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.

I haven't read all the pages but with Edward and Bella - you may be accused of being a Twilight fan .

Or you could wait until the baby's here and see what suits her I never get this comment. My kids look totally different to what they did at birth. Their eyes are greyish blue instead of dark blue, they have hair and it's fairer than their dark hair at birth, almost auburn in the sun.

@HoppingHamster

I’d say Ophelia and Arabella are not typical middle class, they’re generally more people trying to assert themselves as middle / upper class (whether they are or not). We live in a very very middle class area and there aren’t any/many of either of them.

Agree. I think Edward is a solid traditional name, Ophelia and Arabella are trying too hard to pretend to be something.

Olivia instead of Ophelia perhaps?

And maybe Annabel or Isabel/Isabella as an alternative to Arabella?

My family are a weird mix of upper middle class and lower class. Names like Ophelia and Arabella would be scoffed at by my UMC side. They're the kind of names that working class people think are "classy" a similar name would be Darcey.

Alexandra, Evelyn and Orla are all really nice. Do you agree on any of those three?

Arabella is an Essex beautician, part time checkout girl at ASDA. Ophelia would be the name given to a character on Made In Chelsea but her real name is Francesca or Emma or Alice or something.

How about–
Una
Evelina
Alexis
Marie
Mary or Rose would both make lovely first names
Posy
Tamsin
Katie
Tansy

Alexandra, Evelyn and Orla are all really nice.

Names are very subjective. Personally I don't find Alex, Evie or Orla very nice at all.

Op, my DP also vetoed Lydia (every time!) because he went to school with a girl who ended up with the nickname ‘Chlamydia Lydia’ and it couldn’t get passed it!

Tamsin is underused I think. And rather charming.

I love Tamsin

@Rosebanks

I love Evelyn pronounced the Irish way - one of my favourite names. However, if you are in the UK everyone will call her Eve-lyn with a long eeeee sound, which isn't as nice. A friend has this problem. She has given up correcting people.

I don't think that's true - all the Evelyn's I know are pronounced Ever-Lynn. Never heard anyone say Eve-Lyn.

There are regular threads on it @Jasmine11

Some people say Ever-lyn, , some say Ev-lyn some say Eeeev-lyn

Equally common where I live. Indeed, it never occurred to me it was the same name as a child

Ophelia reminds me of the John Everard Millais painting. (I like art) (Spoiler Alert: Things don't end well for Ophelia) So yeah, names have associations, we just have to try and get past them sometimes. Like Arabella being a terrible social climber. Sorry OP.

Ophelia is a bit wet. Also you risk it being shortened to Fe (or even worse, Fifi!).

Sorry for any repeats:

Annabell
Florence
Matilda
Martha
Penelope
Jessica
Abigail
Clara
Lucy
Louisa
Christina
Felicity
Verity
Francesca
Frances
Juliette
Julia

As well as the Ophelia, I also know an Anastasia and a Lucretia.
All very ordinary people.

There's something to be said about rocking that sort of name. You always have the option of shortening it.

@MissCruellaDeVil

So he vetoed the girls name but not Edward, which is one of the most middle class boys name I could think of. Tell DH he is being ridiculous and the names are lovely.

Maybe, but it can be shortened to Ned or Ed, which are both quite 'normal' names. I find Ophelia and Arabella very pretentious.

"all the Evelyn's I know are pronounced Ever-Lynn. Never heard anyone say Eve-Lyn."

The only one I know (who is my mum's age!) is Eeve-lyn.

I only know women with it pronounced ever-linn too, I thought eev-lin was the male version, like Evelyn Waugh.

Has your husband suggested anything or has he just vetoed everything?

Because without really knowing his taste in girls names no one can suggest anything along the middle ground.

Come on OP, tell us what you like out of all the myriad of suggestions!

Sorry for any repeats:
Amelie
Amelia
Beatrice
Cecily
Eleanor
Emilia
Felicity
Georgiana
Harriet
Hester
Imogen
Jemima
Miranda
Olivia
Ottilie
Rowena
Susannah
Tabitha
He'll probably think lots of them are middle class but they will go well with Edward!

Apologies, been out with my son all afternoon and passed out on the sofa after we got him to sleep!

I’ve been trying to avoid anything that’s mega-popular - I know Evelyn is annoyingly in fashion at the moment and Arabella went up like 30 places last year as well... grrr. Happily Alexandra is still outside the top 100 so that one is safe.

As I said DHs suggestions were Orla and Georgia- I’m “meh” on Orla, I don’t dislike it but I don’t love it - and I’d want to spell it the proper way which he’d say is just saddling the kid with a name they have to spell for people (but I’m half Irish so will always want the proper spelling of Irish names). Georgia I’d have nothing against in theory but- and this is going to sound horrifically snobby- a lot of our family is from North/East London and Essex, so they wouldn’t pronounce it Georgia so much as Jaw-ja and the thought of it just makes me shudder!

One other idea DH had was Avelyn, to rhyme with rave. I actually quite like the way it sounds and I did a bit of Googling and it is actually a name, there’s a character with that name from a rather obscure children’s book- but is it a bit too “trying to be unique”?

One difficulty is finding a name that goes well with our surname. It’s 1 syllable but quite a strong S in it so a lot of first names with S’s in don’t really sound very nice.