Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Baby girl shortlist- all opinions gratefully received!!

60 replies

peppapig3 · 22/05/2009 11:14

Recently posted a boys list on here and received lots of helpful feedback. Have got around to the girls now. They are a bit unusual as DH has a preference for less popular names and also has some Spanish and Greek blood in him! Here goes:

Paloma
Penelope
Aurora
Ariadne
Allegra
Elodie
Aurelia
Dulcie
Lydia

There are quite a few still- more like a long list really!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
MadameCastafiore · 22/05/2009 11:18

I think Elodie is the only one that I like.

girlandboy · 22/05/2009 11:19
  1. Una Paloma Blanca (tra-la-la)
  2. Penelope - nice, but with connotations of Penelope Pitstop
  3. Aurora - nice
  4. Ariadne - I like it, but will get shortened down to 'arry
  5. Allegra - too much like the Vauxhall Allego
  6. Elodie - good
  7. Aurelia - very nice
  8. Dulcie - sorry, but for some reason reminds me of "sulky"
  9. Lydia - my favourite of the bunch

You did ask.

DevilsAdvocaat · 22/05/2009 11:19

paloma
aurora
ariadne

cool names

girlandboy · 22/05/2009 11:19
  1. should read Vauxhall Allegro.
sockmonster · 22/05/2009 11:25

Tbh I like them all, but if I were to force myself into constructive criticism (please don't pay too much attention!) then:

Paloma-'pigeon' in spanish (and dove, but still pigeon)
Penelope-pitstop
Aurora-nice, but some people may find it hard to pronounce
Ariadne- nice, would you shorten it to anything?
Allegra- no. Vanessa Feltz used it
Elodie- boring
Aurelia-lovely! Golden loveliness, a bit like areola though?
Dulcie- I love it but would it suit a serious grown-up?
Lydia- I really liked this until somebody else wrote lydia-chlamydia recently!

sockmonster · 22/05/2009 11:27

Favs Penelope, Aurora, Ariadne, Aurelia. Do you like (en francais) Aurelie?

girlandboy · 22/05/2009 11:30

Dh has just reminded me of "Lydia...... as in Lydia Teapot?"

Damn.

suwoo · 22/05/2009 11:52

I love them all, but for someone else and someone with 'foreign' blood .

I was thinking yesterday that I love Paloma, but me and the kids are pale and pasty english roses with a daft germanic sounding surname and it would just be ridiculous.

Original poster
peppapig3 · 22/05/2009 12:16

LOL at your 'constructive criticism'! I think Aurelie sounds a bit too much like orally so prefer Aurelia. Who/ what is Lydia teapot girl and boy? never heard of it!

OP posts:
gloomysue · 22/05/2009 12:24

Dulcie is gorgeous.

MissSunny · 22/05/2009 12:30

Message withdrawn

BlueChampagne · 22/05/2009 12:30

Paloma really jumped out at me. Ariane might also fit your list - if you want additions!

sockmonster · 22/05/2009 12:31

Dulcie is very nice (constructively criticising!) but- is it going to fit a 54 year old woman in a suit? Also it starts with 'Dul' as in dull...

Having said that it is on my list!

I like Aurelia a lot, but as it means golden or something I imagine a girl with shining golden tones in her hair

Cies · 22/05/2009 12:32

As someone who lives in Spain and has Spanish DH, I love them all except Elodie and Dulcie. My favourite is probably Lydia.

Greensneeze · 22/05/2009 12:33

Paloma - nice but maybe a bit pretentious if you don't have a relevant cultural origin

Penelope - not to my taste (horrid relative) but a perfectly nice name, and Penny is sweet

Aurora - I like this, but it might be a bit outlandish for some tastes

Ariadne - I love this, but again some might find it OTT. I would use Addie as nn

Allegra - beautiful

Elodie - even more beautiful and one of my favourites

Aurelia - very pretty, but reminds me too much of Ecce Romani

Dulcie - this one isn't really to my taste

Lydia - I've never really liked it but I know lots of people do

Original poster
peppapig3 · 22/05/2009 12:35

I would pn Dulcie dull- see Miss Sunny but, wouldn't want it shortened to dull which is a concern!!

OP posts:
Kayzr · 22/05/2009 12:38

Paloma- Not sure
Penelope- Love it!
Aurora- My favourite!!
Ariadne- love it
Allegra- Horrible, makes me think of Algebra(I hate maths)
Elodie- Nice
Aurelia- Nice
Dulcie- Don't like it
Lydia- Don't really like.

Tidey · 22/05/2009 12:39

My first thoughts upon reading the names. Apologies if none of them make any sense. They do in my mind, which isn't saying much.

Paloma - I think it means 'dove' in Spanish, doesn't it? Nice thought but name itself isn't as nice as the definition.

Penelope - Pitstop, and when I first saw it written down as a young child I thought it was pronounced 'Pen-Lopp', which still always pops into my head.

Aurora - Borealis or Disney. Think it means Dawn, again pretty definition but let down by name itself.

Ariadne - Greek myth names are nice, but not fond of that one.

Allegra - Vanessa Feltz's daughter

Elodie - Like it a lot

Aurelia - Love Actually Portuguese bird

Dulcie - Too sugary sounding

Lydia - Quite like it

So, Elodie and Lydia are my favourites. Best of luck to you.

RachieB · 22/05/2009 16:11

I like

1)Elodie
2)Lydia
3)Dulcie

bigchris · 22/05/2009 16:13

i like Penelope

LaDiDaDi · 22/05/2009 18:08

Paloma-love it
Penelope-love it
Aurora- I thought of this when I was pregnant with dd but I just think it's too tricky to say and I think that Rory would be the most obv. nn and I don't like that for a girl.
Ariadne-like this the least of all of your choices.
Allegra-like it
Elodie-lovely, if this one is a girl it's on my list.
Aurelia-nice, makes me think of Love Actually.
Dulcie-ok, for some reason it sounds a bit sad to me.
Lydia-great but significantly more popular than your other choices if that matters to you.

jellybeans · 22/05/2009 18:10

I only like these
Aurora

Elodie

Tinker · 22/05/2009 18:14

Paloma - makes me think of Jonathan King so Not Good
Penelope - like it. Like Penelope Cruz and like Penny as a nickname
Aurora - think of Disney so Not Good
Ariadne - not sure
Allegra - not sure
Elodie - Did love this but always wonder if it's a French equivalent of Kylie. Very popular there - need a Frenh person to tell us. Might not matter to you of course
Aurelia - not sure
Dulcie - NO. Not at all
Lydia - Love it, the best one.

basementbear · 22/05/2009 18:18

Paloma- does make me think "una paloma blanca" but I love it anyway
Penelope - pitstop, cruz, will always get shortened to penny anyway
Aurora - not keen
Ariadne - old lady, wears lilac
Allegra - lots of them about
Elodie - everyone will think you said "melody"
Aurelia - not keen
Dulcie - think its really cute
Lydia - teapot

niccibabe · 22/05/2009 19:10

Paloma - okay especially if baby has mediterranean colouring - otherwise a bit pretentious / or is it a tribute to Paloma Picasso perfumes, china ranges, etc?
Penelope - fine, you would need to like the Penny shortening
Aurora - risky calling any baby a name that contains the sound "Roar" - depending on accent could sound like "a roarer"
Ariadne - depends on your surname...could sound greek and exotic or just pretentious
Allegra - same car problem as other people
Elodie - the pond weed used in school biology experiments is Elodea! Anything that can be shortened to Ellie immediately becomes Smelly Ellie
Aurelia - like this one.
Dulcie - the dull sound at the start lets it down
Lydia - can only think of "lid of your teapot" and "chlamydia" everytime I hear this one.

Hope this isn't a bit much - DH is a dab-hand at spotting puns on names & has put me off dozens already.