Our girls list

[Jellybella]

Hi all,

Baby due in a few weeks and don't know what we're having. Struggling with both girls and boys names but probably more so with girls. This is our list so far, does anyone have any thoughts or additional suggestions. I feel we need to shorten the list down a bit.

Florence
Marnie
Grace
Erin
Ria
Arabella
Clara
Ivy
Sophia
Mia
Abigail
Lavinia
Bethany/Bethan

I think Florence is lovely , as is Clara or Grace or Lavinia . Had I had a girl I would have gone for Celia which isn't popular , But if I am to be honest , not keen on Ria or Mia apart from that I do not think you can go wrong. ( My opinion only & your baby so ignore me )

My favorites are Marnie and Grace.
Marnie is a little 'different', edgy and a name that will suit all ages.
Grace is a timeless classic.
My third choice would be Abigail.
My least favourite is Ria. It's a bit nothing somehow and actually makes me think of diarrhea.
Lavinia reminds me of lavatory. Sorry.

Flora as a nn for Florence is lovely
Bethany
Clara
Abigail

Agree that lavinia though a lovely sound just reminds of lav.
Rhea - diarrhoea
Sophia and Grace nice but just too popular
Erin, ivy and Arabella - not keen

Congratulations!!

my thoughts (for what they're worth) are

Florence (goes through the generations of our family, so I'm fond of it).

Marnie (sorry, don't like it, at all)

Grace (nice)
Erin. (Don't like. It's too 'worthy' for my liking)

Ria (my cousin called her DD this & 20 years on it still seems like 'not a proper name' )
Arabella (if you can imagine yourself using her full name & not shortening it to Bella. Quite 'posh' sounding so depends where you live whether she'll fit in or get teased)
Clara. Love!!

Ivy (not unless you're giving birth to a 98 year old or a plant)
Sophia (hmmm 'ok')

Mia (NO, but that's for personal reasons)
Abigail(it's ok)
Lavinia (nope)
Bethany/Bethan (it's ok IF you don't mind Beth)

Thanks all, appreciate the thoughts. Interesting to know how others react to names I think.

Florence and Lavinia are both family names but we have had the same thoughts about Lavatory/Lav so probably ruled out

I have a grace and am trying to convince DH that Marnie is a good option for our second baby due in a few weeks so those two are my faves!

Mia is simple yet beautiful, love it.

l like Marnie, Clara and Ivy best - although I think Marnie is better as a nn for Marina

I like Bethan too (more than Bethany)

I quite like Arabella - but there are a lot of Bella names about, it won’t stand out much from the 5 million Isabel/las, it might date a bit. And it is VERY frilly.

Grace is a nice classic. Done to death as a middle name but not so much as a first name.

Abigail is alright, but she’ll inevitably be Abi which is a bit dull

Lavinia is nice enough, but I’d worry a bit about Lav as a nn

I would dump
Mia - done to death
Sophia - ditto
Erin - dated / 90s
Ria - bit low rent and made up / nothing-y

Oh Florence - it’s ok. Bit prissy. Middle name if it’s a family name.

Grace, Erin, Ivy and Sophia are my favourites(no particular order).

Lavinia Marnie and Clara are really nice.
Sophia and Grace too overused
Ivy isn’t a very nice plant and reminds me of Ivy Tilsley in Coronation street

I love Florence, Clara and Abigail. I also like Ivy, Arabella, Sophia and Grace.

Love Marnie out of those on your list. Lovely name and one you don't hear very often.

Grace or Clara are the nicest names on your list in my opinion. Bethany and Marnie aren't my cuppa. How about Raya rather than Ria?

Marnie, Erin and Clara are my favourite.

The others either have bad connotations or every other child has that name at the moment.

I would eliminate
Marnie
Erin
Mia
Bethan/y
None are particularly attractive imo. Marnie especially so.

I love Clara and Ivy from your list.

Otterly

Florence — like it. Not too popular though I know of one or two.
Marnie — it’s cute and retro but is it versatile and wearable enough for her whole life? I feel like it’s a name I’d get fed up of after a while — nice for a toddler, but I’d think a grown woman might need a more formal name to fall back on.
Grace — meh, so many
Erin — bit dated (sounds v late 90s/early 2000s to me)
Ria — makes me think of Rita. Not massively keen.
Arabella — nice but make sure you like the diminutives. Every second kid at primary school these days is called Bella it seems like!
Clara — nice, classic, understated and elegant, not too popular. Very much in a similar vein to Florence for me. Know a couple but not many.
Ivy — despite the vogue for grandma names, I still can’t get on board with this one. Makes me think of old ladies at church.
Sophia — very very popular. Will date. One of this past decades “Sarah and Helen” names (along with Olivia, Amelia and Isabella).
Mia — meh. Super popular and getting dated.
Abigail — okay; nice enough to be unusual but still classic. Not my fave but a sound option.
Lavinia — fussy and still a bit dusty. Massively prefer Lydia or Lucinda.
Bethany/Bethan — sounds a bit dated to me — very much of the “Erin and Megan” era of the late 90s/early 2000s if you’re not Welsh.

In conclusion — Florence or Clara win it for me, with Arabella and Abigail in the second tier. Florence Abigail? Clara Florence? All good combinations! Good luck OP!

I like Bethany, Sophia and Grace best.

Naomi
Louisa
Emma
Victoria
Tilly
Margot
Stella

I love Marnie

my Sisters little girl is called Arabella-Florence. She is usually called Ara or Flo. And I love her name

Like: Abigail, Florence
OK : Marnie, Grace (not as middle name)
Don't like; Mia, Ria, Ivy, Lavinia, Bethan/Bethany, Clara, Erin

Arabella - too long
Sophia - too popular

Florence - quite like it. Not so keen on Flora which most Florences get.
Marnie - not keen. Doesn't seem like a finished name but I think it is one.
Grace - really like it. But I would worry about the child not being graceful!
Erin - really like it. Underused, I think.
Ria - not keen. I don't like the sound.
Arabella - really like it. Quite posh.
Clara - it's ok.
Ivy - love it. I know it's supposed to be super popular now but I don't know many.
Sophia - really like it.
Mia - quite like it. Nicer than Ria, I think, but still not that keen on the ee-a sound.
Abigail - love it.
Lavinia - don't like this, not sure why. Makes me think of mean, posh girls.
Bethany/Bethan - I really like Bethan but not Bethany. Even though they're similar

I would choose Ivy or Abigail. With Erin as a close third.

Florence - nice but very popular
Marnie - pretty, it’s a cool name because it’s lovely while also feeling like it’s not trying to be lovely 😁 it’s unfussy
Grace - done to death
Erin - nice but a bit dull. Prefer Merryn
Ria - strongly dislike
Arabella - very pretty
Clara - very pretty but very popular
Ivy - done to death
Sophia - done to death
Mia - done to death
Abigail - feels dated
Lavinia - ‘lav’ would be her nickname, sounds like a toilet
Bethany/Bethan - Bethany is lovely

I love Florence, Marnie, Arabella, Clara and Bethany

Love Florence, Clara and Ivy!