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Baby names

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Original poster

Shortening a long list

54 replies

Iamthecaptainnow · 03/04/2019 21:16

Trying to narrow down our long list for girls name. DH is Russian but we will be living in the U.K. for the foreseeable future, so name needs to work here as well. Any views on the following?

Alisa
Anna
Daria/Darya/Dariya
Dessa
Inessa
Irina
Ivana
Klara
Larisa/Larissa/Lara
Magdalina
Marianna
Marta
Natalya
Nina

I did say it was a long list!

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SlimGin · 04/04/2019 00:35

These I like: Klara, Marianna, Marta, Magdalina

Magdalina is one of my favourite ever names and if my DD had the right heritage I'd have named her that!

Please don't call your daughter Dariya. It's a pretty name to say and look at but I think it sounds too close to Diarrhoea. Sorry! Just thinking about what primary children are like!

Original poster
Iamthecaptainnow · 04/04/2019 08:42

Thanks for all the comments!

I'd not made the connection with the Trumps, so that probably rules out I'd also not thought about the "diarrhoea" sound of Daria! I really like Dessa but worry it's consign her to a life of repeating herself, "like Tessa but with a D" etc.

DH loves Valentina, but I don't like Val or Tina, so I've not put it on the list. I think my current favourite might be Magdalina- Magda just seems so cool...

OP posts:
MercyBodle · 04/04/2019 09:43

I like - Anna, Daria, Inessa, Klara, Larissa, Marta, Natalya.

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 04/04/2019 09:45

Daria
Anna
Alisa

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Iamthecaptainnow · 04/04/2019 12:46

We like Anna a lot, but it seems a bit boring/plain. Very classic, but maybe a bit unimaginative? I like that some of the best other options stand out a bit more and sound more Russian.

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TatianaLarina · 04/04/2019 12:48

Personally I think Anna and Nina are boring and don’t reflect the Russian heritage.

Maryjoxk · 04/04/2019 12:48

I really like Marta and Marianna
Daria is quite nice too

WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 04/04/2019 12:48

Alisa
Irina
Larisa
Nina

Original poster
Iamthecaptainnow · 04/04/2019 12:53

Daria would likely become Dasha for every day use, as per Maria/Masha. The nicknames are something to consider, I suppose.

For some reason Marianna seems very English to me- I think it bring Marianne from... Sense and Sensibility to mind!

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Sexnotgender · 04/04/2019 12:54

Love Marta, I used to work with a lady called Marta and she was absolutely lovely.

AlliKaneErikson · 04/04/2019 23:35

Love Lara, Alise and Natalya.

MyDcAreMarvel · 04/04/2019 23:41

Anastasia is lovely could use Anna for short.

StargazyDrifter · 05/04/2019 00:03

Marta
Inna (rather than Inessa)
Clara

I also quite like Taisia (autocorrects to 'raisins'!)

MsMustDoBetter · 05/04/2019 00:19

Nina or Anna

I like Klara with a C, K names are a bit....

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Iamthecaptainnow · 05/04/2019 06:40

Agree about Klara, but then Clara seems to lose that slightly exotic feeling. Maybe it can go from the list, because so far we've only got rid of Ivana!

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whitehalleve · 05/04/2019 07:36

I love Anna and Natalya

Original poster
Iamthecaptainnow · 08/04/2019 17:21

Having shown my list to DH, we're down to:

Anna (he likes)
Inessa (I love)
Marianna (front runner but not sure either of us love it yet)
Martha (spelled so, but pronounced Marta- maybe that would cause a headache to repeatedly correct people?)
Nina

He also likes Valentina, but I don't like Val or Tina so for me it's a nonstarter.

Any views? Smile

OP posts:
TatianaLarina · 08/04/2019 21:08

My favs are Inessa and Marta - I think if you want to pronounce it like that you’ll need to spell it without the ‘h’ or she will just become Martha.

ifthewallscouldtalk · 08/04/2019 21:16

Magdalina! It's great!

Inessa is also really lovely - unusual and true to the Russian heritage but pretty and spelled in a straightforward way. Love it.

Marta would have to be spelled this way really or she would just be Martha. It would get so boring correcting people. Martha is a relatively common name.

Don't like Marianne. Reminds me of the 70s in the uk. And not in a good way.

Nina is nice, but one wouldn't think of it being Russian.

Rebecklet · 10/04/2019 19:31

I'm no help as I liked two that you cut: Larissa and Lara.

Of the shortlist Anna would get my vote - every Anna I have known has been lovely, but I have known a lot of them (as adults, not babies).

MarshaBradyo · 01/07/2019 15:43

Love Natalya the most with that spelling and full name (not Nat)

MarshaBradyo · 01/07/2019 15:44

Valentina is lovely and agree no shortening

ButterflyOfFreedom · 01/07/2019 15:46

My favourites are Anna, Marta, Klara & Nina.

PepsiLola · 01/07/2019 15:48

My DD was going to be Anna, but ended up being another A name with family connections.

I think Anna is classic and sophisticated

AverageMummy · 01/07/2019 16:18

Alisa - lovely
Anna - beautiful classic
Daria/Darya/Dariya - oh dear I like this too
Dessa - not a fan
Inessa - ok
Irina - ok
Ivana - nice but does remind me of Trump
Klara - love love love love
Larisa/Larissa/Lara - all lovely
Magdalina - prefer Magdalena - this version would cause a lot of spelling issues
Marianna - Ok but not a fan
Marta - don’t like the idea of being called martyr
Natalya - beautiful
Nina - ok

None are terrible though which I don’t think I ever say on a list that long !