Help - thoughts on name for a girl

[Fantail]

We haven't had any trouble in selecting a name should our baby be a boy (Jonathan Albert), however a girl is a completely different matter.

Our short list is:

• Eloise
• Vanessa
• Saoirse
• Samara
• Ilia

Middle name will be Mary.

Our long list contained: Samantha, Felicity, Zara, Genevieve, Cecily, Elodie, Bronia and Veronica.

I should also add that we are expats, so how a name will play in England (and more specifically London) is a bit of a mystery. We don't want to have conversations about names with close friends and family as we don't want to either disappoint them or have them completely dismiss any of our choices in favour of their favourites.

So what do you think of our choices?

Eloise is my favourite from the bunch. I also love Saoirse but you may be condemning your child to a lifetime of a mispronounced name! Not keen on Vanessa or Samara. Ilia is nice too.

Absolutely love Saoirse, was on my list for DD. Didn't choose it due to living in England and DH was worried it was a bit 'up the RA'
Eloise is gorgeous too.

Eloise - lovely
Vanessa - lovely (but avoid with "D" surnames)
Saoirse - no
Samara - OK
Ilia - no: a body part: Illyria?
Samantha - OK
Felicity- OK
Zara - Lovely
Genevieve - OK
Cecily - lovely
Elodie OK
Bronia - no
Veronica - no

Eloise - lovely
Vanessa - ok
Saoirse - nice but complicated
Samara - sounds like a perfume
Ilia - no
Samantha - irrationally dislike
Felicity- ditto
Zara - nice
Genevieve - gorgeous
Cecily - lovely
Elodie - nice
Bronia - no
Veronica - no

My DD is called Eloise.

It's a french version of louise which is my middle name.

We are constantly told what a lovely name it is.
She's the only one in her school of 240.

We have an Eloise in work aka Elle/ Ellie. Are these ok nns for you? I think people never know how to pronounce it/ always needs spelling out loud

Eloise - nice, although I prefer Louisa
Vanessa - OK
Saoirse - don't know how to pronounce this?
Samara - OK, prefer Samantha, also Samara Mary doesn't "flow" too well
Ilia - don't like, just sound like ill, or ileum (intestine)
Samantha - like, just be aware it's the prime minister's wife's name
Felicity - lovely
Zara - lovely
Genevieve - OK
Cecily - don't like, but love Cecilia
Elodie - like
Bronia - don't like
Veronica - OK

I would go for Samantha Mary or Zara Mary.

Felicity and Elodie are lovely but then you do get "ee" sounds at the end of both the first name and second name (which you might not mind).

Eloise - lovely
Vanessa - NooSaoirse - no
Samara - OK
Ilia - I like this. Have a friend with a DD called Oliya
Samantha - NO
Felicity- OK
Zara - OK
Genevieve - Lovely
Cecily - lovely
Elodie OK
Bronia - Like
Veronica - no

Eloise - lovely
Vanessa - Not keen. Too tennis shoes and hockey sticks
Saoirse - not sure how to pronounce
Samara - Not keen
Ilia - No. It sounds biological!
Samantha - Associate with fatties. Don't know why!
Felicity- Lovely. My favourite from your list
Zara - OK
Genevieve - meh
Cecily - lovely
Elodie - Not as nice as Eloise
Bronia - Don't like
Veronica - Don't like

Saoirse = sor-sha?

Seer-sha

Vanessa, but I may be biased. I've always been complimented on the name and for a dc now it would be quite unique.

Too tennis shoes and hockey sticks JojoMags

I wouldn't put Vanessa in the same category as Tabbatha or Penelope, but I don't play much hockey.

I also love Cecily.

Thanks for your input, some really interesting opinions!

Vanessa is probably the front runner - I certainly don't have the tennis shoes and hockey sticks image of it - but I guess names are viewed differently in different countries. I also like it because it seems to be a name that travels reasonably well.

I do really love Cecily as well, but DH has completely nixed it. I do think that if I push the baby, I should get to choose...

Interesting views on Samara and Saoirse.

Bronia I have loved for a long time as The Silver Sword is one of my favourite books.

Ilia is a character in Mozart's opera Idomeneo.

It would definitely be Eloise and not Louise or Louisa. Louise/Louisa is a family name and part of my younger sister's name, so I think that she should have the right to use them. The only problem is that I don't really like how it is pronounced in French (El-o-wee). But it is the only French name that I can get DH to agree too.

oooh, I have been suggesting Cecily on here for ages with no takers. I don't have a girl and not planning on any more children but it's definitely my favourite.