Edit down my long shortlist

[SherbertLemons]

DP and I are expecting our first child in the spring. We are not going to find out the sex and have a boys name picked out (miraculously as we don't agree on many names).

However, our naming styles are very different and, so far, there are no girls names we both love. We have, therefore, both spent some time each making a long "short" list of names we like and have said we will edit it down to our favourite 5. Then come together and try and pic something we both like from the list of 10. It's a bit long winded but honestly we couldn't agree on anything so we have to start somewhere lol.

Baby's surname will be three syllable starting ring with an 'H' ending in 'son'.

So here is MY long ish list. Which 5 would you take forward and which ones would you get rid of.

ELENA (pronounced e-LEN-a)
ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
ELODIE
ELOISE
EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
IMOGEN
ISLA
JULIETTA
LEILA
LILY
MAEVA
SOPHIA

Thanks everyone!

Either of the Eleanor names
Isla

Does your DH not like any of your 10?

I like Eleanor and Sophia. I really do not like Maeva or Emmeline.

ELENA
ISLA
LILY
SOPHIA
LEILA.

Elena will be pronounced E-LAY-na, so if you don’t like that, scrap it straightaway. Eleanor I also dislike (but this may be more to do with bad associations…), Isla and Sophia are EXTREMELY popular, whether that bothers you or not is another matter.

Given all of that, my top 5 are:

ELOISE
EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
IMOGEN
MAEVA

I love the name Eloise. I like Imogen, Isla and Sophia as well. Those names were all on my long list too!

I like Elena best. Followed by Eloise (although I prefer Elise) and then Eleanor.

Elodie
Imogen
Maeva
Leila if pronounced lee-lah
Emmeline

Lily and Sophia

I like Eloise, Eleanor and Imogen

Eleanor is by far the best name on the list,
much nicer than Elena too.

Eloise
Imogen
Emma

Isla and Sophie are nice but massively overused.

the only one I don't like is Maeva which I think is out sorts with your other names, and quite ugly compared to the others

EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
JULIETTA

Eleanor or Lily

Get rid of
Elena
Élodie
Isla
Maeva
Sophia
Leila

Change spellings to Maeve, Juliette, Heloise.

As the aim is a name you both like, what names does he like?

For example if he likes Sarah, Claire and Louise I’d say you’d be sensible to suggest Emma from your list.

I would keep Elena, Imogen, Lily, Sophia & Leila.

I’m not keen on your list , I like Leila and Eloise ( but prefer Elise ) and love Juliet but not Julietta .

Emma that's the only one I like

Keep:
IMOGEN
SOPHIA
ELEANOR
ELODIE
LILY
EMMELINE
EMMA

Lose:
ELOISE
ISLA
JULIETTA
LEILA
MAEVA
ELENA

I like Imogen best from your list. I would keep Imogen, Emma, Eleanor, Lily. If pushed for a fifth I’d pick Eloise but I don’t love it.

Just for me personally, I’d cut any names where you have added how to pronounce it. Stuff like Eleanor pronounced Ellena. Most people will say it as El-a-nor.

I like Sophia, Isla & Lily but they’re very popular if that bothers you.

Imogen is my favourite of the bunch. Not frilly or wishy washy, nice and strong sounding. I also like Juliet but find Julietta a bit ott.

I only like Eloise. But I do really really like it.

What's his list?

I'm not really keen on any of them. Maybe I've got similar taste to your DP.

My top 5 are:

ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
EMMA
ISLA
LILY
SOPHIA

I love Maeve but not Maeva.

Are you in a part of the country where there is a likelihood that people will drop the H on your surname?
I'm from 'the North' and in my local accent a name ending in a soft vowel before a name like 'Arrison or 'Enderson etc would really not work well.
Thus a name ending with a consonant or a Y sound would be preferable.
Imagine Ellena 'Arrison for example.

If you have a 3 syllable surname 3 or 1 syllable first name is probably best, so:

Keep
Imogen - classic not overused
Juliet or Julia (much less fussy than Julietta)
Emmeline - bit of the moment, but nice
Emma - a perennial
Eleanor - with your standard spelling and pronunciation. Overused but lovely.

Chuck
ELENA - it will mostly get pronounced Ellena also, you might as well stick to classic spelling above.
ELODIE - faddy and fussy
ELOISE - sweet.. but a bit fussy.
ISLA - nice enough but so overused, will date.
JULIETTA - too fussy, but simpler variations nice
LEILA- Lola, Lara, Lyra, Lena, Lila -all blur into one
LILY - as above, but especially wet, and overused
MAEVA - fussy version of Maeve, which will date
SOPHIA - lovely but way overused

@SherbertLemons

DP and I are expecting our first child in the spring. We are not going to find out the sex and have a boys name picked out (miraculously as we don't agree on many names).

However, our naming styles are very different and, so far, there are no girls names we both love. We have, therefore, both spent some time each making a long "short" list of names we like and have said we will edit it down to our favourite 5. Then come together and try and pic something we both like from the list of 10. It's a bit long winded but honestly we couldn't agree on anything so we have to start somewhere lol.

Baby's surname will be three syllable starting ring with an 'H' ending in 'son'.

So here is MY long ish list. Which 5 would you take forward and which ones would you get rid of.

ELENA (pronounced e-LEN-a)
ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
ELODIE
ELOISE
EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
IMOGEN
ISLA
JULIETTA
LEILA
LILY
MAEVA
SOPHIA

Thanks everyone!

Favourites: Elodie, Eloise, Emmeline, Lily, Elena

Lose: Maeva, Julietta, Imogen