Totally confused - opinons please!

[Threelittlemoomins]

Really can't decide what to call DD3 and she's due any day!

DDs are mixed race and we'd like an 'ambigous' name that's not identified with a particular culture iykwim.

Shortlist is:
Naima
Saskia
Anoushka
Farrah
Inaya

What do you think? Any other suggestions?

I love Anoushka.

I like all of those (save perhaps Farrah). Inaya sounds lovely.

Maybe Nadia?

What are your other DDs called? Personally I wouldn't identify the names on your list as being more ambiguous than others but maybe that's because I've always taught in a very multi-cultural area where names such as Hannah, Ruby, Noah, Franklin, Ezra, Amelia, Naomi, Toby, Anna, Rachel, Victoria, Faith, Alice etc. are fairly well distributed across the children regardless of their racial make-up.

Lots of the Biblical names are fairly ambiguous if you like those. I have a Harriet and a Miriam. According to the USA babynames websites Harriet is a very 'black' name and only strict Jewish families are likely to call a child Miriam.

We are Anglo-Saxon Christians!

Thanks.

I'm Indian so for me the names on our work well/sound a bit Indian. Lots of the names on your list are lovely but do sound very 'Western' to me.

I'd rather not say what my DDs are called as it may out me IRL! But both have names that have Jewish and Arabic roots (not that either DH or I ate jewish/Muslim!!!)

Sorry just realised this post is probably v confusing!

By the way Miriam is lovely and was in my shortlist but not DHs!

How about Zara.

I like Saskia best from your list. Inaya is nice, haven't heard of it before. Also like Anoushka. I'm afraid Farrah reminds me of the Farah brand of men's clothes.

I like Inaya and Naima

Also:

Amara
Soraya

I like them all. Naima's probably my favourite. I've only heard it once before, from the 1990s girl band 'The Honeyz'.

I also like Nijah, if you're looking for suggestions.

Aneesa
Gaurika
Jala
Kaia
Kareema
Leena
Mahima
Maya
Naisha
Rohana

Some multicultural/ non English sounding names:

Amalia/ Malia
Mila
Maya/ Maia
Amara
Zahra
Thalia
Noor
Nasim
Lila/ Leela
Nina

Saskia is nice from your list.

How about Lila/Leila, Maya, Zara, Darcey, Talia, Kali, Paloma, Luna, Eliana, Amaya or Mia?

I like Asha, I know a lovely Asha
Anoushka is lovely but I avoid it because it's used as the endearing pet form of Anna/Anya, therefore I class it in the same caegory as Evie - nice, but there should be a full/not pet name on the birth certificate

Soraya
Zahra
Actually all of the names here are nice!

I like Anoushka and Saskia from your list.

I have to say, the likelihood of ever meeting a black child named Harriet in the US would be slim to none. Maybe a grandmother or great grandmother, though, although you'd find a lot of Harriets in older age groups across all races. And Miriam is not restricted to Jewish families -- OT names tend to be chosen by Christians across the board in middle class and upper middle class America.

How about
Zelda
Naomi
Mira
Zuleika
Zenobia
Zelie/Zelia

leila
nila
vida
lana
maya

My indian friend and her english DH have called ther DD Zaira, I really like that name.

mathanxiety, I mentioned the US thing because I thought it was interesting that names that some people consider to be associated with a particular race are so far from the experience of others. Our non-UK friends often say what an 'English' name Harriet is when it's actually Germanic in origin (I think!).

Love Naima

Thanks everyone. Lots of lovely suggestions and think we're a bit closer to deciding.

Like Saskia & Anoushka.

Just thought, how about Safiya/Safiyah/Safia? It's the Arabic version of Sophia and is the name of my DD's best friend (who is mixed race; Indian and Jamaican).

Or Yasmin/Yasmina?

Or Jemima (nn Mima)?