Please help! Phoebe or Elsie (or Freya)? Baby is several weeks old

[NeedToName]

Really want to name daughter by end of this weekend. She’s several weeks old.

Looking for thoughts/preferences on Phoebe, Elsie (or perhaps Freya)?

Or any similar suggestions we may have missed?

I seem to be in quite an anxious spin about it. Want to continue to enjoy baby girl knowing and sharing her name. And move on from the naming dilemma!

Likely last child. Perhaps why I’m finding confirming her name so hard. Partner less so.

Elsie is current favourite. A new name in the mix for partner and I. I originally wrote off as “too cutesy” for want of a better phrase. It seems to suit daughter and be nice-ish to say frequently when trying out.

Phoebe is a long-term like for partner and I. Love the meaning and just found out it’s also the name of a type of bird which enhances it’s meaning for me more so. But I’m sadly not a fan of nickname Pheebs. I seem to feel inclined to shorten/adjust the name slightly when trying out, despite knowing this! A local friend of friend went with this name for their new daughter a few weeks before our baby arrived. She wouldn’t mind if we still went with it -turns out we have very similar taste. Worry we may regret not using this name in some way. Also aware we may hear it quite a bit due to the above so need to be prepared for that either way.

Freya is a name I’ve always liked/been intrigued by. I have a close friend with this name. She was the first Freya I met (approximately 20 years ago). She wouldn’t mind if we had a baby Freya. My partner isn’t so keen on this one.

I’m based in the UK, a little outside London in case helpful context.

Phoebe is the nicest.

Elsie is nice and definitely not an old lady name.

Freya is a bit dated imo.

Freya has been overused. Phoebe is nice.
Elsie is popular and is no longer an 'old lady's name'. Babies called Elsie in England & Wales since 1996 (darkgreener.com)

You could register Elsie as Elizabeth.

Phoebe. Classy. Timeless

Not overly popular but not weird

Elise as in lotus Elsie.. it's a pretty great name in car circles and the Elise that the lotus was named after is lovely.

I know a Freya as she's lovely as well.

I'd go great first, Elise second.

I've not heard of the Lotus Elsie, @whyamiawakestill . The Elise was nicknamed Lots of trouble usually serious.

Well my youngest is called Phoebe so that would be my pick. We occasional call her Pheebs or Phoebebeebee🙈😆 just within our home but no-one else ever really does. My sister occasionally maybe. I think if you only ever use the full name that's generally what people use.

Freya and Elsie and both lovely names too. I know of more Freyas and Elsies, they are certainly the more popular names of those three in our area.

Elsie won’t be seen as old-fashioned, it’s very popular at the moment and sounds very similar to the more modern Ella/Ellie/Elle/Bella type names.

I like Freya best.

Phoebe and Elsie are lovely too

Phoebe or Freya

Phoebe is lovely. Bee is a good nickname if you don’t like Pheebs.

They are babies for a hot minute, children for a little longer and adults for most of their lives. Which of those names, as an adult, would you prefer to be called?

If you want to go with Elsie then I agree with other posters and use Elizabeth on the BC.

I've got an Elsie. She's 30 now. She loves her name and she's an absolute delight. I highly recommend her name and hope your daughter grows up to be just as wonderful.

I have a Phoebe and think it’s such a great name. We were drawn to the meaning and the history of the name and I also loved the fact it’s a name of a bird. I feel like it’s such a beautiful name with a lot of interesting history. Like you though I don’t particular like pheebs. The only person who calls her it currently is her key worker at nursery, so far I’ve held off saying anything! We call her Bea as a nickname which I love and hope will stick. I think FiFi is cute too.

Saying this though I also love Freya and Elsie so I think we have similar taste! For me though Freya was a bit too popular and we just preferred Phoebe to Elsie. But I don’t think you can go wrong with either. I think you have to follow your heart here!

I much prefer Phoebe to Elsie.

Phoebe sounds like a feeble sneeze. Elsie is lovely.

Having owned a few I can testify that's 100% correct.

Let's hope OPs Elsie isn't ever referred to as a lotus ( lots of trouble usually serious 🤣)

Freya. Elsie is awful and quite popular at the minute.

Hmm they’re all popular. Freya and Elsie are overused. Especially as they’re always paired with Rose/Grace/May. Same with Phoebe.

Well, I prefer Phoebe to either of the others. As an adult, I’d much rather be called Phoebe.

Would you consider Polly? It suggests similar vibes to me.

They are all nice names; Phoebe is great though, definitely my favourite.
I wouldn’t get too hung up on nicknames either way, unless the really obvious one is actually offensive. I chose my DC name largely because I liked the nickname; I used that for maybe two or three weeks, then it just faded out, I wouldn’t even consider it to mean them now if someone called out - no one uses it at all.

Phoebe. If you never shorten it no one else will.

Phoebe, but I might be biased. I named my DD that.

What about. Imogen. ? It's a lovely name.

Also Elise rather than Elsie

I would 100% choose Elsie if it’s the name both you & your partner prefer, family will get used to it once it’s her name.

Wouldn’t be surprised if you get comments down the line that they actually prefer Elsie to Phoebe when they can’t picture her as ever being called anything else.

Also, I know a 6 month old Elsie and everyone has been very positive about the name. It’s beautiful, timeless and cute without being cutesy. Similar vibe as Nancy for me.

I don’t like Elsie. It’s a name of mine and I’m in my fifties and still don’t like it.

Phoebe is lovely, I don’t know any that get called Pheebs.

Freya is beautiful.

Maybe none of them are right?

Suggestions:

Laura
Kate
Alice
Nina
Ella
Charlotte
Zara
Genevieve

The Phoebe I know is called FiFi as a nickname, it really suits her.