Shortlist for baby girl with stubborn Greek daddy..

[Sushibo]

DD is due any day now and we have a shortlist of names and I need help!! DH (and I) want a name that means something to us/our family/ is preferably a family name. It has to fit with our (multisyllable) Greek surname and the names of our older 2 (Cosmo and Alex). Need a first name and 2 middle names (family habit)

Delphi - Dh loves this as he is from very nearby there and I think he thinks "we" have settled on this... I love it too as it sounds very pretty, but I am worried that a) its not a proper name (bit too fancy-pants try hard?) b) the nicknames that I can think of are all awful c) its the name of a computer programming language and a communication technique...

Cryssa - DH loves. My exDH v similar name - unreasonable I think!!

Maria/Marianna - OK, doesn't do anything special for me really

Xanthe - like, don't love

Zoe - like, don't love

Sylvia (Sylvie for short) - my fave, but has no sentimental/family attachment and, is, erm, not very Greek! But I think it sounds a bit more namey IYSWIM

Elizabeth
Victoria ... completely not Greek - my choices!! But could try and make them middle names.

So can you make me a nice name out of this lot? Any other suggestions?

Is it normal to be in such a total tearful hormonal muddle?! About name?! Can't recall this with the other 2 - they were just obvious choices somehow (after FIL/ my brother so Greek and family, tick tick)

I know two Delphis so I don't see it as a made up name at all. It's lovely.

Isn't Nerina Greek? I think it's beautiful, and is also a very lovely flower to boot (well Nerine is anyway).

How about Charis?

It's just like Mills and Boone :D

I know all my DDs names (and mine) bar DD3's name have been used in Mills & Boon 'novels' that I have read. Bit weird reading romance stuff with a character called the same as one of your children - kinda takes the shine off it

And no, I named them before I found the books.....

If you like Elizabeth, what about Elisa which works in Greek. Delphine means dolphin in Greek. Thea means goddess but sounds like aunt. Amalia, Melia, Thalia, Thania...

Paula?

How about Ionie? Apparently tis the Greek for Violet.

Delphi is a fantastic name. I love it to pieces.

Other lovely Greek names:

Evadne
Eirene
Clio
Gaia
Hebe
Hero (a bit out there but I LOVE this)
Ismene
Thalia

i have a friend called Melissa, after the flower/herb that is well known in Greece? (apparently, this is second hand!)

I do love her name, tho she gets called mel a lot so people assume its Melanie, but i think Melissa is lovely!

to whoever was talking about twins Pearl and Ruby, they appear in a Kate Atkinson book ... can't remember which one right now ....

I am only going by the OP's desire to have a Greek name, in which case Delphi would be odd. In Greek it's a place name (and rather well known because of the Oracle at Delphi) and not a person's name.

Melissa means bee in Greek and is not used as a person's name.

Pearl is very difficult for Greek people to pronounce.

Sorry Ionie is not Greek for violet nor is it a recognisable Greek name. Nor is Nerina or Evadne.

Having said that, Greek people also call their kids by whatever name they happen to like (as long as they can find a friendly priest to baptise the child or don't care about baptism - until fairly recently the Greek Orthodox church would only accept Saints names or ancient greek names).

Pelagia?

I definitely know a Greek Melisa (spelt like that though, with the one L, not sure if that changes anything?)

I'm guessing from the OP that they're going to be living in the UK but want a Greek-sounding name which reflects the DDs heritage and goes with the surname and siblings' names, but 'works' for English speakers too. So maybe not quite the same set of considerations as if she would be growing up in Greece?

Wasn't seriously suggesting Pearl, was just a silly joke about programming languages (Perl).

Melisa is definitely an English name, but then again there is nothing stopping Greek people giving their kids English names! I had a friend at school named Josie (obv I am Greek and went to a Greek school!!).

The bee is pronounced MElissa not MelIsa as you would in English.

I know a Delphie - lovely name

Another vote for Delphi, what a gorgeous name!

I like Delphine as above. Also Delfina. Is that a name?

Means dolphin anyway.

Delphi is a beautiful name, I love it.

Delphine with Delhi as a nickname would be slightly better I think, but 'tis not my babe nor my hormones. Luck!

And, as I can't type properly these days, I gift you the missing 'p' from my above post....

Lalage (Lah-lah-gee to pronouce), meaning to chatter or babble in old Greek.

Love Delphi and Xanthe. Think if you have a greek-sounding first name would be nice to one of your preferred middle names- I know quite a few kids who have their dad's surnames and a first name from their dad's culture and I always think it would be nice for the mum and her culture to be represented too!

Oooh thanks! - loving the traffic on this - and so nice to get feedback, esp the top tips from Greek-speaking mumsnetters.
We will be UK based and unlikely to flee to Greece as economic migrants or otherwise in the near future, so despite it not being an actual Greek name (!) DH seems to think Delphi would be fine for his relatives to deal with (well, he just shrugs and says "its like Florence"). I believe I am quite lucky to be getting away without using MILs name.. but definitely going to hold out for an old school English middle name or two.

I love Delphi. Perfect name.