Your opinion on these names, please? English naming "rules" are a book with 7 seals to me... [hmm]

[1horatio]

so...:
Vela (which I love and is also the name of a constellation)
Carina (honours somebody that saved my life...)
Erica
Louisa
Carla
Kira (Kira doesn't come from Ciara, it's the feminine form of Cyrus. I think this sounds spunky)

Cedric (my absolute favourite, tbh. I looove this name)
Clement
Isaac
Orion

My better half is English but I am from all over Europe (Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Germany...)
The daddy works for a uni, I myself am a consultant (law).
The daddy would probably just name the kid after grandparents/favourite aunt/uncle and be done with it... But in Britain names can apparently be "wet", "chavy", "common", "try hard"?
The 2nd and 3rd name will honour relatives, so these will be fairly classic....

I'd appreciate every answer... I know, this is a long list...

Rule 1- don't use the word spunky.

Carina is my favourite. Lovely reason, different enough not to be confused with others but not unheard of or hard to spell.

Kira and Isaac for me.

All the girls names are nice apart from vela and only because it makes me think of Harry Potter. I'm sorry but cedric is awful but the other boys names are nice. And yes, spunky isn't a good word to use (spunk = male ejaculate)

Vela - I would need to ask you how to say this if I only saw it written down.
Carina - quite like this.
Erica - OK, quite American
Louisa - gorgeous
Carla - OK but only just
Kira - like this too. But don't use the word spunky to describe it!

Cedric - awful, really old fashioned and a bit drippy
Clement - better but only a bit
Isaac - nice but quite popular
Orion - bit too unusual for my taste

None of them sound wet or "chavvy" or anything like that to me. Cedric is maybe too try hard. Go for Carina if it honours someone who saved your life - I think that'd be lovely.

thanks for the answer!
So, it sounds... Plucky? Fiery? Determined?

Plucky is a fab word that's due a revival

Of those, I like Isaac and Carina (great reason behind that one too). I also like Clement but I wouldn't use it (fey, try hard AND wet on a real child )

Oh wow. I have to have a word with somebody. Because spunky happens to be a words I use quite a bit. I bet he thought it was absolutely hilarious

I do hope it's obvious that we don't know the gender yet. I wouldn't call a boy Carina (or a girl Cedric)....

Girls:
Carina
Erica
Louisa
Carla

Boys:
Isaac - definitely the best
Clement is ok - will probably always be called Clem
(Cedric is v 'wet', Orion is 'try hard')

I quite like your names. There are no major horrors in there.
I think Orion is probably a bit "try hard"
Carina and Isaac are my favourites.

Cedric is wet and drippy ?

Oh well, better to know it now. But maybe we can combine it with his (if the baby is a he...) grand-uncle's name, which is Peregrine and imo pretty badass and plucky :D I mean, it is a falcon... I've always thought it was rather creative and a surprisingly modern name for a guy that's around 60, tbh. A bit hippy-ish with the nature reference :)

But thank you for all the answers.... Very helpful! :)

Vela is pronounced by my hubby like Veyla, so I'd assume other people in the UK would as well? I pronounce it with an "Italian" e, no idea how to describe this sound... Sry.

I know a Peregrine (person not bird), he is know, without exception, as Perry.

I like Carina and Clement best. And also Peregrine.

I like Kyra with a Y - name of Vaslav Nijinsky's daughter.

I know a Perry too. Quite like it. Although I think Peregrine would raise eyebrows.

Cedric is Little Lord Fauntleroy, sorry.

How about Victor? One of my current favourites.

Peregrine isn't really a modern name. It has tweedy vibes.

Sorry - meant to say it isn't modern or hippyish.

Carina is lovely.

I personally happen to dislike the sound of Victor... Plus Viktor my grand-dad's 2nd name. Not really a first name option, tbh. But thank you for the answer... :)

Had to Google Little Lord Fauntleroy... Interesting.

Peregrine would raise eyebrows? Hm... Not sure if that's positive.

But I feel like if I'm not 100% sold before it's time to ultimately decide.... I'll probably freak out, which will make my dear hubby nervous... And we'll be stuck with Ignatius or Thomasina (no offence to anybody with these names. But my dad's actually called Thomas and Ignatius is really not my thing...)

I agree. Vela is unusual and could grow on me.

I think boys names need to survive the playground. Ask a few male friends about Peregrine. I'm afraid it might be one of those names that might encourage teasing. (Not at 5 yrs old but perhaps older). Perry could be ok. For me Peregrine is with Tarquin and Quentin. (Not good). I've had friends say that some names are like putting a 'kick me' sign on someone's back...not something that had occurred to me before.

I chose very unusual names when I was pregnant. My husband refused - and now I'm glad he did. But if you and your partner love them then maybe the name won't matter.

A lot of your boys names are very 'old man'. unfashionable and would raise eyebrows. What I mean by this is people would think them unusual and brave choices.

I looooooove Thomasina - go for that

I like all your girls names apart from Kira - not sure why this sounds like a made up name ...Carina is my favourite though and a great story - just check initials with middle name if you're using one.....
I like Cedric - for some reason sounds French/European in my head also Clement as French but both ok...Isaac - number 25 in top 100 so popular...
Peregrine sounds v old fashioned/posh - p.g.woodhouse type

Rather than Orion which is a bit try hard for me too, how about Nicolas after the Astronomer who divided the constellation Argo into the 3 parts naming Carina or Claudius or Ptolemy the greek astronomer who identified it as a constellation ...would choose Claudius out of the 3 but Nicolas would equally serve as an old family style name and could use Nico as a nn