Girls name list - thoughts?

[TenThousandSpoons00]

Hi everyone, I’m keen to hear your thoughts on our list of possible names so far, as well as any suggestions. We have a bit of a mixture of classical/longer ones and others but do tend to like more traditional names. I’m still early in pregnancy so have quite a while to still decide, hence the long list! Thanks :)

• Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn)
• Frances (Frankie)
• Margaret (Meg)
• Rosemary (Romy)
• Carys
• Mara
• Rhiannon
• Maia
• Sylvia/Sylvie
• Iris
• Cara
• May
• Clare
• Nina
• Gabrielle
• Sofia

I love Sylvie! Couldn’t get my partner to agree for our little girl but would have been my first choice!

I love Kate, Rhiannon and Nina !

• Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn) - nice but I know a million adult Kates

• Frances (Frankie) - I find Frances a bit “stuffy” and Frankie a bit “cheeky” - no middle ground options

• Margaret (Meg) - I love the nn Meg but I would use Megan on the bc for this nn

• Rosemary (Romy) - Love!

• Carys - love!

• Mara - nice!

• Rhiannon - nice but feels a bit dated in Wales

• Maia - lovely but overused and lots of spellings (Maya, Mia etc)

• Sylvia/Sylvie - feels a bit dated to me

• Iris - love this!

• Cara - love!

• May - love!

• Clare - lovely but I know loads of adult Clares

• Nina - nice

• Gabrielle - nice if you like Gabby

• Sofia - nice but v. popular

I’d choose Iris or Cara 😊 Carys, Mara, May, Megan and Rosemary (Romy) are close second place!

Nice list! My favourites are Carys, Iris, Cara and Sofia. Also love Clara.

Least favourites are Frances (just not my cup of tea), Maia (too many different spellings and pronunciations) and Clare (dated).

Frances (Frankie) - like Frankie
Margaret (Meg) - Maggie is better
Rosemary (Romy) - like Romy
Carys - ok
Mara - ok
Maia - love, would pronounce My-ah
Cara - like
Clare - like
Nina - love

• Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn) love- but I like classic names. Don't know of any children so more uncommon name. (I work at a nursery too)
• Frances (Frankie) love
• Margaret (Meg) - as above, like Maggie nn too- my husband wanted us to use this
• Rosemary (Romy) like, but not keen on Romy (prefer Rose)
• Carys - not keen
• Mara - it's ok
• Rhiannon - like- different but recognisable
• Maia - like, but know a few. Possible spelling and pronunciation issues would put me off
• Sylvia/Sylvie - not as keen but probably as I knew a few growing up and they were cha*vy
• Iris - really like. Bit more common now
• Cara - same as Iris
• May - much prefer as a first name but you have nicer names listed that are more substantial
• Clare - really like and like Catherine, don't know any young ones
• Nina - really like
• Gabrielle - depends if you like Gabby? I'm not keen
• Sofia - too popular for myself but is a nice name. Prefer Sophie though.

Catherine, Margaret and Frances are my favourite in that order.

Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn)
Frances (Frankie)
Margaret (Meg)
Sylvie
Iris
Clare

I would add Violet, Elizabeth (nn Beth or Betsy)

Also love Alice and Amy.

Nice names except Margaret and Rhiannon.

Nina is my favorite

Clare is dated, as is Gabrielle, Rhiannon, Cara and Kate to some extent, all popular in the 90s/00s. I do like Rhiannon and Cara though.

May, Rosemary and Margaret are to old fashioned for me.

Iris/Frankie/Sylvie/Sofia/Maia (and it's variations) are flavour of the month.

Iris, Nina and Sylvie would be my picks 🥰

Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn) - use Katherine to avoid the initial variation. I don't like Cate or Cat. Not keen on Kit but Kitty is ok. Would just put Kate on the BC.
Frances (Frankie) - like Frances, but it will get Francis a lot. I don't like Frankie.
Margaret (Meg) - like both but don't like Megan.

Cara - like
Nina - I quite like it
Iris - ok, nice but has 'rainbow baby vibes.

May - not keen. Drab especially as a middle name
Mara - not keen
Maia - meh
Sofia - overused. Lots of Sophias and Sofia.

Carys - frumpy and dated
Rhiannon - dated. The Ree-annun mispronunciation is horrible
Sylvia/Sylvie - I dislike Sylvia
Clare - nice but very 1970s
Gabrielle - 1970s name. Not keen on Gabby/Gaby
Rosemary (Romy) - not keen on either

Thanks so much everyone it’s really helpful to hear all these opinions :)

Another vote for Sylvie

Maia (Myah etc) is extremely popular with under 5’s in local area (I can think of 7 that I’ve met at baby groups/nursery etc) so I would swerve that one.

Love Mara and Frances the most out of the rest of the list.

Catherine (Kate/Kit for nn) - really like this. A rare choice for a baby, although not in my generation! I like Kit for a girl's nickname.
Frances (Frankie) - I prefer Francesca but Frances has grown on me recently.
Margaret (Meg) I appreciate rather than actually like the name Margaret. Classical, lots of historical associations. Just a harsh sound. Meg is nice though.
Rosemary (Romy) - not a fan of either the full name or the diminutive.
Carys - nice
Mara - prefer Maria. Or Clara.
Rhiannon - not a fan.
Maia - very popular but still nice.
Sylvia/Sylvie - both good.
Iris - ok
Cara - ok
May - I like it as a first name. Reminds me of the character in the novel Possession whose actual name is Maia but goes by May because it's less flowery, unfussy etc.
Clare - never liked it
Nina - love Nina
Gabrielle - not a fan. Gabby/Gabs not nice shortenings.
Sofia - love it spelt Sophia, although popular if that bothers you.

I'd go Sophia, Katherine (Kit), or Nina.

My favourites from your list, in order ..

Catherine - Cate, Cat, Kitty
Rosemary - Rosie
Gabrielle - Gabe
Margaret - Meg, Maggie, Peggy, Daisy
Clare
Sophia - Soph
Iris

The others are nice but not names I would choose myself.

Do you like ..

Mary
Sophie
Edwina - Edina, Dwina, NIna
Davina
Alice
Alexandra
Victoria

Thanks everyone - Interesting to see a lot of people like Catherine, as it’s my front runner but not my husband’s :)

My husband’s favourites are Gabrielle and Sofia/Sophia and I have the same thoughts as some posters - can’t stand Gabby nn so it’s probably out! And Sofia is beautiful but it does put me off a bit how common it is.

Maia and variations are not wildly common where I am so that is a little less of a concern.

For those who have made suggestions, I like lots of them.

We have an Alexandra already so @user1492757084 is definitely thinking along the same lines we do :) because of that Alice is not an option, and probably not Amy either as like to have different initials. We know lots of Elizabeths otherwise would consider. Violet is lovely but a good friend has a toddler called Violet. Edwina and Davina don’t appeal, I’m not sure why. Victoria is nice but for some reason just doesn’t seem right.

I have an Alexandra! I think Catherine pairs best from your list.
Josephine?

With Alexandra I like Katherine best from your list. Do you like Francesca nn Frankie? I always think that goes so well with Alexandra.

Francesca feels too posh for me? Which is probably not logical. It’s actually beautiful and I agree it goes quite well so I should think on it a bit more :)

Oo I like a previous posters suggestion of Josephine (nickname Josie) it goes lovely with a sibling called Alexandra

Josephine has been used within close family already :) Appreciate the suggestion though. Shortened list now looks like this:

• Catherine/Katherine (Kate/Kit for nn)
• Frances/Francesca (Frankie)
• Margaret (Meg/Maggie)
• Rhiannon
• Maia
• Sylvia/Sylvie
• Iris
• Nina

I’m sure there are more options out there that might fit, we’re still in a fun early stage not too close to having to actually decide!

Lovely list @TenThousandSpoons00. I have a daughter with one of those names and another is my other daughter's middle name.

The only name I don't like from your shorter list is Rhiannon.

• Catherine/Katherine (Kate/Kit for nn)- Beautiful classic and goes well with Alexandra.
• Frances/Francesca (Frankie)- I love Francesca, prefer Francis for a boy
• Margaret (Meg/Maggie)- Another lovely classic name. I think some will think it old fashioned which may or may not bother you.
• Rhiannon - not keen as above
• Maia- Beautiful, multicultural name with lovely meanings (as long as you are pronouncing it My-ah). The popularity and scope for mispronunciation may or may not bother you.
• Sylvia/Sylvie- I like this too
• Iris- beautiful, fairly popular in some areas
• Nina- I like Nina but was always, irrationally, put off using it as it reminds me of an ambulance siren!

Other classics that you might like with older sister Alexandra: Eleanor, Helena, Beatrice, Susanna, Cecilia.