Choosing a name

[Ajm95]

I’m currently 35wks/3days pregnant and choosing a name for our second is hard!
Our first daughter is Freya but choosing a name for this little one we cant decide which one we like Esmée or Ava?
my husband said if we go for Ava, to use Esmee as middle name but doesn’t really sound right!

Ava

Esmee will spend her life correcting people on the spelling and pronunciation.

I voted Esmee since I like it better than Ava. That said, are you fine with your kid dropping accent very often from her official documents IF she moves to country that doesn't allow accents on documents?

Ava is an extremely popular name where I'm from, and has about 10 different variations and spellings so my vote is firmly with Esmée. Fabulous name.

Esme goes better with Freya in my opinion. Lovely names 😊

Ava is better than Esmee but it’s soooo overused. Especially as every Ava seems to be an Ava Rose or Ava May/Mae or Ava Grace.

Freya is a gorgeous name. Esme goes really well with it, in face I know 4 sets of girls with those names.

we was thinking about this too.

I’ve seen it spelt as Esmae? So wasn’t sure if this would help?

we was thinking about this too.

I’ve seen it spelt as Esmae? So wasn’t sure if this would help?

Give your child a name that everyone can say and spell. It’s a gift to your child that keeps on giving. Trust me, I know.

How about Eva, Dora, Chloe, Ella, Juliette.

I voted Esmee but I'd spell it the most usual way - Esme.
Esme Evangeline
Esme Genevieve
Esme Angelica

Freya and Esme sound well together.

Other names you might like..
Adele
Anneke
Lola
Allegra
Ester
Elspeth
Tess
Ellen

I feel like this is a troll post because everyone always gets het up about Esme / Esmee / Esmé / Esmée / Esmae (the last one you've just made up)

The spelling is a nightmare, the pronunciation is a nightmare. Don't use an accent unless you're French, obviously. We don't have that letter in the English language and it will just get left off all the time.

Esme or nothing. And will you say it ez-may or ez-mee?

not troll. I like the name Esmée as it’s different and wanted something different. I don’t know of any children have that name. I live in England (Kent). Also work in a school so I know there’s a lots of names being used over and over. I don’t want that. That’s why we went for Ava or Esmée

@Ajm95 if you are looking for a different name, don't choose Ava. I'm a teacher and know at least 5 in every year

You didn't want a name that's used over and over so you went with Ava?? I know about nine of them and I don't work in a school, it's just that common!

I have a Freya, and I'd go with Esme of the two if I had to pick between those two, but another Nordic/Scandi name would suit better I think (saying that, it would be more important to me as my Freya has Nordic heritage, if you don't I suppose it doesn't matter as much!) Astrid, Frida, Ingrid, Alva, Runa, Ylva etc.

But Esme is better than Ava, especially if you don't want an overdone name (definitely not Esmae though)

Ava is really overused. Would you consider Enya?

Name popularity varies all over the country. I've been teaching for 15 years and have never taught an Ava. So if OP feels it isn't popular where they are, it probably isn't.

Most of the super popular names around me fall between 20-50 in terms of national popularity, yet I can guarantee if I started a thread asking (for example) "Ava or Harper?", "Amelia or Penelope?" or "Lily or Mila", everyone would say "go for Harper/Penelope/Mila, the other one is way too popular" 🙄. Yet where I am, the opposite would be true.

If someone was bothered about national popularity I don't think they'd have a national top 5 name on their list. Many people don't care about national popularity though, as long as they don't already know loads personally. Everyone is different.

Agree, because Ava is simple but also overused it becomes a boring name when the child gets older. No person wants a boring name. Esme spelling is the best. It’s popular enough that people know how to pronounce it without the accent.

I don't like Ava. Esmee is OK, but it will get spelt in a few different ways and said as Ezmy, Esmay etc. The Esmae spelling is awful.

Even if there aren’t loads of Avas where you live, when you grow up and go to work she’ll be surrounded by them. A bit like how I work with hundreds of Sarahs and Lauras.

@SossijRoll , all with the middle name Jane probably.

The Avas will probably be Ava Grace, Ava May or Ava Rose.

I'm a Freya and my sister is Esme (we are in our forties though). I think Ava is really pretty.

Babies called Ava in England & Wales since 1996 (darkgreener.com)
Freya and Ava sound like standard names for 2 sisters born in 2010-2024.

Freya and Orla go well together. I find the Fray-uh and Ay-vuh a bit too similar.

This. ^^

I voted for Ava but really like both names. Or how about Erin? I know siblings called Freya and Erin, and always thought they go beautifully.