Marmite names

[Rjd13]

So according to MN and family and friends, most of the names we like seen to be contentious. Our favourites are Tabitha and Jesse (we won't find out the sex) but we're hesitant based on the 'it's a name for a cat/you big jessie' comments. I don't have a problem with the cat link or NN Tabby, and I haven't heard anyone use big Jessie as an insult I think ever.

Are the other names on our long lists any less marmite? We like lesser used names but not unheard of. DS is Miles.

Girls
Tabitha
Ivy - DH likes but I think too common?
Nina
Eden
Lillia
Tess
Imogen
Jessamine

Boys
Jesse
Evan
Jude
Grayson/Sonny
Rowan
Reid
Kit

I absolutely love the name Sonny but I once got told it sounded like a traveller name 😂 the majority of mumsnet doesn’t like my sons names anyway because they’re “nicknames” but I love them.
Love Eden but I’ve never heard of Lillia before and it’s an absolutely stunning name!!
So Sonny and Lillia for me, Eden as a second.

Imogen is fine
Kit as a nn for Christopher is fine.

Jesse is alright but I am afraid I have heard grown men referred to as a "big Jesse".

Tabitha is alright but makes me think of "Bewitched" or cats.

Nice
Eden
Imogen
Jesse
Rowan

Marmite:
Jessamine- it sounds made up to me and would give me the impression that he parents were trying to prove how unique they are
Sonny - maybe it's a regional thing but I remember people calling young lads sonny like you would get dear / pet / darling

The others wouldn't be my choices but they're nice enough names.

Girls
Tabitha - not keen
Ivy - dislike
Nina - fine
Eden - awful
Lillia - tesco tampons
Tess - lovely
Imogen - ok but I don't like Immy
Jessamine - fine

Boys
Jesse - big jessie
Evan - fine
Jude - dislike
Grayson/Sonny - awful
Rowan - fine but R names too popular
Reid - fine as a surname but not as a first name. too weedy
Kit - dislike

Miles is one of my favourite names. Great choice

Girls
Tabitha - love
Ivy - love
Nina - love - favourite
Eden - thought this was a boys name but not checked the statistics so don't take my word for that
Lillia - nice but prefer Delilah
Tess - nice
Imogen - love - favourite
Jessamine - too frilly and complicated - least favourite

Boys
Jesse - love. I'd pick this - favourite
Evan - nice
Jude - nice
Grayson/Sonny - love both especially Sonny - but Grayson has risen in popularity a lot and may be too popular for you now
Rowan - prefer for a girl but don't really like it regardless as too similar to RoMan which is the fastest rising boy name. Loads of Ro--- type names in the top 100 that have risen massively the past couple of years. Think it's now too popular and a bit boring for what you're after.
Reid - ok
Kit - love this name

I love Tabitha and Jesse! Also like Nina and Kit from your lists.

Jesse is great, love it and Imogen too ❤️

You've got some great names on your list. Jesse is becoming popular now, the younger generation won't bat an eyelid at it.
It does seem to be a name more popular with women than men though. It was my fave name for DS2 and my DH said 'ANYTHING but Jesse' and I noticed his friends shared that view!

Tabitha is nice too.
I really like Lillia, Kit Rowan Jude and Sonny off your list, but Kit is a bit insubstantial perhaps especially as a lot of people drop their 't'. Depends where you live.

Thank you everyone. Some lovely comments here which has reassured me, and some really good points I hadn't considered (dropping the T on kit for example!)

Tabitha - love love love it
Ivy - very popular but nice
Nina - ok, always feels a bit insubstantial to me
Eden - don't like. Very "early noughties" to me
Lillia - ok. Prefer Lilia spelling by far.
Tess - gorgeous
Imogen - lovely
Jessamine - I really like Jessamy but not Jessamine.

Tabitha and Tess are easily my favourites with Imogen as a close third.

Jesse - nice
Evan - lovely
Jude - lovely
Grayson/Sonny - not at all keen
Rowan - prefer for a girl
Reid - don't like
Kit - love

Kit, Evan and Jude are gorgeous.

Tabitha - dislike - sounds posh and feline
Ivy - like, I only know one, don't think it's too common. Also like Iris.
Nina - like
Eden - bit religious for me
Lillia - not keen, like Lily and Lila though
Tess - ok as nn
Imogen - love
Jessamine - awful

Jesse - sounds a bit dated and wet to me
Evan - not keen
Jude - like
Grayson/Sonny - Grayson is ok, not keen on Sonny
Rowan - love
Reid - like
Kit - like, prob as nn

Jesse was my male cat's name. It's too cowboy for a human. Sonny is not a name. Kit is a child's nickname.

Tabitha is common and too Bewitched.

Lilia and Ivy are nice. Rowan good. What about Rory?

We have very similar taste in girls names names (although I tend to prefer more classic boys names, with a quirky nn) so I struggle to pick my fave from your girls choices:

Tabitha- pretty and slightly quirky, it doesn't matter imo that it's a "cat name" too, its beautiful (you could use the nn Tibby, Abi or Bee instead of Tabby if you are worried about the cat thing)
Ivy - only one of your girls choices I dislike, it's very "old lady trend" and too popular
Nina - lovely, elegant classic that won't date (to me it's a quirkier Anna)
Eden - nice sound but possibly edging a bit trendy, it's also unisex so on paper people may not realise DC's sex. It does have slight religious tones but not too bad imo.
Lillia - so beautiful and feminine, I'd love to hear of more Lilia's but I'd spell it with one middle L for simplicity, personally.
Tess - lovely, strong but romantic sounding. One of the few nn's I like as a standalone thanks to the Hardy resonance.
Imogen - another quirky classic but one that's well used thanks to it's Shakespearean links, nn will probably be Immy but I like Ginny myself.
Jessamine - I don't understand why this isn't more well known - it's lovely, a more elegant Jasmine. I'd use the nn Mina over Jess but both are nice.

Boys
Jesse - too feminine sounding for me in the UK as there are many more female Jess's (although I wouldn't worry about the Jessie insult, it's old-fashioned so kids are unlikely to have heard of it)
Evan - my fave of your boys choices , it's classic but not overused, well known, suits all ages and shouldn't date
Jude - too trendy for me and reminds me of Judas (although Jude and Tess would make a cool Hardy inspired sibset!)
Grayson/Sonny - not my taste, too trendy. Sonny can also sometimes sound a bit tacky although I guess it's cute on a little one.
Rowan - lovely, beautiful name but my only concern is the steaply rising popularity otherwise it would be my favourite of your choices.
Reid- usually I don't like surnames as first names but this one isn't too bad (I think because it's simple, plus reminds me of nature - Reed, and reading books!)
Kit - quirky and very nice but does seem a little insubstantial/trendy as a given name, I don't suppose you'd consider Christopher nn Kit?

Miles and Tess sound great together.

Miles and Silas?
Miles and Otis?

@IamnotwhouthinkIam

We have very similar taste in girls names names (although I tend to prefer more classic boys names, with a quirky nn) so I struggle to pick my fave from your girls choices:

Tabitha- pretty and slightly quirky, it doesn't matter imo that it's a "cat name" too, its beautiful (you could use the nn Tibby, Abi or Bee instead of Tabby if you are worried about the cat thing)
Ivy - only one of your girls choices I dislike, it's very "old lady trend" and too popular
Nina - lovely, elegant classic that won't date (to me it's a quirkier Anna)
Eden - nice sound but possibly edging a bit trendy, it's also unisex so on paper people may not realise DC's sex. It does have slight religious tones but not too bad imo.
Lillia - so beautiful and feminine, I'd love to hear of more Lilia's but I'd spell it with one middle L for simplicity, personally.
Tess - lovely, strong but romantic sounding. One of the few nn's I like as a standalone thanks to the Hardy resonance.
Imogen - another quirky classic but one that's well used thanks to it's Shakespearean links, nn will probably be Immy but I like Ginny myself.
Jessamine - I don't understand why this isn't more well known - it's lovely, a more elegant Jasmine. I'd use the nn Mina over Jess but both are nice.

Boys
Jesse - too feminine sounding for me in the UK as there are many more female Jess's (although I wouldn't worry about the Jessie insult, it's old-fashioned so kids are unlikely to have heard of it)
Evan - my fave of your boys choices , it's classic but not overused, well known, suits all ages and shouldn't date
Jude - too trendy for me and reminds me of Judas (although Jude and Tess would make a cool Hardy inspired sibset!)
Grayson/Sonny - not my taste, too trendy. Sonny can also sometimes sound a bit tacky although I guess it's cute on a little one.
Rowan - lovely, beautiful name but my only concern is the steaply rising popularity otherwise it would be my favourite of your choices.
Reid- usually I don't like surnames as first names but this one isn't too bad (I think because it's simple, plus reminds me of nature - Reed, and reading books!)
Kit - quirky and very nice but does seem a little insubstantial/trendy as a given name, I don't suppose you'd consider Christopher nn Kit?

Totally agree with Ginny as a NN for Imogen and the positive comments for Evan are making me consider this more than I have previously.

I have recently considered Jessamine as think Jessa, Mina and evenin are nice NN. My DM has always called me Min despite it having no relation to my name

I might be against the grain but out of your options I love Tabitha. I wanted it but DD can’t say ‘th’. And I love Jesse for a boy. I know of two one is 20s and one is 7 and neither have any issues.

I love ivy too, I got told it’s popular but I don’t know of a single one and been asking around. Maybe it’s popular in certain regions.
Evan is ok but not a fan of the others on your list. Personally I’d stick with Tabitha and Jesse

Miles is a gorgeous name

Girls
Tabitha - ok, makes me think of cats. Do you like nickname Tabby?
Ivy - number 12 in charts so yes maybe too popular for you
Nina - great choice
Eden - not keen
Lillia - bit frilly
Tess - nice
Imogen - love
Jessamine - really bad

Boys
Jesse - love
Evan - love
Jude - love
Grayson/Sonny - love both. Grayson rising quickly in charts.
Rowan - my baby daughter's name. It's definitely a trendier choice than I had anticipated sadly and gets mixed in/ lumped with Roman a lot. Gets shortened to Row whether you like it or not.
Reid - not heard this. Is it an established name?
Kit - love