Struggling to find a name for a baby girl

[ghosteditor]

I'm 40+5 with DC1 and struggling to find a name that DH and I both love. We are happy with our shortlist if it's a boy (Henry, Theo, Oliver, Jacob, or Max, with a family middle name) but we don't have any firm contenders for a little girl. I'd love your opinions on some possible combinations?

Surname is a three syllable fairly common surname starting with W. My wishlist is for a longer name that can be shortened, something that's not too popular, and nothing that looks odd when shown as initials (a risk with W for a surname). Still with me?

Calliope Isobel (nn Callie)
Juliet Roslyn (nn Jules)
Philippa Clio (nn Pippa)
Alexandra Kathryn (nn Lex or Lexie I think)

Other names I like but can't quite fit in are Edith, Hester, and Zoe. I have a classics background and love names with classical connections, and my name is a long name with an obvious nn which I go by, so I really like that idea. Would love suggestions for new combinations or likely candidates!

Elizabeth - so many nns..
Charlotte - Lottie
Catherine - Kitty/Kate/Katie etc...
Victoria - various some better than others!

Hi,

I'm 28 +1 and have the same problem. We're having a girl which makes it a lot easier but am very stuck for names!

Our short list so far is: Eleanor, Martha, Amelia, Elizabeth, Maggie, Harriet, Hattie, Georgeina

Even looking at the list now I feel as if the are our 2nd choices and can't put my finger on 'the one'!.. Also like long traditional names that can be shortened and would love suggestions too!

Thanks Montsti - they're all lovely names but you've managed to stumble on four names which are the names of close family and friends, so they're all unavailable to us. Kathryn is under consideration as a middle name as it's my best friend's name (and spelling) and we love it!

I like Alexandra and Juliet out of those you've listed.
I also know an Alexandria.

Other longer girls name with short nn :
Abigail (Abby)
Francesca (Fran, Franny)
Tabitha (Tabby)
Catherine (Cat, Cate, Cath)
Penelope (Pen, Penny)
Suzanna (Suz, Susie)
Angeline (Ang, Angie)
Georgina / Georgiana (George, Georgie)
Josephine (Jo, Josie)
Natasha (Nat, Tasha)

I like Phliippa, Alexandra and Juliet. I'd change them round a bit - Philippa Kathryn would be nice, or Juliet Isobel.

caffers - congratulations! yes, sometimes I feel like we made a mistake not finding out as it makes the endless name discussions even longer. Here's hoping you find something that works for you before your baby arrives. I think we may have Nameless Baby if we don't get sorted soon!

I love Maggie but not so much Margaret and we'd want to give the full name on the birth certificate. I also really like Harriet and Hattie but it's not quite for us - I do like 'Hettie' from Hester (Greek for 'star') but we're not 100% sold.

Unfortunately DH likes what I consider to be very 80s/90s names (all from girls he liked at school I suspect ) - Emma, Sarah, Lauren, Rebecca - all lovely but I know so many of them from my cohort that I don't want to use them.

thanks littlecherub! I absolutely love Penny but it's the name of a family pet already and Abby is lovely too. Several others you've listed are names of friends, how funny! I do a lot of team sports so I think I'm being influenced by how many women I know with names already, which is silly as they won't be in our lives forever.

I will say that one of my shortlist names is the name of a friend of mine who shares my surname - is that a bit weird? She does go by a different nn!

Philippa Kathryn and Juliet Isobel are nice. Is 'JIW' an odd set of initials or am I overthinking it?

Nobody likes Callie, do they? It's my favourite and I love the idea of a Greek muse (hence Clio too).

Juliet feels like such a safe option but then again I really do like it! We are content with the idea of a shortlist and then deciding when we meet the baby what he or she looks like, but I don't want to end up rushing the decision or having name disagreements when we have a newborn!

annakin thank you! I really do like it. Calisse is lovely too, and it's interesting to hear about the Gaelic connection.

I do like Callie, although I don't really like Calliope.

How about Calandra, Calantha, Calista, Calpurnia, Caroline?

Thanks jester - I do like Calista but it's an old online handle of mine so feel funny about using it. And the others don't quite do it for me. My worry with Calliope is that it feels a little 'try hard' for my background, and some of my family might be a bit about it, and wouldn't know how to pronounce it on seeing it written down.

Hmm...

Juliet is lovely although not too keen on Jules.
I like Calliope too and Philippa is fine although Philippa Middleton a little off putting.

I personally much prefer Rosalyn and Kathryn as Rosaline/ Rosalind and Katharine/ Katherine.

How about:
Cassandra
Hermione
Athena/ Athene
Penelope but using Nell as a nn.
Isadora/ Pandora
Cecilia
Anastasia
Rosemary
Marguerite
Lucinda

Ooh rasputin thank you; I hadn't considered that and I like it!

Thanks looby - I guess we have different taste in abbreviations/full names.

I'm a bit concerned about the Middleton thing too - funnily enough, it's DH's suggestion, so I wonder how many men who are rather partial to Ms Middleton have been suggesting the name Philippa

DH prefers other varients of Kathryn too, but it's my best friend's name and any other spelling just looks odd to me. 'Roslyn' is an uncommon variant so I can see that people prefer the more standard option, but the 'lyn' ending is a family thing which I won't go into. 'Rosaline' is indeed thoroughly lovely.

I love Cassandra but DH is not keen, and I love Athena too. The Penelope/Nell idea is a very appealing one and I might think about that! The others don't do that much for me, but thank you.

Helena?
love Juliet Isobel

Thanks Shanghai - Juliet Isobel is definitely a contender now I've thought about it more.

Helena is a lovely name but doesn't quite wow me enough.

I do quite like Annabel - does anyone know how popular it is these days? Presumably nn options would be Annie or Bella - anything else?

Juliet Isobel is lovely, Penelope too.

I quite like Annabel but not as much as the two above.

Thanks looby - won't be posting more this evening as I seem to be in labour

Annabel is popular but so pretty. Some that are a little less popular are Arabella and Mirabelle. :)

I love Callie and Pippa! Pippa was on my shortlist but I feel like it's ruined now. :(

OMG! Congrats!

Oh frick ghost!

Well good luck!