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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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EvenIfYouSeeAPoppy · 15/01/2013 07:08

Damaris is fab.

Darksideofthe80s · 15/01/2013 15:14

Rhuari (Rory, Rhuaridh)

AmandaPayne · 15/01/2013 15:46

How about

Angharad
Rowena

Some of your names are a bit more 'whimsical' (Wren, Iris, Allegra). In that vein, Lilac, Hyacinth?

Frikadellen · 15/01/2013 18:10

Bronte

NowPlayingZone · 18/01/2013 18:59

Dont like frilly names myself, dd is one off your list- but def not morag! Currently loving Ramona, Meredith & claudia c

Stixswhichtwizzle · 18/01/2013 22:06

Harriet?

UrsulaBuffay · 18/01/2013 22:11

Dylan

Beehatch · 18/01/2013 22:25

More Welsh ideas:
Tyrion
Taryn
Nest

Or:
Agnes/Annis
Leona
Fern
Petra

MoelFammau · 19/01/2013 21:13

DD is Robin, nn Bob.

Names we also bandied around were:

Margo
Patrina (Pat)
Ronja (Ronnie)
Erika
Teresa (Terry)

iclaudius · 20/01/2013 14:59

Morag is heaven
Margot equally
Roberta
Petra
Patience
Prudence
Claire

iclaudius · 20/01/2013 14:59

Erica is uber cool

MoelFammau · 20/01/2013 19:51

Should point out DD is half German, hence slightly off-beam spelling.

mathanxiety · 20/01/2013 20:02

Robin is very sweet.

OP, would you go for the slightly retro Kim?

OkayHazel · 21/01/2013 01:04

Nah hate Kim.

Know I Kim. Easily the biggest bitch I've ever met.

OP posts:
FellatioNels0n · 21/01/2013 05:14

Morag, heaven? Really? I think it has a really hard, ugly sound, and conjures up am image of a sour, dour, boot-faced old scots woman. Ditto Agatha.

Don't like Agnes either. It's the 'ag' sound in all of them - it's too harsh.

Anjou · 21/01/2013 15:49

I too like 'strong' names for girls. I see Agatha and Agnes have both been mentioned. I love both. I'm English, living in Scotland, and was surprised to find that here, Agnes is considered a bit of an 'old wifey' name! It's often reversed to the nn Senga, which I think is fab but all Scottish folk assure me is the ultimate 'fishwife' name! Shame, as I love it.

I really like Inez, Angharad and Idris (which is a guys name, but i love it for a girl). I've not read all of the above replies, so apologies if these have already been suggested.

Good luck deciding!

FireOverBabylon · 21/01/2013 16:12

Roisin (pr. Rosheen)
Evelyn (too girly?)

You might like to look at some of the American baby name sites as the trend for boys names for girls seems much stronger there.

iclaudius · 22/01/2013 10:44

The only morag I ever met was a beauty

MJandherdog · 22/01/2013 10:48

Go for Bronwen! It rrrrrrocks!

NomNomDePlumPudding · 22/01/2013 10:58

dd1 is catherine - i thought she'd wind up being called kit, which i love, but no, she's definitely catherine. we discussed dara (or daragh) for dd2, a unisex irish name, she wound up with something else, but still love dara.

i also love robin.

Jojobump1986 · 22/01/2013 11:05

Just as a side note, please don't call her Geoff! Wink I know a Geoff & he gets called Jeff or Geof more often than his actual name!

AnnIonicIsoTronic · 22/01/2013 11:46

Xanthe
Ada
Dorothy (dot)
Thekla

RillaBlythe · 22/01/2013 12:34

jojobump I don't understand your post at all - aren't Geoff and Jeff pronounced the same?

Jojobump1986 · 22/01/2013 14:44

Pronounced but not written. He regularly gets post & even birthday cards from family members written incorrectly!

KirstyoffEastendersweirdtoplip · 22/01/2013 14:52

Andrea?