Three syllabel Girls Names - with nice shortening

[shouldnotbehere]

I'm not bothered by popularity. I have a popular name and I like it.

I love the names Isabel, Olivia, Amelia, but would not use as I'd run the risk of Izzy, Livvie or Milly. I don't like the ie or y ending.

I like a classic strong name.

I have a lot of name associations, so although nice names, I would not use Annabel, Verity, Catherine, Christina, Susannah or Violet. I just can't get past the people I know with these names. Silly I know.

Certain names that trend on here, such as Allegra, I consider too posh, and it doesn't fit with common DH and I.

Hope I have not offended everyone.

So far we have one name:

Helena

Any other suggestions?

having spent so long reading the whole thread feel compelled to answer

Isobel - p.16 this has made it back on and rightly so (I prefer Scottish spelling) but rather than Izzy if you want a nn Bel is lovely
Lorna - I think is also lovely
Honor - can't believe anyone will mispronounce this, a question from an age ago and a great classic name
Iona - is a beautful name, as is Helena

and not three syllables, although that seems to have gone out the window and you appear to like names finishing in an a

Elsa - lovely name and pretty sure not menitoned so far, although haven't Ctrl and F'd to be sure

Loving the fact that you have such strong opinions - on them all.

ah just read the title again - nn is important. Bel it is and loved the character in 'The Hour'

that would fail my criteria though, which is, if you're going to use a shortening regularly it should have the same initial as the name otherwise gets very annoying when it comes to banks, hospitals etc, where 'proper' name is employed

OP, I approve of that shortlist very much except the last one. You have accidentally kept Lillian on there.

cheeseandmarmite the baby is due in July. Yes, that's right. July. Hence the urgency.

We named our DD Isabel, whilst hating Izzy. We called her Bella as a nickname from the start and I think she would stick to her guns if anyone tried to call her Izzy. My DP has actually threatened violence to one friend who thought it would be funny to call her Izzy.
Sorry, longwinded way of saying you don't have to feel helpless in the face of unwanted nicknames. If you like a name, use it and just tell people not to call your DD the name you hate. It might all go pearshaped when they are teenagers, or it might not.

I love three syllable names as well, but most of my short list have been discarded further up the thread.
FWIW, I can suggest
Annaliese (although I chose this as a long name for Annie)
Elisa
Alyssa
Cecilia
Aurelia
Arianne (although might be too close to Marianne for your DH)
Catriona
Felicia
Amanda

This baby is the size of a bean and may not be a girl.

OP may I ask where the bean was conceived? It may inspire us.

Lorelei

heard it today in library. small cute child at singing club. that's your baby's name.!

I had not realised how long this thread was when I made suggestions - sorry for any repetition.
Can I suggest making a longish shortlist and letting it marinate with both of you through your pregnancy. By the time baby is close, a name might become obviously "the one" without either of you knowing why. I found this to be the case with my DD's name. It is easy being dismissive when the naming game first hits the agenda - but names are names, just a collection of sounds, and don't really "belong" to other people in your life or the news. If your baby "feels" like a Tamsin or a Rhiannon, you won't give a toss about who else has the name.

prizeelliott - Nell would be the shortening for Helena.

Your daughters have lovely names. My niece is called Nia.

Thank you for the list. My husbands welsh, but I'm English. But have lived in Wales long enough to be able to pronouce welsh names (places and persons). It might sound silly but we're considering welsh names, and have the welsh spelling for our boys names, but we don't want too unusual a welsh name. It's mainly for all my English family.

I like Megan and Gweno especially but good friends/family have used these for their daughters. Cerys is a fab name but our surname begins with a s, and it doesn't work. Some of the names you have mentioned are DH aunts, cousins name. I like Ffion and it's easy to pronounce. I'll put Ffion ON THE LIST.

Phoebe - like this work, but doesnt work with surname
Henrietta - sorry Four Weddings and A Funeral ruined this one for me.

PiratecatClaus - yes, you can take credit for Charlotte! Thank you!

Seren - DH loves this name, there are too many shops, small foodie companies around us called Seren for me to use it, but thank you.

Serena - DH considers this name posh, but thank you.

olittletownof:

Thank you for reading whole thread, I'm so impressed.

Elsa - love this, but not working with our surname

Isabel - I love the shortening Bel, it was suggested to DH, and he immediately said Bel End, and didnt like shortening Bel.

kiteflying

Annaliese - it's lovely name, but it's my Nanna's german friends name. She came over to UK after war.

Elisa - lovely name, but not us. I'm not a fan of S's, as our surname starts with S.

Cecilia - you're breaking my heart, you're shaking my confidence. I love this Simon and Garfunkel song. I love the name too, but DH says its too posh.

Aurelia - I LOVE THIS NAME. DH says its too posh.

Arianne - not keen.

Catriona - love, but can't use. It was best friends name, who died too soon, and makes me think of her, and weep. I loved her very much.

Felicia - not keen. Sounds a bit like a drug's name

Amanda - love this name, but not keen on Mandy.

Thank you.

Kiteflying - thank you very much for your last bit of advice.

Latest shortlist, with names of those who came up with suggestions:

Lillian
Helena
Lorna - FellatioNelson
Iona - MrsOzz
Faye
Eliza - cheeseandmarmitesandwich, Crumbletopping, ThoseClementineShoes, and FellatioNelson
Isabel
Ffion - prizeelliott
Honor - cheeseandmarmitesandwich suggested it, and olittletownof got me to reconsider it.

Francesca - Fran/Frank(ie)
Melanie - Mel
Alethea - Thea
Elena - Lena
Deborah - Deb
Bethany - Beth
Anna - I know not three syllables but beautiful name
Nicola - Nic
Belinda - Belle
Katherine - Kate
Margaret - Peggy, Maggie
Dorothy - Dot
Rosina - Rose
Luisa - Lulu
Edwina - Eddie
Amanda - don't think it needs to be shortened...

I actually think Helena is lovely so would go for that TBH. DD was going to be Helen but we changed our minds at the last minute,

Edwina...really {fconfused}...

Should Views on Lara?? Don't know why but it popped into my head earlier this morning? 2 syllable's like your current list

bugger it...

You can always tell when someone has only read the thread title and not even bothered with the opening post, can't you

Who are you talking percy

OP's current list is:
Lillian
Helena
Lorna
Iona
Faye
Eliza
Isabel
Ffion
Honor

No doubt like most list this will change a 100 times before due date!

What about Lana? Like Lana Turner. That's lovely - and underused. And Una/Oonagh, Clodagh and Sorcha/Saiorse (sp?)

and Ishbel. That's lovely and more unusual then Isobel.

What's wrong with Edwina?