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 😊

@momtoboys not at all, having boys doesn’t preclude you from having opinions on girls names

Like the following:
Eve
Esme
Cordelia
Eila / Isla

Esme and Eve

Eve - ok. A bit boring. If I'm honest, the ones I know are a bit dull as well.
Esme - it's ok but I prefer it with the accent. Without it you'll constantly have the -ee/-ay pronunciation issues
Eliza - lovely name
Tilda - nice name. Personally I prefer Matilda. I do think of rice.
Rowena - gorgeous!
Cordelia - even more gorgeous!
Orpah - don't like at all. Sounds very Jewish (not that that's a problem obviously but if you're not Jewish I would think people will make assumptions) because of it being in the Old Testament. Also a lot of people will mishear and call her Oprah I suspect
Iona - nice
Eila / Isla - nice
Imogen - lovely
Saoirse - lovely

Rowena and Cordelia are head and shoulders above the rest in my view but Imogen, Iona and Eliza are also very lovely.

I have an Iona (we are Scottish) everyone compliments her name, it’s strong and fortunately hasn’t got a NN.
What about Oonagh? Morven?

@Chilldonaldchill thanks for your detailed input. Rowena is coming out on top for me I think. I love that’s it’s a name everyone knows but is rarely used (4686th according to DarkGreener ONS), and I concur with others re Cordelia seeming to be having a trendy moment, it’s also a bit of a mouthful with no obvious nice shortened forms, it would likely end up something like Cords which obviously isn’t good. That one less syllable makes the world of difference I feel.

@HerMammy oh don’t give me more options! Ha. I do like Oonagh but wouldn’t use in reality.

Eve and Isla are both very popular.
I like Matilda, but not Tilda.
Cordelia and Imogen are both gorgeous Shakespearean names - one of these would be my choice.
Rowena - doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the names on your list IMO. It's OK.
Eliza - I love, but I'd take it off the list if you don't like Ellie.
Saoirse - possibly too politically charged
Esme and Iona - nice
Orpah - my phone autocorrects to Oprah, I don't think this is usable unfortunately although it is a lovely biblical name.

Cordelia or Imogen for me! 😍

Eve - love. By far my fav of the Eve- names, but there seem to be so many Eva, Evie, Evelyns around it would put me off (I hate Evelyn too btw - so mimsy)
Esme - ok, but not a massive fan. There’s something about the initial Ez- sound that I don’t like.
Eliza - lovely but more mainstream than much of your list.
Tilda - like, I’d personally use Matilda but that’s me
Rowena - love, also Rowan
Cordelia - not a fan but can’t really put my finger on why. More frilly than rest of your list
Orpah - don’t like the sound, and everyone would think you’d misspelled Oprah

Iona - love it. My fav on your list.
Eila / Isla - like Elia but Isla is so ubiquitous it would be constantly misspelled
Imogen - like
Saoirse - ok

If you’re up for clunky and fusty in a Germanic way my favourite name is Elfrida. I really really want someone to use it.

@Ginandplatonic I like clunky and fusty but I Elfrida stretches even me a bit too much. I would think it cool on someone else though. I love Edwina, but I think the ‘wiener’ part, although shared with Rowena which is my current front runner, is too distinct in that as it’s preceded by a consonant rather than rolling off the vowel. I can imagine the teasing.

Oh I like Edwina too. Better than Rowena in fact. I don’t think there would be teasing based on wiener - not where I am anyway (Australia). Wiener’s not really a thing here. Obviously might be different where you are. I often think teasing potential is exaggerated on here. Iona being a case in point.

I really like Rowena. Strong name, no spelling or pronunciation issues but also really unusual at the moment

I love Rowena, it's gorgeous.

Cordelia and Eliza are lovely too.

If you like the -ona sound, there's also Cliona, Shona and Fiona

Eve - prefer Evie
Esme - like
Eliza - not for me
Tilda - too 'old lady' for me
Rowena - definitely not
Cordelia - as above
Orpah - as above
Iona - Ok
Eila / Isla - really like Isla
Imogen - ok
Saoirse - favourite from the list (I pronounce more like Seer at the start)

Top -Rowena. It’s a great, strong name.
Bottom -Esme. Just bleurgh and twee.

@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 Esme nice but popular Eliza see Esme Tilda rice Rowena lovely Cordelia bit much Orpah not sure Iona lovely Eila/isla lovely Imogen just don't like it Saoirse lovely

I think my favourite is Rowena, I don't think I know one and it's lovely.

Rowena and Cordelia are my favourites. Not overused but pretty and substantial at the same time.

Eve is lovely but Eve, Evie, Ava, Eva names have been very popular recently. Iona, Eila/Isla, Imogen and Saoirse are OK.

Esme, Eliza, Tilda, Orpah are all a bit harsh IMO - just my personal taste.

Wow! So it’s a bit marmite but plenty of Rowena love on here. Thanks all! I think I have a top pick or at least a forerunner for the moment.