Current shortlist and associated doubts

[Doodlegoogle]

Not completely happy with any of our names yet but this is my current list of our most liked names with associated doubts. Any opinions or suggestions please!

Girls:
Isla - but I know several and don't want a very common name.
Isabel - also very popular and I don't like izzy
Eleanor - always been a favourite but same problem as above and I really don't like any of the usual nn
Seren - like this a lot but have this vague feeling it might become very popular and faddy or chavy.
Miranda - knew a lovely one at school but she did get teased for 'Randy'
Mireille - too frilly
Mirabel - also too frilly or little girly
Clarissa - can't help thinking silence of the lambs
Thea - feels like it's just a mm and a bit unfinished
Juniper - not sure I'm brave enough
Ariana - doesnt go well with surname

Boys
Reuben - too popular
Marcus - DP not keen
Rowen - DP thinks too feminine
Rufus - possibly a dogs name
Felix - the cat
Tate - the gallery

I pretty much share your feelings with the girls' names. Although I think Miranda and Mirabel are OK, but how do you like Amanda and Annabel? Same sort of sound but not so frilly.

It was Clarice in SOTL, not Clarissa. I had a gt grandma named Clarissa but she was always called Clara. Any help?

Of your boys' names I like Marcus best. The others seems to be a bit too faddy atm. Don't like Tate as I generally don't like surname names.

My votes are for Isla and Tate. Nice.

Not Eleanor if you don't like the nns and please, not Juniper.

Reuben is fine, I know a Marcus that's a complete knobber so biased,but is ok. The other boys names are bad.
The first three girls names are ok, don't like the others.

I agree with all of your comments OP. What about some similar names?
Isadora
Theadora
Dorathea
Elouise
Elspeth
Elisabetta
Rosalind
Rosamund
Marianne
Mariella
Jude
Jemima
Saffron
Tiffany

Rory
Roman
Rohan
Richard
Nate (Nathan)
Rex

Also agree with your comments op. How about

Theodora
Felicity

Quentin
Tristan

Isla I agree it's very 'now'.
Isabel - The old Isla.
Eleanor I like this one. I really don't see it as popular as the others above. Maybe you could insist on no nicknames?
Seren It's nice, a bit safe, un-inspiring?
Miranda A bit dated for me, but not in a nice old lady way.
Mireille - I like that a lot. I find it girly but not overly cheesy.
Mirabel - Like Mireille, I think it's a nice mix of girly and elegance.
Clarissa the a seems superfluous. Clarice or Clarisse are more fun.
Thea -agree about the unfinished feel .
Juniper - , it's not that out there really. With Poppy and Lily as class mates, Juniper is just normal.
Ariana - shame it's a gorgeous name.

Ideas: Clarice, Elinor, Elena, , Thirza, Ariadne, Elsie, Elsa, Alice, Adelaide?

Boys
Except Rufus, who is fabulous, all the others leave me a bit cold.
Rupert, Rudyard, Magnus, Otis, Rafferty, Travis, Marius, Cassius, Hector?

How about

Iona
Georgia
Amelia
Serena
Sara
Miriam
Melissa
Jennifer
Juliet
Juliana
Aurora
Talia

Luke
Zachary
Tristan
Milo
Alexander
Jacob
Theodore
Austin
Samuel
Daniel
James
Edward

I love Mirabel I think it sounds sort of magical and princessy in a Knights of the Round Table sort of way.
Also Clarissa - the character in Silence of the Lambs is Clarice. Clarissa would remind me more of Clarissa Explains It All. Of your boys names I like Marcus and Felix best.

Girls:
Isla - lovely, but definitely a popular name and getting more so
Isabel - already extremely popular, not keen
Eleanor - pretty, not too common, but lots of Ellies about
Seren - lovely name, never met one, not sure about your doubts
Miranda - nice, underused, I know an adult Miranda who is Miri as nn
Mireille - too frilly - yep
Mirabel - cringeily frilly imo
Clarissa - can't help thinking silence of the lambs - agree
Thea - lovely name. Short for Dorothea, Althea, Theodora, Xanthe?
Juniper - bit weird, sorry
Ariana - nice

Boys
Reuben - not that popular, is it?
Marcus - DP not keen - agree, awful name
Rowen - DP thinks too feminine - agree with your DP
Rufus - possibly a dogs name - yuck, yes.
Felix - the cat - yes, but quite nice
Tate - the gallery - yep. Awful, American soap star name. Nate/Nathan/Nathaniel?

Iona
Ilana
Isolde
Arabella
Alina
Elenora
Eliza
Carys
Stella
Eleri
Charis
Avianne

Louis
Saul
Isaac
Rian
Miles
Theo
Aidan
Arlo
Hugo
Seth
Otis
Jude
Niall

Seren means star in Welsh. I don't think of it as chavy, just Welsh.

Serena ??

Madelaine

Marianna or Marianne

Georgia or Georgina

Susannah

Martha

oh and i love Eleanor, know 3 and all use full names! no nn's

Boys??

Gabriel
Theodore
Leo
William
Seth
Saul
Jude

and Reuben is not popular everywhere, have lived over 3 counties in the last 9 yrs, and not met 1!