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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 Please don’t take any offence and fwiw, my name always comes up on outdated/names people don’t like threads Grin for context, we live in Scotland and DH is Scottish, I’m English.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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Gattopard · 25/05/2025 23:25

Eliza
Elise
Elsa
Eloise
Louisa
Julia
Rosina

Crapbagg · 25/05/2025 23:25

@namepains

Eliza
Emma
Emmeline (Emmy/Emme for short)
Ella
Erin
Lois
Lucy
Alice
Anna
Willa

Aria999 · 25/05/2025 23:30

With apologies for ignoring your drip feed:

Gillian
Beth / Bethany
Fiona
Lucy
Marianne
Lynne
Corrie

(Scottish names from my school in the 80s that I didn't hate, I basically like your list and dislike his with the possible exception of Lisa)

Delphigirl · 25/05/2025 23:40

if you both quite like Tara (except for the dog) maybe you would like Tamara or Lara?
If he wants a scottish name do you like Katrina / Catriona?

EvadneMillicentClundersnatch · 25/05/2025 23:40

Ariadne
Amelia
Aurora
Betsy
Bonnie
Clara
Cordelia
Cassandra
Delia
Delphine
Eloise
Emily
Flora
Faith
Gaia
Genevieve
Harriet
Honor
Jacintha
Joy
Katherine
Kitty
Louisa
Lottie
Margot
Matilda
Nellie
Nora
Ophelia
Orla
Posie
Poppy
Queenie
Rachel
Rosanna
Stevie
Sascha
Talia
Tallulah
Una
Verity
Valencia
Wanda
Winnie
Xanthe
Yvette
Zara
Zena

Calliopespa · 25/05/2025 23:46

Aria999 · 25/05/2025 23:30

With apologies for ignoring your drip feed:

Gillian
Beth / Bethany
Fiona
Lucy
Marianne
Lynne
Corrie

(Scottish names from my school in the 80s that I didn't hate, I basically like your list and dislike his with the possible exception of Lisa)

Edited

Yes I didn’t think either Lisa or Louise were so bad op, though both are “ updated” by having an E in front : Eloise, Elisa

MNWineDrinker · 26/05/2025 00:01

Sorry if its been suggested, tonnes of great ideas here! The name that immediately popped into my mind (especially if Eliza is a possibility) is Eilidh - pretty Scottish name, not too out there, and a similar sound to Rosie/Daisy/Maisie etc, with a little 90s throwback style like Louise/Hayley haha 😄

LovelyBranches · 26/05/2025 00:10

Ruth / Ruthie
Clara
Emma
Esther
Lauren
Elsie
Georgina
Catherine / Katie
Cecilia

desperatedaysareover · 26/05/2025 00:20

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:09

@NuffSaidSamthat’s fair, I still feel vindicated that his are worse Grin he does like Rosie but apparently because he likes Cracklin Rosie by Neil Diamond, he can’t call his DD that as it’s about a prostitute (I think?). If I HAD to call DD one from his list, I’d pick Lisa, but I give it a 5/10 on how much I like it.

The name we would’ve called this baby if it was a boy would’ve been Finn.

He’s takin the piss with the Cracklin’ Rosie patter. Just wait til you’ve had the baby then cry about your perineum every time he suggests something you don’t like 😜

How about Erin, Tess, Cassie, or Sara (pronounced to rhyme with Tara) I also quite like Mhairi pronounced Varry. Caitlin. Or just go with Finn(uala). That’s cool. Weirdly Lisette also came to mind and someone else suggested it.

If he wants Scottish and dated, tell him go hard or go home - Aggie. Vera. Jean. Bessie. Jessie. Jetta!

UnPetitCochon · 26/05/2025 00:46

I’m not keen on Lisa but what about Annalise or Alicia. Both have Lisa vibes but they’re better names!

user1492757084 · 26/05/2025 05:53

Ideas ..

Eloise
Margarita
Lisa - LOVE
Eliza
Louisa
Odette
Bridget
Claire
Catherine
Mietta
Rachel
Jamima
Floella
Nichola
Sarah

ButtonMoonBlanketSky · 26/05/2025 06:03

Eliza is really nice.
Flora
Lorna
Elisabeth (Lissie)
Clare
Charlotte (Lottie)
Madeleine (Maddie)
Marissa
Serena

7catsisnotenough · 26/05/2025 06:23

How about Ailsa @namepains? It's got all the letters from Lisa in it 😉and it's Scottish!

someonehastoberight · 26/05/2025 06:42

Is he deliberately picking outdated names so when he comes in with something slightly more modern you will snatch his hand off?

Sofia
Isabella
Evie
ivy
Annie
Otillie

threenaancurrywhore · 26/05/2025 07:01

namepains · 25/05/2025 22:54

Okay soo

I don’t know who suggested it but I quite like Eliza. I asked DH and he said maybe! Now this could be a palm-off maybe, I’m not getting excited yet, but maybe is better than his usual flat-out no.

I feel like this is a drip feed, but you’ll notice I like names ending in ie sounds or y. Our surname does end in ie Blush

Riffing off Eliza:

Elodie
Enid
Eloise
Edith
Evelyn

FWIW, DP and I never agreed on names – mine were brilliant, his were AWFUL – and we ended up with a halfhearted “well, we both don’t hate it” name that I now can’t imagine DD without, and I love it because I love her. It’s one of those “doesn’t matter that much” decisions, really. Unless of course you saddle your kid with Bernadette, then it matters.

AndyouWILLATONE · 26/05/2025 07:10

TomatoSandwiches · 25/05/2025 22:07

His is just a list of girls he fancied at some point op, it's a bit odd to want to name your own baby after your past crushes.

I thought this too

Sanddancing · 26/05/2025 07:11

i know 2 Finola’s, one is Fen, and one Finn

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 26/05/2025 07:29

I think the double ie sound is probably what makes it sound ttwee. Just picking a Scottish surname like Brodie.

Rosie Brodie Daisy Brodie Lily Brodie, it's perhaps looks too trying to make them rhyme in a kids TV sort of way.. so I can see why someone might not like ie or y first names Rosa or Roselind Brodie sounds more normal less babyish so maybe something similar without ie sound.

lottiegarbanzo · 26/05/2025 07:30

He’s thinking of girls he went to school with, very 80s. Maybe get he’d like to throw in Clare, Alison, Nicola, Fiona and Rebecca too?

Could you avoid the ‘-ie’ names as these do sound more twee and are quite ‘now’ so fashionable in a different way.

Ruby and Emily seem most likely to succeed of yours but how about Tessa, Niamh, Agnes, Esther, Francesca?

Penelope is back and I think Deborah is due a revival (not Debbie though).

lottiegarbanzo · 26/05/2025 07:34

Lorna and Flora are good

lottiegarbanzo · 26/05/2025 07:38

But don’t get yourself into a position where all your ideas are vetoed and you’re picking the least bad of his. You need to equal opportunity to put forward ideas, veto the others’ and discuss what remains.

Emotionalsupporthamster · 26/05/2025 07:42

Wish your DH all the best from me on the upcoming arrival of his 45 year old daughter OP! 🤣

Princessfluffy · 26/05/2025 07:43

your list is great and his is awful. Howabout if it’s a girl you pick the name and if it’s a boy he picks? That’s what we did!

Cathandkin · 26/05/2025 07:50

Katharine
Evelyn
Lois
Lorna
Vivien
Elizabeth
Lorna
Fiona
Rhona
Tessa
I think it sounds like he doesn't like "ditsy" names for girls, which have become very popular.

Cathandkin · 26/05/2025 07:54

Emotionalsupporthamster · 26/05/2025 07:42

Wish your DH all the best from me on the upcoming arrival of his 45 year old daughter OP! 🤣

That makes no sense, because all 45 year olds were once babies, and fashions change.
I teach children called Stanley, Elsie, Frank, Wilfred, Minnie and Nancy, which to me seem like grandparents' names. None of them are 90!