Baby name help..we cannot decide

[Kylieemilyj]

im only 19 weeks and wont find out what we are having until next week (but im a bit on the fence about even finding out... but we probably will), but we have been discussing names the entire pregnancy and we cannot agree on anything.

I like more unusual names like Arabelle/Imogen/Arielle etc but my partner wants a more basic name. He has suggested Isabelle, which i think is cute but i cant see us using it. I suggested Willow which he didnt disagree on but he said his friend has a little girl Willow...Has anyone got any suggestions for us? Both boy and girl names welcome! Im alot more open to different names whereas he just says no to anything I suggest and we've read so many baby name lists online... any suggestions at all would be fab!

Aurelia
Aurora
Belle
Coral
Darcie
Evelyn
Freya
Greta
Harley
Isadora
Julia
Lola
Olive
Penelope
Quinn
Scarlett
Thea
Yasmin
Zara

I love Imogen and I don’t think it’s any more out there than Willow

Harper
Annabel
Phoebe
Estella
Juliet
Serena
Georgina

@closerIAm2Fine in my partners eyes Imogen is super unusual and he doesnt like but its been my chosen girls name for years... which breaks my heart..

Imogen isn't that unusual and it’s really lovely. Can you give him a list of famous Imogens? Or naming stats? If that genuinely is his objection.

Imogen really isn’t that unusual (I have a feeling it’s in the top 100? Worth checking out and showing him!) And is instantly recognisable and easy to spell and pronounce, even if you’ve not known any before.

Imogen isn't particularly unusual. I know several.

Isabel/Isobel is nice but quite popular these days. (don't use Isabelle unless you're French - it looks a bit silly, in my opinion, unless you want to pronounce it the French way).

Arabelle is unusual, though. A bit like Arabella but not as flouncy. I quite like it. But will it sound like arable - cue a lot of jokes about farmers and fields? Maybe cross that off.

Not keen on Arielle - seems a bit bland.

How about Ariane? Rosalie? Amber?

@CloserIAm2Fine to him apparently its different. he comes from a family with very traditional what i would call royal names (Peters, Edwards, Victorias etc) we just need to find some middle ground. I would have said Imogen is a rather normal name as you'd said as its quite popular...
@daisypond good point on the arabelle... We live in a huge farming area (South west ftw) so it could possibly be seen that way.. He has set his heart on Isabelle.. :( Amber is super cute, I will add it to my list

Imogen is a mainstream name. Willow is a 1960s 'new' name, so i think it is a bit odd he objects to Imogen, but not Willow!

Imogen is a lovely name!

Sone other girl names to think about: Alexandra, Adelaide, Isabella, Francesca, Katharine, Rosalind, Tabitha, Juliet, Miranda, Viola, Anna

And for boys: Alexander, Benedict, Ferdinand, Rupert, Hugo, Marcus, Piers, James, Edward

How about something like Ursula? Or Miranda?

Imogen is gorgeous. If he thinks it’s unusual he needs to get out more.

Isabelle is ghastly and Izzy is awful - and so many of them.

You’re the one risking your health to carry the child so you get the final say.

Acacia. Clea. Coralie. Amaya. Monet.
Cecily. Kristie. Merrial. Marcie. Bethan. Amberly. Averley. Albany. Briony. Lilia. Iona. Cassie. Nadine. Alina. Bronte. Darby. Tansy. Tori.
. Ariadne. Appolonia. Harlowe.
Marlie. Sinead. Amity. Anya. Tabitha.
Bobbi. Addison. Halle.

James is gorgeous but a billion miles from unusual. Im falling over them of all ages and classes.
Lucian. Julien. Derry. Kieran. Finbar.

I knew DD's name from the first moment I saw it!

I never even had a boy's name - I was so sure!

If I had been lucky enough to have had another child my list would have been:

girl:

Paloma
Rebecca
Clara
Claudia
With a middle name of Elizabeth. Also - I really like Angharad and Carys but I have no welsh connections whatsoever!

Boy :-

Solomon
Richard,
Edwin
Thaddeus ( Tad)

Middle names of David James.

I love the name Imogen!

Kiera
Freya
Brooke
Courtney
Amber
Ashleigh
Coral
Leonie
Sienna
Soren
Neve
Paige
Rhianna
Leah
Kendra
Romy
Remi
Lottie
Lois
Estelle
Romily
Alyssa
Elise
Eloise
Jasmine
Kendra
Hailey
Autumn
Alicia
Serena
Thea
Carly

My dd is Imogen other names I like,
Girls: Rosalie, Adelaide, Evangeline, Romilly.
Boys: Ezekiel, Isaiah, Drake.

What about going for more traditional names and changing the ending a bit . So you get the more uncommon name but he still keeps his traditional feel?. So for example

Louisa
Eloisa
Gabriella
Anna
Helene
Katrina
Lucia
Sophia
Kristen
Eliza
Elise/a
Zara

Or virtue names like
Hope
Faith
Grace
Honour
Charity

Imogen is in Shakespeare (the play Cymbeline) - so it's been used for over 400 years. It was Shakespeare's version of a name from pre-Roman Britain, which makes it 2000-plus years old.

As a previous poster said, Willow is modern and has a touch of the would-be-eco-warrior about it. And (as previous posters have also said) what if your daughter grows up to be tall and magnificently well-built (like the tennis Williams sisters, perhaps)? And not willowy at all...