List is too long. Please help!

[Babynamelist]

DD2 is due soon and we're really struggling (think we used up all the names we liked the first time round!). We do have a very long list we're thinking about now and would welcome your general thoughts so we can cut it down. Also, are there any names that seem obvious to you, given the list, that we're currently missing?

Things it might be useful to know:
Our DD1 has a very unusual literary name. Only 7 girls shared the same name in the year she was born. We are very OK with unusual.
Our surname is a normal, one syllable colour name.
Would really prefer to go for something on the rare side again but I do have a soft-spot for Olivia and Isla.

Thanks so much for your thoughts...

Felicity
Penelope (but dislike Pen, Penny and Nell)
Elise
Flora
Poppy
Olivia
Isla
Iona
Coralie
Juno
Blythe
Annabel
Saskia
Cecily
Tess
Thea
Theodora
Octavia
Marina
Iola
Violetta

[timelyreminder]

How about Susannah or Anastasia, nn Sass? Or even Alexandra (it's related to Sasha and Saskia).

[fellowship33]

Vivienne Coralie Blythe is an amazing name!

Elise - nice
Flora - nice
Iona - I love this
Coralie - oh yes, go for it. Such a fab and unusual name.
Juno - bit mannered
Blythe - very very nice
Annabel - yuk
Tess - love Tess but would always want the full name for the bc (Theresa isn't nice)
Thea - love it
Theodora - love it
Octavia - pretentious
Marina - love this name - interesting and pretty; suggested it but one of dh's exes had this name
Iola - bit trying-too-hard maybe

[SanityClause]

I like Marine and Coralie, from your list.

DD1 has a friend called Iona (which I also like). She is often called Yonnie.

[SaulGood]

Josephine has good NN potential too, including Sephie which is close to Sassy.

[SaulGood]

I much prefer Dorothea to Theodora.

Don't go with Sacha. It's a boys name. I know people do use it for girls now but in many parts of Europe, it's not used for girls. In fact, is it Germany where you aren't allowed to register it for a girl? It's like calling a girl Dave.

I LOVE the suggestion of Thomasina.

Nancy
Aphra
Mirabel
Josephine

?

Blythe is lovely. It's my favourite on your list with Iona a close second.

[cqssjoyful]

It sounds like you like the pretty french kind of names. So what about Elodie, Leonie, Marianne, Fleur?
My favourites on your list are Coralie and Elise. I also love Iona. What about very similar Fiona? I have an Annabelle and Ariella. Annabelle unfortunately is really popular now but you could change it slightly to Amabel(le). Not sure if I like that but it's just a suggestion.

[SylvaniansAtEase]

VeeVee, like the 'Veeve' bit of Genevieve. It's a lovely name. I honestly think Jen is so associated with Jennifer that it doesn't seem the
shortening for Genevieve! (sure there must be some who are Gen of course).

Good luck!

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

Does anyone have any thoughts about what Sass or Sassy could be short for?

What about Sally Cecelia (SaCee) ?

[diddl]

That should have been Elise!

[diddl]

I like Else & Juno.

Sadie?

[timelyreminder]

I like these from your list...

Felicity
Poppy
Olivia
Iona
Coralie
Annabel
Marina
Violetta

[Stinkersmum]

Saskia. Sacha.

[Babynamelist]

Thanks again for all of your thoughtful replies. I'm overwhelmed that you've all taken so much time to be so thorough and helpful.

SylvaniansAtEase, was Vivi pronounced with long or short "i's" VeeVee or ViVee?

manicinsomniac thanks for so many suggestions. I had already suggested Isadora and Veda to DH but he wasn't keen. And Rhubarbgarden I had suggested Giselle to him too but he didn't like that either! Sigh... It seems that I have to come up with names I like and he comments on them, rather than him coming up with anything himself!

Does anyone have any thoughts about what Sass or Sassy could be short for?

I think Annabel might be good for a middle name, rather than a first name.

[Rhubarbgarden]

My favourites from your list are Flora, Thea and Marina.

Suggestions:
Nerina
Naomi
Giselle

[manicinsomniac]

Elise - It's ok. Prefer Elsa and Elsie though Elise is more elegant.
Flora - not keen. Quite like Florence
Iona - quite like it
Coralie - quite like it
Juno - quite like it
Blythe - not keen
Annabel - really like it but it isn't exactly rare!
Tess - not keen. Too short for my taste.
Thea - really like it
Theodora - very much dislike this, it sounds ugly to me
Octavia - really like it
Marina - don't like it
Iola - quite like it

From your shortened list I'd choose Octavia, especially if you don't mind being seen as posh.

How about:
Aphra, Astrid, Bronte, Clarice, Harmony, Isadora, Juliet, Jessamy, Livia, Mila, Mala, Nyah, Ottilie, Peronelle, Rosaline, Saffron, Sorrell, Tatiana, Verity, Vashti, Veda, Xenia, Xanthe

[stillsingingintherain]

Out of your list i like Elise, Poppy, Isla & Thea!

[BertrandRussell]

Presumably whoever said Isla White was OK was joking??

How about Dorothea? Literary, classic, unusual and good shortenings.

[KeepingKate]

These are beautiful names! The only one i wouldn't choose is Flora - Knew a girl with the nickname flora! Because she "spreads easily" not a fair start for a little one!

Good luck choosing! xx

[SylvaniansAtEase]

I know two Genevieves and BOTH have always been Vivi, never Gen/Jen.

Lovely name and lovely short form which I think if you used from the start would easily stick - I think most people would associate Gen/Jen more with Jennifer/Jenny.

[Monkay]

Blythe is lovely

Reading your list all I could come up with as a suggestion was Marissa.

Felicity is my personal favourite.

[TheCowThatLaughs]

Coralie, Blythe and tess are all good names imo

[Quasilulu]

The name Vivienne Coralie Blythe jumped into my noodle!

[Babynamelist]

Oh my goodness. Thanks so much for your speedy and thoughtful replies! And no offence taken - everyone's been really kind as I know how easy it can be to be very, um, blunt about name choices and some of the names I listed are a bit left field.

I think you're right about picking something fairly unusual to keep some equality between both girls. That rules out Olivia, Isla and Poppy, even thought our surname isn't White! I'm probably going off Felicity, Cecily and Saskia too. I LOVE Sass or Sassy as nicknames (probably the main reason why I like Saskia) but I can't think of any other name that lends itself to them - short of Sarah but can't use that for family reasons. Can you think of anything? What about nicknames for Penelope? Are Pen, Penny or Nell inevitable? TempsPerdu is right about Violetta sounding like Walls Viennetta. I wondered why it sounded so familiar!

So, these are the names that remain. Definitely a shorter list! We're moving in the right direction:
Elise
Flora
Iona
Coralie
Juno
Blythe
Annabel
Tess
Thea
Theodora
Octavia
Marina
Iola

We'd definitely be looking at two middle names, if that helps. Though DD1's first name dates from the 16th century, the general impression (together with those middle names) is something quite 1930s/40s. Never thought I'd type this but we could also be considered to be a bit (though not very!) posh so wouldn't discount a name on that basis.

selly24, I'm hoping that you're right about a name 'presenting' itself to us when our baby arrives. We had a short list with DD1 and tried out some different options over her first couple of days but her name really seemed to fit her. It could be we don't have the right list at all now!

Ikeameatballs, thanks so much for your suggestions. I'd already suggested Fenella to DH but he didn't like it. I love Genevieve too but think being called Gen or Genny will be inevitable.

[lurkymclurkerson]

Coralie is beautiful :)

[Ikeameatballs]

I'm trying to think of other names you might like...

Emerald
Cordelia
Adelaide
Maeve
Ianthe
Genevieve
Portia
Francine
Fenella
Lois