Beautiful and unusual girls names you like but wouldn't use...

[PooDogMillionaire]

I have quite a few but don't feel brace enough to use them.

Pandora
Keziah
Tallulah

Nova (but I know someone with a male pet called Nova and it's ruined it!)

Cosima
Xanthe
Calista

Some lovely names on here! Why wouldn't you use them? Why would you need to feel 'brave' to use them? Your daughters will be thankful for such beautiful names!!

It would make a refreshing change from all the Ellies, Evies, Issys, Sophies out there imo.

Because they sound a bit poncy..?
'Xanthe, darling, put the taramsalata down!'
'Clementine, sweetheart, would you like some extra kale with your quinoa?'

I think I'll stick with Sophie and Ellie...

Genevieve is my MIL's name! She's in her early 60s, but it's a much "older" name here in France. I don't know of many under 80, to be honest!

I know that means it's probably due a comeback, but I still really can't see it on a child just yet.

We had Persephone on our list and DH really wanted it. I just couldn't get past the whole underworld and death link. (Had lots of bereavements so really can't use as would have felt like tempting fate to me).
Beautiful name.

Valentina. Love this name so much, but its too fussy for me to actually use.

Evangelina. I know a beautiful Greek woman with this name, and coveted it when pregnant, but its too 'evangelical'...not a good name choice for an atheist .

Also love the name Mahalia (as in 'Miiiissssss Mahaaaalia Jaaackson'), but DH thought it sounded like a venereal disease....
Angelique. Heavenly when said with a French accent. My flat London accent ('Angie-leek')...not so much.

Love Xanthe!!

I love Estella. I think it's utterly beautiful. But given I'm a fairly ardent feminist, the embittered man-hating connotations of the name meant I didn't even consider it.

Persephone here too!

I also love the sound of Adelyn/Adeline, but don't like any of the spellings so it's out.

Another one who couldn't use Adelaide because of an Australian connection.

Also love Calliope but wouldn't inflict the endless mispronounciations and misspellings on my poor child

There are a million Amelies .. Go for something different . Fwiw my daughters name is mentioned above . I'm always complimented on it and I love it . My sons name is more 'usual' and no one ever comments . The only one I think is pretentious is Persephone .. And also very open to people calling the child Percy / phone .. 🙈

Jezebel (began as a normal Hebrew name, I think but because an immoral woman was named this in the Bible, became shorthand for a 'scarlet woman')

Salome (demanded St John the Baptist's head in the New Testament)

Lilith - a female demon apparently. In legend she was Adam's first wife before Eve was created, but was banished for not obeying Adam. (Actually she sounds like a good role model!)

All lovely names, but you'd have to be a bit brave to use them.

I know lots of kids (and adults) with names mentioned here. DD has a very unusual name, so I don't really care about names being unusual. I also don't think of kale, quinoa or taramasalata as unusual foods though, so I probably am the sort of poncy person that idoitforthelove doesn't want to be.

I'm with Nadia on Salome, though. I love it but wouldn't use it.

I have a Xanthe. I wanted to call her Xanthe Araminta but DP said it was too pretentious so she has a more mainstream middle name.

I love Aurora, Octavia, Roxanne and Russian names like Annoushka, Valeska and Oksana - I don't think I could pull them off(!)

Shebah

Calliope.

I love it! So pretty and once met a really cool one. DH was having none of it. Wouldn't even let me have the more mainstream Penelope.

Eulalia

Apollonia / Apolline
Ariadne / Arianna
Calliope
Cordelia
Evangeline
Florinda
Isidora
Kezia
Mariana
Noelia
Viviana
Valentina
Carlotta
Christabel
Mirabelle
Alessandra
Amedea
Calanthe
Genevieve
Mattea
Morwenna
Lamorna
Kerensa
Demelza
Larissa
Rosalba
Thalia
Wilhelmina
Zipporah

Angelica
Francesca

Tatiana
Anouska
Arielle
Myfanwy

Joan!

I'm a Xanthe and I'm the least posh person ever. Grew up in a council house in Yorkshire

Aurora - I have a speech impediment, and want to be able to pronounce my child's name! Shame though, as it's one of my favourite names ever.
Persephone - underworld connotations, also would be dooming her to a lifetime of being called 'Percy-phone'.
Caoimhe ('Keeva') - There is an Irish connection in the family, but again with the lifetime of correcting people's spelling and pronunciation. Also doesn't work with our surname.
Cecily - got vetoed by DH. if we have another girl I might try to persuade him again...

Loveday

Hilda. I really like the name, and it would be after Hilda of Whitby. I have a fondness for Anglo Saxon names, so I always had names like Aelfswith on my baby name list. So, Hilda and Ethel.