Help please

[Comma2]

I cannot bear the responsibilty of naming my second dd I have a name I really hate and do not want to do this to innocent babybut will have to.

DD1 is Flora, and I always knew it would be. son, if i'd had one, would have been Miles. Now it is a dd though, and struggle has begun.

DH extremly unhelpful, only imposing limitations: can't be a flower name, can't be a months name (there goes June), can't be too hippy and can't end in 'illy' (Lilly is double out).
My own restrictions: must be not too outlandish (Fantasia is a no-go), not obviously religious (Grace), and not weird spelling to make it 'special' (Desyree)

We live in the US and people are very bad in pronuncing anyting more complex than Jack and Judy, I am German and would like no th so my parents can have a go at pronouncing it, and our last name and heritage is irish, so that would be nice, but we'll have to be able to read it. . Anybody??

Here are my 3 ideas, all of them a bit unenthusiastic:
Esme
Ella (number one so far,but not sure about it)
Penelope (but dh doesn't like Penny)

Please help me!!

Not sure why Emer would be difficult, tbh. Maura may be more recognisable, if that's what you mean, because of Maura Tierney

Esme is a 'trend' name. I really dislike it, actually, especially the Es-me pronunciation.

Ella is really popular in the UK, but I still think it's a classic.

Penelope is gorgeous.

Thinking of German women ./ girls I know or have known:

Claudia
Agatha
Selma
Giselle
Elsa
Christa
Elspeth

Some Irish girl's names...can't get away from the Gaelic spellings, really, unless you go for 'Irish inspired' names like Shannon, Erin, Caitlin etc:

Ailis (Eye-leesh) - I have seen this spelled Eilish in England
Aine (Awnya) - can anglicise to Anya
Grainne (Grawn-ya) - Irish Gaelic for Grace, so sort of sneaky one there
Mairead (Mah-rade or Muh-rade) - form of Mary

will think of more...got Tesco man at door

I have an Esme pronounced (correctly) Es-mee. So with the greatest respect, up yours Persephoponce! Trend my arse. It has been around for years and years. I have also only ever met one other where I live.

It is 150% the nicest name suggested on this thread.

Yes, but about two people in the world were called Esme until 3 years ago. Now north London is teeming with them

I thought it was french and therefore pronounced Es-may?

Susannah
Claire

North London may be teeming with them (doubt that actually) but that's not true of where I live. She is one on her own!!

Esme is the way Scots pronounce it. The Esmay pronunciation sounds really pathetic to me. Not one person has ever pronounced my dd's name Esmay thank Gawd. Internet sites do all point to it being French, but speak to a proper French person and ask if they have ever met an Esme.. or Esmay.... see what they say.

I am not deliberately trying to be horrible - it's true! There are two in my child's class, a friend has a 2 yr old called Esme and the woman who has just moved in two doors down has an Esme. They are fifty fifty on the Esme/Esmay pronunciation, btw

I know a 94 year old Esme who pronounces it Esmay.

But Esme = male and Esmee = female (can't do the accents), just like Rene and Renee.

So, for a girl it's got to be Esmee. I wouldn't use it because of the different ways of pronouncing it (French, English etc).

i think Esme is lovely and depending on accent i think the 'owner' will have a choice about how it is pronounced which is nice. Irish names I love include Una, Oonagh, Finola and Finula, but possibly not all in the same family!

Oh I love Giselle, but dh has completely forbidden it. Also a french name, the german version is Gisela, which is horrible.

Una is lovely too, but after Bridget Jones will always associate it with Gherkins.

I thought Esme comes from Esmeralda (which is nice, but a bit cuckoo, according to DH).

Why is Esme suddendly an in-name????? I got it from Salinger short stories, never heard it before and suddenly its modern? Fuck it, will just ignore. (also, the americans I told never even heard of it, which isn't the best either.)

Mairead is Irish for Margaret. (Mary is Maire, Mairin, etc.) It is a name that Americans cannot pronounce to save their lives . Irish names when properly spelled are greeted with complete disbelief in America. If you want to use an Irish name in the US, I would try reading it as if it were in English and see what you get. Forget you know anything about it or what it should sound like, be as outlandish as you like.

Esme/Esmee is associated with Scotland more than anywhere else, although spelling-wise it's French. I think its meaning is something along the lines of "loved" or "esteemed".

How about German names - Elke, Anneliese, Liesel, Leni, Tabea (Tabitha), or Sophia, which is pretty international?

Uh-oh, mathanxiety, I am still not forgiven my outlandish comment, am I?

I like Annika as far as german names go, but husband just got funny look on face and I moved right on. I also like Ida, but Americans would mess it all up. Sophie is planned for middle name. Otherwise I seem to zoom in on Esme, just like that, no accents or double ees, as seems too complicated and very few people would know its not correct.

Sorry, comma2, I wouldn't mind, but I hate being called Mildred. 'Outlandish' was subconscious/late night... I know an Anya whose father is German. Love Annika, btw.