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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Not 'girly' girls names. Might as well call her Geoff...

182 replies

OkayHazel · 12/01/2013 03:25

Help! I can think of loads of boys names, and could name about 12 sons given the chance, but I'm really struggling with girls names and am hoping for suggestions to add to my list.

I really like girls names with harder sounds. Lots of consonants rather than vowels and nothing too long - probably two syllables tops. This means nothing girly, cutesy, flowery, overly pretty (Aurelias, Olivias, Florences), ending in I, IE, Y, IA (you get the gist).

The general trend is one or two syllables, ending in En or El (or other 'finite') sounds. Nothing too popular would be fab, but I insist on using a 'real' name and not an improper noun as a baby name. Any nationality is fine by me - open to ideas. (Though Greek mythology probably won't suit me either).

Names I do like include:

Hazel
Bronwyn
Jude
Merle
Morgan
Olive
Violet (Probably bucks the trend, but I like the hard 'let' sound at the end)

I've also noticed that I really I like unisex names, but only for girls. The more masculine/androgynous the name for my baby girl the better. Any suggestions would be very welcome as I've not come across many yet.

At this point in time I'm so frustrated, Geoff is really seeming like a good idea - maybe choose something a little more appropriate with your help :)

Thanks and good luck naming your babies too!

OP posts:
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dizzydixies · 13/01/2013 09:46

Anna
Cleo
Dylan
Saskia
Ellis
Taryn

piebald · 13/01/2013 09:54

I have always thought Dennis would be a really nice name for a girl

WildEyedAndHairy · 13/01/2013 09:56

Dionne
Fran
Glenn
Meriel
Saffron

Theas18 · 13/01/2013 09:57

Judith the ultimate kick ass female in the old testament for me!

Ruth also not"girly" I think

Flojobunny · 13/01/2013 09:57

Ellen or Robyn?

OhIWishThereWasABook · 13/01/2013 10:07

Who wants a bet that this child will be the pinkest, frilliest girly girl EVER. Grin

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 13/01/2013 10:43

Petra - means stone/rock
Leanne
Yvonne

dizzydixies · 13/01/2013 11:29

OhIWishThereWasABook, our youngest who has the masculine name refuses to leave the house in anything less than full princess get up, handbag & (if I would let her) heels!! Yet middle daughter has cropped hair, wears boys clothes and tells everyone her name is the male version - you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't!!!

Viviennemary · 13/01/2013 11:31

Well I like

Hazel
Violet
Coralie
Pearl

or even Vivienne.

TameGaloot · 13/01/2013 11:35

Blodwen is hard sounding

It's bronwEn btw
I know you like masculine sounding names but putting the male y in just seems like you didn't know

RillaBlythe · 13/01/2013 11:37

Both of my DDs names are on here Smile

My tutor at university was a woman called Christopher - she went by Kit.

lifesrichpageant · 13/01/2013 11:38

Dale & Rae still faves for my fictional DD

AThingInYourLife · 13/01/2013 11:39

Blanche

EvenIfYouSeeAPoppy · 13/01/2013 11:43

Hazel, Ellen, Frances and Rowan are great - classic and classy but not flowery.

Not keen on 'surname' type names for either gender, but particularly not for girls.

Please don't forget that your daughter may not feel the same as you about names and may dislike a name she perceives as too 'masculine', particularly if all her contemporaries are called Lily, Evie, Poppy, Amelia, Ava etc.

amck5700 · 13/01/2013 11:44

I knew a woman called Kevin, think she was Canadian.

jobnockey · 13/01/2013 11:48

if I ever have a dd I will also go for something unfrilly. I love the name hester. also love olive, and I have a dn called astrid, which is great too.

shriekingnora · 13/01/2013 11:52

Alice
Harriet
Ruth
Nora(h)
Ellen

amck5700 · 13/01/2013 12:02

Jaime

Glimmerberry · 13/01/2013 12:55

Scandinavia is a good source of non frilly names -I like Osla.

Glimmerberry · 13/01/2013 12:59

Also, has anyone said Glenn yet? Great androgynous name, I think.

BikeRunSki · 13/01/2013 13:03

There 's a girls at nursery with DS called Leni. Not short for Leonora, just Leni.

Yika · 13/01/2013 13:03

Dutch names too eg Lien, Griet.

dizzydixies · 13/01/2013 13:55

DD1 was almost Arywn

millymae · 13/01/2013 14:14

Sorry I've not read the whole thread - has anyone mentioned Eryl or Judith. I have a friend called Lesley and her sister is Peta - would they be any good?

cheddarcheeselover · 13/01/2013 14:28

Both mine and my dd's names are hereGrin
If you use Robyn do spell it with a y- with an i it's a boy's name, with a y it's a girl's...