Callia Ianthe or Seren Mere

[Verity79]

Had a thread a little while ago about DC3's name, had the 21 week scan, it's girl no.3.

I was wobbling about Callia Ianthe as being the new DD's name and got lot's of great ideas/feedback. DH and I then made mind up to call DD3 Callia Ianthe......

Then when on holiday we drove past Mere and I remarked I loved that name in 'Marrow' by Robert Reed (one of my favourite books/characters) DH said he really loved it too. It's a legitimate name in Maori meaning 'bitter' but was used in the context of the book as a direct from English name (i.e. the character is incredibly slight/small).

I was then reading a thread about Welsh names and somebody mentioned Seren (Welsh for 'Star') so now the there is a face (name??) off between Callia Ianthe and Seren Mere.

Any comments (apart from to tell me to quit being so precious )?

Oh DD1 is Lilith Louise and DD2 is Alethea Ivy (AKA Thea).

I much prefer Calantha, and it goes very well with your other two girls.

I like Callia and Ianthe but not together. I also really like Seren but not keen on Mere tbh.

I like the first names but not with the second names. Seren Merry sounds better.

I think Seren Mere is lovely but then I really like the name Mara (must be related, means bitter but in gaelic means 'sea').

Stella Maris means star of the sea too and isn't it also a term for bible Mary?

I love Ianthe - nearly used it for DD. Much prefer it to Callia, although I really like Cassia (nearly used that too)

My son was going to be Seren if he'd been a girl. I love it. Not keen on Mere, to be honest. We were going to have Seren Rhiannon or Seren Mair (Mair being my mum's name, Welsh for Mary). I really like Callia too, but I'm not sure that I'd put two really unusual names together - I'd use a relatively 'safe' middle name in case she didn't like the unusual one.

I have nothing to add, but you sound like you're having a great time choosing a name for your baby.

I like all the names on their own but Callia Ianthe has lots of a's and I's going on and Seren Mere lots of ere's and they are pronounced differently in each name which is confusing (for me anyway!)

The only thing I would say is that Ianthe (though I like it) with Lilith and Thea is all a bit 'th'-heavy. Like you have a lisp. So I don't think I'd go with that as a first name.

like Seren very much. Also Serena. Not so keen on Callia. And don't like Mere. As others have said it suggests 'merely' and also sounds like a bog to me. How about Merle instead?

I like Seren and Ianthe best from all the names you have mentioned. Maybe Seren Ianthe would be good? Not keen on Mere because of what people mentioned it sounds like mare/horse or "mere" as a belittling word

I love Seren but with mere it sounds like the name of a small lake