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!

My favourites are Sophia, Leila, Emma and Lily. Some of the ones I've got rid of are names that I like but are too long for a 3-syllable surname.

Keep:

ELODIE
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
IMOGEN
ISLA
MAEVA

I love the name Elena - I’m half Italian and it would be my favourite Italian name with the Italian pronunciation. But people will pronounce it El—ayna. See any Maggie Gylenhaal interview Re her new film adapted from an Elena Ferrante story.

Eleanor is El a nor
Elena is E lay na
I have never heard of your pronunciation of Eleanor, especially as this is my sisters name.

To take forward:-

Elena
Eleanor
Elodie
Leila
Sophia.

Eleanor is the only one I like

ELENA (pronounced e-LEN-a)
ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
ELODIE
ELOISE

Get rid of ALL the El- names. Because she will end up as one of the three billion Ellies still being churned out. You have much better options!

EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)

Prefer Emma. Emmeline is just a fussy version of it. But don't love.

IMOGEN - Ok. Don't love it. If you do it's fine.

ISLA - Was hugely popular a decaded ago. Sounds a bit naff now.

JULIETTA - Juliet, Juliette yes, love this, but the 'a' makes it madly fussy.

LEILA - Bit drab. Don't like it much.

LILY - Way too popular.
MAEVA - Again, what's with all the added 'a' endings? Maeve is lovely. Maeva is fussy and OTT.

SOPHIA - Too popular. Much prefer Sophie which seems far less overused.

I'd go for Sophie, Juliette, or Emma.

✅ ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
✅ ELODIE
✅ ELOISE
NO EMMA
NO EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
✅ IMOGEN
NO ISLA
NO JULIETTA
DEF NO LEILA
NO LILY
DEF NOMAEVA
✅ SOPHIA

It would be interesting to know what boys name you've chosen & what's on your DH's list...

I would keep:

ELODIE
IMOGEN
JULIETTA
LEILA
SOPHIA

I'd take forward (in order of preference)

1. JULIETTA
2. MAEVA
3. LILY
4. ISLA
5. LEILA
6. SOPHIA

I'd cut:

ELENA (pronounced e-LEN-a)
ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
ELODIE
ELOISE
EMMA
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen)
IMOGEN

LEILA OR SOPHIA

Keep:

Elodie
Imogen
Emmaline
Leila

Thank you so much everyone for your input!

@Peccary you are right, there are a lot of similar "El" sounding names so we have discussed this over the weekend. I know "El" they are popular but this really doesn't bother us one bit. Whilst, for associations reasons, I'm not keen on Ellie we both really like "Elle". We are now considering going with this as it was a name we originally both liked but we didn't put it on our list because it doesn't go with our choice of boys name (Evan). However, my partner, rightly, pointed out that we may not have another child and if we do they may be the same sex as the first, so why don't we just use Elle as we both love it and we should work with what we have right now and not worry about future children who may not even be. I see the logic.

So we are considering going with "Elle". I know not everyone likes it; yes I know it means "she" in French. But I think it's really pretty and elegant. It's not set in stone but it's really nice to talk about a name with DP and is both like it!

Elena was my favourite from the list. Perhaps we could use it as a middle name. Julietta is a family name (I'm half Italian) so another possible middle spot.

Thanks everyone for your input. You guys are great!

Eloise
Emma
Emmeline
Imogen
Leila

My only reservation is that Imogen H--son sounds like a near rhyme. Eloise is underused and would give the option of Elle as a nickname.

I like Eloise
But prefer Louisa
I like Julietta
But I prefer Julianna or Julianne or Julia or Julie
I love Elodie
I love Emmeline
I like Isla
Don’t care for Lily or Imogen or Emma
I like Eleanor but not pronounced as you say and also prefer Elinore.

I also like these names that I think have the same vibe:
Elin
Evelyn
Helen
Eve
Isadora

Lily
Emma
Isla
Elodie
Sophia

ELENA
ELEANOR
ELOISE
EMMA
LILY

Eleanor or Imogen.

Easy.

I had some of your names on my lists, but only had boys. I love Eleanor, Eloise, Emmeline and Imogen. For the fifth I would choose either Emma or Sophia. I don't like Maeva at all, and I'm not very keen on Leila either.

Top 5 are Emma, Lily, Isla, Imogen and Sophia.

I like Ella and Elle too - but makes in their own right (ie. Not as a shortening for Eleanor)

I would pick Elodie, Julietta, Leila, Lily and Eloise.

My favourites are:
EMMELINE
IMOGEN
JULIETTA
LILY
MAEVA

Get rid:
ELENA (pronounced e-LEN-a)
ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena)
ELODIE
ELOISE
EMMA
ISLA
SOPHIA

I love Leila but to me it sounds strongly arabic. Perhaps having lived in the middle east where it's extremely popular.

Pretty names. You will get a lot of mixed opinions here which might confuse you even more but good luck :)

ELEANOR (pronounced Ellena) Yes
ELODIE Yes
ELOISE Yes
EMMELINE (pronounced - 'leen) Maybe

Maeva