Emma, Anna, Kate or something else?

[porterwine]

I love these names and have done for a long time. DH likes them but thinks they are a bit "dull." He grew up with a top 10 name and doesn't want his DCs to be known as " _ S" all through school. I wouldn't want that either but I feel like Emma and Kate aren't as popular as they were a few years ago and I personally know no babies called Anna.

If I like these names what else might I like? I quite like versatile, fairly strong names. I don't really like very girly-girl and am also put off by names that aren't obvious how to pronounce (my name is said differently to how you'd expect and I don't want my DD to go through a life time of correcting people!)

Oh and what do you think of Lana?? I really love it but DH said he knew a Lana at school who got teased once the kids started realising what it spelt backwards. It had never occurred to me but now I feel it's been slightly ruined and I can't think of another obvious way to spell it!

So-
Emma
Anna
Kate
Lana
Something else?

Thanks :)

I love Emma. Yes not unusual, or trendy but not dull either

Love Anna and really like Emma. Would Clara or Matilda be ones you'd consider?

Love Kate and Anna - beautiful classic names

Anna. Simple and beautiful and perfect.

I find Emma quite dated as know loads my age.

I like Kate but prefer it as a nn for a longer name.

Not overly keen on Lana. I think of Lana del Rey.

How about Emme, Nancy or Alice. Or Emilia.

Or Esme...

I love Anna (no. 70 in popularity) and Kate (no. 393).

They're not popular at all at the moment either. It's very unlikely she'll be one of several in the class.

I love Lana and I like Kathleen which can be shortened to Kate or Kitty.

Anna has been one of my favourites for years.

Emma and Kate I find both a bit overused and dated.

I like them all, and none are particularly popular at the moment.

Claire/Clare
Hannah
Jane
Amy
Alice
Beth
Ellen
Esther
Lucy
Laura
Lara
Mary
Mara
Ruth
Rose
Rosa
Sara
Sarah
Zara

Rosa

What about Lara - it is a bit more classic than Lana, and has great literary connotations.

We have the same taste in names! Kate and Emma were also top of our girls names list. Lovely, strong and classic, not too 'girly' or quirky for the sake of being different. I would stop looking for alternatives and see if you can convince DH

Emmeline with nn Emma?

Elizabeth
Catherine
Victoria?

I have similar taste to you OP. I wanted a name which would be easily spelt and pronounced in lots of languages and which wouldn't date. My DD has a name which has been called dull on here before. She's completely wild, (in a great way ), so doesn't really need a quirky name to be memorable.

Going off on one a bit here, but, thinking about it, some of the most interesting people I know are called things like James (in fact every adult James I know is really cool and interesting), Frances, Kate, Alison and Matthew.

I also know someone with a really unusual name who is a total dick. Yes, everyone remembers his name, but that's not necessarily a good thing!

Emma or Anna, both lovely.
Laura
Sarah
Daisy
Cara
Scarlett
Eden
Lucy

I've got an Emma and she's 8. No other kids have the name at her big primary. Most of mine have classic names. And we've not come across them much. They're not dull at all.

All lovely names. My favourite is probably Anna.
There was an Emma in DCs nursery and I remember thinking it was a great name - very popular when I was at school, but pretty unusual for little ones now.

Noooo.... I lost my comment. Shoot.

Anyhow: Anna is lovely. Emma ans Kate are ok. I don't like Lana.

Cara
Cora
Caro
Zara
Lisa
Liza
Flora
Claudia
Hannah
Viola
Rose
Claire
Iona
Susan
Jane
Nora
Laura
Rachel
Zoe
Noreen

I like Emma and Anna, not so keen on Kate. I also like Lana

How about Clare, Alice, Zoe, Bethan

What about Hannah? I also like Alice. I like Kate as a woman's name but not so much for a child so would probably go with Katie.

I would more associate Emma, Kate and Anna with people born in the 80's. When I was at school there was plenty of each, and I still know several now (more so with Kate's) however properly not so popular nowadays so don't think you'd be in a class with several of the same. I do agree that they are slightly dull but on the other hand good strong, classic names!

I was also going to suggest Lara. Similar, classic feel but nowhere near as popular...

Another vote for Lara. There's a Cara at my DS's school, which is also nice.

Emma, Kate and Anna are all lovely, and not overly popular. In five years of primary teaching I've only come across a handful of Emmas and Annas, and no Kates at all. (I do know a baby Anna though). Agree that they're much more common among my own age group (30s) but I don't see them as dated as they're all such classic names.

Not so keen on Lana - there are lots of similar but nicer options like Lara, Lena, Lyra or Thea. Or even Laura!

I have a Lara (and her middle name is another of your list of choices) - I like Lana too but prefer Lara.