Vita, cleo or tessa/tess?

[Betweentheacts1]

Struggling to choose a name for dd2. Shortlist is vita, cleo and tessa/tess. Dd1 is Greta. I don’t mind marmite names but have a few concerns about our shortlist.

Vita - too unusual/try hard? Cleo - too unserious as a name? Tessa - too bland? Tess - bad hardy associations? Also doesn’t flow with the surname.

Definitely reached the overthinking stage… not looking for new name suggestions as getting to this point has been painful enough! Thanks!

Definitely Tess or Tessa. Don’t worry the Hardy associations as few will make them. Vita and Greta too twee. Cleo seems wet.

what about Hannah?

I know a very professional and not at all wet adult Cleo so I would go with that! Vita and Greta seem a bit similar to me.

Cleo definitely my favourite!

Thanks all for thoughts!

Agree that Greta and Vita are too similar.
love Cleo and Tessa.

Would Astrid or Clementine be names you’d like?

Vita is one of my favourite names, but I do think it might be too similar to Greta. I also like Cleo (though I prefer the Clio spelling) Cleo is unserious or wet. It’s bright and strong as a name to me. Tess(a) is fine, inoffensive but not too exciting to me.

@Rainbowqueeen love astrid but dh doesn’t (plus he thinks it’s too much of a scandi theme with Greta). clementine feels a little bit too sweet for me…

Tess

@BlueKaftan i like Hannah but know too many to use the name (including family members and good friends). Reassuring re tess though thinking about it the hardy ref might be more of a problem for me personally rather than a problem because of what other people might think… hmmmm

Our tastes seem virtually identical OP - DD is also a Greta, and all of your ideas made our shortlist.

Personally I feel that, much as a I adore Vita, it’s too samey with Greta - very similar sounds. Tess/Tessa I like, but I do know what you mean by bland - it seems a bit ‘dowdy’ somehow, but I can’t quite put my finger on why - maybe because it’s so popular as a dog/pet name?

Cleo I think is wonderful although I’m another who’d spell it Clio like the muse (despite the inevitable car comments). Not flimsy or unserious at all imo, and it would definitely be my pick of the three.

Greta and Tessa is a bit too matchy for me. I prefer Cleo. Not a fan of Vita, it sounds like a brand of cheap magarine!

I love Vita and Cleo! But I prefer Cleo with Greta I think.

Please go with Tess/Tessa. Vita sounds like/it may actually be a company. I don't understand the attraction of Cleo as a name, it comes off as a cute name but could you really imagine meeting a 80 plus old women with that name?

& Consider Nita if you really like the ita ending.

@TempsPerdu yes v similar! I think I’m struggling to choose this name because I love Greta so much.

will have a think about the cleo/clio thing.

Cleo and Tessa are really nice names, I've known a couple and its than nice area of established names that aren't common.

Vita just sounds like a health supplement or an bran cereal, I think maybe its the Ryvita/Vita life assocciations for me.

Theresa, and shorten however you fancy.

The only vita I know is the one connected to Sissinghurst (photo below). I believe it was a Nick name for Victoria, so maybe Victoria, nn Vita?

I love Tessa (much prefer it to Tess) but I think it doesn’t flow so well with Greta - a bit too similar and too many Ts.
I would pick Cleo (spelled that way!), I can imagine a Cleo at every age working well.
I don’t like Vita at all, sorry, and especially not with Greta.

Greta and Tessa will not be 'Greta & Tessa' much so I wouldn't worry about that
If you had another child they'd be 'Greta, Tessa and Bobbie' or whatever

I think Tess sounds more sassy than Tessa.

But of course Tessa could also be Tess

All work well with Greta and are lovely choices so it's quite hard to pick.

Probably Tess or maybe Vita as both sound strong names in there own right to me but are also historical nn's like Greta is for Margaret (Victoria, Teresa). Tessa is a bit more wishy washy to me and Cleo/Clio sounds that touch trendier somehow (although very cool).

It depends on whether you want something that feels/sounds more distinct from Greta (Tess) or a bit closer (Vita).

Tessa/Tess is beautiful - classic, pretty unusual, straightforward. I prefer Tessa, but Tess is nice too - hardly anyone will think of Hardy.

cleo is a car model.vita sounds ugly to me.

I think Vita is a little too similar to Greta - though if you pronounce Greta as 'gretta' with a short 'e' as I would then it would be fine. They are certainly in the same style. I don't think it's too out there.

I love Tess, more than Tessa, but would rule it out if it doesn't flow with the surname.

I love Cleo too, and it goes well with Greta. I'd go for Cleo, definitely not Clio.

I know you don't want to be bombarded with other suggestions, but Margot goes beautifully with Greta...

I love the name Cleo. A friend of a friend had that name and she was lovely and I thought of it the opposite to what you're worrying about - as a solid name for a trustworthy, kind, successful type of person. PS I love the name Greta as I work with one who's a really good laugh :-)