Deirdre or Daphne, can't decide which. Deirdre Ann, or Daphne Helen.

[Sylviet]

These are the front runners at the moment, would appreciate your thoughts.

Serena's OK. Prefer Marina. Or Maxine.

I think you are limiting yourself OP, with the strict criteria. Does it matter to your dd whether it flows in perfection with her - possibly - temporary surname?

Prefer serena and Venetia to the other two (awful) names.

Marina?

Askance! Surely you have the sweetest diminutive ever! Do your friends and family call you what sounds like 'dear'?!

Marina suggests dolphin activities at 3pm.

Maxine sounds hard to me, as does Rita.

Tina/Christina?

Tessa (is short e ok?)

Why is DD's surname temporary?

Dahlia? Davina?

Only temporary Yonic because she may marry Mr Smith at 20, and be Deirdre-Daphne Smith for 70 years rending original surname virtually irrelevant.

Obs I know that is extremely unlikely as the DD's of MNers rarely change their names upon marriage.

I have a friend named Deirdre (procnounced Deer-dra) - I like her but have always secretly thought her name not particularly lovely. Also she is forever correcting people's pronunciation of it.

I can't profess to love Daphne much either but I do think its better.

I am plain old Dee a lot of the time Sylviet (upgraded from DeeDee which I was called a a child) but I love it. Sounds friendly and chummy to me but clearly I am delusional in the minority with this thinking .

Average age of marriage is closer to 30 than 20.

Even if it were 20, and she does change her name, I wouldn't call 20 years temporary in any context!

I like. Daphne.

Deirdre = dreadful

Daphne, not much better and reminds me of Scooby Do.

What about Penelope?

so basically....
Scooby doo or Corrie?

Deidre is awful (sorry Askance!).

Daphne's pretty awful too.

There are reasons why some names fall totally out of fashion!

Serena and Venetia are really sloaney names.

Askance in Irish mythology Deirdre was so breathtakingly beautiful that many kings fought to the death for her.

Similar in a way to Deirdre Barlow I suppose........

To me Deirdre is on a par with Aoife and Orla and Niamh all of which seem quite fashionable in the UK at the moment. I find them all equally dull though

I like both! Like you OP I think Deirdre pronounced Deer-dra and it doesn't make me think of any soap characters or agony aunts. I think it sounds pretty cool and hip-granny-chic same as names like Mabel, Doris, Olive (all babies I've met recently, maybe MN wouldn't like those names either!). I think Daphne is lovely too, quite elegant.

Deirdre is hilarious. You cannot call a baby that. I think it's in the open mouthed shock/snigger category of name.

I quite like Daphne. I knew a French girl called Daphne at school and she was really sweet, plus there is Daphne from Frasier and Daphne from Scooby Doo so for me it's not an 'old lady' name. More of a 'ditsy' name.

Serena is nice.

Don't like Venetia very much (particularly if your surname is 'Blind').

squoosh
'a bit like Deirdre Barlow I suppose'

free the weatherfield one

one day
my guinea pigs are called Mabel and Doris

Are you Irish OP? Or live in ireland? If so Deirdre is fine. If not, she'll be called Deedree!

So, Corry or Scooby? that's all I can think of, sorry!

Though actually I do like Daphne it's very pretty. Just a shame about the Scooby Doo association (we have had A LOT of Scooby in this house so I may not be a good straw poll example.....)

Thank you squoosh , I am taking the "breathtakingly beautiful" rather than the "Deirdre Barlow" from that. Hoping it will balance out my sudden pariah-like status.

My favourite name that follows the ee-ah rule would be Delia, or even better Cordelia.

Neither name is to my personal taste, but Daphne Helen flows better. Deirdre Ann is hard to say and would turn into Deirdreyann, if you see what I mean.

Delphine?