Teacher struggling with names

[ARodeoQueen]

I'm 25 weeks and we don't know if I am having a boy or girl. We love old man boys names like Walter, Wilfred, Oswald but we are struggling on girls names. I really love long girls names. My favourites are Genevieve and Evangeline. The problem is I have one lovely niece and her name is Evie. So I feel that they are too close to her name.
To complicate things further me and DH are teachers. I would really like a name that I haven't taught - which narrows it down significantly. Whenever I hear a name I just picture a face of a child I've taught. If that makes sense! I want a 'new' name. It was really hard naming my son 5 years ago and this one is harder. Middle name will be Joan if it's a girl. I do like Gwen so potentially Gwendolyn or Guinervere. I'd be greatful of any suggestions. Thank you!

Go to the ONS list and rule out any in the top 70, then see what you can find! I expect Gwen will be ok

It's #751, @Hazelmaybe , but so is Louisa. If OP is in Wales, she could end up with more than one Gwen, or a Gwen, Gwenllian and Gwendolen in the same class.

Keziah Joan
Isolde Joan
Philomena Joan
Lavinia Joan
Vivienne Joan

When named our daughter Emilia in 2014 and at the time it was really unique…and since she’s been born we’ve come across sooo many!! Variations of spelling but all sounding very similar! Number 2 was a boy and is Louis and we’ve met only one…when I was pregnant with our third (2022) I really loved Polly, Jemima & Clementine. I also loved Callie, but my hubby wasn't keen and she ended up being called Hallie! We’ve come across 2 Hallie’s since she’s been born.

Peregrine (Perry)

Nia.

Never taught either of those. Would have in Wales though.

I love Adeline, numerous nicknames available.
or Evangaline?

I love Joan. There won’t be other Joan’s in her class

What about Joanna or Joanne or Johanna?

I would rule Genevieve out if her cousin is Evie. Gwendolyn / Gwen is lovely.

How about:
Winifred
Bianca
Portia
Ashley (lovely sound, English roots)
Winona
Cressida
Diana
Laura
Isis (too soon?)

I know three under five...

I really wanted a Minerva, options for Minnie or Min. DH said no 🤣 another rare name (I’ve met 2, 2 decades apart in age) Xanthe. I also think names like Stephanie, Briony are quite unusual. And my username is a flower nobody ever seems to use as a name, but I suggested that for a DD as well! With the going back a generation suggestion, Emma, Laura, Amber, Jennifer, Caitlin. All nice and not ridiculous for today.

Minerva sounds like a contraceptive device.

I mean, not really? Same first and last letter but totally different in the middle. By that reasoning Maria and lots of other names do too… as well as the common in some countries name Marina. I didn’t use it anyway but not for that reason!

It’s the name of a contraceptive pill made by Bayer Pharmaceuticals @Cleome

Julianna
Arabella
Susannah
Cecelia

Oswald is too Moseley. Your other grandad names are quite popular.

Not available on the cheapo formulary round here 🤣 I can’t see it being much of an issue if you liked the name but maybe I’m wrong. I feel sorry for people who chose the name Alexa before… Alexa. Also a friend of a friend is called Isis.

In case OP/ anyone cares… Minerva pill isn’t available at all in the UK. I prescribe and literally never heard of it - Google confirms it exists but not sold here. There are plenty of people called Yasmin who seem to cope with sharing their name with some pill marketing anyway!

I think the Minerva pill actually is available where I live but it wouldn't even have occurred to me if it hadn't been mentioned. It's certainly not my first association with the name!

More looong girl names ..

Annunciata Joan
Araminta Joan
Benedikte Joan
Boadicea Joan
Cressida Joan
Cymbeline Joan
Dorothea Joan
Donatella Joan
Eleonora Joan
Elula Joan
Filomena Joan
Feodora Joan
Georgiana Joan
Gwendolyne Joan
Harrietta Joan
Hortensia Joan
Imogenia Joan
Isabelline Joan
Josephine Joan
Japonica Joan
Kassandra Joan
Katarina Joan
Llewella Joan
Louisa Joan
Margaret Joan
Majella Joan
Natalie Joan
Nicolette Joan
Ottilie Joan
Octavia Joan
Pomeline Joan
Pascaline Joan
Quentin Joan
Quintessa Joan
Rebecca Joan
Rosemonda Joan
Susannah Joan
Stephanie Joan
Thomasina Joan
Trinity Joan
Ursula Joan
Uriella Joan
Vivienne Joan
Victoria Joan
Wyuna Joan
Winsome Joan
Xiomara Joan
Xaviera Joan
Ysolda Joan
Yolanda Joan
Zipporah Joan
Zahara Joan

I was at school in the 70s and 80s some of the longer names of girls I was at school with:

Dympna (although for an English child I would probably spell it Dymphna) It's an Irish saint's name and means something like 'little poet' or 'poetess'.

Philomena (can you guess I went to an RC school?).

Gwendolyn

Elizabeth

Various forms of Katherine

Kathleen

Anthoula - Greek name

Savula - Anthoula's sister

Samantha

A couple of Deborahs

Jaqueline

At my Ju-Jitsu club there was a Jonquil, I have never met another

I have a relative called Meriel, she has never met another, although strangely I have.

I also love the name Valentina, it is the name of the first woman to go in to space which I think would be an awesome back story.

Josephine - Josie
Tabitha - Tabby
Lydia
Dorothy - Dot
Georgia

Genevieve great though

Someone mentioned names from the 70s OP. I was at primary school then, and the names in my class were:

Susan x3
Julie x2
Faith
Rosemary
Louise
Penny
Sylvia
Janet
Fiona
Alison
Linda
Jennifer
Caroline
Helen
Lynne

boys:
Christopher
Jonathan
John
Andrew x2
James x2
Dale
Ian
Trevor
Michael
David x2
Paul
Mark
Matthew

Nesta
Morwenna
Morgana
Aldith
Antonia
Araminta
Hester
Idony
Idonia
Kelda
Kezia
Thalia
Verity
Arista
Bryony
Aster
Camilla
Ismene
Josephine
Saskia
Susannah
Gabriella
Christina
Victoria
Imelda
Hermione
Stephanie
Lilias
Christabel
Camilla

Ambrose
Wystan
Alphaeus
Osmund
Howard
Rupert
Gregory
Jeremy
Christopher
Edric
Phineas
Oswald
Roland
Barnaby
Edmund
Wilfred
Nathaniel

Julian
Leopold
Osric

Ariadne
Lynette
Aurelia
Tabitha
Judith
Oriana
Ariana
Arabella
Imogen

One of my sons has one of the boys names you like and my daughter is Edith.
If we were to have another girl we would use:
Stevie
Theodora nn Teddy
Florence (I suspect you’ve a taught of few of these!)
Bertie
Lillian