Name my daughter!

[spandauballet]

I have a baby girl on the way and there is not a single name I adore. With my son, the decision was so easy - Ezra - and he suits it perfectly. I’d like something easy to spell/say, that “goes with” Ezra, and ideally not too girly/popular (Sophia, Olivia, Ava, Ivy, Emily, Poppy, Isabel etc)

Names on the list:
Ruby
Gabrielle (would 100% call a second boy Gabriel)
Imogen
Theodora
Honor
Remi
Athena
Naomi
Amara
Maia/Maya

The only one I think I can be almost sure I won't regret is Ruby - but not sure it feels like “the one” (and is also more popular than I’d like). Any critique or suggestions welcome and appreciated!

Maia and Ruby are massively popular.
Zara
Serena
Louisa
Alicia
Meredith
Rosa
Francesca
Cara/Lara

Imogen and Ezra sound amazing and Imogen is one of my favourite names and it's numbers have been declining for years and years now, very underused

Alternatives:

Greta
Martha
Nina
Willa
Sadie
Edith /Edie
Margaret /Maggie/Peggy
Clementine/Clemmie
Pearl
Delilah
Roxanne/Roxanna/Roseanne
Ottilie /Ottie
Cora
Eliza
Liberty
Jemima
Holly
Cleo
Mabel
Peggy
Margot
Wren

Ezra and Gabrielle
Ezra and Naomi

Both lovely

Naomi is my favourite and the best match with Ezra. Amara is OK but a bit bland.
I like Ruby and Gabrielle and Theodora as names but the mismatch with Ezra bothers me.
Not keen on Imogen or Maia.

Love Ezra.
Love Thea.
They are perfect for siblings imo.

Love Ruby and Imogen

I really like Theadora and Athena.

Ruby was super popular a few years back so I wouldn't. It feels very run of the mill.

If you like Honor, what about Hebe or Hero?

Short like Ezra, easy to say, unusual and strong.

I'm loving Imogen at the moment and think Immy is quite cute as a shortened version. It would probably be on my list at the moment if it wasn't for a couple of people I already know who've used it! So I guess it's also getting more popular though...

Thank you all so much for your suggestions this is so great, thank you!! It seems that Naomi, Imogen, Gabrielle and Ruby are front runners here. These have all been favourites (almost settled on Imogen/Immy a few weeks ago) but I find myself picking holes in each!

@daisypond may I ask in what way you feel Ruby and Gabrielle mismatch with Ezra?

@FizzyGreenWater Hebe is lovely but my kids 5 month old cousin is Phoebe so don't feel I can consider it. Hero is fab but husband sadly not keen.

Thea rather than Theodora.

Imogen is so popular.

Would you consider Romey instead of Remi?

In all honesty I don’t like any of the names.

Estelle/Estella
Eloise
Evangeline
Felicity
Alexandra
Violet
Giselle
June
Reese
Myla
Juliette
Jenna
Alana

I like Maya and Imogen

I also like:

Juno
Louis
Zoe
Chloe
Amy
Amelie

Good Luck!

Clementine
Evonne

Just to give a bit of Maya love. I have a 7 year old Maya (pronounced the Maia way). I love that it is a name in lots of cultures and languages and everyone knows it but felt a bit exotic and I love Maya Angelou too.
I know it isn't the rarest name but I haven't met another at baby group or school yet. I'm a teacher in a secondary school with 300 new students a year and have only taught one! I know it's anecdotal and a lot of it just depends but I've met numerous Rubys, Violets and mabels and even two wrens in baby groups which to my mind are much rarer names.

I love the name Ezra and of the others on your list apart from Maya I like Amara.

@wanderlove thanks a lot, Maya is a lovely name and I'm a big admirer or Maya Angelou too. I think popularity may be very area dependent (I'm SW London and there are none at my sons nursery to be fair). Also the pronunciation thing; My-ah vs Mee-ah vs May-ah etc - is this something you've encountered or do most people pronounce your daughters name correctly first time?

may I ask in what way you feel Ruby and Gabrielle mismatch with Ezra?
Because Ezra is such a massive figure in Judaism, so I would say you need an Old Testament name to vaguely match, which Naomi is. Ruby and Gabrielle don’t fit that pattern. Nor does Imogen.

Theodore, Teddy for short I think is lovey for a girl.

I love the name Ezra
Would you consider Ruth as opposed to Ruby?

Ezra and Romy

Is that not one of the most basic functions of of being a parent, you being a parent?

I have a 5yo Maya and have never met another. We get people misspelling her name fairly regularly (Mya and Mia) and the occasional mispronunciation (Mee-a or May-a). It's a little annoying but she IS a Maya and I felt it when she was born so I have no regrets.

Kind of agree about needing a name to vaguely match Ezra in Old Testament 'feel'. But rubies are mentioned frequently in the OT so that kind of works. I like Imogen and Ruby but probably just prefer Ezra and Naomi, they look and sound gorgeous together. The story of Naomi and Ruth is beautiful too.

But you will muse over all the names and find what you love and what fits the best.

@spandauballet
Maya is my eldest and I named her before I'd ever read Mumsnet or baby names forums with people saying 'oh you'll have a lifetime of people confusing the spelling' so I didn't give it much thought. It would probably put me off now but in real life it hasn't made any difference. I don't think it's caused any problems so far as people hear me talk about her first and so know she is Maya in my pronunciation. Being a teacher at school I often have names I'm. It sure of the pronunciation (often some Irish names such as Criodhna and Tadgh). It does normally take me a couple of times if reading off the register but then they become themselves and I put the name to the face. I imagine it may be like this for Maya at secondary but I don't think it bothers me. So far there has been no issues.
I really love her name still so much. I also have a Leila which I think has a similar vibe. We haven't had any Leilas at school or playgroup but I do hear it in the park and soft play more and I just haven't heard another Maya at all