Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Help! Narrow down our top 5!

65 replies

firsttimemumintraining · 02/02/2018 17:02

Three weeks to go and still undecided on our baby name. I know our names are not to everyone’s taste/an eclectic mix but could you possibly rank them or state your favourite/s please as husband and I have different front runners. No alternatives as we are struggling with our list as long as it is! Middle names negotiable depending on what we pick as the first name. Thank you.

Sylvie
Winter
Lyra
Effie
Betsy

Otis
Orion
Griffin
Wilfred
Idris

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
LittleTinyPig · 02/02/2018 17:47

In order: Sylvie, Betsy, Lyra, Effie, Winter
In order: Idris, Wilfred, Otis, Griffin, Orion

In each case I love the first, like the second, meh on the third, and am not that keen on the last two.

TillyTheTiger · 02/02/2018 17:58

In order:
Sylvie - lovely, and not too common
Lyra - nice
Winter - good as long as you're careful with middle name
Betsy - makes me think of Betsy Trotwood ie an old maiden aunt
Effie - I used to like this until someone asked the mother of a newborn Effie whether her middle name was Nell

Wilfred - love
Otis - bit too trendy for me
Orion - onion
Griffin - dor?
Idris - too strongly associated with Elba

So definitely Sylvie and Wilfred for me

Winifredgoose10 · 02/02/2018 17:58

Griffin and Sylvie.
I know you said no suggestions, but I knew such a lovely boy called Oran. Have never heard it since, but is so similar to Orian.

ChocolateCrunch · 02/02/2018 18:01

Lyra
Wilfred

holidayqueriwifi · 02/02/2018 18:02

Winter Lyra

Wilfred Orion

ICanStandtheHeat · 02/02/2018 18:02

Betsy and Wilfred for me. Really don't like winter

Afternoon · 02/02/2018 18:03

Lyra Winter

Otis Wilfred

DramaAlpaca · 02/02/2018 19:13

I like Lyra & Sylvie very much.

I dislike Effie & Betsy, and Winter isn't a first name to me.

I don't like any of the boys' names at all. Sorry.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 02/02/2018 19:14

Lyra or Otis

badg3r · 02/02/2018 19:49

Lyra Winter or Idris Orion are lovely if you want to use your list for middle names too.
I don't like Effie or Betsy.
Apart from the above the boy's names are all ok.

Meemzinha · 02/02/2018 20:35

Winter
Effie
Lyra
Sylvie
Betsy

Orion
Otis
Idris
Griffin
Wilfred

WowserBowser · 02/02/2018 20:39

I did consider Winter for DD so obviously that is my favourite.

Otis is my favourite from the boys names.

Original poster
firsttimemumintraining · 02/02/2018 21:21

Thank you all! As one poster said we think Winter is better suited as a middle name and we have narrowed it down to Lyra or Effie. Husband loves Sylvie but it just doesn’t feel right for me I don’t think.

Now some posters have mentioned Onion I think Orion is off the list too. Idris was found on my family tree but think it’s too linked to Elba (wanted to see if any posters said this and they did :( ) so think this is a middle name choice now too.
So think we are down to:
Lyra Winter
Effie Winter
Wilfred Idris
Otis Idris

OP posts:
DuggeeHugs · 02/02/2018 22:08

Such a shame you feel you can't use Idris as a first name - especially with the family connection. Of your revised list though I think Lyra Winter and Otis Idris are great.

PinkAvocado · 02/02/2018 22:47

Lyra and Otis.

Effie - now someone mentioned Effie Nell, it’s all I can hear!

WhereIsBlueRabbit · 02/02/2018 22:52

Lyra and Wilfred - I actually like Otis but Otis Idris sounds too repetitive to me.

SallyLockhartsDog · 02/02/2018 22:54

Lyra Winter is fab
Effie winter makes me think "oh it's effing winter again ❄️"

Winter is actually a traditional boys name in my neck of the woods. Mil has 2 male friends of 75+ years old called Winter and it's on lots of old parish notices etc.

Wilfred is lovely. Not sure how it sounds with Idris though. How many of your DS peer group are going to know who Idris Elba is?!?!

Frontstep · 02/02/2018 23:00

Lyra Winter - gorgeous

Wilf or Griff for boys first names.

MancUnicorn · 03/02/2018 01:00

Aww Idris is such a good, underrated name (for a boy or girl), glad you're thinking of still keeping it somewhere though!

Lyra Winter - love Effie, but reminds me of Skins
Wilfred Idris - love Otis but as someone else said the 's' is repetitive

Twillow · 03/02/2018 01:10

Idris is also a Muslim name, translated as the Prophet Enoch and having the meaning 'interpreter'.

lilabet2 · 03/02/2018 01:42

I like Lyra and Wilfred best (I would personally use Will for short, which would then be a more common name so not sure how you feel about that).

The others in order of preference:
Winter - pretty
Sylvie - quite sweet
Effie - not keen but names are so subjective
Betsy - I would consider this to be more of a shortened version of Elizabeth. I like Elizabeth but not really Betsy.

Otis- nice
Griffin - nice
Idris- quite cool and unusual
Orion- I don't like this as I don't like the name 'Ryan' and it sounds similar.

lilabet2 · 03/02/2018 01:45

Oh just read your second post- good decision!

My vote for the girl's name is Lyra Winter and I like both Wilfred and Otis Idris for a boy. :)

octoberfarm · 03/02/2018 02:17

Favorites at the top, least favorites at the bottom, for me it would be:

Winter
Lyra
Sylvie
Effie
Betsy

Griffin
Orion
Idris
Otis
Wilfred

Absolutely love Winter, and really like Griffin and Orion!

LolitaLempicka · 03/02/2018 02:30

Sylvie and Otis

InToMyHeart · 03/02/2018 02:35

I like Wilfred as it leaves him open to lots of nicknames - Will, Willie, Wilf, Fred, Freddie etc. It allows him to find a name that suits him at different ages and with different people - Willie as a toddler, Will as a teenager, Wilfred professionally etc.
For the girls names, I think Lyra is nicest. I like Effie but it sounds a bit like a nickname rather than her full name. Cute at home but I can't imagine Prime Minister Effie Firsttimemumintraining or Dr Effie Firsttimemumintraining.