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

[namepains]

Have NC’d for this

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 Please don’t take any offence and fwiw, my name always comes up on outdated/names people don’t like threads for context, we live in Scotland and DH is Scottish, I’m English.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
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

Stick them in chat GPT and see what it comes up with

Julia instead of Juliet? Less obviously Shakespearean (even though it is) and quite classic.

He seems to like quite 70’s names, where as yours are a mix of classic and more trendy. Perhaps you both could compromise by choosing names that were popular in the 70’s like Louise or Helen but add an “a” so they feel a bit more timeless - so Louisa or Helena?

Or maybe names that were heavily used in the 70’s but still feel fairly classic like Laura or Sarah? Or Anna? Emma?

Ffion ?

@ItisallabitvagueJuliet was my very first suggestion but was shot down. He just hates Scarlett, Emily is ‘too English’ and not sure why he doesn’t like Ruby. Eve would be too biblical for him.

I was going to suggest this. Or Elisabeth spelt with an s not a z.

His names are quite typical 80’s stock - though Bernadette is quite left-field!

In fairness to him, apart from Tara, which I think sounds heavy and a bit masculine, and Ophelia, which I like but admit is has an OTT vibe, I can see how he might feel your list had quite “ slight” names - pretty and sweet but maybe a bit lightweight for a grown woman?

I’m surprised he doesn’t like Tara though; it’s quite 70s/80’s to me and definitely not a sweet sort of name. it makes me think of car tyres.

But would Elise or Elisa work for you both?

😂Ah well then look at my list and do some googling!

There are a load of really lovely more fancy Catholic names - you know, the more romantic ones you're always gobsmacked to discover is the given name of the terrifying aunt of your best friend who you call Missus 😂

Verity?

Ok he's just being a pain now. I'm Irish and Emily is certainly not 'too English' 😂🙄

Interesting - I am clearly very old :) as Jasmine is a flower, Aladdin didn't even occur to me.

@ReadytohealnowI like the sound ie makes, just personal taste

@OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevonsame! Except I grew up with Aladdin and still think of the flower

Then what about Amelie to make it French?

@Itisallabitvagueisn’t he just 😂

Yes or Alissa or even with spelling Alyssa?

Fionn

Iona

Ishbel

Seems like you like pretty names and his names are a bit sharper and punchy sounding.

If you like Rosie and he doesn't mind it, what about something like Rosalind/Rosalie and Rosie for short?

Niamh?

Oooo Charlotte, it's not for me but might be a middle ground. Fiadh (Fia), Nora, Ellie, Ella, Sophie...

Josephine, Catherine, Anna, Francesca, Julia, Mary, Una, Jean,

Marguerite
Bridie
Miriam
Margot
madeleine
lydia
katie

English people can't pronounce it....

You seem to like flower names. What about Violet?

There was a girl in DD's class named Shea, similar to Siobhan but much more current.

Shea butter?????

This.

I love Mhairi but fine that it doesn't work for you.

How about
Elodie
Mary
Therese (to be know as Tess)