Rank my (current) Girl’s List

[Edenember]

Eve
Esme
Eliza
Tilda
Rowena
Cordelia
Orpah
Iona
Eila / Isla
Imogen
Saoirse

If you can be bothered, feel free to give reasons, be as brutal as you like 😊

Eve - nice but everywhere
Esme - too annoying with the multiple pronunciations unless you like both. I only like Ez-mie.
Eliza - nice. I don't know any Elizas who are shortened to Ellie. They all use Eliza in full.
Tilda - sounds like a short form of Matilda.
Rowena - nice but only if you like both pronunciations. I only like Rowenna.
Cordelia - nice
Orpah - I actually like it and knew immediately that this was the correct form of Oprah. Refreshing to see the correct version!
Iona - nice. I never think of I-own-a. I think of Scottish Islands.
Eila / Isla - overused and too soft for my taste.
Imogen - like
Saoirse - like. I'm surprised by the people saying English people won't know how to say it. I've come across the name loads (in the media - don't know any in real life) and it doesn't surprise me at all to hear it anymore.

It's interesting that a number of people have said that Saoirse is ok if you have Irish roots, but haven't said the same about Isla and Iona and having Scottish roots... I would class them as being clearly Scottish names in the way that Saiorse is clearly an Irish name.

I think out of your whole list Eve is my favourite. I actually think it's quite uncommon. I'm a teacher and have taught a number of Avas and Evas but never an Eve (in Scotland).

Saoirse is far more niche than Isla and Iona. To me at least. A Scottish equivalent might be Ciorstaidh? That's a name I think would be unusual to find on a non-Scots girl.

I like Eve best then Eliza, I don't like any of the other names

Absolutely love Iona. It’s beautiful, unusual and just lovely.

@Tallybeebloom

It's interesting that a number of people have said that Saoirse is ok if you have Irish roots, but haven't said the same about Isla and Iona and having Scottish roots... I would class them as being clearly Scottish names in the way that Saiorse is clearly an Irish name.

I think out of your whole list Eve is my favourite. I actually think it's quite uncommon. I'm a teacher and have taught a number of Avas and Evas but never an Eve (in Scotland).

For me it’s just pronunciation and spelling. I’d also say the same about a non-Welsh heritage using Gwellian or Eirlys, or Scottish equivalents maybe
Eilidh or Mairidh. Whereas Seren, Cara, Iola are all less noticeably Celtic/Gaelic and no problems explaining them to non-natives, IYSWIM.

Esme
Eliza
Cordelia
Orpah
Saoirse

These are my favs

Eve - pretty, though popular if that bothers you
Esme - nice, but I knew a horrid one once, so could never use it
Eliza - ok
Tilda - not bad
Rowena - dislike the ee sound. Love Rowan for a girl though. Morwenna is lovely too.
Cordelia - reminds me of cordial
Orpah - Oprah or opera, not keen
Iona - lovely, though the 'I own a / her' similarity has always put me off
Eila / Isla - pretty, but very popular
Imogen - love
Saoirse - like, but pronunciation issues would put me off, plus I'd feel like I needed Irish links to use it

Eve - Classic and pretty

Esme -Sigh, I know at least 3 under 5’s with this twilight bulls* name. It’s trendy generational and doubt it’ll age well. In 40 years it’ll be like ‘Sharon’.

Eliza- Cute

Tilda- different but cute and not overused
Rowena- Not keen but that’s just my personal preference.

Cordelia- Classic and easily shortened ‘lia’ or ‘cordi’ are both nice.

Orpah- unusual and very much depends on your surname I think.

Iona- not a fan just personal choice again quite surname dependant.

Eila / Isla - variations of Isyla have been a bit overdone over recent years but it’s a pretty enough name.

Imogen- Like it not too popular right now but still well known enough to not be weird.

Saoirse- She’s gonna be that kid who doesn’t get a party invite because the parent had no idea how to spell her name then it totally slipped their mind. We have a boy in our extended family with a super annoying to spell Scottish name and it’s a giant pain in the bum for cards/invites

Eve- simple but really lovely
Esme- not keen. May cause pronunciation issues with Es-may vs Es-mee
Eliza- lovely
Tilda- rice
Rowena - no
Cordelia - no
Orpah- read it as Oprah so no
Iona - no
Eila / Isla - what, another one?
Imogen - very blah
Saoirse - love

Top 2 are Eve and Saoirse

Esme,Rowena,Cordelia, Tilda (matilda preferred) and Ingrid all good...not so keen on anything evie...
Elspeth ? Prettyish but also a suffragette so quite feisty background...

Eve 1 - lovely. People will say not to use because there are variants everywhere but if you don't mind that (I don't) then it's a beautiful name.
Esme 3 nice if pronounced Ez-mee, not as keen on Ez-may
Eliza 2 - love this but DP has vetoed.
Tilda - hate, no reason, just irrational
Rowena - as above
Cordelia - always reminds me of medicine, don't know why!!
Orpah - find this really ugly
Iona - dislike
Eila / Isla - 5 pretty but boring
Imogen 4 - nice
Saoirse - only if you're Irish. It's ok.

@Edenember

Eve Esme Eliza Tilda Rowena Cordelia Orpah Iona Eila / Isla Imogen Saoirse

If you can be bothered, feel free to give reasons, be as brutal as you like 😊

1. Eve
2. Esme
3. Eliza

10. Tilda

1. Rowena
2. Cordelia

Orpah - any one but this.

1. Iona
2. Eila / Isla
3. Imogen
4. Saoirse

But as the mom of 5 boys my thoughts may be irrelevant!

@Twatterati it’s hard to find something you both like, definitely. A certain amount of veto is good for me, I need reigned in (more with girls names, think I’d really struggle with boys). But in a way as well, compromise is just two both not getting what they want. So it would be easier for everyone for me to just get what I want 😂

@Ninkanink ooh, now there’s an idea...

@Undertheoldlindentree I don’t like Ailsa. Absolutely nothing wrong with the name and I appreciate it’s more interesting than Eila / Isla, but I just have an aversion to the ‘ail’ sound.

@Synchrony woo! One for Orpah!

Eve - loved but it’s so popular now
Esme- meh
Eliza - LOVE
Tilda - like
Rowena - meh
Cordelia - don’t like at all
Orpah- nope
Iona - like
Eila / Isla - like but only Isla/Islay spelling
Imogen - meh
Saoirse - meh

@Tallybeebloom That’s my experience with eve too (in contrast to Eva / Evie).

Eve - lovely
Esme - nice
Eliza - like
Tilda - nope
Rowena - no
Cordelia - no
Orpah - there’s only one Oprah
Iona - no
Eila / Isla - like
Imogen - too used
Saoirse - no

@RachelRaven another one for Orpah! Nice to know I’m not (completely) on my own with that one 😂

Top three:
Rowena - unusual, graceful, nature-y
Iona - lovely sound
Tilda - Scandi sound

Middle group:
Eliza - a little twee but nice
Eve - seems a bit sawn-off, prefer Eva
Esme - pronunciation issues
Saoirse - lovely but pronunciation issues, and non-rhotic R changes it

Least favourite:
Cordelia - too Shakespearey
Orpah - too obscure and Oprah has cornered the market
Eila / Isla - too popular

No way:
Imogen - clunky and not in a good way

@averythinline Elspeth was on my list for a long time but then dropped off again. I think it’s lovely, but I’d prefer something a bit less soft sounding at least as a first.

@mathanxiety Rowena and Tilda is what comes to mind for twins. I love Tilda, don’t know why I’m not keen on Matilda when generally I love clunky heritage names, I should love it but don’t. Maybe Tilda Swinton has something to do with my love for the shorter version.

Joint 1 - Cordelia / Iona
Great names, rich history, grown up - I would probably go Iona as Cordelia seems to be having a mini moment

Eve - no - there are already 7 billion with all the variations
Esme - as above but more faddy and annoying pronunciation issues
Eliza - too many El names / but if you do would go Elizabeth for full
Tilda - too twee on its own, but Matilda is nice, but lots of them
Rowena - it’s OK, bit blah
Cordelia - ace
Orpah - no - sounds like she belongs to a bizarre biblical sect
Iona - ace
Eila / Isla - no too bloody many of them, first spelling will be a huge pain
Imogen - It’s OK, bit twee
Saoirse - unless you are in Ireland do not inflict this on her