DH has vetoed my girls names because they’re “too middle class”

[MonicaFaloolaGeller]

I’m gutted!

We have a son called Edward, I’m currently pregnant with no. 2. Pretty much got a boy’s name locked in but still shortlisting girls.

Two girls names I said I loved are Ophelia and Arabella. Both go fine with our surname.

He said no to both on account of them being too posh/middle class. Nothing wrong with the names themselves, just the association (in his mind).

He has a thing about anything he thinks is too middle class (even though he is, by definition, middle class himself.)

Can anyone think of names in the same vein that I would like that won’t offend DH’s ridiculous class sensibilities?

Other names I like are

Alexandra
Evelyn (with a short “ev” like in never)

DH so far has said he likes Orla and Georgia. I’m not into Orla, and don’t like Georgia.

Middle names Mary, Rose.

Why not use your choice Arabella but shorten it to Bella or Ella if he would prefer either of those.

I love the name Evelyn, it's beautiful .
I also had Daisy
Alice
Jocelyn
.. on my list....wait til she is born, her face will tell you what her name should be.
Nothing funnier seeing a miserable whining kid called Joy 😂

Finola
Emilia
Romilly
Aurora
Jocelyn
Clara
Mirabel

I love Orla and would probably have gone with the original spelling too if we’d had a girl (post-Brexit-obtained Irish passport helps in the ‘I’m not being pretentious, honest’ stakes over here too). Wasn’t massively keen on the ‘princessy’ connotations though and it is now fairly ubiquitous.

I wouldn’t tie your suggestions into class, they suggest literary love to me, which I think is ace. In the same vein, and with an ‘e’ sound, how about Eleanor (Ellie)? Ellie Rose sounds lovely. Or you could go with LoTR spelling, Elanor..! I also loved Emmeline (as in, Pankhurst), Emmie for short, but husband would have vetoed it (ironically, pah). I would suggest Emilia (again, Emmy - love it) for the Shakespeare fan, but guessing it’s currently too commonplace for you, or you wouldn’t have needed to create this thread!

I don't know if it would make a difference, but iirc, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have a daughter named Arabella.

I agree with your husband sorry, they are both names that are trying too hard.

Margot
Laura
Elizabeth
Bethan

Oh also approving of pp suggestion of going Arabella and nicknaming Ella

Ophelia and Arabella are not middle class. Theure pretentious twaddle from people trying to sound cleverer than they are and failing terribly.

PPS (sorry!) re Orla, you could always do Irish spelling on birth certificate and phonetic spelling at school etc.

Audra
Althea
Astra
Lyra
Agree Cordelia is classic, only has one spelling, but has lots of options for shortening (Delia, Dee, Lia, Cory, Cora).

There's a lot to wade through this evening, do let us know if you find one you agree on!

My DD is a Harriet. Named for a great grandmother.

We're definitely not middle class, and on her first day at school, she turned out to be one of 3 in her year. So much for me worrying that her name might make her stand out.

Ophelia and Arabella are lovely names, stick to your guns.

Arabella and Ophelia have definitely been taken over by the working class. A very bad family at my daughters schools little girl is an Ophelia

I don't know about middle class but they all seem very 80s/90s Jilly Cooper.
Names i had vetoed by exh
Santino (Sonny)
Leonora
Stella
Edith.

Still peed 30 years on.

Arabella is nice like Arabella Weir.

Emily?

Oh God, don't call her Ophelia, I was at school with one and she got "O feel ma Balls" or "O feel ma cock" all the time.
Arabella is a bit too try hard but doesn't quite get there, a bit like Sheridan in keeping up appearances.

Just move up a name class so the “middle class names” become more appealing? some to start you off :
Genevieve ( prounced the french way of course)
Idabelle
Lettuce

Middle class isn't posh

Arabella is a bit too try hard

Try hard to be what? It’s a really old name.

Isabel, Annabel, Eleanor, Phoebe,Bella, Ella, Anna.
Edward is quite posh IMO. I work in primary and names are quite elaborate these days and so varied. I think your DH is worrying too much.

Aria
Rosalia
Florence
Valentina
Liliana
Kitty

We have Lilian and Ella :)

He’s a bit of a mix:-

Alisha, Anastasia, Addison, Bella, Brianna, Blake, Caroline, Cadance, Dorita, Della, Daisy, Donna, Elsie, Ellis, Emily, Feodora, Flur, Fiona, Ffion, Gia, Heather, Imogen, Judith, Keris, Kendal, Luna, Lara, Lorna, Mila, Natasha, Nova, Odette, Penelope, Quinn, Rae, Reign, Reagan, Rebecca, Sally, Tianna, Violet, Willow, Yvette, Zara

What's wrong with middle class names? they can always be tweaked. Our DS is Charles; he's been Charlie since he was 10, and can choose how to introduce himself. It was a family name for both sides of the family. the child makes the name their own.