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Can anyone find a middle ground between me and DH’s name lists?

213 replies

namepains · 25/05/2025 21:57

Have NC’d for this Blush

DH and I have very, very different tastes when it comes to names. I’ll give you our lists below, but we’re nowhere close in terms of taste. What sounds nice to me DH hates and vice versa. I apologise profusely if anyone’s name comes up, I am really not meaning to offend anyone but names are very personal and tastes are very different. Please don’t take any offence and fwiw, my name always comes up on outdated/names people don’t like threads Grin for context, we live in Scotland and DH is Scottish, I’m English. If there’s a specific reason for DH not liking mine, I’ve put it next to the name.

My list:

Lily- too twee apparently
Rosie- he’s said he likes it but not enough to say it every day henceforth. He doesn’t like variations such as Rosaline/d, Rosa or Rose.
Daisy- brief period of time a girl wasn’t nice to DS with this name
Jasmine - Aladdin (who honestly thinks that!)
Ophelia- apparently pretentious, although I love Hamlet!
Scarlett
Tara- his first dog was called that so apparently he can’t name DD ‘after’ his dog Hmm
Emily
Ruby

DH’s list:

Michelle
Siobhan
Lisa
Louise
Mhairi
Bernadette

I particularly don’t like Bernadette and Siobhan. But honestly, I don’t like any of them. No connotations or personal issues with people with these names but I just don’t like them. Does anyone have any suggestions for a middle ground? I’m not sure there is one! We had a boy name agreed immediately but we’re worlds apart on a girls one Sad

OP posts:
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OccasionalHope · 25/05/2025 22:21

Lisa is dated but has a nice sound to it. I wouldn’t discount

or looks ar

Lucy
Laura
Lara
Laurel
Ella
Eleanor
Rosemary
Gemma

lifeisahamsterwheel · 25/05/2025 22:22

His names are terrible yours are lovely. As a Scottish person who lives in England don’t go for Lily is sound’s horrible in a Scottish accent LULY! I love Ruby was my choice for my third but ended up with a boy.. how about Bonnie? It’s Scottish not dated and a mix of what you both like.

GreenOtter · 25/05/2025 22:24

I like Michelle and Bernadette because they are names that can be shortened to cute names.

Is there a movie or book you both like and could get a few names from there?

AndImBrit · 25/05/2025 22:25

Melissa?

InterruptingRabbit · 25/05/2025 22:25

You need the baby name app that’s like tinder. You link your accounts and swipe right on names you like - if you both swipe right on the same one, it tells you.

InterruptingRabbit · 25/05/2025 22:25

You need the baby name app that’s like tinder. You link your accounts and swipe right on names you like - if you both swipe right on the same one, it tells you.

SoManyDandelions · 25/05/2025 22:25

Combine Lisa and Louise into Louisa?

Celeste
Faye
Lauren
Helen/Helena
Eleanor
Lucy
Caroline

These were some of the less common names among my 1980s/90s classmates

BangersAndGnash · 25/05/2025 22:26

Isabella
Eleanor / Eleanora
Nancy
Poppy
Elizabeth
Martha

UnsocialMedia · 25/05/2025 22:27

Maybe you could point out that the male equivalents of his ideas are things like Kevin, Andrew, Paul, Ian and Michael, in the hope that he’ll stop this nonsense.

GooseClues · 25/05/2025 22:30

Marigold
Rosamund
Fiona
Flora
Violet
Louane

AdaColeman · 25/05/2025 22:31

I agree with your DH about Jasmine and Aladdin!

Some ideas...
Ruby
Fiona
Iris
Fleur
Polly
Heidi
Matilda nn Tilda
Corinna
Leah

If you really can't agree, the mother gets the casting vote!

HallidayJones6779 · 25/05/2025 22:32

Rosemary (almost a mix of Rosie and Mhairi?)
Eliza
Nelly/Nel (maybe NNs for Eleanor)
Lucy
Elaine

JohnnyLuLus · 25/05/2025 22:33

Can I offer you a name that's not an actual name, but I think works beautifully as a name? I had it on my list, but DH doesn't know Hamlet, so didn't "get it".

Elsinore.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/05/2025 22:33

I like Mhairi and Emily. Also Louisa

Twinhearts · 25/05/2025 22:34

If you are nearly there with Rosie, what about Rosalie or Rosamund and then you can still eventually call her Rosie? :)

Amelia and Colleen are others that came to mind. Elisa or Alisa if you didn't mind Lisa.

I find that many men I know are stuck in the 80s with girl names, lol.

GloriousBlue · 25/05/2025 22:36

His names are quite outdated and not to my taste unfortunately.

How about Elodie, Elsbeth, Maeve, Isabelle, or Clara?

InkWTF · 25/05/2025 22:36

Yasmin
Amber
Isla
Iona
Katherine
Catriona
Morven
Mirren
Hazel
Lauren
Connie
Stella
Marianne
Penelope (Nell)
Natalie
Honor
Florence

thestudio · 25/05/2025 22:37

He will have gone to school in Ireland in the 80s/90s then?😂

Ok, on that basis, maybe look at 'Catholic' names that are a bit more frilly and Frenchified, and a bit less ... solid stock 😂

Lisette? I love that. Also Cecilia, Beatrice, Benedicta, Claudia, Delphina, Dolores, Francesca, Marcella etc?

SwedishEdith · 25/05/2025 22:38

I think men just don't have conversations about names in general. I think women are more in tune with trends and like noticing and discussing names. This thread has reminded me that my brother's daughters have dated for their time names. His wife wasn't brought up in the UK so probably wouldn't have been aware of that.

Lisbeth50 · 25/05/2025 22:38

Elisa
Elise
Elsie
Emma
Alice
Eloise
Lucy

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:39

@thestudioScotland Grin

OP posts:
Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:39

What's his problem with Emily, Ruby or Scarlett? All gorgeous names.

I had a boy, if we had a girl she would have been Eve or Juliet.

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:40

@thestudioI’m actually the Catholic one as wellGrin

OP posts:
Readytohealnow · 25/05/2025 22:41

His are awful except Louise

Most if yours are awful because they end in ‘ie’

But I do like Jasmine. Lovely name.

Itisallabitvague · 25/05/2025 22:41

InterruptingRabbit · 25/05/2025 22:25

You need the baby name app that’s like tinder. You link your accounts and swipe right on names you like - if you both swipe right on the same one, it tells you.

It's awful they are practically all American names.