This is impossible!!! Help me!!

[redheadbedhead]

Ok, so we're having a baby. Don't know what it is yet. We have had a boy's name down for ages - James - names after loved and deceased family member.

Girls name, however, is impossible. And finally this morning we thought we'd done it - Rose, nn Rosie.

Except that if we have two kids, as planned, and these would be the names, they would then be Rosie and Jim. Like the shitty horrible ugly puppets from when I was a kid. And now that's in my head I can't get it out.

As I write this I feel like a knob for even thinking of it, but it's like Pandora's box.

And yes, we thought about Pandora. And no, it's not happening.

So I need some girls names that go with James. I realise I may never have two kids and this is all ridiculous, but just go with it.

Names we both like in some way but have yet to agree on:
Chloe
Ivy
Esme
Lyra
Bella
Edie

[Ruthie32]

What about Henry or Henrietta?

Or
Polly
Lucy
Lilian
Fleur
?

[redheadbedhead]

Just remembered I also like the name Ralph. Doubt my OH does tho!!

[shonnomanom]

red Esme is also a Twilight character. But not as big a character as Bella. I do love Esme.

I know a Milo, good kid, his hair is so red it looks like he is on fire! His brother is Zack.

[redheadbedhead]

Esme would be pronounced Es-mee, yep. I didn't even know you could pronounce it es-may!

The boys middle name isn't settled yet, but Milo is quite high on the list because of the cute boy in the Phantom Tollbooth, which was one of my favourite films as a kid. But if the girl is Rosie, then the boy might end up being Milo James, or something else James...

i know now I'll end up with 2 girls, and THEN what will I do!!

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

Esme May only works if you're pronouncing Esme like Es-mee not Es-may.

Rose May is v close to Rosemary, not sure if that's a problem?

Eloise May or Lyra May are both great. Will the boy be James Angus?

[redheadbedhead]

I never realised Chloe would be in the popular lists now, I teach lots of small girls and it's never come up - one of the reasons I liked it! but if it's in the top ten I can see myself teaching a few in the years to come, so it's putting me off a bit....

nightstar is Lyra a constellation??? that is fantastic. making me like it even more. I think we're getting closer.

the shortlist is becoming:
Lyra May
Eloise May
Rosie/Rose/Rosa May (it's still on there, can't quite get rid of it yet...)
Esme May

Never realised Bella was a Twilight name- I'm too old and behind the times!! But it's definitely out now for that reason!!

[first1]

I have a Chloe so that gets my vote! Although a lot of people don't like names in the top ten which I believe it still is. Would you prefer a slightly more unusual choice? I know a few child James's and their siblings are Emily, Sophia, Amy, Max and Ben

[Nightstar]

Lyra is fabulous, its a constellation of stars that you can look up and see, how nice is that? I would put it in glow stars on her ceiling :-)

[shonnomanom]

We have James on the list for a boy also, as with last time it is a first name and middle name candidate. John is also a middle name candidate. Both name are family.

I know a few James that are known as Jim, all adults though.

love Lilly as a first name but cant help but think of Harry Potter's mum and when thinking of that the same thing applies with James.

I knew a lovely sweet little girl called Eloise.

Ida?

Love Lyra and Esme as well. Bella makes me think of Twilight.

Going down the Scottish line, there is always Eilidh, Morven, Moraig, Fiona, Shona, Rhona.

If we go for James this time we will have Hannah & James, also quite like Cameron..

[redheadbedhead]

bird I expect I will have two boys and then end up calling one of them Edie and trying to persuade myself and everyone around that it's a modern version of Eddie...

[birdofthenorth]

You are definitely having a James first now after putting yourself through this agony trying to find a girl's name to match

Probably followed by another boy

I think all your choices go with James fine but I think Esme and Edie are both particularly lovely and flow well with James (or Jim )

[racingheart]

Ooh I love your brother's second name! That's great. Not tempted?
James and Eloise go very well together.

[redheadbedhead]

I KNOW!!!!! I hate it so much!!!! (the theme tune that is) sorry for planting...

I love Rowan and Beth, but OH doesn't. In fact my brothers second name is Roan.

[Oeisha]

Hey redhead...Bethan. James and Bethan. My 2 penneth...
I also like 'Rowan' for a girl, but noone else seems to...

Thanks for planting the "Rosie and Jim" theme in my head. Must only have ever seen 1 episode of it, hated it. Agree, freakish, angermaking puppets... BUT I seem to know the theme...haunts me...
"Rosie and Jim, Rosie and Jim, chugging along on the old Rag Doll, Rosie and Jim, Rosie and Jim tralalalalalaalalalalal".

[redheadbedhead]

Beautiful name, but I know too many already. Thanks though!

[speculationisrife]

redhead - you seem to have similar taste to me - and I'm loving a lot of the other suggestions for girls' names on here. I have a Maya - any good to you?

[thereisalightanditnevergoesout]

You definitely could, then, redhead. We have an Irish surname with Scottish roots (both sides). My (Scottish) FIL wondered why we'd picked a Scottish name .

[redheadbedhead]

Love Angus. I can get away with Scottish names as a redhead with a celtic surname...

[thereisalightanditnevergoesout]

Not at all - we have Joseph and Angus, but I also liked Patrick. DH liked Edward (we have Edward Patrick as middle names for Angus, and Joseph's middle name is Hamish, followed by my maiden name). If we'd gone for James, we were planning Jimmy as a nn.

[redheadbedhead]

too many Jamie's in the family already, and my son would actually be named after the one person who was a Jim - my favourite uncle who died when I was 11 I love the name Jim. It's also one of my best friends so it kind of has lovely meanings for me, whereas Jamie is my cousin and his kid. (yes, he named his kid after himself!)

And yes you're right, I prob won't have a boy and a girl and all this will be in vain. But you know when something's in your head and you can't get it out...

[SherlockHolmes]

Why not shorten James to Jamie, rather than Jim? I think when babies are small you do tend to slap an "ee" sound on the end anyway. And also, who's to say you'll have 1 boy and 1 girl, and that you won't change your mind re names by then. Stick with the name you like and worry about the other one if and when it happens.

[redheadbedhead]

Love Nancy, but it's a long-standing friend of mine who I don't really want to name it after, so that's out. I'm also with you on Betty/Betsy thereisalight, we've got similar tastes! Do you mind telling me what your boys names are? We still have the option of having James as a middle name (at the moment it might be Milo or Barnaby)

I was shocked that Chloe was popular now, never realised! But then I saw it on the top names lists grrr

Still loving Eloise...

[HalfPastSeven]

Other flower names?

Lily
Jasmine
Daisy
etc etc

I always think of Lucy as a similar type of name to Rosie (maybe becuase I know sisters called Lucy and Rosie). Other Rose I know (who is very much ROse not Rosie) has a sister called Honor.

I know a fes boys called James. They have sisters called Rachael, Isobel, Grace, Anna/Annie.

[thereisalightanditnevergoesout]

James is a family name on DH's side, but I couldn't face yet another so we opted for 2 other boys' names. Our girls are Romilly and Nancy, but I also loved Tess (yes, family dog's name here too ), but I loved Betty/Betsy.

[BikeRunSki]

Could James (assuming you ever have a DS) not just be James, or Jamie?