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Baby names!

(162 Posts)
Witzend Tue 30-Jul-19 19:07:24

Dd and SiL are expecting no. 3 - bit of a surprise baby! - in early January. They already have one of each, so for once they opted to know the sex - a girl.

Today I've been trawling through names to try to help, since whichever name one of them really likes, the other doesn't because there was a nasty little baggage at school, etc. etc. And dd is getting in a tizz that they'll still be dithering at Christmas.

And it's got to be something that won't date, not twee or trendy, or celeb-ish, or that nobody's ever heard of, etc.

I've been looking at the baby names threads on MN - not much help there - either rejected already or too 'younique' for dd and SiL.
So difficult!

kittylester Wed 31-Jul-19 14:04:02

My name is very unusual and I have only ever met 5 others in my life. Strangely, my brother in law met a woman who had been married before and already had a child. She had the same first name as me and, after he adopted her, exactly the same name. She spells the shortened version slightly differently.

Someone up thread was quite rude about it. I'm glad I'm not sensitive.

glammanana Wed 31-Jul-19 13:49:51

paddyann My son and DIL have called their little girl Willow she is their first child and they picked the name very early on,we where expecting a cute delicate little girly girl with a name to match !!
We got a still cute baby girl but she is like a baby elephant who barges in everywhere nothing delicate about her at all she cannot talk quietly she is very loud but very very funny and loving totally different from my other DGDs who are grown up now and called Aimee & Abigail both nice names.

Witzend Wed 31-Jul-19 13:47:47

Yes, I do tend to agree, Lilyflower - and a Roman/current Italian name is now a serious contender! Pretty, can't really be shortened, and goes well with the surname.

If anyone else is an Inspector Montalbano addict, it's his girlfriend's name. But dd is worried that everyone will assume it should have an 'O' in front...

Nannarose Wed 31-Jul-19 13:42:49

I haven't read all of these, but make a plea for for '2 syllable rule' ie: easily shouted, whether to come in for tea, stop teasing the dog or come and say hello to Nanna

Calendargirl Wed 31-Jul-19 13:41:29

On a slightly different tack. Old names which DON’T seem to be making a comeback;

Doris
Gladys
Ethel
Bertha
Myrtle
Mildred
Nellie
Queenie
Winifred
Phyllis

Edgar
Eustace
Leslie
Maurice
Oswald

I’m sure GN’ers will put me right, and announce GC who have these names.

Winter18 Wed 31-Jul-19 13:31:01

I like Olivia, and Sophia x

Saggi Wed 31-Jul-19 13:27:50

My husbands family are a nightmare ‘ namewise’ my husband is William as was his father , grandfather, and great-grandfather ! What IS that about? My husbands sister is Mary as was his mum, grannie and g-grannie...for goodness sake! When my daughter was born I flatly refused the name and called her Annie ....when my son was born ...NO William ...but Greg! They argued ...they sniffed .... they badgered me , but I stood firm. As long as the name goes with the surname I’m sure they’ll find a good name. Good luck with your new grandchild whatever they call her. But not William or Mary!!!!

Kim19 Wed 31-Jul-19 13:25:57

Mauriherb, that's an interesting concept. When one of my GC was born her parents withheld her name for 24 hours so that they could be satisfied 'it suited her'. A novel concept to me but now you have made a degree of sense of it. Thank you. My girls' name choice would be Stephanie or Lynn.

pamdixon Wed 31-Jul-19 13:25:25

I have grand-daughters called Alice and Dinah - nothing too tricky there! Also a great-niece called Luna which is pretty I think too.

GrannySomerset Wed 31-Jul-19 13:22:41

My daughter wanted something classical, my son in law liked Pony Club names so I offered Penelope, which was rejected by both. They settled on Flora!

I have a very unusual name and spent my childhood having to spell it. I wished I had been called Anne, but my mother pointed out that I would still have been asked about the spelling.

Lilyflower Wed 31-Jul-19 13:13:20

Bible
Jane Austen
Shakespeare
Classical Greek or Roman
Nineteenth century novels
Brontes (own and characters' names)
Kings & queens

Nothing :-
Fashionable
Oddly spelt
Celebrities
Twee
An abbrieviation
Made up
Somewhere you went on holiday
Somewhere a celebrity went on holiday

Yes this is a bit snobbish and a bit of a 'guide to the middle classes'. However, when I was teaching the top sets were full of Emma, Sophie and Georges and the bottom sets were full of Chardonnays and Kais.

4allweknow Wed 31-Jul-19 13:11:25

Sar53. There has to be a Welsh connection given GDs names.
Paddyann Sorry but just can't get past the Kia car brand.
I did work beside a young person who on the birth of her son gave him what she thought to be a 'one off' name. Her DH and his friend had made it up. When I told her they must have heard it somewhere as well known in Finland and European countries. Was adamant NO it was definitely a new name. Well guess what, about 5 years later a 26 year old pop star appeared who had the same name as her son! Perhaps your DD should chose 3 names she does like but can't decide on, then have a lucky dip for the chosen one. No matter what, the child will grow into it and probably wish they had been given another.

GillT57 Wed 31-Jul-19 13:00:22

Many people say to wait until the baby arrives and then seee what name suits him/her. I always remember a partner at the firm where I worked chatting to me about baby names when I was pregnant, he said they had been undecided about what to name their expected baby, but when he was born, they took one look and decided he was a Nigel! I had this vision of a baby wearing tweeds, wearing glasses.......grin

rubysong Wed 31-Jul-19 12:43:07

I always suggested lists of names when the DGC we expected. My suggestions were, of course, ignored. Never mind, we were happy with the names they were given.
How's about the following:. Flora, Lucy, Miranda, Edith, Clover, Seren, Zoe, Nancy, Eliza? All slightly unusual but not weird.

Tigertooth Wed 31-Jul-19 12:33:12

Tara is nice?

Tigertooth Wed 31-Jul-19 12:31:53

What are the other two called? To give an idea of what they like?
Ava?
Chloe?
Emily?
Noa?

Phoebes Wed 31-Jul-19 12:31:03

Sara65: Abuela means Granny in Spanish! No idea about Abuelana though!
I taught all my life and there were certain names that made you shudder! Generally, the children they were attached to were trouble and you knew this even before you met them!
I hate made-up names that you have no idea how to spell and that don’t mean anything.
Our daughter, Joanna, has recently had a gorgeous baby boy and she and her husband have called him Asher Samuel. Samuel was my Grandpa’s name and Asher was one of Joseph’s brothers in the book of Genesis. We were surprised, but everyone seems to like it and, according to the list of favourite boys’s names in the US where they live, it’s the third most popular boys’ name. They didn’t know this when they chose it.

Jani31 Wed 31-Jul-19 12:28:47

Jack and new born brother Harry have a cousin Mia which my DD thought it was unusual. Apparently 6th in the table x Then I said pronounced as MEa or MYa. MEa Mum like it says ?

farmgran Wed 31-Jul-19 12:26:34

My little granddaughters are Sami and Flora.
I love old fashioned names like Kitty and Tilly and Annie

Hetty58 Wed 31-Jul-19 12:24:18

We never chose a name until baby was born. It was considered to be unlucky to choose in advance. Also, buying a pram, cot or more than just the basics in nappies or clothes was frowned upon. A family tradition, perhaps.

I remember we went past the six weeks 'allowed' to register one of them, too, with no problem.

gillybob Wed 31-Jul-19 12:23:44

It makes me think of Mabel Lucy Attwell too Goodbyetoallthat those sweet little drawings. smile

Auntieflo Wed 31-Jul-19 12:23:12

Our daughter was to be named Nicola, but one look at her, and she definitely wasn’t one. But, her own daughter has that name, strange how things work out.
If our third child had been a girl, I was going to name her Jocelyn, but she turned out to be a he, and now has a son with a first name beginning with ‘J’.
My own name was very unusual when I was young, but I hear a lot more now.
By the way, It’s not Flo!

Goodbyetoallthat Wed 31-Jul-19 12:20:49

I love Mabel (makes me think of Mabel Lucy Attwell). One of my daughter's is called Flora, there were several negative comments about that when she was born. She is in her 20s now & loves her name!

Conker Wed 31-Jul-19 12:15:03

My little Granddaughter is called Constance/ Connie I love it especially when I heard the other they had in the list lol

My Granddaughter expected this month is to be called Ivy Jennifer

My daughter is Erin . I love the name Carys /Cerys at the minute ?

gillybob Wed 31-Jul-19 12:12:04

I just adore that name Callistemon it reminds me of a sweet little girl with chubby knees !