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Baby names

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

Classic, elegant, unusual names that aren't "try hard"

71 replies

CannyFradock · 20/07/2011 17:35

I know I'm pretty much asking for the holy grail of names here, but I'm totally at my wit's end. I just want something y'know...nice for either gender that isn't uber common or attached to a million connotations. I'd quite like a literary, historical or European-sounding name if possible. Any ideas? Confused

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themildmanneredjanitor · 20/07/2011 17:39

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manicinsomniac · 20/07/2011 17:51

Historical European:
Matilda
Joanna
Eleanor
Anastasia
Katherine
Isabella
Alexandra
Florence
Margaret
Ferdinand
Charles
Nicholas
Francis

Literary European:
Eliette
Susanne
Cara
Anton
Henrik
Conrad

aquos · 20/07/2011 17:54

George or Georgina.

Teachermumof3 · 20/07/2011 18:12

Elizabeth, Philip, Charles, Mary, Isabella, James, Alexander, Victoria, Louis, Sophie, Alexandra, Maria.

MerryMarigold · 20/07/2011 18:14

Anna
Simon (much underused these days)
Stephen (likewise, don't know any under 20)
Linus
Patricia
Phoebe
Penelope

MerryMarigold · 20/07/2011 18:18

Oh, and David. There's some really nice 'classic' but hardly used names, everyone I know with them is older, but not really old IYKWIM.

overmydeadbody · 20/07/2011 18:28

Henry and Phillip, and Peter

Phillipa, Susannah, Helena

flaine · 20/07/2011 18:34

Xanthe

Clemency

Leonora

Frances, and last of all, the always beautiful Mary Smile

BlameItOnTheBogey · 20/07/2011 18:35

We have a Zoe because I think it fits exactly that criteria.

bagelmonkey · 20/07/2011 18:38

Graham
Edmund
Edward
Miriam
Heather
Hilary

IvyAndGold · 20/07/2011 19:05

Esme, Ingrid, Sophia, Audrey, Constance, Lyra, Magdalena, Celeste, Eloise, Helena, Melora, Rosa

Aidan, Alexander, Grey, Elliot, Daniel, Henry, Hector, Lachlan, Oscar, Niall, Tobias, Sebastian

happyhorse · 20/07/2011 19:18

Marianne

Gabriel

MamaLazarou · 20/07/2011 19:36

In which universe are Edward, Daniel, Alexander, Elizabeth and Isabella 'unusual'?

WhipMeIndiana · 20/07/2011 19:39

Dashiell
Henry
Arabella
Henrietta
Hector
Harrison
Mathilde or Matilda
Carina

WhipMeIndiana · 20/07/2011 19:41

Verity
Marissa
Clarice
Felice
Hugo
Romilly

Rhubarbgarden · 20/07/2011 19:48

Naomi
Lavinia
Virginia
Anne
Eugenia
Odette
Simone

noddyholder · 20/07/2011 19:50

Anna
May
Ria
Elizabeth
Oliver
Alexander
Henry
All way too sensible for me but I like them!

IvyAndGold · 20/07/2011 20:16

Well I don't know any baby Edwards, or Daniels, or Alexanders, or Elizabeths. So yes, they are unusual, for this area at least.

As for Isabella, every second little girl I meet seems to be called that Grin

Rhubarbgarden · 20/07/2011 20:30

Lorna
Lara
Phyllida

MelinaM · 20/07/2011 20:44

Alexandra
Ariadne
Artemis
Catharine ...yes I know it's not unusual, but it's a classic that can never be described at 'common'Smile
Clara
Cosima
Francisca
Hermione
Ingrid
Iris
Isolde
Josephine
Lavinia
Ophelia
Orithyia
Paloma
Perdita
Seraphina
Tabitha
Theodora
Titania
Ursula
Vita

Niecie · 20/07/2011 20:48

Lydia, Abigail

Simon, Marcus

MelinaM · 20/07/2011 20:53

Boys...

Alexander
Achilles
Atticus
Balthazar
Bastian
Damian
Dashiell
Dorian
Edmund
Ignatius
Phineas
Sylvester
Thaddeus
Theodore
Valentine

cloudedyellow · 20/07/2011 21:04

Cosima

TheSecondComing · 20/07/2011 21:24

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BibiBelle · 20/07/2011 21:40

Cordelia
Arianna

Gareth
Arthur nn Art