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Baby names

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

Original poster

Are these girl's names too strange?

59 replies

MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 13:42

I've not discussed names with the other half yet - he's from the UK, I'm not (European/Israeli roots). I'm looking for a name I could use on the continent as well as here. I have a feeling my taste in names is a little too weird for the UK though :) Would really appreciate it if you could have a look at my 'long list' and let me know if they'd be too out-there! Which are your favourites?

Imogen
Yuna
Indra
Elisheva
Celeste
Delta
Orla
Tirza
Yara
Ophelia

Thank you!

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honeysucklejasmine · 07/08/2015 13:45

I have never heard...

Tuna
Indra
Elisheva
Tizra
Yara

But it's always nice to hear a new name!

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2015 13:45

Imogen
Orla

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2015 13:46
Grin
honeysucklejasmine · 07/08/2015 13:47

Ha! Yuna, not tuna!

You could Anglicise a few if you wanted to... Elisha, Tara etc. Smile

Notgoodwithwords · 07/08/2015 13:47

Indra & Celeste are beautiful names

Glindathegoodwitch · 07/08/2015 13:48

The only ones that may be a 'bit out there' for the UK are Yuna (tuna association) and Tirza (bit close to Tarzan)

I think all of the others are perfectly fine.

Btw, you shouldn't worry about being 'out-there' it's a nationality, a culture and a history :) Besides, if you look at the baby name books and popularity charts, you will find MANY 'non-british' names right at the top.

TremoloGreen · 07/08/2015 13:51

Of those, I think Tirza, Yara, Yuna and Indra would be ones that a lot of UK nationals hadn't come across before. That said, none of them are really difficult to pronounce or spell, so if you love them, go for it.

Delta would be considered unusual as a girl's name, in that everyone is familiar with the word (Nile Delta etc) but not as a name. I would avoid it for that reason.

Imogen and Orla are in common usage in the UK. Celeste and Ophelia are uncommon, but people have heard of them. Ophelia might sound a leetle bit pretentious to some.

Elisheva is very pretty, and very close to a well-known name so would be fine. I really like it.

Original poster
MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 13:53

Ha @ Tuna :) That had never even occurred to me. Guess I'll drop that one!

OP posts:
ShadowStar · 07/08/2015 13:53

Imogen and Celeste would probably be the ones most familiar to UK people, they wouldn't seem at all weird. Orla I think is an Irish name too?

Personally I'd avoid Ophelia because that just makes me think of the character who meets a sad fate in Hamlet.

Original poster
MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 13:56

Thank you very much for your comments so far - I'm a little bit insecure sharing the names I like with the husband for some reason. Almost as if it's too personal? Having said that, it's really helpful to read that you actually like some of these :)

OP posts:
Glindathegoodwitch · 07/08/2015 13:58

Make sure that you show him them written down as well as spoken.. I found this helped with my DH!

whatarethose · 07/08/2015 13:58

I love Celeste and Ophelia!

FelixFelix · 07/08/2015 14:01

Celeste is my favourite girls name at the moment. If I had another dd she would be a Celeste Smile

KoalaDownUnder · 07/08/2015 14:03

I absolutely adore Elisheva and Indra. Your list is awesome!!

Original poster
MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 14:11

Haha thank you :)

OP posts:
HelenaJohannsen · 07/08/2015 14:13

Orla Celeste is lovely

marinacortina · 07/08/2015 14:59

Imogen and Ophelia are in Shakespeare.
Celeste and Orla are not that unusual. Orla is quite popular now.
Delta is quite familiar from the singer Delta Goodrem.
Indra - quite similar to India which has been popular, and Indira.

This leaves:
Elisheva - Hebrew form of Elizabeth, I like it a lot.
Tirza - probably more familiar as Thirza or Thyrza. Unusual but not unknown.
Yara - there is a character of this name in Game Of Thrones.
Yuna - is the only one I find completely unfamiliar.

Original poster
MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 15:04

All the female members of my family (i.e. me, my mother, grandmother etc) have a form of Elisabeth as a first/middle name. The 'Elisheva' form has been my favourite since I was a child. Always thought it would be too uncommon as a first name though, so really considered it as a middle name. Surprised to see people like it!

(And I love GoT - completely forgot about Yara though! Seems the producers/George Martin have too ;)

OP posts:
JakeyBurd · 07/08/2015 18:51

I really like Delta and Elisheva. Also like Yara, although not a GoT fan so I wouldn't have made the association either.

Yuna is I take it pronounced like Una? I've never heard of anyone associating that with fish!

Original poster
MaddieUK · 07/08/2015 19:05

Yes like Una (UK pronounciation)... it's a popular Japanese name as well. But terrified now of the Tuna association!

OP posts:
TopCivilServant · 07/08/2015 19:08

I hadn't heard of all of them but they seem easy to pronounce which I think is helpful and they all have a nice sound to them. I think they are lovely names! Don't feel the need to pick an anglicised name.
The only one I didn't immediately know how I would pronounce is elisheva.

tomatodizzymum · 07/08/2015 19:10

When I was teaching in the UK I taught an Imogen, Orla and a Yara. The others are not all that odd either.

MamaLazarou · 07/08/2015 19:58

They are all lovely. Imogen is very popular in the UK at the moment - noy sure if this bothers you.

lunalovegood84 · 07/08/2015 22:49

I've never heard Elisheva before, but I really like it. Definitely my favourite.

HighOverTheFenceLeapsSunnyJim · 08/08/2015 06:05

The only Indra I know is a boy, it's a Hindu god I think.

I wouldn't worry about names being too 'out there', unless you are going to live in a tiny rural village somewhere. We live in a city (not London), I would guess that about a third of my child's school class have names from non-British cultural origin.