Ianthe, Cicely, Apolline, Paloma, Salome...

[Messalena]

Thoughts please on these names for a girl?

Anoushka is gorgeous, would definitely pick that. If not Anoushka, then Paloma.

Anoushka Kate, Anoushka Violet or Anoushka Marin would be my picks.

Anoushka Marin and Apolline Kate are appealing most right now I think

No

Anoushka is gorgeous, I agree! Equal second: Paloma or Ianthe.

We had a horse named Iolanthe 😁

Paloma means dove and makes me think of Paloma Picasso

I prefer Cecily or Celia to Cicely - I think people might sometimes pronounce the latter as Sice-lee. I like Paloma and I quite like Ianthe as well. Not Salome, or Apolline.

Are these typical middle class London names?
They are names I have only come across in literary, and never in real life, but seem usual on mumsnet.

Ticcinalong I reckon so. Children with such names do exist - you tend to find them in clusters at children's theatre events, often behaving badly!

Not in my part of London; maybe West London?

It’s not specifically London.

Cicely is lovely.

I loved Cicely but was worried that she would spend her whole life with people thinking she was named after the island Sicily and have to correct them constantly. So we went for Cecily which we adore. I’m intrigued, when I see people say about the nickname ce-ce, how is that pronounced? Like See-See? Or Sessy?

Sweet Cicely is a plant. Cissy is a cute nn.

Mike I like Cissy/Sissy too! I know Sissy doesn’t have a great meaning but I still think it’s sweet Leaning away from Cicely now (some of you will be pleased to hear!) though purely for practical and pronunciation reasons.

We like Apolline, Antigone and Anoushka best, we think. So I guess we have our shortlist! Clearly have a thing for A names.

@Ticcinalong it's cause people on here are pretentious twats and name their kids in a way that's says "look at me, I know my literature" 🙄🙄

Thanks Dwangela, that’s very sweet of you to say

How about Xanthe?

I like Apolline very much too.

Apolline sounds like Apple-een?
Antigone will be pronounced Anti-gon. Anoushka is quite nice.

Paloma- Faith. Pandora-jewellery. Voilet and Kate are lovely though. I'd opt for first name vs middle, but clearly that's my opinion not everyone's cup of tea.

Pandora sounds like her sisters would be called Chardonnay and Mercedes. I really don't like it.

I think Ianthe is brilliant particularly paired with Violet.

It’s A pol een (equal emphasis on all 3 syllables), not Apple een.