Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Maia, Phoebe or Josephine?

29 replies

smiler99 · 05/09/2015 23:09

Deeply undecided between Phoebe (she will always have to suffer it being spelled incorrectly), Maia/Maja (same spelling issue), or Josephine (too classic/boring) but love them all! What do you think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
NoExScoose · 05/09/2015 23:13

I'm one of those names I hated it growing up I was the only one all through school but I quite like it now and it is a classic name.

Stompylongnose · 05/09/2015 23:16

People I know with a child called Phoebe are always asked if they are Friends fans. Would that bother you?
Love Maya/Maia/Maja. You'd have to spell it out but it's only 4 letters. I have a 6 letter surname that's tricky to spell and it honestly doesn't bother me so I nearly picked the name Louis/Louie for my son which is another name with multiple spellings. My first name is Catherine which is another name with more than one spelling.

SmugairleRoin · 05/09/2015 23:17

I like Maia, I think. Or Mara. To my ears it's the prettiest sound.

Josephine is ok, I can't imagine a baby Josephine. But then that doesn't really matter as she won't be a baby for long. In general I don't like these male changed to female names (Thomasina, Philippa etc).
Josy is quite a nice nickname for all ages, or Phiney?

I used to quite like Phoebe but having seen it a lot on MN I'm getting sick of it and think it will rise - so I would avoid.

Twooter · 05/09/2015 23:28

Josephine, love Josie as a nn.

Original poster
smiler99 · 05/09/2015 23:35

thanks all....

stompy not a great fan of Friends, just like the meaning of Phoebe....don't think I would mind too much being asked though. Maybe am overthinking the spelling issue...
smug indeed generally do not like feminine versions of male names either but somehow Josephine has appealed! Fab potential nicknames too...Joey, Josie etc. Apparently it sounds very ugly in Spanish which I am now thinking about as SIL lives in Spain....
noex glad you like your name now!

OP posts:
squoosh · 05/09/2015 23:37

Maia is a bit wishy washy and there are lots of Mias, Myas, Mayas....they all blend together.

Josephine is clunky and old fashioned to me. The name of a ferocious great aunt.

Phoebe is my favourite.

Original poster
smiler99 · 05/09/2015 23:42

Yes squoosh the whole Mia, Maya, Mila trend is something I was thinking about as well....

OP posts:
DancingDinosaur · 05/09/2015 23:44

I like Josephine. I like the others too but I know lots of children with those names.

Hellochicken · 05/09/2015 23:47

Phoebe - my favourite of the 3 - I think they will have issues spelling Maia too but tbh my name is very common and standard but I get asked how to spell it and it spelt wrong fairly often anyway so this wouldn't put me off.

I think Josephine is ok, would automatically get shortened and I'm not that keen on Josie

Original poster
smiler99 · 05/09/2015 23:48

Choosing a name is sooooooo hard! Are there still lots of little baby girls being called Phoebe or is it more a name from 7-8 years ago?

OP posts:
squoosh · 05/09/2015 23:53

This tracks the popularity of Phoebe over the past twenty years

names.darkgreener.com/#phoebe

SuckingEggs · 05/09/2015 23:55

Def not Maia! Too many around.

The others are nice.

Geraniumred · 05/09/2015 23:58

Phoebe is my favourite - it is in my extended family, and they are never asked if it is from Friends, but yes, many people do spell it wrong. Does it sound nice with the surname?

Original poster
smiler99 · 05/09/2015 23:59

oooh thanks for the link squoosh fascinating! Seems Phoebe is on the up again and is more popular than the other two currently.

OP posts:
Original poster
smiler99 · 06/09/2015 00:02

Phoebe does sound good with the surname which begins with a p. It sort of looks alliterative but isn't.

OP posts:
CakeRattleandRoll · 06/09/2015 00:42

Love Josephine, nn Josie. Would have been on our shortlist but close friend had already used it.

I think Maya/Maia/Maja would have pronunciation issues as well as spelling. At least most people know how to pronounce Phoebe. I think.

horsewalksintoabar · 06/09/2015 00:45

Josephine or Josephina

Maia= yawn
Phoebe= wake me when this name and 'Olivia' go away for a few years Grin.

squoosh · 06/09/2015 00:51

Josephina is an affliction not a name!

mathanxiety · 06/09/2015 04:10

I would pick Josephine. It can have the NN Posy. Josie and Jo are lovely too, imo.

Maia is very insipid imo.
Phoebe is just a fashionable name -- there are lots of them

Josephine is a classic, and French too, which in my books is always a Good Thing.

Sophronia · 06/09/2015 11:20

Definitely Josephine.

reuset · 06/09/2015 11:48

Josephine Good name.

Phoebe I do like also. Maia not so much comparatively

BeautifulBatman · 06/09/2015 11:50

Josephine is gorgeous. Classic, not wanky, a real name that isn't common and won't date. Beautiful Smile

Daphnedolittle · 06/09/2015 15:20

Maya is very blah now.
Phoebe is lovely but I think I prefer Josephine. It reminds me of little women and has so many shortenings. She could be Posy, Jojo, Jo, Joey, Josie. It's classic and will suit someone from baby to little old lady.

triathlon · 06/09/2015 21:10

Phoebe

CordeliaFrost · 07/09/2015 10:52

Phoebe and Maia are very now, very trendy, and will date.

Josephine is a classic and the best by a country mile.