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

[OkayHazel]

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!

[OkayHazel]

OhIWishThereWasABook She probably will be. I'm a really girly woman. She'll still have a girls name.

[dizzydixies]

OkayHazel any ideas from the thread?

[milkandribena]

I have a 'masculine' sounding name and am known by a boys name - I don't like frilly names.

Kit
Aleit
I like Jude
Brigette
Hilda
Heike
Drew (?)
Nora
Olga
Esther
Ola
Bronwyn should be Bronwen though.

[Reaa]

Kitanna, using kit for short

[Snog]

Ruth
Kristen

[BillyBollyBrandy]

Erin

[CruCru]

Darrell - as in Malory Towers.

[OkayHazel]

dizzydixies Yeah, doing quite well. List has expanded, as I'd hoped.

List currently stands at:

Hazel
Bronwen (Not Welsh, didn't know spellings - so thanks!)
Jude
Merle
Morgan
Olive
Violet
Blythe
Allegra
Vivienne
Morag
Blaise
Pearl
Iris
Charis
Wren
Briar

The Ruths, Beths, Laurens and Sarahs being suggested don't really fit my bill - as you can probably tell. Too safe, and I've known tonnes of people with those names over the years.

I've never met anyone in real life whose name is on my list, and I really like that.

[hawkmcqueen]

Carver
Torrence
Torin

[SashaSashays]

Completely agree re the safe names, I can't use names of anyone I've ever met as I just picture them.

I like Morgan, Blythe, Olive, Iris, Pearl and possibly Briar the best on your list. Allegra is nice but it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of your choices.

I think Blaise would be really hard to carry, I don't know how someone introverted or quiet would cope with that, or if a 55 year old Subo lookalike could pull it off.

Also really don't like Morag. I think it sounds like asking for 'more rag' and just the rag part of it sounds awful. But hey guess its all personal taste.

[OkayHazel]

Sasha Agree with you about Blaise actually, its a very tricky one. To me it just screams middle name. .

Much prefer Morgan to Morag, its again a matter of combinations. Morag is one I've thought about for years, as she was a character I admired as a child. Can't think where from though.

Seems silly, but I'm a huge fan of dramatic and 'difficult' middle names. I have a friend whose middle name is Vulnavia. I don't like the name, but love how unexpected it is. There are a few names which fall into this category for me, which I'd be happy to use.

This is just as much about choosing the right/ interesting combination as it is picking nice names.

[OkayHazel]

Also, just given Morag a google - and it's a loch monster. Will not be naming my child Nessie's equivalent!

[SashaSashays]

Blaise would be a good middle name.

What you've said reminds me of a boy I went to school with, Graham Elvis Isambard Smith.

With my DC I've always gone for a slightly more fussy middle name, as I tend to use shortish first names and then a hebrew name (as am Jewish) which again I like to be a bit unusual so something like Rae Emmelienne Damaris Surname.

Morgan Blaise Whatever sounds quite good, although I guess it depends on your surname and if you have other middle names you want to use too.

[ratbagcatbag]

Harlow
Toni

Erm that's all I can think off right now. :)

[MummytoKatie]

Tomasin. (Tommie for short.)

[Rhubarbgarden]

I agree about fabulously unexpected middle names. A former colleague called his son Timothy Apollo Surname. Isambard and Vulnavia are bobby dazzlers.

[Dualta]

Rowena
Carson
Ailish
Dara
Fran
Orla

[StrawbRhi]

Im also sensing a celtic theme to your choices, so I'll put forward;

Rhiannon (my name, never thought of it as girly)
Olwen/Olwyn (My sister, 'Oz' as a nickname)
Igraine
Morgause
Blodeuwedd (doesnt sound girly but means flower face!)

Okay, perhaps Blodeuwedd is a tad 'out-there' but Ive always loved it!

[eilonwy]

Adrian
Delyth
Gwawr (Dawn in Welsh - you said you like W's)
Gwyneth
Tarryn
Tamar
Gaynor
Non

[NoGinorWine4Mu1berry]

Blainaid (blonnid)
Nollaig
Siún (shoon)

love Olwen

Juliet - not masculine but a strong female name.

Love Hazel from your list.

[eilonwy]

If you have a penchant for Welsh names you could go to town. A lot of them sound quite "hard" -
I think Rhiannon is a really girly welsh name though.

Eirionedd
Mererid
Morfydd
Lindel
Caridwen
Heledd
Ceirwen
Glesni

[mathanxiety]

'Unexpected' is not the word that sprang to my mind when I read 'Vulnavia'.

How about:

Winter
Luz
Arantxa
Bellamy
Lilac
Finch
Garnet
Damaris
Aven
Ayelet
Elowen
Mayim
Morven
Signe

Irish names:
Liadan
Bevin/Beibhinn
Davnat/Damhnait
Doireann
Dechtire
Aifric

[ripsishere]

Erica is a brilliant name.

[dizzydixies]

Celeste is lovely but with quite a 'hard' sound