Honest Feedback/Other Ideas Please

[manicinsomniac]

I'm not pregnant, this is my cousin's shortlist (32 weeks with a girl). She wants to know general opinions on these names. Feel free to be brutally honest, I can give her the censored version if necessary!

Amy
Bryony
Cassandra
Cassidy
Francesca
Ingrid
Kayleigh
Matilda
Robyn
Saffron
Tegan
Zara

And anything else you think she might like based on that.
She already has an Aiden

I think that they are quite different in style.

Amy - like. Quite popular, but lovely and classic. Amy and Aiden a bit of a mouthful?

Bryony - Not keen. For some reason sounds a bit 80s to me

Cassandra - Only Fools and Horses for me, sorry!

Cassidy - no opinion either way really

Francesca- Lovely

Ingrid - Cool, lovely

Kayleigh - not keen.

Matilda - nice, but seems terribly popular my way so might date badly

Robyn - fine, but a bit nothing

Saffron - Hippy and/or parents who had an aammmazing trip to Goa as teenagers (you said brutal was ok, right?)

Tegan - yuck

Zara - Fine, but I always mentally add 'Philips' these days.

My style is very much classic. So I like Aiden as a traditional name, but am not a fan of Braydon, Kaydon, Brandon, Jayden, etc. If that is your cousin's slant, I think Amy, Francesca and Ingrid sit best with that. If she is keen on more modern names, well just ignore me

Well, congratulations to your cousin. Out of that list:

Amy - very pretty name, doesn't 'date'

Bryony - always think of Briar Rose in Sleeping Beauty

Cassandra - don't like this because of the original name holder in the Iliad - she was cursed to see misfortune, but never be believed when she warned people of it. Also came to a bit of a sticky end IIRC.

Cassidy - bit bland

Francesca - like the sound, and a 'stronger' name than Amy or Bryony

Ingrid - don't like it, but I knew one when younger that I found a bit of a wimp, so am biased.

Kayleigh - again, like Cassidy, bit bland

Matilda - always think of William the Conqueror's wife - she was not a nice person by all accounts...

Robyn - nice, reminds me of an Enid Blyton type though

Saffron - do like this one
Tegan - same type as Cassidy & Tegan

Zara - the shop and Z. Philips spring to mind.

For other suggestions, how about:

Cara ('beloved' in Italian or 'dear one' / friend in Irish)
Bridget ('the exalted one' - she was an Irish goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom)
Morgan / Morgana / Muireann ('born of the sea' - a Welsh mythological link this time though)

Amy - sweet and classic, esp good with long surnames.
Bryony - lovely
Cassandra - a bit Only Fools & Horses, but NN Cassie is nice
Cassidy - Butch Cassidy? Bound to get called Sundance... But I like it!
Francesca - meh, a bit of a West London pashmina and pearls name
Ingrid - I like it, v unusual these days
Kayleigh - sorry, I really dislike this one, it seems trashy somehow.
Matilda - great name, not girly
Robyn - nice, but I prefer it for a boy with an i
Saffron - Ab Fab.
Tegan - not keen at all, sounds v American to me.
Zara - dull.

Amy - not really me, think it sounds a bit wet.
Bryony - no but not sure why
Cassandra - no but like Cassie
Cassidy - much prefer this to Cassandra
Francesca - like it
Ingrid - I like it but find it a bit of a mouthful tosay with Aiden
Kayleigh - dated
Matilda - really like it
Robyn - love it,best of the lot IMO
Saffron - no
Tegan - not with Aiden, too samey
Zara - quite like it

Thanks for the feedback. I agree it's quite a varied list in terms of style. But my nephew is 5 and they tried for about 2 years for him so I guess they've been thinking up girls' names for a long time.

From the comments they really ought to choose Saffron Francesca - amazing gap yahs, West London and pearls is them to a tee! (I say this in the most loving way possible, honestly, I'm a little that way inclined myself!)