Help! Too many names and we can't agree!

[clarabella1980]

Hi,

I'm 31 weeks pregnant with our 1st baby, and we are struggling sooo much with names. I have names I like, my husband has names he likes, and we can't agree! We really want the baby to have an uncommon name - not necessarily way out or totally unique, but I was one of 5 girls in my class with the same name so I'm keen we don't do the same!

Here is our list...

Girls:
He likes-

Matilda
Cecilia
Harriet
Beatrice
Tatiana

I like:

Allegra
Lydia
Violet
Poppy
Daisy
Elodie
Amelie
Rose
Rosa
Alice

Boys:

He likes:
Rafe
Orson
Hugo

I like:

George
Arthur
Theo

Can I have some opinions! Or suggestions of other names we might both like, that maybe meet in the middle?!

A lot of your girls names are quite popular here.

I love Matilda and Beatrice for girls and all your boys names

Of those listed I like:
Matilda
Rosa
Daisy

Rafe
Hugo
Theo

Other suggestions:
Martha
Opal
Amelia

Leo
Stanley
Finnian

Good luck!!

Thank you! I like Leo, but it's my sister's cat's name, so I think it's off limits!

Hugo is one off my husband's list that I do like, just worried it's a bit posh?

Amelia is really pretty! But I know a few Amelias already, which has put me off.

Oooh, I like Matilda Rose together. Would you consider that?

Also, George is lovely.

Could you maybe cross off names you truly dislike rather than feeling 'meh' about and if it's a boy you get first name he gets middle name and if a girl he gets first name you get middle name?

Or.....wait til you've given birth and he will be so smitten and proud of your hard work that you'll get to pick the name anyways.

Hmm, maybe. There are some on his list that I do like - Matilda, for example - but I just don't like it as much as some of the names on my list! Plus, I'm worried that it's going to get more popular, I know one little Matilda already (although not very well, not enough to stop us using it) and with the musical doing so well and winning awards - I just don't want it to be the next number one name. Seriously, I have spent my life being known as Claire B, or - worse - "Big Claire" (I'm 5 foot 10) - because there has always been another Claire - at school, at uni, in every job I've ever had! And my parents thought it was unusual when they picked it... How popular do you think Matilda genuinely is as a name? I'm not concerned about the baby being the only one in the world with a name or anything (or I'd call it Wolfgang or something!) but it would be nice if they were the only one in their class at school, for example.

Have you had a look at darkgreener.com? If you are concerned about name trends it's very useful.

For example Matilda has had a meteroric rise from 211th to 53rd between 1996 - 2010 but seems to have peaked in 2008. And as it's outside of the top 50 there are unlikely to be more than one in any class but possibly more than one in the whole school.

I like Matilda, it was a toss up between this and Tabitha for DD2 - we went with Tabitha.

Of the other names you've mentioned I especially like Harriet, Beatrice, Violet and Arthur. Not wild about girls names with 'ee' sounds at the end, not keen on Hugo - not because it sounds too posh but it makes me think of overweight bankers.

Some other suggestions; Imogen, Eleanor, Esther, Ursula, Rosalind, Jasper, Fraser, Sebastian, Toby, Seth.

From your lists I like:

Matilda
Lydia
Violet
Rose
Rosa

Orson
George
Arthur

Other suggestions:

Martha
Iris
Eloise

I don't think Matilda is too popular. I have a 1 year old DD (Matilda was on our shortlist of names) and we've only met one Matilda at baby groups.

Lots of Matilda's round our way. I think I know of 7 or 8 under 5.

I like Allegra and Rafe but I do have a penchant for pretentious names.

I love all your choices! Your hubby's are a bit pretentious (and isn't Rafe spelt Ralph but pronounced Rafe?)

I like Elodie - how about Eloise?

Or my DD is called Eliza?

I am a bit more of a traditionalist when it comes to boys names in particular so love George and Arthur - how about Alfred (Alfie) or Sebastian (Seb)?

If you want unusual and not one there is a chance to meet others of in school (within reason laughs) I would look at using

Cecilia
Tatiana
Allegra

Boys:

Rafe
Orson
Hugo
Theo

narrowing it down to that personally I adore Allegra and wanted it for all of my dd's but dh doesnt like it. Cecilia is lovely but be aware everyone will be singing Simon and Garfunkel at you.. I am not nuts on Tatiana personally for boys I just love Orson out of that lot

Harriet, Lydia, Rose
George and Rafe

Violet Rosa Iris Cecilia

Geroge

How about Alicia as a half way house between Alice and the longer 'a' ending names your DH likes?