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Baby names

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

Original poster

Callia Ianthe or Seren Mere

36 replies

Verity79 · 22/06/2009 14:14

Had a thread a little while ago about DC3's name, had the 21 week scan, it's girl no.3.

I was wobbling about Callia Ianthe as being the new DD's name and got lot's of great ideas/feedback. DH and I then made mind up to call DD3 Callia Ianthe......

Then when on holiday we drove past Mere and I remarked I loved that name in 'Marrow' by Robert Reed (one of my favourite books/characters) DH said he really loved it too. It's a legitimate name in Maori meaning 'bitter' but was used in the context of the book as a direct from English name (i.e. the character is incredibly slight/small).

I was then reading a thread about Welsh names and somebody mentioned Seren (Welsh for 'Star') so now the there is a face (name??) off between Callia Ianthe and Seren Mere.

Any comments (apart from to tell me to quit being so precious )?

Oh DD1 is Lilith Louise and DD2 is Alethea Ivy (AKA Thea).

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pranma · 23/06/2009 16:55

I love Seren but with mere it sounds like the name of a small lake

Firawla · 23/06/2009 16:29

I like Seren and Ianthe best from all the names you have mentioned. Maybe Seren Ianthe would be good? Not keen on Mere because of what people mentioned it sounds like mare/horse or "mere" as a belittling word

midnightexpress · 23/06/2009 14:33

The only thing I would say is that Ianthe (though I like it) with Lilith and Thea is all a bit 'th'-heavy. Like you have a lisp. So I don't think I'd go with that as a first name.

like Seren very much. Also Serena. Not so keen on Callia. And don't like Mere. As others have said it suggests 'merely' and also sounds like a bog to me. How about Merle instead?

claireybee · 23/06/2009 14:28

I like all the names on their own but Callia Ianthe has lots of a's and I's going on and Seren Mere lots of ere's and they are pronounced differently in each name which is confusing (for me anyway!)

womma · 23/06/2009 14:20

I have nothing to add, but you sound like you're having a great time choosing a name for your baby.

spiderlight · 23/06/2009 14:10

My son was going to be Seren if he'd been a girl. I love it. Not keen on Mere, to be honest. We were going to have Seren Rhiannon or Seren Mair (Mair being my mum's name, Welsh for Mary). I really like Callia too, but I'm not sure that I'd put two really unusual names together - I'd use a relatively 'safe' middle name in case she didn't like the unusual one.

coralie66 · 23/06/2009 12:03

I love Ianthe - nearly used it for DD. Much prefer it to Callia, although I really like Cassia (nearly used that too)

pointydog · 22/06/2009 17:40

I think Seren Mere is lovely but then I really like the name Mara (must be related, means bitter but in gaelic means 'sea').

Stella Maris means star of the sea too and isn't it also a term for bible Mary?

hocuspontas · 22/06/2009 17:24

I like the first names but not with the second names. Seren Merry sounds better.

LaDiDaDi · 22/06/2009 17:22

I like Callia and Ianthe but not together. I also really like Seren but not keen on Mere tbh.

belgo · 22/06/2009 17:22

I much prefer Calantha, and it goes very well with your other two girls.

Original poster
Verity79 · 22/06/2009 17:20

We were originally going with Calantha but decided with a LiliTH and THea more TH sounds would just make it sound like I had a lisp.

Argh just wish baby would get here and then we could she what she looks like - probably a Sarah Jane

OP posts:
SOLOisMeredithGrey · 22/06/2009 17:20

Seren Mere...although, I was thinking that you'd be pronouncing it 'Mare, not mere(meer)iyswim.

sweetkitty · 22/06/2009 17:19

I love Callia but don't think it flows with Ianthe sorry, I think you need a shorter middle name but not knowing your surname it's hard to make a full judgement IYSWIM

Like Seren too but not with Mere again sorry prefer Serena TBH

Congrats on 3 girls it's fab

Jumente · 22/06/2009 17:14

Sennen is nice. Not sure what it means though, I met a little boy called it once.

gagamama · 22/06/2009 17:11

The only sense my eyes and head can immediately make of Callia Ianthe is Calanthe, but that's maybe only because I used to know someone called that. If I'm pronouncing it correctly, it sort of sounds like I'm stuttering in the middle or have a bit of a lisp. Although Ianthe is lovely.

Mere just makes me think of lowly and downtrodden, but it does have further stuttering potential when yelling c'mere Mere! across Tesco.

JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 22/06/2009 16:37

seren faye
seren jane
seren louise
seren beth
seren elaine
seren anais
seren haf (welsh for summer, pronounced harv, so she'd be "summer star")

Original poster
Verity79 · 22/06/2009 15:58

I realise I'm a bit when it comes to names but given my name and the fact at one point there were FIVE Karens in my junior school class, I like unusual names (or outlandish/unwieldy/poncy/just plain odd if that's your pov). I don't want DDs to be Sarah X in class (or whatever today's equivalent is).

I'll put 'Seren Mere' down to pg hormones and move on given by the responses here. Unfortunately neither of us is willowy or blond/e so I think ethereal names will have to be axed as well .

Seren May is actually a legitimate choice for us as May was my Grandma's name (Ivy is DH's Grandma) but as I hated her I'm so not going to 'honour' her by naming a daughter after her (plus she thought girls were worthless so not appropriate anyway).

I like Callia Seren though. Has anyone got any more suggestions? Or any offers of medication?

OP posts:
muffle · 22/06/2009 15:49

Ooh no I like Mere a lot. When you think about it the pronunciation is pretty much like Mia (unless you're scottish or irish etc, but then it's really nice with a rolled R too)

I would go for Seren Mere. Don't like Seren Marie, something rough-sounding about it (sorry).

There is nothing wrong with sounding like somewhere in the Lake District - that's a good thing IMO!

Greensleeves · 22/06/2009 15:47

Seren Ianthe not bad

PuppyMonkey · 22/06/2009 15:44

Yes, now you mention it belgo.. it's like calling her Seren Meh.

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2009 15:40

How would one pronounce Ianthe? Yan-thee?

belgo · 22/06/2009 15:36

Seren is pretty. Seren Mere takes all prettiness away unfortuntely. Agree with puppy monkey about the names sounding poncey, and far too thought out. Seren Marie is lovely.

ShowOfHands · 22/06/2009 15:29

Yes, Lilith is a very brave choice. It's beautiful but involves the sort of gum sucking my ageing grandmother employed when she heard that dn was to be called Delilah.

frisbyrat · 22/06/2009 14:56

I think they both sound like names from Lord of the Rings.... sort of ethereal nymph-y. I would envisage them as belonging to a blonde and willowy maiden.

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