DH hates the name I want - Esme

[kerala]

He says it is pretentious and disputes it is a real name . He doesnt like my second choice either. He is a lovely man and usually gives in but he is sticking on this. He wants no. 3 below, I want 1 or 2, although I like 3 too.

Current choices are:

1. Esme Anna
2. Sylvia Mary
3. Elspeth Anna

Any thoughts?!

watchit Greeny
more than one MNer choosing baby names atm
(would LOVE to see Greeny's face when I announce new baby "Dull Anna")

You are teasing me, you witch

I never slag off other people's name choices, but I feel defensive of Esme because I know a lovely one who could not be less pretentious, and it is a real name!

I adore Esme, it's a pretty and classic name, however I got one of those dreadful eternal mental links after reading Saki - grimly sardonic story, huge repercussions on naming choices

You both have Anna in your preferences so why not go for that, a lovely, classic name. I like Esme and Sylvia/Sylvie as well but if he really hates a name you'll have to compromise. have to say am not keen on Elspeth but Elsa/Elsie/Elise are nice.

But Janeite - the one I wanted to call Rowan IS a girl!

Actually, maybe you don't have to agree. My parents didn't over my sister, so Dad registered her before Mum could get out of bed after her CS!

How is Esme pretentious & Elspeth isnt? Elspeth sounds like mispelt-misspoken Elisabeth, too -- ie, something not "real"
-- [geuinely confused]

I cant/drent read any of the post we have 3 ds and would love daughter and Esme is what we would call her its beautiful unusual and vvv pretty

Have just read a book called "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox", where Esme was short for Euphemia! I like Esme.

Sylvie is lovely, Sylvia a bit old-fashioned.

Definitely Esme best out of those choices. I love it. It's Granny Weatherwax's first name in the disc world novels and she's a FAB character

Why not Anna as a first name? Seems to be the name you do both like, plus it is classic yet still sounds fresh today. It's pretty too.

Have to say that Elspeth although a great name in its own right, isn't as pretty as some of the other old-fashioned names ie Charlotte or Harriet. It would be hard to carry off. Agree though that Elsa is lovely for short.

If he hates it, you can't have it. Think how annoying it would be to give your child a name you hate.

think 'elspeth' is just as pretentious as esme tbh and not as pretty. he obv just doesn't like it and so making up a reason. i like sylvia best.

dh and i couldn't agree on ANY boys names until one week before he was born (and he was late)!

Harriet is a TOP name - love it!

I know a baby Esme and she is lovely. It's a gorgeous name, unusual without being off the wall.

ds has an Esme in his class - lovely name - def not pretentious either

Elspeth is a shortened form of Elizabeth, though.

I love the name Esme. It's gorgeous. I don't like Anna personally, but it's ok for a middle name.
Sylvia Mary is great! Before we knew we were having a boy Sylvia was top of the list for a girl. She would have been named after Sylvia Plath, my fave poet. And Sylvia means 'from the forest', which I think is beautiful.
I don't mind the name Elspeth, but wouldn't use it personally as my nan's name is Elsbeth (she is German, so maybe it's a German thing) and we agreed not to name any kids after family members.

I love Sylvie but dh won't budge

I told DH I'd hold my breath till I got to use my choice of name, and the bar steward let me.

I distinctly remember scribbling in eyeliner on the back of an envelope "This might harm the baby" - all he said was "Naughty Mummy" - it stinks when they won't play fair and just let you choose the name in return for carrying the child, I think (the peevedness is alway close to the surface with me.....)

I'll be honest, I don't really like any of the names, except Anna and as its listed in both your suggestions, why not call her that.

chuffing I completely agree but what's worse is my dh now LIKES the name I was desperate for when pg with dd2 and all the reasons he gave me for not liking it are still fresh in my memory so not sure about using it this time if a girl, sigh, they shouldn't be allowed to play games with your mind

I love all your name choices. Esme is a great name - and really, really like Sylvie/Sylvia.