Oonagh or Cleo?

[LylaLils]

My other half and I cannot agree on a name for a girl. I like Oonagh (or Una but i prefer the Oonagh spelling) and he likes Cleo. The surname is very common and rather boring so I want something different for the first name. I am half Irish half Egyptian, so both names reflect this. I think Cleo sounds like a car. He thinks Oonagh is just a horrible name. There are no other names we like.

Any opinions? What would you prefer? Is there potential for bullying with either name? Nicknames? Be honest I can take it!

(We do not know the sex and we are both agreed on a boys name - would be so much easier if its a boy!!)

What about Clodagh (instead of Oonagh) with Clio as a short name for Clodagh? that is not a crazy leap is it? but it's irish and it's the name he prefers. the car thing wouldn't put me off as it is a name before it is a car. zoe is now a car too.

I am Irish but I wouldn't use Oona because I hear it in Spanish. Una .... qué bebida? chica? una de que?

ps i prefer Cleo/Clio to Oona(gh)

My friend is an Oonagh- I have to say I find it a rather ugly name written down! If your DH hates it and thinks it's horrible I can't see him coming round to it.

We have a close friend called Clodagh and another friend's sister is called Clionagh so can't really use those names but thanks for the suggestion. Oh dear I think Cleo is winning...

oh yeah, Cliodhna could be Clio for short too.

Only thing about using Cliodhna in the uk is that English people will just hear CLEANER!!!

i'd prefer Clodagh with Clio for short even though it's not quite so obvious. Or maybe cliodhna but just call her clio right from day one.

oh sorry lylalils, didn't notice you were the OP there when you said you'd a friend called clodagh

I like Cleo (but not Clio which is the car spelling!!)

I know a Cleo who is about 15 now and she's never had problems with the name to my knowledge

English people will probably say

Oh nag?

Like me - I'm glad you put the pronunciation in brackets because I would have guessed OH nag

I prefer Oonagh. I don't like Cleo, it's a cats name.

Norbert, 'Clio' is not just a car, it is the name of the Muse of History in Greek mythology!!

I like Una or Oona.
I don't like the other spelling.

I have a Cleo. I love the name and get loads of compliments. I do also like Oonagh though! But dislike Cleo spelled with the i.

Just don't think Oonagh looks nice written down. Una is better, though I'm still not keen. Really like Clio (this spelling) and associate it with Greek mythology rather than the car (or cats - not that I think cats are a bad association!). As Olympia pointed out, there's also a car called Zoe, and the Renault Megane didn't seem to put people off the name Megan!

How about Cliona with nn Clio, by the way? It's Irish, and also very similar to Cleo.

I love both names, how about using them both?

Names ending in O are very cool.

Or how about Orla? Or Clea?

Cleo

Thank you for all the replies.

for family/friend reasons we can't use Clionagh / Clodha / Orla

It would have to be spelling Cleo - for egyptian reasons. I am warming more to the Oona spelling. Oh I dont know!!! Its doing my head in.

I just want an unusual name that has an abrupt ending (my sister's children's names all end in an "ee" sound so I want to keep away from that - I vetoed Ruby for this reason)...any suggestions?

Tilda?
I think I actually prefer the Una spelling now that I think about it. Una Healy from the Saturdays is probably making it popular again - she's very pretty!

Cleo! Cleo!

Although people will say "is that Chloe?" quite a lot. And then say "oh, what a lovely name" when they get her actual name (or if they got it in the first place).

Everyone so far has been polite enough not to mention the car. And I don't care anyway.

Una not Oonagh.
Cleo sounds like it is short for another name to me, Cleopatra?

Ha ha Wigeon, snap!

I lived with an Oona (still a lovely friend) and a Priya in my share-house days and we joked about always having to spell our names to people (mine is Honey) but that it made us good spellers in general. An Iranian friend called her baby girl Olya - has both Farsi and Russian roots.

I absolutely love Oonagh/Oona/Una. Although people might pronounce Una as 'Yewna' as in Una Stubbs? I associate Cleo will irritating people - Cleo Laine, Cleo Rocos.

What are the boys names you are agreed on and that might help with seeing what your OH taste is as well as yours?

Some Irisk/egyptian names (poetic license used too!)
Alvy
Maeve
Onora
Doon
Isis
Layla
Tabitha

We've decided on Theo for a boy...I know I know, rhymes with Cleo!