Am I setting my daughter up for a lifetime of teasing?!

[unsurealways]

Hello. Long time lurker, first time poster.
My first child is due imminently. I have a list of names that i'm taking to the hospital with me, and I love them all equally. I'm hoping that once she arrives she just 'IS' one of the names as that would make my life so much easier lol.

I'm a bit worried that my taste is a bit ... out there. I love all my names, and think they all suit what a daughter of mine would probably grow up to be. But I wouldn't want her to be bullied for being to weird or poncy sounding.

So here's the list. I'm after honest opinions on whether these names sound weird, poncy etc. Which is nicest/most accessible and which you prefer.

Indigo Iris Bloom - Indie.
Lilith Emmanuella - Lily, but only Lilith at home.
Raphaela Marina - Raffie.
Sabine Allegra June - I love both sa-BEAN and sa-been-eh pronounciations, and am still unsure which I love the most.
Salome Willow - May.
Calliope Saoirse - Callie. (kal-eye-oh-pee / seer-sha)
Persephone Joy - Effie.

Echo the comments about religious/mythical/cultural connotations. Lilith was a hebrew demon, Salome an icon of seductiveness (and invites DD being known as "Salami"). Emmanuella v similar to Emmanuelle, infamous 70s porn story protaganist.

Indigo Iris Bloom sounds like an instruction, Indigo Iris like a description. I don't dislike Indigo but potential to be misheard as Inigo and cause initial gender confusion on introductions.

Sabine is a bit meh. I always associate it with the German driver who used to be an occasional guest on Top Gear, but I appreciate that's probably just me. And to be fair, she is pretty cool

Persephone is okay but she will spend part of her life saying "no, it's per-seff-e-nee not percy-phone" and will almost certainly, despite your best efforts with 'Effie', be nicknamed "Percy" or "Perce" at some point.

Really dislike Marina and June. Hard brassy names IME. Joy a little better, but not much.

Raphaela and Allegra are the prettiest IMO. Raphaela Willow? Allegra Willow? Willow Allegra?

Oops, missed one out.

Calliope Saoirse. Just no.

I love them all except Calliope, don't know why really it just doesn't sound nice to me. Lilith made me smile, I will always associate it with Frasier and Cheers . I love Raphaela, I know one although it is never shortened. Also I don't see any problem with having 3 names - mine have 3, and it certainly doesn't cause any problem with "paperwork". Can't imagine why on earth anyone would be teased for it either.

I don't really like any of them!

I like Sylvie which was suggested earlier in the thread.

I also know a little girl called Cecile, and think it is lovely nn Cissy.

I like them all apart from Lilith. Don't like the bible character.

For those saying you can't be prescriptive about nicknames, really you can.

DD was named one name but from 3 days old we told family and friends that was her 'grown-up / formal name' and her nickname was x. Everyone including her teachers have called her x . It is only this year at school (yr3) her teacher has called her the full name (largerly because he struggles with names and more often than not calls her z (and me z's mum!).

All lovely names save that I'm not keen on calliope and indigo. The rest are great.

Two middle names isn't a problem, I know so many with two (myself, DH and other family and friends included). Really don't see it as a big deal at all these days.

I adore some of the names on your list:

Raphaela Marina - my favourite

Indigo Iris Bloom - sounds a bit like a florist's shop

Lilith Emmanuella - don't like Lilith owing to religious connotations and there are SO many girls names 'Lily' around that she'd be one of thousands. I like Emmanuella though.

Sabine Allegra June - OK

Salome Willow - Very nice

Calliope Saoirse - You would be forever having people assume that you're Greek, as well as having to instruct on pronunciation.

Persephone Joy - Would most likely get called 'Persy' - it's a bit too 'rah' I think.

Are you going to be living somewhere fairly affluent with a number of Waitroses nearby? If so, names will be fine and no bullying likely!

People are awful op

The baby names forum is so bitchy. Jealously perhaps?

These names are unusual understated and lovely. I love them all

Ignore the cunts on here and go with your heart

My dd is Calista and is always known as Callie, unless she's naughty or just does something that makes you go "oooohhhhh Calista...". She'll most likely get other nicknames but she'll always be Callie with us.

Though like others say I'm often asked if dd's dad is Greek and have to spell her name a lot, and we thought it was quite straightforward!

Love Raphaella as a name.

A bit harsh Fairyloo , surely the OP has asked for opinions?

Personally, to be honest I'm not keen on any of them, but we all have different taste. (And no, I'm not northern )

The main concern has to be what goes with your surname, if you have a simple surname then you can be more inventive with the fornames. If however your surname is long and/or complicated I think you need to go for a more straightforward first name.

I would also go against picking something with tricky pronunciation as you will spend your life correcting it.

Not sure how May is a nickname for Salome? Unless it is pronounced Sa-lo-may??

Bit harsh Fairyloo - the OP asked for opinions. Or don't you agree with being honest?

I like Persephone best, agree Salome = salami.

Oo, Calista is nice though

Xpost with pourquoi!

Great minds ivanapoo!

Love Indigo Iris Bloom.....

I have two middle names. It's fine, although I do sometimes run out of space on forms, but that's all. It is so fine, that both my DC have two middle names.

OP, your names are all a little elaborate to me, but that is simply my taste. I like Indigo Iris bloom best.

I agree that ncknames evolve with the person and may not be related to their first name, or any of their other names, at all. I know a "Lou" which cames from Loony Tunes, as he is such a giddy child, And a Stan, because someone thought he lookes like Oliver Hardy, but got Laurel and Hardy mixed up, and I've always been Fuzzy to school friends because of my Afro-esque hair.....

Like Raphaela - I wanted DS3 to be Raphael but DH didn't like it.

Not so sure about the rest, especially Lilith (don't you remember Frasier?). And even to my southern ears I fear the combination of more than one longish name in that list might sound a bit poncey but then I am a pleb and perhaps not the kind of person you'd mix with anyway

I really like Lilith, but different middle name.

They are maybe a bit poncier than average - it's whether you can make your mind up to not be self-conscious about that. Because then the child won't be either. I love Lilith and Raphaela from your first names, Emmanuella, Allegra and Willow from the middle names.

The only ones I'd avoid are Indigo (just sounds silly to me, not sure why), Sabine (sounds a bit medical somehow - is it saline I'm thinking of?) and Salome (bad association - but then other people have a bad association with Lilith). I'm also not keen on using Irish names unless you are Irish, though obviously there is a bit of a blurry line there.

pourquoimoi I thought that was how it was pronounced? Agree though, Sally is far more obvious than May as a nickname to me.

They're all nice names I think apart from Calliope. Haven't even heard that one. Whether or not I'd actually use these. If I lived in Primrose Hill and was an actress or media type I might. If not I wouldn't.

I like all of them. I am poncey. I also know an Effie who lives up north although not a nn for Persephone

Just to throw my opinions in:

Indigo Iris Bloom - Indigo is ok, a bit too out there for me though! (Iris is lovely though)
Lilith Emmanuella - Love Lillith!
Raphaela Marina - Not sure
Sabine Allegra June - Love both of your pronounciations, and all 3 of these names go nicely together!
Salome Willow - May. sorry dont like but willow is nice
Calliope Saoirse - Callie sorry dont like
Persephone Joy - Effie.sorry dont like

the last 3, to me - look hard to pronounce and spell. I would personally struggle with those!

I think all of them are OK TBH and not huge teasing material. I have a few thoughts about some:

Indigo - not sure about a child being a colour - I think India would be nicer.
Salome - lovely name, but she asked for John the Baptist's head on a plate, so that would put me off.
Lilith - Adam's first wife and according to Mrs Beaver one of the Jinn; White Witch overlap. Having said that Lily is ten a penny and it would be nice to have a change. It may just become topical when all the children started reading Narnia.

My favourite poncey names of the moment are Amaryllis and Athenais (with an umlaut on the i, can't work out the shortcut.)

So you're not that poncey.