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Baby names

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

Original poster

we can't agree - please give us your opinions

48 replies

Lola11 · 06/06/2009 09:15

My partner and I can't agree on the name. He likes Ariel, Bronte, Solveig.
I keep changing my mind but at the moment I like Monet, Elodie, Lela..

Do you think that Ariel is going to be associated with the washing powder?
Is Solveig going to be difficult to spell and pronounce? ('solvee')

The only names that we would both consider but not anywhere near our top choices are Annabel, Evangeline (do you think it would ever be used in full), Amber and Isla all of which are quite popular but we both prefer unusual names..
Please give us you honest opinions

Also, what do you think about first name and the surname starting with the same letter?
Thank you!

Here is the list again:

Ariel
Bronte
Monet
Elodie
Lela
Solveig
Annabel
Evangeline
Amber
Isla

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rubyslippers · 06/06/2009 09:18

Ariel - boys name
Bronte - hmmm
Monet - nope
Elodie - lovely
Lela - leila
Solveig - pretty
Annabel - undecided
Evangeline - nope
Amber - yes
Isla - think this is the best one

Podrick · 06/06/2009 09:22

I like your dp's choices
Face it few people will spell/pronounce Solvieg but it is pretty nonetheless

Evangeline is a fave of mine

First name initial and surname initial the same? I quite like it!

savoycabbage · 06/06/2009 09:22

I too read Lela as Leila. I like Evangeline the best. And Bronte.

Bucharest · 06/06/2009 09:23

Ariel- washing powder and mermaids, and very girly. Unless you're a big fat Jewish politician.
Bronte- is a surname
Monet- is a surname.
Elodie- is OK if you're French or have French background.
Lela- Leila is OK, don't like the creative spelling element
Solveig - is OK if you're Norwegian.
Annabel- is nice, classy, elegant, now we're talking!
Evangeline- is DIVINE! My favourite.
Amber- like Jade. Say no more.
Isla - I lump together with Freya and that sort of thing. I don't dislike it, but it's a bit now and faddy.

aGalChangedHerName · 06/06/2009 09:24

Elodie and Isla are fab.

Bucharest · 06/06/2009 09:25

The name and surname isn't a problem IMO- especially if the sound of the letter is different....eg Evangeline Evans (2 different sounds)

Evangeline! Evangeline!

TeaSleepFood · 06/06/2009 09:26

Isla and Elodie and Bronte for me

Podrick · 06/06/2009 09:36

Evangeline!

othersideofchannel · 06/06/2009 10:11

I love Elodie and Lela (or Leila).

Actually all your choices are very nice. The only one I'm not that keen on is Evangeline because it is too long as to be used regularly, and there are SO many Eve's and Eva's out there already...

edam · 06/06/2009 10:15

My personal choice from your list would be NOT:

Ariel
Bronte (needs an umlaut but I don't know how to make one on MN)
Monet
Solveig (unless you are from whichever is the relevant country)
Amber (was very popular a few years ago)

Elodie is about the best of the bunch, Isla and Annabel are OK, Evangeline will be shortened to Eve or Evie which are OK if you like that kind of thing.

FairLadyRantALot · 06/06/2009 10:16

Ariel- nope...either washing powder or the mermaid

Bronte- not sure, tbh

Monet- definite NOPE what are you thinking...

Elodie- very pretty, I think, really like that

Lela- no...

Solveig- I would pronounce it as it is spelled and wouldn't know the correct pronoinciation, don't think many people would...it's a scandinavian name, isn't it?

Annabel- don't like it, makes me think of that awful doll...Baby Annabel (sung in tune...

Evangeline- quite pretty

Amber- really like it....and not so many little Ambers now, are there...

Isla- not keen

how about Anoushka or Tatyana or Silvana or Ricarda?

edam · 06/06/2009 10:16

Oh no, just realised Evangeline might be shortened to Angie which I really don't like (apols to any Angies out there but not my choice for a little girl).

MrsMattie · 06/06/2009 10:16

Ariel
Bronte
Monet
Elodie
Lela
Solveig
Annabel
Evangeline
Amber
Isla

Evangeline is the most beautiful name.

I also like Solveig and Elodie.

Monet and Bronte sound 'ghetto stripper', sorry.
Annabel - meh. Perefer Anna or Bella.
Amber - alright, bit dull.
Don't like Isla, Lela or Ariel.

Podrick · 06/06/2009 11:02

Elodie is too much like Bill Oddie for my tastes

MrsMattie · 06/06/2009 11:21

lol!

janeite · 06/06/2009 11:24

From your list I like Bronte and Annabel.

I really don't like: Monet, Solveig or Elodie. Although I LOVE Eloise and even considered Melody for dd1 but I was much more of a hippy then than I am now!

bronze · 06/06/2009 11:26

Ariel- washing powder/mermaid
Bronte- surname of the author sisters
Monet- surname plus associate with Claude Monet who was of course male
Elodie -pretty
Lela -ok
Solveig- better if used in Scandanavia
Annabel- ok
Evangeline- ok
Amber- ok
Isla - ok/pretty

Tambajam · 06/06/2009 11:39

Ariel is the little mermaid or a washing powder or a nymphy boy. None of that sounds desirable.
Solveig is pretty when spoken but quite odd when written - assuming you live in an English-speaking country.

Monet - sounds like 'money' in a couple of English regional accents. Nope. Really no.
Bronte - pretty, Greencard character.
Amber - fine, seems fairly popular though.
Elodie - lovely
Isla - fine, Isla St Clair was a celeb of yesteryear.
Evangeline - not really
Annabel - fine, not very exciting.

Elodie, Bronte probably favs.

jellybeans · 06/06/2009 11:40

Ariel DISLIKE, WASHING POWDER
Bronte OK BUT ABIT 'UNPRETTY'
Monet DISLIKE
Elodie LOVE IT
Lela DISLIKE
Solveig REALLY DISLIKE
Annabel LOVE IT
Evangeline LOVE IT
Amber LOVE IT
Isla LIKE IT

Original poster
Lola11 · 07/06/2009 09:56

Thank you all very much! We realise that not everybody is going to like our choice but also know that hardly anyone likes Monet or Ariel and thanks to you all have much shorter list now. We now have to decide if we are brave enough to have a more unusual (or foreign) name:

my partner's favourites:

  1. Solveig (we are not Norwegian!)
  2. Bronte (growing on me as unusual but not sure if it sounds nice)

my favourites:

  1. Elodie (our surname starts with 'E')
  2. Evangeline (we both only like it in full)

We both like but it is much further down our list

  1. Annabel

We appreciate any comments/suggestions

OP posts:
Heated · 07/06/2009 10:19

Favourite is Annabel, lovely & stylish. Similar sounding imo to Solveig (Solvee) is Sylvie. Elodie ok, Evangeline pretty. Bronte imo is a bit chav, or at least when I've heard it used it's rarely pn with crisp vowels but more Bron-taaaaaay - followed but "ged 'ere" but maybe that's just my experience...

ThePhantomPlopper · 07/06/2009 10:22

Ariel - Mermaid.
Bronte - Not too keen,it's a bit harsh sounding.
Monet - OK
Elodie - Hmm. Not sure.
Lela - Not too keen.
Solveig - Don't like it.
Annabel - OK
Evangeline - OK
Amber - OK
Isla - OK.

noddyholder · 07/06/2009 10:22

Isla

MrsMattie · 07/06/2009 10:24

Of your final list, I think Evangeline and Elodie are nicest. I like Solvieg, too.

Annabel is wishy washy compared to your other choices.

seeker · 07/06/2009 10:50

Are you sure Solveig is pronounced Solvee? I thought it was pronounced near enough to Solve-eig. Any Scandanavian people on here?

Any name that nobody knows how to pronounce is a definite no in my book - it's such a pain to have to correct people every time for the rest of your life!

If the response of 99% of people will be some variation on "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name" then it's a BAD IDEA!