Please help us find a name we both like!

[abbaroony]

Me and my boyfriend have very different tastes when it comes to names and we're really struggling to find anything we both like.

For me, if a name is really popular it puts me off, even if I really like the name, which I know is silly. I don't think the names I like are particularly unusual but when I suggest them to by boyfriend he looks at me like I've just suggested we name our child Unicorn!

He really likes traditional names and his favourites are James and Jane. Apparently he's always dreamed of calling a son James and it'll be a huge compromise for him if we pick something different, whilst I don't hate the name I just think it's so unimaginative and a bit boring.

Here's my list:

Georgia
Thea
Lissy (short for Larissa)
Freddie
Emmie
Lia
Sylvie
Lexie

George (I know this is crazy popular but I still love it!)
Rory
Sid
Albert
Kit / Atticus
Frankie

So please mumsnetters, help us find something we can agree on!

What about choosing one of the names you like but giving them the long version of the name and using the short version day-to-day
Frederick - Freddie
Emmeline - Emmie
Alexandra - Lexie
Sidney - Sid
Christopher - Kit
Francis/Frances/Francesca - Frankie

My DH and I got a small notebook and write names we really liked at the front and names we disliked and agreed to reject at the back. It helped us get a feel for what we both liked.

In terms of names why not opt for a full name that can be abbreviated as your child grows rather than an abbreviated version which offers no variety?

Also, you could look to your own families and go through family trees to see what interesting names there. Or perhaps consider making your child after a close friend or relative that meant a lot.

Providing a middle name is a great way to give a mix of names.

How about Alyssa (Lissy).
I love both James and Jane/Jayne.
Leanna
Georgina, Georgette, Tia, Tara, Tess/a, Emmeline.
Suggestions;
Jameson
Franklyn
Love Rory and George.
Robert
Reuben
Kristian (Kit)

Thanks everyone!

I just feel like we're both going to be massively compromising and I was hoping that we could find names we both actually like rather than just being prepared to put up with.

I don't know if it's that he wants a 'proper' name (that we could then shorten), or more that he just likes really uncomplicated traditional names (which I often find dull). Although I'd say that Thea was traditional, uncomplicated and not frilly but he doesn't like that very much so I might im sure!

Your list is also very traditional other than lexi

I think you are actually on the same page

I think your DHs names will stand the test of time more and I think Jane is actually very unusual now. It's lovely. Jean, Joan and June would also be unusual choices but would be nice

I like James too but it is very popular. How about Jacob, Julian/Jude, David, Martin, Robin, Simon, Elliot?

Conrad James (Rad).
Alyssa Jane (Lissy).

GreenTulips I agree, but for some reason he thinks they're really out there!

My favourite for a girl is Lissy, I just love it and having Larissa as the full name is a bit more grown up for later in life and also gives the option of Lara. sugarpiehoneyeye I like Alyssa as an alternative to Larissa but both our names begin with A, so trying to avoid A names in case we start some sort of kardashian thing!

waxonfeckoff I'm afraid the only one from your list I like is Elliot, the others whilst I agree are traditional and will stand the test of time, just seen a bit plain to me. I do like Jane however I've got an aunty called Jane and lot she of other aunty's I'm also really close to, so I think it would look like we were naming the baby after her rather than any of the others I'd want to avoid.

I think I'll probably cave and have James as the boy middle name, and girl middle name will probably be Annie (family connection) if that helps at all? Surname is 2 syllables and begins with an R.

I wanted Mary Ann

I think with Annie you need a short sharp name

Jena or Jenna
Karen
Eliza
Harriet
Clara
Lydia

Stephen?
McKenzie
Tyler

Love all your names OP!

What about:

Girls:
Matilda
Amelie
Imogen
Phoebe
Zoe
Alexandra (nn Lexi as you like that?)
Serena
Felicia or Felicity
Sophia
Georgina
Harriet
Charlotte
Zara
Saskia

Boys

Arthur
Oscar
Oliver
Hugo
Noah
Luca
Finn
Archie
Milo
Wilfred

I had an Aunt Lissy and it was short for Elizabeth. Might he go for that?

I was going to suggest Julia or Juliet but I'm not sure they go well with Annie. Annie Jean would be nice :)

Daniel James
Keir James
Logan James
Austin James
Marcus James

Stella Annie
Nina Annie
Meredith Annie
Eleanor Annie
Megan Annie

Both of my children's names are on your list, you have great taste

The balance I tried to hit with mine was unusual, but shared enough features with the top ten names that they didn't stand out. So Franklin fits in with all the Jackson, harrison type names and Frankie with all the Freddie/Harry/alfie/archie names. Sylvie sits will with all the evie/eva/ava and Sophie etc. Could you try for a similar compromise? I really wanted Cecilia for dd - beautiful, classic and uncommon, rhymes with amelia!

There is a great website called namedtogether.com I think, where you get the top 500 names and each tick ones you like in secret. Me and my husband got 3 matches out of 500! But we used one of them...