Husband thinks the name Lily is " too old fashioned"

[Hdaniels11]

My husband and I have two completely different tastes he tends to prefer the modern american style names and i prefer the classics.
We narrowed down the list to two names
Lily (my choice) Paisley (his choice)

I don't necessarily hate Paisley but it just reminds me of the place in Scotland. we are really struggling and can't come to an agreement.
My favourite off my list is Lily but he says he used to have an 80 year old neighbour called Lily and it reminded him of an old woman, even tho i explained to him that it is not looked at in that way these days whatsoever.

Any name suggestions for names that we might both like?

Has anyone got any name suggestions that we would both equally like?

Lily made a big come back a couple of decades ago and was one of those trendy old lady sort of names. Paisley makes me shudder, and you’re right, it’s not a great place to be named after!
Scarlett
Megan
Molly
Ruby
Darcy
Marley
Leonie
Jasmine
Harper
Alexis / Lexi
Macy
Skye

Not that my opinion will matter to him but I completely disagree. While I don't like the name personally to me Lily is one those names where it was very old fashioned its now became modern. Therefore Lily is the perfect mixture of old fashioned yet modern.
Names you may both like.
Eden
Hannah
Cleo.
Nina
Olivia
Eliza.
Isabel.

Marlowe.
Alicia.
Marcie.

Paisley is awful. Lily is one of my faves too.

how would DH feel about something like:
Liliana
Lilia
Lilianne

then you can always have Lily as nickname but the full names are more “modern”

Rosalie
Lilah
Marcie
Marnie

@emmathedilemma Lots of nice one there that cross the divide- also maybe Aimee/Amy

Lily just makes me think of Lily Allen…

Well Lily is wet IMO and very overused, but Holy Moly it’s an improvement on Paisley which is a shocker of a downmarket name - that would not be a kind or helpful thing to inflict on your daughter

Sylvie
Carey
Nancy
Ruby
Molly
Polly
Zoe
Chloe
Phoebe
Frances nn Frankie
Cleo
Juno
Lois
Carys
Annis
Caitlin
Robin
Rowan
Aislinn (Ash-lin)
Jocelyn
Jasmine
Stella
Astra
Aster
Anya
Katya
Clara
Cara
Ciara (keer-ruh)
Philippa nn Pippa
Jessamy
Verity
Leonie

I like Lily / Lilly but it is so overused. Hate Paisley.

I think you both need to go back to the drawing board----you can't really choose a name that either of you actively dislikes.

Can you give us the lists of names that you both initially thought of before narrowing down, so that we can get an idea of your respective tastes and suggest some more?

I teach a bazillion Lilys age 11-16, if that helps.

Hallie
Hayley
Hadley
Hollie
Hollis
Hazel
Marley
Marlowe
Mira
Mila
Lucy
Lara
Lyra
Lela
Layla
Lilah
Delilah
Delia
Della
Daisy
Isla
Indya
Aria
Aurora
Ivy
Emery
Ellery
Sadie
Skye

Lily is beautiful and classic. Paisley is just weird - it is a place in Scotland and that funny swirly patterrn from the 1960s. It's a bit dated. She'd probably be called Parsley. Are you even Scottish?

What about Lillian? Or you could be bold and go with Lilith the primordial she-demon?

Zoe
Annie
Freya
Heidi
Nina
Cassie
Lena
Katie
Grace
Jenna
Maisie

My grandmother, who was born in 1903, was called Lily. I guess that won't help! Although, as PP have said, it's pretty popular now. Even top according to this article www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/62094313 which would be reason enough not to choose it, for me.

Paisley makes me think of Ian Paisley. Not someone you want to be naming a little girl after.

Paisley's quite popular in the USA, but I think most people are thinking of the fabric or just liking the sound of the name; it doesn't have the same connotations (airport, fascists) that it has in the UK.

It's hard to say how you and your husband can compromise given that you've only told us one name each that you like/hate. But based on what you've said, I'd look for names like:

Anneli
Briony
Emily
Eilidh
Holly
Marsaili
Naomi
Romilly
Zoe

If you like surnames-as-firstname but just have a negative association with Paisley, there are loads of popular ones: Avery, Bailey, Findlay/Finley, Neely, Riley, Waverley, etc.

Lily is so overused, literally every other child where I live is a Lily, Isla or Bella

@Whattaweapon - lol, me too. But I think 99/100 American Paisleys have parents who are Prince fans.

I've met a lot of Presleys too. Much nicer associations.

I live in the US and have never met a Paisley ever. However, I've met 10 billion Lily's and have never met a teenage one who wasn't an absolute cow. Not that I'm judging lol.

What about Lilias?

'Swirly pattern from the 1960s'. Blimey.

No to Paisley.

Yes to Lily or Lilian.