Girls names to go with tricky surname

[itsallaboutschmoo]

DP and I expecting first baby (both women)
We have different surnames but have agreed for baby to have DPs name because a) it's better and b) she's carrying and said child so I think has every right to call baby whatever she likes! When we get married end of next year I will take that name too.

The slight issue is DP has a very 'poetic' unusual surname along the lines of 'Ocean' or 'Star'

When trying it out with various girls names we like it has the tendency to sound either like a cartoon character or adult film star...

I think we need quite a serious sounding name to counteract this. We like things like Thea, Elinor, Noa. Boys name choice is either Otis or Rex.

Any further suggestions that might overcome this problem?

I've only seen it spelt Eleanor. You've written Noa, but is that Noah or Nora? Please don't use unusual spellings which require your child to phonetically spelt it out every time.

Do you like old fashioned names? Dorothy, Madeleine, Matilda, Rose?

I really like your suggestions! Although I love Noa as a girl’s name, there are so many Noah’s (boys) these days, that there will be a lot of confusion and misspellings.

I think Elinor is an accepted spelling.

Elinor and Noa are perfectly acceptable spellings, and both girl names. Not unusual by any means.

I actually know a few Elinor and Noas and they all happen to be Welsh, I don’t know if those spellings are more usual in Wales.

We are in Wales. Noa is also Hebrew in origin in line with my heritage.

I really like Dorothy and Matilda. They seem 'serious' enough for the surname. Anything too cutesy and it becomes a bit Wacky Races...

Love Otis.
What about

Isolde

Constance

Beatrice

Clara

Ines

Nina

Lois

Hebe

Tessa

Marina

Josephine

Anna

Flora

Clementine

Martha
Harriet
Lydia
Alice
Imogen
Francis

Megan

Lots of Elinor's on the Welsh side of my family tree. I always thought Elinor was the Welsh spelling, possibly because of the Welsh name Elin. I think Elinor is lovely.

Elizabeth
Katharine/Catrin
Margaret
Rebecca/Rebeca
Bethan
Megan
Mary (or Mari/Mair/Meira if you fancied a Welsh version)
Sara/Sara
Tess/Tessa (if you fancied a Welsh name Tesni could be shortened to Tess)
Emma
Alice/Alys

Elinor is the spelling used in Jane Austen, so it's as classic as it gets! I think it's a great choice. Elinor Ocean (for example) is pretty cool.

I also love Madeleine, Maria or Adelaide.

Good luck to you!

Aphra

Elinor is gorgeous.

Elinor is beautiful.
Beatrice
Clarissa
Adelaide

Carina
Chaya
Rachel
Jane
Caroline
Camilla
Tessa
Antonia
Claudia
Anoushka
Anouk
Georgina/Georgia
Jessica
Josephine
Anna
Gwendoline
Dinah
Pamela (too soon?)
Joan/Joanna
Jean
Vivien
Louisa
Frances/Francesca
Therese

Sounds like something with options for diminutives might be useful. So if she feels it is too Wacky Races or it somehow feels porny as she gets older than she can adopt the more formal name or switch diminutives.