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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Opinions?

32 replies

Cooperboom32 · 14/06/2025 17:32

Hi DH and I are really struggling for names. We have a short list but nothing that we both absolutely love.

Girls names
Rhiannon (no Welsh connection feel like it might be too long)
Alayna
Kate- one syllable surname though
Ellis
Alicia
Eilidh

Boys names
Ruari
Cameron
Brodie
Ben
Lewis

OP posts:
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YosoyEduardo · 14/06/2025 17:34

I mean, I don't like any of these names but this shouldn't be of concern to you.

DramaAlpaca · 14/06/2025 17:37

I like all of them. Nice lists. When you meet the baby, you'll know.

Cooperboom32 · 14/06/2025 18:12

Does anyone have suggestions of similar names we may like?

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 14/06/2025 18:29

How do you pronounce Alayna?
I like Alana/Alanna which is what my phone autocorrected to.
Kate is nice and classic.
Ben I like (would give Benjamin as full name).
Brodie I quite like. It feels like it should be short for something but I don't know what.

MiddlingMarch · 14/06/2025 18:32

Really like all your names.

What about Rowan? I love it it a boy, but also lovely for a girl (I know traditionally it's a boy name but it has worked well on the girl Rowans I've met as well as the boy Rowans).

Robert?

Catriona? I went to school with one girl who pronounced it Cat-ree-ona and another girl who called herself Catrina.

Corinne?

Steelworks · 14/06/2025 18:34

Rhiannon (no Welsh connection feel like it might be too long) - love,
Alayna - looks made up (sorry)
Kate- one syllable surname though - nice, people may assume short for Kathryn
Ellis - boys name
Alicia - love
Eilidh - not sure how to pronounce, Irish?

Boys names

Ruari

  • like, Scottish? People may spell it wrong in England
Cameron - like Brodie - not sure Ben - short for Benjamin? Lewis - like
GreyhoundGal1 · 14/06/2025 18:36

Alicia is my favourite for a girl, and Lewis and Cameron favourites for a boy. I really dislike Ellis for a girl, as to me it's purely a boys name.

I think your style is very mixed so it's a bit hard to suggest names!

Maybe Douglas, Malcolm, Rhys, Callum, Duncan, Russell, Angus, Connor, Logan, Lachlan for boys?

Rowan, Elodie, Eloise, Elowen, Ariadne, Adeline, Riley, Sloane, Sadie, Alison for girls?

Emanwenym · 14/06/2025 18:44

Rhiannon - the anglicized pronunciation isn't nice. The Welsh pronunciation is pretty but the name is a bit grannyish
Alayna - very popular in the Slough area
Kate- didn't do Kate Bush,Kate Moss(e), Kate Fox etc any harm
Ellis - not for a girl
Alicia - different ways of saying it
Eilidh - nice but might get mispronounced and misspelt

Ruari - isn't it Ruairí?
Cameron- will be Cam
Brodie - The Prime of Miss Jean ... No
Ben - like
Lewis - ok

Steelworks · 14/06/2025 18:56

Suggestions:
Amber
Carys
Jasmine
Laura
Hannah
Eliza
Kayleigh
Dorothy

Rhys
Callum
Reece
Aled
Max
Dylan
Arran
Peter

lurkerchan · 14/06/2025 19:01

Not a fan of Alayna, Ellis and Brodie. The rest are fine

Moreteaandchocolate · 14/06/2025 19:12

Rhiannon - how about Rhian?
Alayna - I quite like this
Kate- like - how about Katie?
Ellis - not for a girl
Alicia - prefer Alice
Eilidh - nice if you don’t mind spelling issues

Ruari - nice if you don’t mind spelling issues.
Cameron - like and Cam is a good short version
Brodie - not keen
Ben - love
Lewis - like

I’d go for Kate or Ben from your lists.

How about-

Thalia
Adeline
Lorena
Leona
Leonie
Annabel
Laura
Maren
Leni
Ellery
Nicole
Alyssa
Elowen
Isla

Rory
Finley
Rhys
Griffin
Dylan
Evan
Connor
Kobe / Koby
Dawson
Zack
Adam
Jake
Josh
Laurence
Reuben

AnneMarieW · 14/06/2025 19:30

Alayna does look a bit invented to me - I’m guessing it’s a variant of Alana but it could easily be a variant of Elena too. I think she’ll have a lifetime of it being misspelt.

Ellis is very much a boys name where I am in Wales, so I’m not keen on it for a girl.

Kate is nice classic, and works fine with a short surname- might make it more “punchy” and therefore memorable actually. Some people might assume it’s Katherine on the BC, but it’s not a big deal to occasionally have to say “No, it’s just Kate”.

Rhiannon and Alicia are also nice - and Rhiannon is well known enough outside Wales (thanks to Fleetwood Mac) that I don’t think the lack of a Welsh connection matters.

Eilidh only works well if you are living in Scotland? (the couple of English ones I’ve met spell it Eily for ease). If you are Scots, what do you think about Vaila? I’ve always thought that pretty and underused. Or Morven?

I’m guessing you are in Scotland since you used the Ruari spelling - it’s not a personal fave and neither is Cameron but nothing wrong with them as such.

I do really like Brodie and Lewis (and also similar style Fraser, Callan and Laith?).

Like Kate, Ben is a nice simple classic that sounds punchy with a short surname (but again he’ll have to get used to the occasional “Benjamin?” but no huge deal).

If you want a fairly timeless classic, I’d go with Kate and Ben (I know a couple of Kate and Ben/Katherine and Benjamin sibsets actually, of different ages). If you want something that stands out a bit more (area dependant obviously), then I like Rhiannon and Brodie - don’t think it really matters that one is Welsh and the other Scots.

Cooperboom32 · 14/06/2025 20:00

Thank you everyone for your kind suggestions. I love Kate, the suggestion of Rowan is nice for a girl but a close friend has a brother with the same name. I take the point about Ellis, I was also worried about greys anatomy references.
To the poster who suggested Angus thank you that's gone to the top of our boys list. Yes we are scottish hence the ruari and eilidh . I absolutely love Vaila its different but linked to Scotland. Should have also said we have a daughter called Freya (spelt the old norse way freyja.) So if we have two girls potentially Vaila and Freyja or Kate and Freyja.
Didn't post before as I didn't want anything too matchy as they'll obviously have their own personalities and identities

OP posts:
OneZippyPlumBalonz · 14/06/2025 20:01

Don't like any of them.

17caterpillars1mouse · 14/06/2025 20:21

Rhiannon (no Welsh connection feel like it might be too long) - I know 5 adult Rhiannon's (I joke that I collect them) no little ones though, but the issue that all the Rhiannon's have is people calling that Rihanna instead. Would that bother you? I don't think having no Welsh connection is an issue, none the ones I know are Welsh

Alayna - I just find it a bit samey to lots of the other popular girls names atm. It's just a bit meh

Kate- one syllable surname though - Kate is a great name, a classic. I think it depends on the surname. Kate Fox fine, Kate Tate, not so much

Ellis - not for a girl. Though are so many other lovely girl names that can be shortened to Ellie, leave Ellis for the boys

Alicia - its nice enough, just not my style. Also some will say Aleesha whilst others Alissia which could get confusing

Eilidh - not sure how to pronounce this one

Boys names

Ruari - its ok, imagine he'll just get Rory which is a nice name

Cameron - nice, understated name. I never understand why it isnt more popular

Brodie - OK though I would spell Brody as I only know Girls named Brodie

Ben - love Benjamin and Benedict but not so keen pm Ben as a standalone name

Lewis - OK, prefer the similar Lucas. Might get lost amongst all the Louis's

Cooperboom32 · 14/06/2025 20:32

Rhiannon is out I think, especially but the rhianna mispronuciation and also the fact that it's maybe an older name and I've been thinking for a while that it feels too long.
For posters asking Eilidh is pronounced Ailee.

OP posts:
BeautifulPeopleGo · 14/06/2025 20:36

What about Rhiann or Bethan if Rhiannon is too long? Which it isn’t btw!

Andoutcomethewolves · 14/06/2025 20:44

Rhiannon is pretty and I don't think it matters that you're not Welsh - I associate it with the Fleetwood Mac song which is a good thing!

Ruari is a lovely name for a boy.

Tbh I don't dislike any of your names except maybe Brodie and Alayna.

dontcomeatme · 14/06/2025 20:48

I think Ellis is a boys name. I wouldn't know how to pronounce Eilidh or Ruari. Love Kate, could you do a longer middle name to offset the 1 syllable first and surname? Love Cameron, NN Cam.

SpottedDonkey · 14/06/2025 20:55

Rhiannon - Like. But people will (not unreasonably) assume Welsh heritage.
Alayna - No. sounds made up.
Kate - Yawn
Ellis is NOT a girl’s name.
Alicia & Eilidh - Like both.

The boys names are all good except Brodie which is a bit American / chavtastic.

DeSoleil · 14/06/2025 20:59

Rhiannon - no
Alayna - awful
Kate - ok but prefer Katy or Katie
Ellis - not for a girl
Alicia - ok
Eilidh - no
Boys names
Ruari - awful
Cameron - not keen
Brodie - awful
Ben - nice but needs to be Benjamin
Lewis - no.

I don’t think any of them are particularly nice names other than Kate and Ben and they’re a bit meh.

LookForTheLiight · 14/06/2025 21:01

Bríd (pronounced Briege)?

Ninkynonkpinkyponks · 14/06/2025 21:02

Rhiannon - like it! A girl at school had the name and no bad
Alayna - hate this. Is it said like Elaine Ah!
Kate- love
Ellis - not for a girl
Alicia - different ways of saying it
Eilidh - would have no idea how to say or spell
Ruari - is this like Rory?
Cameron- like
Brodie - quite American
Ben - like
Lewis - ok

Moreteaandchocolate · 14/06/2025 21:26

Cooperboom32 · 14/06/2025 20:00

Thank you everyone for your kind suggestions. I love Kate, the suggestion of Rowan is nice for a girl but a close friend has a brother with the same name. I take the point about Ellis, I was also worried about greys anatomy references.
To the poster who suggested Angus thank you that's gone to the top of our boys list. Yes we are scottish hence the ruari and eilidh . I absolutely love Vaila its different but linked to Scotland. Should have also said we have a daughter called Freya (spelt the old norse way freyja.) So if we have two girls potentially Vaila and Freyja or Kate and Freyja.
Didn't post before as I didn't want anything too matchy as they'll obviously have their own personalities and identities

Vaila is pretty and goes well with Freyja. I also love Eilidh with Freyja. Angus is gorgeous.

user2848502016 · 14/06/2025 21:38

Kate or Eilidh for a girl, Cameron or Lewis for a boy