Overthinking names and going crazy..

[Leeloo1233]

I gave birth to my beautiful daughter recently and she still doesn't have a name. We couldn't agree on a name before she was born and now I think I'm losing my mind overthinking all of our options and it's causing me a lot of anxiety.

I can give you an example of how my brain is working atm:

Lydia - lovely old family name, but what about chlamydia, Aunt Lydia and it being a bible name

Maia - my dh's favourite, but all the endless spelling and pronounciation issues

Olivia/Lily/Amelia - nice but can't use since too common

Elsie - lovely and vintage, but also a nn and only suitable for a little girl?

Matilda - gorgeous strong and old name, but also don't like any of the obvious nicknames, she would be called Tilda which I heard could be 'dildo' in high school

Vivian- too masculine and Vivienne too feminine

How can I possibly decide on a name for my perfect daughter that can have so many negatives included, I don't even know which name I like anymore. Please help :(

Maia/Maya/Mia is everywhere!
Lydia is way better

Love the name Lydia

I prefer Elsie out of them all.I find Matilda really clunky and hard sounding although I like Tilly as a nn

Matilda is lovely. The dildo thing is a stretch too far. I don't see the connection to be honest

Marnie?
Delilah?
Audrey?
Jemima?
Clementine?
Verity?

Lovely list. Listen to what your heart says, not your head and pick that. Congratulations

How about Eliza?

I understand! We were the same with DD1, went way over time, but luckily finally landed on a name we both loved. I still think it’s great. However, DD2 arrives in September and I am going round the houses again.

On your list, Elsie is suddenly very popular where I live. Lydia is nice, particularly with a family connection.

Oh and the only Matilda I know is called Mattie, not Tilda.

I have a Matilda Joy. We call her Mattie or Match. My two year old calls her Mattie Moo. I love the name!

Lydia is beautiful. The chlamydia thing is definitely overthinking.

I’d avoid Matilda to be honest. Nice enough name but massively overused. Dd is friends with five of them.

I’ve never heard the chlamydia thing, you’re definitely overthinking that one !

Christina has been mentioned on here a couple of times recently, and I think Chrissie is a lovely name for a little girl/ teen/ adult.

Lydia is my favourite of your list also Elsie (live Elspeth...my favourite aunt) quite like the Elizabeth idea as gives optikns and Matilda (know a tilly/tilda/mattie) all very cool different ages....
The others seem blander although ok but all in every class at least 1!

I'm not keen on any of your names tbh. I named my daughter in a similar hormonal haze 20 years ago and definitely regret it. With hindsight, I'd say choose a classic, lesser used but sophisticated and beautiful name. They can't go wrong with it throughout life. For example, Laura, Anya, Laurel, Rosalind, Hazel, Heidi. Lydia to me is a frumpy name with the awful harsh 'lid' sound. Matilda is ok but not particularly pretty imo. Olivia etc, definitely not!

Lydia- chlamydia has never crossed my mind. I have a friend with a Lydia, and a secondary age DS, there’s been opportunity for this!!

Maia - I don’t think this spelling is too confusing is it?

Olivia/Lily/Amelia - Common for a reason though, because they are nice names!

Elsie - very sweet. It was DH’s DGM’s name. She always wanted a less sweet name - we have a DNiece (her DGD) named Ellen affectionately known as Elsie.

Matilda - Dildo, really?? Again, I live with a high school boy. This has never come up.

Vivian/Vivienne - Vivien?

There’s no point trying to think of ‘cruel’ nicknames she could be called. If another kid want to give her one it doesn’t need to be associated with her name. This may sound harsh but my point it give her a name you like and don’t worry about the future.
All the names on your list are lovely and are normal. She’s not going to be teased for any of them

How about Freya

Have you tried actually calling her by those names?
You seem to favour Matilda (which I love) so start from there. Call her Matilda for a few days and see how it feels x

I’m normally a lurker but had to comment on this as it I have just gone through the same thing naming my own daughter.

Don’t feel pressured to make a quick choice, no matter how hard pressed you feel to make a decision. Social media can wait, it’s much better to wait until the anxiety ‘fog’ passes and you can think clearly- I wish I’d have done that instead of rushing.

Although the name we eventually chose for our daughter is pretty and timeless, it it is one of the more common names and as some mumsnetters have put, ‘dull and overused’.

In contrast, I absolutely love my eldest daughter’s name which is still in the ‘classic and feminine’ genre but less popular and we always get compliments on it.

I can’t help but wish I’d have gone with my other choice which happened to be Matilda. Great meaning, can be used in full or lots of options for nn, Tilly being my favourite. I’ve never heard of the dildo reference being used.

Go with your gut OP!

Honestly, I think you’ve got a beautiful list of names and you can’t really go wrong with any of them - it’s so easy to drive yourself mad on it, but they’re all lovely! The negative associations you’ve mentioned on Lydia and Matilda seem pretty niche to me, and so I wouldn’t let those stop you. I also really love Elsie, and agree with some of the other posts that you could always use it as a nickname for Elizabeth/ Elspeth / Eliza - but sounds good to me on it’s own too.

People will have favourites on this thread, but I do think you’re onto a winner whichever you pick

Another one who had a great grandmother called Elsie - that was her full name. It's lovely, quite popular due to the "old lady" name trend, but all names come around in cycles!

I always loved the name Matilda (nicknamed Tilly or Matty maybe), so doesn't have to be Tilda as other people have said. Also really like Lydia, particularly if it has meaning to you.

I think Lydia is lovely and very underused I wouldn't ever connect it with chlamydia I 100% think you are over thinking it

I also really like Matilda and Amelia from your list

Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I have been so anxious about this I have hardly been able to sleep or eat.

We have now narrowed it down to:
Lydia
Elsi (spelled without an E as is common in my country)
Alma
Freya

Few additions so not really making the list shorter. Now just have to somehow pick one

I’d choose Lydia, lovely name with lots going for it. I do like Freya too although it’s massively popular at the minute, no. 5 in the UK I believe. Not keen on the other two. Good luck.

Well as a dedicated team Matilda (as I have one) I would have to go for Freya. Yes it’s popular, but that’s for a reason, it’s a lovely name.
But I do think you’re overthinking this a bit, I say it with only kindness, the names you like are completely normal, so go with what your gut likes beat.