Down to 2 - finalising our choice for a girl

[NamechangeMcNamechangerson]

We have narrowed down our girl's name options to two. First, which do you prefer, and secondly would it be okay to have two girls called these names or is it a bit too like "Romeo and Juliet" (I am almost certainly overthinking this!)?

Rosanna
Julia

?

Before anyone suggests alternatives, we have ruled out Rosie, Rose, Rosa, Rosalind, Rosamund, Rosalie, Juliet, Julie, Juliana etc! These are our favourites...

Julia

Both are lovely but I prefer Rosanna, just.

I like them both, but I think Julia is my favourite.

'Outdated' - what piffle! Just because you are aware of some older women with the name, and there are not dozens of Julias along with the Avas and Islas down at the local primary school does not make a name outdated. Julia is classic.

Julia

I love Julia (it was on our shortlist for DD).

I like both and think they’d be fine as a sibling set

Rosanna. Love it.

I did notice that the Nameberry website seems to have something against "Rosanna". I've never seen a name before that they don't say anything positive about. Their comment on Rosanna is simply, "Rose lovers would do better with Rosemary, Rosamund, or even Rose itself, all more stylish variations of the name." Ouch!

I love Roseanna.

Or Rosanna rather!

I think if you don't like all the other Rosie/Rosa names, you'd be better with Julia as the likelihood is that a Rosanna would eventually be known as one of the names you're not so keen on.

I should add, I like both names!

Julia. Much classier, I think. Also no possibility of other spellings (e.g. Roseanna, Rose-Anna etc).

I love both - wanted to name DD Rosanna after one of my closest friends, but DH didn't like it as "it's a hybrid name, just Rose and Anna shoved together"! Talked him round to Susannah (non-hybrid, biblical) for DC2, but he turned out to be a boy.

Julia's beautiful too, and I don't know any little ones but it wouldn't strike me as out of place. I know what you mean about the R&J thing, that's exactly the kind of overthinking I do, but actually I think they sound lovely together.

Julia, it's a beautiful, strong, elegant name.

I've only ever known 2 and they were as above and very intelligent women.

@Hummingbird15 I like Rosie, Rose and Rosa as nicknames for Rosanna, especially Rosie. But I don't want to name my child Rosie, Rose or Rosa. I wasn't saying that I hate the names I set out, I was just heading off an otherwise inevitable avalanche of suggestions of alternatives we've already ruled out.

It's now evened out between Julia and Rosanna... argh!

Hmmmm

I think Rosanna is really 80s! And much more flowery, not as strong and elegant as Julia.

Julia isn't my favourite name ever, feel quite neutral about it but if I were you this would be the name I would go for (I'd be a Juliette fan).

Julia by a million miles for me. It was our girl name, but have had two boys. I think Julia is a true classic, unlike Rosanna. In fact, I think Nameberry have a list of names which have consistently been in the US top 100 since 18-something and Julia is one of them.

Julia... either way her friends will either call her Rosie for short or Ju for Julia...

Definitely prefer Julia. Not dated at all. Although I do love Rosie.

I think they go nicely together and are different enough to Juliet and Rosaline for people not to notice the R&J connection.

I have a 5 month old Rosanna (although day to day she's a Rosie).

The appeal for me was that it's not weird-unusual but isn't common- less than 100 last year.

I like Julia too 🤗 good name taste!

Julia!

I love Julia it's my DH's Nan's name and I would use it but he wasn't overly keen. I love the Beatles song 'Julia' too I think it's just beautiful. Not a fan of Rosanna myself although it's a perfectly fine name, I am quite taken with the original Rosaline though x

I was going to say Rosanna. Julia was very popular in my age group so it seems dated and I hate "Jules". I like Rose, Ro, Roz/Ros, Rosie etc too.

Julia is so beautiful.

Julia is beautiful and all Julias I've ever known were just Julia, it doesn't need shortening, it's gorgeous as it is!