My husband's list - what do you think?

[caitlinrose]

I posted names that I liked and my husband doesn't (Agatha, Astrid etc.). Now I wanted to show you the names that are on my husband's list. What do you think?

So far we are trying to find names that are in the middle somehow. I love old fashioned names and some nature names, he loves names that are a bit more on the trendy side. We are trying to compromise and names on our list so far are: Isabella, Isabelle (we still can't really decide which of these two to keep but probably Isabella), Aria, Sabrina, Cassandra, Morwenna, Ruby, Bloom (middle name only).

This is his list (some ended up on our common list but I am not really sure about Kaylie anymore as I feel like it never looks right no matter the spelling):

Kiera
Kaylie
Alexis
Samantha
Hayley
Emma
Kaya
Skyler, Skylar

Kiera and Kaylie are on our list as well. Especially Kaylie is not my style at all but I think it at least has a friendly sound even though I don't think I could agree to it in the end so might take it off.

Kiera is one I do like the sound of and it doesn't seem overly trendy to me but it feels a bit 90s and I am not sure about the spelling. Someone suggest Ciara last time and I think it looks prettier but I am worried about pronunciation issues. With Keira I wonder if it is too Knightley and Kiera seemed to be the standard form of Ciara before Knightley came along.

Alexis feels very American to me and I can't stand Alex as a nickname.

Samantha is one I would usually like (it fits into my love for mysterious sounding names such as Sabrina and Agatha) but I find it too 90s and I know way too many Sams (mostly men).

I know lots of Hayleys my own age so can't really get into it.

With Emma it does fit my style much better and I was surprised my husband likes it but I went to primary school, uni etc. with so so so many Emmas I can't even count them all.

Kaya to me is okay but I only like ky-a but fear people will say kay-a. Still it feels sort of trendy to me.

Skylar, Skyler feels trendy to me. I think I could live with just Skye but my husband just loves the sound of the full name and I can't really get on board. I can also never figure out which spelling is better.

Would be lovely to hear your comments so we can narrow it down a bit further or maybe you have some alternatives or ideas as well.

Not keen on any of these. From your list I liked Agatha. Like you I could live with Samantha, but think you probably need to have a broader list.

Agatha or Cassandra.

I remember your earlier list - these names are better for sure! Isabella and Morwenna are particularly pretty I think. I do like Ruby, but is it a bit popular just now? Kiera and Kaylie are pretty but I would probably spell them differently. Don’t like the others on his list much apart from Emma which is a classic.

I like Keira but spelled properly as Ciara.
Emma is nice and classic, but super common
Skylar and Kaya sound a bit chav

Please tell me Agatha is a joke…. Utterly horrific name for a child

One from your list - Cassandra/Sabrina/Isabelle with Emma as a middle name?

I like Cassandra.

Personally I would avoid any name that can easily be spelt incorrectly. A name that can be spelt several ways will always be spelt wrong by some - you and your child will be forever correcting people.

Think about how a name can be shortened - and whether you like that shortened name too.

Remember what is trendy now will be dated later.

Sometimes a name that can be shortened in several ways is nice as as the child grows she can decide what her friends call her and maybe have a name that's used in the family and one for school / work.

Kiera - Kira or Keira.
Kaylie - Kayleigh - very 1980s
Alexis - like but it is a bit masculne. I only know one and she's female and pre-Dynasty, and nice, but I hink Aleksis might be popular for men
Samantha - 1960 and 70s name
Hayley - 1950s and 1960s name
Emma - classic
Kaya - spell it Kaia if you want Kigh-a
Skyler, Skylar - awful

Sabrina would be the top of my list out of those by far!!!

Cassia would be a beautiful compromise.

Sorry most of those are awful, and a couple are chavtastic!!
Samantha is ok but she would be Sam. I actually like Agatha but prefer Althea or Anthea.

From your list I loved Morwenna, and from your husband's I'm struggling to find one...sorry!

Similar vibes (in my head at least) would be Kendra or Kelda, but how about Callista...or Merlyn...or Mabli?

There was a Kira in This Life, a tv series in 1996-97. This was a few years before we knew about Keira Knightley. I think she was acted by Luisa Bradshaw-White, who has been Tina in EastEnders

His list is very 30 years ago and quite chavvy tbh! Emma is ok though

Kiera - it’s quite nice. Agree Ciara is prettier and less 90s. I don’t think pronunciation is a huge issue these days as quite popular (Keira Knightly’s dad spelt it wrong on her birth cert, so that’s where that spelling comes from.)

Kaylie - Nooooo. It’s very down market. (Sorry)

Alexis - I quite like it. It’s arguably a bit close to Alexa. Would he go for Alexandra nn Alexis so she has maximum options?

Samantha - I like it actually (although not as much as Tabitha and Sabrina), it’s quite early for a revival but you could be in the vanguard. I don’t like Sam for a girl though. I spose you could use Thea as a nn, although it’s very popular right now.

Hayley - Nooo. Like Kaylie although admittedly not as bad.

Emma - a classic. And it is lovely. Emmeline is an alternative.

Kaya - NOooo. much like Kaylie and Hayley.. these are not distinguished names. Kiera is much better, or Katya, or Cara.

Skyler, Skylar - NOOoooo - same as the above. People make assumptions about kids with these names. They shouldn’t but they do.

Isabelle is better than Isabella I think, easier to say, I love this name but it always gets shortened to Izzy which I hate.
Aria there's not much to, I like stronger names..
Sabrina - old reference but straightaway I think of Sabrina the teenage witch..
Cassandra - awful, too mouthy and posh (Cassie is okay)
Morwenna - awful, sounds like it went wrong somewhere, also makes me think of a witch
Ruby - I love, perfect
Bloom - dreadful, just isn't nice enough as a name from nature..

Your husband's names are mad - so 80s/90s, couldn't get on board with any of them at all except Emma of course, that's a classic and so beautiful but Kaya doesn't even sound like a name unless you mean Kaia? Skyler/Skylar would have slightly different pronunciations, I think Skyler is more accurate but it reminds me of an American boys name..

so overall my order would be

Favourites:
Sabrina
Morwenna
(Cassia rather than Cassandra? - much less depressing)

Quite nice
Ruby

OK
Kiera / Ciara
Alexis but only really short for Alexandra
Samantha.. but I don’t like Sam for a girl

Isabel/la is lovely but it has been done to death, so middle name only. Aria is a bit Disney princess meets GOT

Bloom is fine as a middle name

Sabrina Isabel Bloom
or Morwenna Isabel Bloom are both great

Emma from your husbands list

I love Keira.

@Luredbyapomegranate my name is Keira and that's how I spell it...I'm in my 40s so I was born before Keira Knightley! It's a legitimate spelling albeit an anglicised one.

Skyla (I know it's not exactly the same spelling as the name on your list) is the brand name of an IUD (intrauterine device).

I love Sabrina! ❤️

From your husband's list, I could probably get on board with Samantha. I like Ciara but not keen on the Kiera/Keira spelling.

Emma is lovely.

Emma and Kiera/Keira/Ciara are the nicest of your husband's list by far. I like the Ciara spelling and don't think pronunciation would be an issue.

Although I know lots of Emmas my age, I think it is much more unusual name for babies now. I think it's so much nicer than Emily/Emilia.

Samantha, Hayley, Kira I like.
I like husband's choices better than OP's.