Baby girls name - help!

[Callmekatie]

We have named our beautiful baby girl Bailey. It was a rushed decision that we decided on before our son Noah turned up to met her (we wanted to have a name before he met her - in hindsight we should’ve waited until we were home). I’m going through a bit of name regret! I like Bailey but I don’t love it - it looks quite boyish to me now when I see it written. I would like to another N name to go with Noah and have come across Nelle! I absolutely love it and think it is feminine and works well with Noah and love that it’s not very common and that she would probably go through school being the only Nelle (pronounced Nell btw)

Of course we would have to go through the awkward stage of changing her name and telling everyone - she is only one month old thankfully but I know it would be weird having to tell people we changed her name!!

Do you think we should keep Bailey or change to Nelle?

I don't like Bailey, I'm sorry.

Nell is lovely, but this spelling only. If you go for Nelle you'll get people calling her Nellie.

Stick with Nell, not Nelle. Nell is what everyone recognises. I've always loved the name Nell. It's a diminutive, usually, but don't worry if you just want to stick with 'Nell' on the birth certificate. It's such a lovely name and works so nicely with Noah!
Congratulations!

I'm afraid I don't like Bailey at all. Nelle is lovely. It's elegant, sophisticated, interesting. I love the simplicity of it. Congratulations on your baby. Don't worry about changing her name. Our baby is four months - we came home from registering her at six weeks and introduced her as a different name entirely to the one we'd announced weeks before. The original name seems a distant memory now, I doubt anyone even remembers it. Much better to change it than regret keeping a name you didn't truly love.

There was a 70s cartoon called Noah and Nelly in the Skylark.

Bailey sounds masculine to me and I'm not keen on surnames as first names.

Ellie
Naomi
Katie
Holly
Bella
Ruby
Cassie

I would change it. Bailey is weird and downmarket.

Nell is great - and Nell and Noah a nice combo - but I’d spell it like that, doesn’t need the extra e / people will mix it up with Nellie.

I’m not mad on nns as full names so personally I’d put Eleanor or similar on the birth cert.

Oh, by the way, I agree with other PP that Nell would be better. When I first read your post, I thought you'd written Nellie, which is certainly not as elegant as Nell!

@Orphlids

Oh, by the way, I agree with other PP that Nell would be better. When I first read your post, I thought you'd written Nellie, which is certainly not as elegant as Nell!

Me too! I read Nellie.

I much prefer Nell, Nelle or even Nellie to Bailey. Name in haste, repent at leisure! You should change it.

Bailey is very popular for dogs where I live so I'm not keen on it personally, sorry (although I have heard it used as a persons name more in the US, but usually for boys).

Nell is gorgeous and works well with Noah (I love girl/boy sibsets with the same initial too). However I would definitely use the more popular Nell spelling - Nelle will get called Nellie (like the elephant!)

Definitely change to the much more appealing Nelle. While I also like the more usual Nell spelling, I think the Nelle spelling is fine.

Your baby change her name if you wish I loathe the name Nelly, but Nell sounds so gentle & classy .

100% Nell over Bailey! Really not keen on the Nelle spelling though, sorry.

Nelle is lovely, not sure how anyone can mistake it for Nellie, be like pronouncing belle bellie. I think this is the time to change it if you’re going to, people will quickly get used to it

Nelle is lovely, and the spelling is perfectly clear.

I think Nell / Nellie are really pretty!
She’s only 1 month old and won’t mind the change.
We were so indecisive with our second child he didn’t get a name until he was past 6 weeks.

Assuming you don't have PND or anxiety, definitely go for it. It sounds like you love Nelle and your baby is only a month old -- everyone will adjust to the change easily.

If you prefer Nelle then change it whilst baby is still small.

I much prefer it to Bailey which to me sounds like a boys name or an alcoholic drink!

I assumed Nelle would be pronounced Nelly though so I'd use the usual spelling of Nell.

Bailey is far more commonly used as a boys' name. I don't think it works as a sister for Noah at all.

Nell or Nelle is 100 times better.

I dislike Bailey.
Nelle is much better. I personally prefer the Nell spelling but Nelle is ok and most people will pronounce it correctly. (I do know one Elle whose parents intended it to be pronounced Ellie but she is constantly having to tell people because of cost that isn't the correct pronunciation).

Bailey is really not a nice name I can see why you're having a wobble

Nelle is lovely.
I'd change it.

It's really not that odd telling people you have changed her name, I promise they won't be giving this any where near the amount of thought you are. They might react briefly but they'll soon move on to their own lives.
Your baby can hardly even see anything yet let alone recognise a name.
No big deal. Change it!

I only know it as a boys name.

Nell is a lovely name. Prefer Nell to Nelle. You could even use Eleanor on the birth certificate if you wanted a longer name, but I think Nell is fine on its own. I dislike Bailey. It might feel silly to change it, but she's so young and nobody will care - better than regretting the name forever. Other 'N' names you might like -

Neave / Niamh
Nina
Naomi
Nahla

I don't like Bailey either.
Nell is nice. Not keen on the Nelle spelling.

Nell is lovely! Prefer spelt like this though.