A sister for Sacha.....

[gherkins]

HELP! 32 weeks and we are not making any progress on a name for DD2.

DD1 (as title would suggest!) is a Sacha. Suits her down to the ground and is a name I loved way before she was even born. Struggling to find a name for DD2 though - we have long lists and shorter lists, but nothing really seems to jump out at us. Surely it should be easier than this? I feel a bit bad that DD1 has the only girls' name I really love, while DD2 seems destined to just be lumbered with a name that is somehow second best....

We like strong, not-too-flowery names that suggest a bit of oomph and personality, and don't want anything too girly/popular like Poppy/Daisy/Flopsy etc.

So far our list is (in very rough order of preference):

ALEX (the only name we can vaguely agree on, but I am worried that with 2 daughters named Sacha and Alex people will think we are Russian .... Do you think this would be a problem? Also, very strictly speaking - again in Russian - Sacha is a nickname for Alex, so could be more potential weirdness. But it's a name we both like - unisex, strong, will stand test of time)

SCARLETT (this was DH's choice for DD1, but when she arrived she just didn't look like a Scarlett, so we went with my first choice)

And then the others:

Lily (slightly breaking our non-flowery rule, but this seems to be growing on me)
Isabel
Ivy
Leila/Layla
Jasmin (DH likes this, I'm not sure)
Alice

Suggestions welcome!

I know a sacha and Nicole. They are twins. Sacha and Scarlett is nice. I also like Sacha and Ivy.

Alex is nice but I wouldn't use it since Sacha has the same derivation.
Scarlett - scarlet woman
Lily - like
Isabel - like but v. popular
Ivy - lovely
Leila/Layla - not keen
Jasmin - like Jasmine with an e
Alice - dull

Thanks Mummy. Not sure about the name Nicole tbh, but agree Sacha and Ivy sound nice together.

Filter - Yes, this is the problem with Sacha and Alex. Just too much potential for confusion there! I like Lily and really like Isabel, but they are popular... One of the reasons I chose Sacha was because it most definitely was not in the Top 100 list. Scarlett is always top 100.

Any other name ideas? Getting desperate!

Alex - yeah, I think it's nice but too similar to Sasha
Scarlett - not keen
Lily - nice
Isabel - Love it
Ivy - pretty
Leila/Layla - quite like it
Jasmin - pretty. I also prefer it with an 'e'
Alice - like it

These are names I'd consider to be in a similar 'group' to Sacha:
Amber, Autumn, Ariel, Amy, Anya, Bethan, Brooke, Cerys, Camilla, Claudia, Ciara, Dana, Evelyn, Ellis, Erin, Enya, Eden, Ebony, Farrah, Freya, Faye, Giselle, Heidi, Halle, Ivy, India, Juliet, Joanna, Keira, Katie, Leah, Lyra, Lydia, Macey, Morgan, Megan, Nicole, Nadia, Nyah, Orla, Paige, Piper, Quinn, Robyn, Ruby, Seren, Sadie, Sydney, Sienna, Tegan, Thea, Verity, Willow, Xanthe, Yvette, Zia, Zara

Taryn
Francine
Francesca
Anoushka
Anastasia
Bethany
Corrinne
Karima
Yolanda
Clemency
Flora
Florence
Valentina
Tessa
Fern
Marisa
Rowan
Clara
Germaine
Pearl
Victoria
Odette

I think as well as having the same derivation, you've already used a boys name for a girl and Alex is like doing the same thing again. Unless you went for Alexandria for example. Do you like boys names on girls? Or unisex type names?

I too adore Sacha. Would have been ds's name had I chosen.

Scarlett will date btw. Is v now but that shouldn't necessarily bother you.

Out of all your suggestions I like Alice. Beautiful, strong, classic, feminine.

What about Zoe

Oooh thanks for all the suggestions.

Manic, quite a few of your names are on our long list actually! Amber (DH doesn't like as he had a girlfriend called Amber ), Farrah, Ivy, Megan (DH says this is too 'American'), Ruby which I like (but DH says reminds him of cockney for curry), and Anya. I also really like Macy/Macey, but DH has vetoed this for some unknown reason.... I really like your suggestion of Quinn! Though sounds a bit strange with our surname which is only one syllable. I think we need a two or three-syllable name. I think Anya will go back on our short list though now.

Louplet, LOVE love love Rowan, although one of my close friends already has a DD named Rowan. Doesn't rule it out though. Will run it past DH. Not sure about some of your other suggestions, nothing really jumps out at me. I do love your suggestion of Francisca/Francesca however. We have a close friend called this, not a problem for us to use the same name - but what would it be shortened to? We call our friend Frannie, but she hates it and we mainly call her this to wind her up! She is Spanish, but what would a nickname be for this in English???

ShowofHands - you are right about both Sacha and Alex being boys' names, or at least in some countries, that is. I think much as we love Alex, we will have to drop this, but DH is still adamant it's his top choice. Need to find a few alternatives he will like! I like unisex names (mainly because they are strong). Yes Alice is a good name, it is girly, admittedly, but I think quite a strong name and feminine without being flowery.

Deste - Zoe is on our long list. I do like it, and so does DH, but it doesn't make my heart sing, if that makes sense? But it's definitely up there for consideration. Ticks all our boxes - strong, not too girly, sounds nice with Sacha. Hhmmm. Maybe it should move up the list a bit!

Any other ideas that are:

Strong
Not too flowery or girly
More than one syllable
Not over-the-top wacky
Unisex, or at least suggest a woman with a bit of oomph about her!

Maya

Frankie is a good nn for Francesca, there's also Frances as a unisex choice
What about Marnie, Laurie or Petra?

My DD is a Sasha :).

My list, should we ever have another girl, is:
Louisa
Eloise
Anna
Thea
Delphi (though would never get this past DH)
Erin
Romilly
Clara
Susanna

I love Josephine but have a Joseph so that's out for me.

TanteRose - I like Maya (it was on our original list for DD1) but a good friend has just named her DD that. Doesn't exclude it, but means we have to be really sure about it, that's all!

ellangirl - Hhmmm, I like Frankie as a nickname for Francesca. Fun and still quite strong. Don't really like Frances, sorry. Out of your others I like Petra, although we are in the Middle East so it might be a bit like naming our DD Stonehenge! How do we pronounce Laurie - Law-ry or Lorry?

Ninja - Like Anna, it's on our long list. Clara is also floating about on our list, though for some reason it brings to mind red hair and clogs. Like the name though. Hadn't considered Josephine, it's quite nice actually. Don't like Jo or Joanna as a nn though - what else could work I wonder? Like Erin but I know a real-life Erin, and could never use it because of that. Although it is a FAB name. Hhmmm. Gosh this is hard!

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em coming!

Laurie is pronounced lorry usually, can also spell lori. Happy choosing!

Josie, Posy or Sephy could work as nn for Josephine?

i know a francessca that goes by chess! my favourite of your names is jasmine, sounds lovely wiv sascha and has a similar feel!
think someone also mentioned a robyn, which is gorgeous.
have u thought about pippa?

Yes, Jasmine is nice, juliewoo, and actually thinking about it, it could be shortened to Jazz, which is quite funky. Like Robyn, but don't love it. I actually really like the name Pippa, but that Middleton woman has ruined it for me now! I also like the name Pepper, but there is the PeppaPig problem, and then DH always makes silly jokes about calling the next child salt...

DH is away but back tomorrow. So far I think I'll be pushing to drop Alex (which he loves loves loves) and go for:

Isabel
Ivy
Jasmin/e
Alice
Anya
Anna
Zoe
Francisca/Francesca (possible nn of Frankie)
Rowan

I like Megan, but DH doesn't.

Question. How do people pronounce Jasmin/Jasmine? Yasmin or JAZZmin? I mean do you pronounce it with a 'Y', even though it's usually spelt with a 'J'? I think I prefer 'Yasmin' to 'Jazzmin'..

Stella is a good strong name and I think would go well with sasha.

I have a Sasha and I'm a Zoe (in response to earlier suggestion). If we have another it's either Romilly (love Romi) or Winifred (love love love Winnie)

What about Nadia for the (Russian) connection?

Well, going to be near Easter isn't she, so what about Pasha? No, I wouldn't fancy the rhyming either!

You say you don't want popular names and then list many of the most popular names - Alex - there are 3 in one of my DD's classes, and 1-2 in each of the others. fwiw, I like Alexa or Lexy better (know 1 of each of these hereabouts too). Isabel and Alice are v. popular too. And Jasmine. If you want Yasmin, spell it Yasmin, that's usual, less popular but we know a few..

Love Stella and Rowan and Zoe and Tess, all suggested above.

What about Lara? Bit Russian.
Cara, Darrell.
Zahava (Hebrew, I believe, the modern equivalent of my mother's old fashioned Hebrew name)
Martha

I like Ivy best of your list, also Jasmine, and Isabel although it's very popular.

Isabel - like but very popular
Ivy - like
Jasmin/e - like and would pronounce JAZZ-min
Alice - dull, not keen
Anya - OK
Anna - nice, prefer to Anya
Zoe - OK
Francisca/Francesca - nice, and you could have nickname Fran or Cesca
Rowan - too unisex

If you like Alex, then what about Sandra which also comes from Alexandra. Sacha and Sandra, alike but different enough, one with a short a, the other long. Sandra is uncommon now and has a good nn in Sandy.

Stella or estelle

Manya?
Lydia?
Julia?
Rosa?

How creepy!

When I read DD1's name I immediately thought JASMINE would compliment it well. Sacha and Jasmine.

I think Alex is TOO strong, I see Alex as a male rather than female

xx