Polar opposite name ideas! Boyish vs V girly..help!

[mamawhoboreme]

Hello,
Would be extremely grateful for any help! Hubby is American and we are expecting a girl. Apparently in US it is/was quite de rigeur to name your dd after a family surname or a surname in general. Eg. Sloan in "Ferris Bueller" (hubby's example) or Harper, or Blythe. Our son is named Lorcan Alexander which is an Irish name as I have Irish roots. We don't want an Irish name for dd as I'm not keen on most apart from Keavy which is an Anglicised version. My ideal naming situation would be a very "girlie" name, perhaps French or Italian-inspired, I want a name which, similarly to Lorcan, is a normal name but not very common. Hubby of course thinks it would be "awesome" to name dd a really unusual kind of surname-as-first name type thing like many of his cousins in the US. He has a cousin named Karson and one named Tanner. Both girls. I like certain names in this theme but not all.

What do you guys think a good compromise would be? Also what do you generally think of these names...

Spencer Rose
Blake Elizabeth
Blaise Elizabeth
Sawyer Grace
Keaton Grace
Mason Elizabeth

I quite like Spencer Rose, I will admit. I also like Blake. But not sure if I want it for dd.

These are the names I like:

Isoline Grace
Emmeline Rose
Celie Rose
Lisle Rose
Greta Elizabeth
Gretchen Elizabeth
Beau Elizabeth

Thank you for your opinions...much needed and valued over here!!

hate the american names

i like gretchen lisle
or maybe Gretel

If you like Lisle then go with that - as far as I know that's a surname.

Beau is a boy's name. Female version would be Belle (as in Beauty and the Beast!)

Congrats

Emmeline is pretty.

Beau is a boys' name. Masculine, female version is Belle as lucas says.

Thanks for your help. Yes Beau is the male version I heard that once, but I suppose with hubby wanting to name dd a boy's name it would be a good compromise?!

Lisle is a forerunner at the moment. Will it be a pain to explain re: pronunciation do you think?

What are people's thoughts on Aurora or Aurelia?

Calling a girl Beau is like calling her Fred or John. Unisex names are fine, boys' names, no.

Aurora and Aurelia are very lovely indeed. Like Aurelia a shade more.

Lisle I think is obvious to pronounce but I think you could encounter problems perhaps. Most people only need telling once though.

Oh wow, I didn't know Beau was so very masculine. Thanks for the info :) I actually know two little girls named Beau - one is 5 and one is a baby - and no one ever questioned it as being a boys' name as far as I know - unless their parents found out post-naming! Thank you for your input. Lisle Aurelia or Aurelia Lisle I think go together nicely also as well as being nice on their own.

Don't like the American ones but I think Blake is the best.
Spencer is too much like Marks and.
Blaise is either a fire or a horse name.
Keaton is too much like kitten for people who aren't familiar with it as a name.
Mason is a job.
Isoline/Gasoline too chemically.
Beau is a boys name but obscure enough and girly enough for people to think you have used it in error unlike Blake or Spencer which are obviously boys names that you have chosen to use for a girl.

I like Greta and Gretchen.

I don't know how to pronounce Lisle . I think I would say it like sound of music liesl but I'm dyslexic and I might just think that the pronunciation is the same because the letters are, which is obviously not the case for loads of words that I pronounce insanely.

Spencer and Blake are both definitely boys names in UK, so might be tricky of you come back here. Blaise is unisex, and I think it's great. Not keen on the others on his list though.

I'm not keen on Isoline (sounds like a petrol product, sorry), and Beau is a boy's name (especially odd if you have French connexions). Emmeline, Celie (prefer Celia or Cecile), Greta and Gretchen are ok. I think Lisle is great (I'd pronounce it "Lyle" as in Carlisle).

Spencer, Blake, Sawyer, Keaton and Mason all sound like boys to me. I wouldn't be sure how to pronounce Blaise. If you live over here then I would suggest that your DD would be best served by following local naming conventions. If you want to use a surname type name then perhaps as a middle name.

Of your other names:

Isoline - I have never heard of this before
Emmeline - like
Celie - never heard of
Lisle - might be difficult to spell/pronounce
Greta & Gretchen - ok, but a bit harsh sounding
Beau - a boy's name.

a family surname we could use is Smith or Kennedy.
Kennedy Grace I quite like but i'm worried it might be...gasp..."chavvy?"

We are in UK but are looking to move to the US at some point. So need a name that will make sense here and there. I want her to take her "European" roots with her. Hubby wants an all-american girl. In fact watching some trashy TV the other day there was a "Payson" and a "Holland". Surely these are Surnames? I don't know. These Yanks huh?! Hubby still likes Spencer Rose.

I like Blaise out of the first list, don't like the others. Over here it is not very classy to use a surname - ie very popular among people who also name their children after fashion brands etc.

So watch out for that.

From the second list I like Greta and Gretchen, both are fairly masculine sounding imo, but still girly as well. (not sure how but anyway!)

An American relative has a DD called Madison Rose.

May fulfill your DH's wish for a surname and yet I think Madison is quite feminine. And can be shortened to Maddy/Maddie.

Sorry don't like the American names, but love Emmeline Rose.

I suppose Spencer can be fine. You could give her Penny as a nickname, maybe?

Ingrid is beautifully polite and so right. Over here you will find that people who opt for surname type names are generally easily pigeon-holed regardless of how ill-advised that may be. I know you said the c word already and yes I think edging towards families of a certain socio-economic status is probably what names like Kennedy do.

I do find it slightly strange that Beau has caught on for girls in some places. You can't get more masculine. It's a French masculine word with the corresponding feminine equivalent of belle. In French you couldn't say a girl is 'beau'. Because generally her lack of penis doesn't allow it. Bo is used here though for girls. Although, B.O. might be a problem there.

Gretchen and Greta are very strong names. I like. And oddly I like Smith for a girl too but I haven't had enough earl grey today and that's the madness talking.

Very well put.

I can do rude, as well, you know. Just saying

Oh I can do rude. See old wives tales thread.

I would be a bit wary of obviously surnamey names if your living in the UK, but if your in the US, then I would say its fine.

From your American list I like Blake, Kennedy and Spencer is growing on me but, nothing grabs my eye from your 'traditional list'.

How about:
Scout
Willow
Tatum
Dylan
Flynn
Chase
Payton

Or if DH likes quite masculine names would he consider names like
Frederica, Thomasina ect.., might give you more of a compromise.

Congratulations on your DD :)

With Blake and Spencer, I would be concerned about the sex change across the Pond. They are both boys' names in UK (think Julie Andrews' husband, Blake Edwards, or Blake's Seven: and Spencer Tracey).

I know a baby girl (about 6 months) called Beau so obviously not everyone sees it as a boys' name (although I did to begin with).

Wouldnt it be Bo for a girls name rather than Beau?

Is is Lisle as in the Sound of Music?

As a compromise how about going with one of the surnamey names but pick one with a feminine nicknames, for example:

Holland could be Holly
Mason could be Macy
Peyton could be Penny (at a push...)
Emerson could be Emmy or Emma.

I also know two American little girls called Addison and Sullivan but they are known by the much more girly Addie and Livy