it is very rude of people to criticise.
Because you have asked for opinions , I love their middle names more than their first names. That is only my opinion. It would be a little odd to change their names now , imagine you changed them and everyone then asks why you have done that.

Given your updates, I agree Gigi is non-negotiable, but it’s seems unfair for her sister to have a compromise name (especially one with pairing issues with Gigi). Were there names you and DH liked individually that were vetoed by the other? Any worth a revisit? It needs to be something with a sweet, informal vibe.

Mia Gabrielle
Cara Gabrielle
Etta Gabrielle

I know a teenage Gigi, not short for anything, just Gigi. I’ve always thought it’s a lovey, pretty name and suits her so well. It’s also cool imo but maybe that’s just because the Gigi I know is really cool.

Know a few teenage Lola’s. Also very pretty name.

Fuck what anyone else thinks, OP. You’ve chosen the names you like so stick with it.

My DH’s grandmother absolutely hated our DD’s name. I couldn’t have given a shit.

@Fritesky they are your names, both you and your DH love them, it really dosnt matter what others think, especially strangers on the internet. I would never ever post my DDs names on mumsnet as they will be pulled apart just like every names posted on here, you will get those that love them and others that don’t, on,y your opinion really matters though.

As you say your DDs will have middle names should they choose to use those, lots of people do and what associations old women on mums net have now won’t be the same associations your DDs peers will have growing up.

In all honesty I think of them as slightly sexy names, especially as a pair of names, and so it's very weird to think of babies with those names.

But I'm not suggesting you change them. People will get used to them.

For better or worse, names do carry cultural associations for many people and your kids won't be spared that.

In an English-speaking context, Gigi and Lola do seem closest to names like Bunny, Zsa Zsa, Bobo, Dodo etc., all having a fairly well-established association with cutesy dumbness and showbiz frivolity.

You can choose to fight against such stereotyping but whether your daughters will welcome being recruited for such a campaign is another matter.

I think Gigi is the more problematic of the two names although they both have really awful associations all to do with child abuse or strippers.

You can call her Gigi but give her a different longer first name. Or just reverse the middle names and the first names. Plenty of people go by their middle names.

Use their middle names.

Gigi and Lola sound like cabaret dancers.

I love the names. I had similar reactions with one of my DC from some family members but the name grew on them after a couple of months.

There is a top very successful US lawyer called 'Cupcake' that I have heard of so I agree this really this is a moot point.

Love the names!!

Honest opinion, agree with PP that they sound like dog names or stripper names to me when they are together as a pair of names. But they are not my kids and not my names and my opinion is completely irrelevant to your life.
My kids have non traditional names too, I know they can conjour certain images in peoples mind of what my kids will look and act like, which is not correct.
We all have preconceved ideas of what a person with a certain name will be like, I can picture a 'James' in my head for example, he is a neat quiet boy with a side parting and a blue jumper. Olivers in my head have sandy hair and like surfing. Kates and Marys are prim and proper, Melody is a wild child etc.
So let them judge. They will judge whatever the name.

Gigi is the kind of name used by an older woman who has been married 5 times and has had lots of plastic surgery .

Your alternative choices are questionable too. Cami? That's a piece of underwear.

Remember that you're naming a person not just a cute baby!