Hello!
I am a longtime silent forum reader-
My partner and I are expecting a little girl in early [name_u]December[/name_u]-we both have names that we love but it feels hard to settle on one and leave the rest!
We initially wanted to use family names-which would have been [name_f]Jane[/name_f] or [name_f]Faye[/name_f]-I still love these names but we’ve decided that a fresh name (without family baggage) would be the right choice for us.
Here is the list that we have now:
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] (his favourite)
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (my favourite, beautiful meaning and not overly trendy I hope?-but a friend said that it sounded like phlegm, I don’t agree but now that is in my head ugh)
[name_f]Olive[/name_f] (too trendy/too similar to [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] I think-I just love this one though)
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] (we both like this, but the meaning doesn’t feel significant)
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]-just pretty!
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u]-I’ve recently added this one, but is it strong/substantial enough? I do like nature type names.
Names that we’ve ruled out-[name_f]Louisa[/name_f] and [name_f]Edie[/name_f]
In terms of our overall style-we’ve named two cats together and their names are [name_m]Henry[/name_m] and [name_f]Fern[/name_f] (excessive popularity isn’t something we’re concerned about with pets!)
Of your list, I like [name_f]Olive[/name_f] best, but I do like the nickname potential for [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] “[name_f]Emmie[/name_f], [name_u]Lennie[/name_u],” [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] “[name_f]Hattie[/name_f],” and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] “[name_f]Juni[/name_f], [name_u]June[/name_u], [name_f]Perrie[/name_f].” Some other suggestions:
[name_f]Ayla[/name_f] (said with a long A, as in [name_f]Faye[/name_f])
[name_f]Brynn[/name_f]
[name_f]Calla[/name_f]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Noelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Poppy[/name_f]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_u]Sutton[/name_u]
[name_u]Teagan[/name_u]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_u]Winter[/name_u]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u]
I adore [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u].
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f] [name_u]Juniper[/name_u]
Very cute names and they age well
I love [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] from your list! Delicate and distinctive.
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] is sweet and bright, but it definitely feels more than a little trendy/hipster to me (not necessarily a bad thing, just to give you my first impression)
[name_f]Olive[/name_f] is also gorgeous and [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], while not a personal favourite, certainly feels like a perfect fit for you.
I think [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] is definitely substantial enough. To me three names are very strong. It’s also lovely.
I love [name_f]Harriet[/name_f]. While the meaning may not be wowsome, is carries strength and leadership.
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] is so sweet and I agree that it doesn’t sound like phlegm.
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is equally sweet!
Some ideas using your current names:
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (both your favs go very nicely together)
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] [name_f]Faye[/name_f] (if you were ok using family names in the middle)
More love for [name_f]Olive[/name_f]! It seems to fit both of your styles and your preference for a nature name. I think it has a very different vibe from [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and I don’t see it become as popular. Other ideas I like for you:
[name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_u]June[/name_u]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
I think [name_f]Olive[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] are all very sweet names. It’s a shame you have eliminated [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Faye[/name_f], because they are very lovely as well. I don’t think [name_f]Olive[/name_f] is excessively trendy, nor do I think it is too similar to [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] in feeling if not sound and spelling.
If [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Faye[/name_f] are still available for the middle spot, how about [name_f]Olive[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] [name_f]Faye[/name_f], or [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_f]Harriet[/name_f]?
If not [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], what about another gemstone name? [name_f]Opal[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Garnet[/name_f], or even [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] would be lovely.
Or what about other nature names like [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u]? [name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], [name_f]Posy[/name_f], or [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]?
I notice that a large number of your names are either word names or else are just older, throwback names, so I would perhaps think about those categories as you move forward.
Of my suggestions I particularly like [name_f]Flora[/name_f] and [name_f]Opal[/name_f]!
My favorites are [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]. [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] does not sound like phlegm. I would think of a lot of things before that including the song, the oranges, and [name_m]Winston[/name_m] [name_m]Churchill[/name_m]'s wife (I’ve been loving [name_u]Clemmie[/name_u] since seeing her on The Crown). I do agree it’s a little trendy/hipster. I’m a fan of [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] and if you’re looking for something unusual it gets my vote (assuming you’re in the US). For me the associations of [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] Tubman and [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] the Spy are more meaningful than the etymological meaning. [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is also great but I wonder if it might be too girly for some. I’m not a fan of [name_f]Olive[/name_f] or [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] personally, and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] is definitely trendy, though cute.
I [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_u]Juniper[/name_u]!! From your names I also like [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] and [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is really sweet. I hadn’t thought of it as a name to use until I heard a girl on the playground named [name_f]Mabel[/name_f]. That made me like it more.
Thanks so much to everyone for the really thoughtful feedback and suggestions-this is really what I hoped for when I posted!
I particularly loved the suggestion of [name_f]Opal[/name_f], I’d never even considered it and it almost combines [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] actually.
I also now feel supported in our naming style which feels super good
To someone who speculated-we’re actually on the Canadian prairies, but I would guess that popular/trendy names here are very similar to those in the US!
Thanks again! I will keep checking back in case anybody has more for us
@beort12 it was really tough to eliminate [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Faye[/name_f]-longtime favourites and meaningful. Unfortunately we were getting excessive pressure from each side to use their name so we chose to drop them both.
Anyway, our girl deserves a name without contention
@katinka
Really interesting suggestion of [name_f]Clemency[/name_f]! I also love [name_f]Anais[/name_f] and [name_f]Margot[/name_f], the latter is super popular in our area, probably because it works so well in [name_m]French[/name_m] and English. Thanks so much for the feedback-I’ve always loved your suggestions on other posts.
I think you’re right, [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] may come across as trendy, we will just have to determine if the qualities that we love about it outweigh that!
I adore all of your name choices and think you have a winner no matter what!
I prefer in order:
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (was my number one name as well!)
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f]
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u]
Others above have also given some lovely suggestions - most of which were also on my list, so I can’t really suggest anymore! I found that trying out names for a week really helped me choose. Try calling the baby one name out loud for a week. See if it feels right saying it! Then switch to another name! It might help you discover which name is the one!
Forget the negative connotations you’ve associated with [name_f]Clementine[/name_f]! I truly love it- the Cl and T sounds are sharp and distinct, and overall the name [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] has a lovely flow and spirit to it. It’s girly but strong, it sounds fresh and it ages well. My second from your list is [name_u]Juniper[/name_u], which I’m also a big fan of. I think it’s absolutely substantial enough- I can’t think of a sweeter name for a baby girl, either.
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is my favorite! It’s so intriguing and beautiful. I like the name [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] quite a bit, although [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] bushes are not the most attractive of foliage. I guess that doesn’t matter! [name_f]Junie[/name_f] is a sweet nickname.
Some suggestions that might appeal:
Nature-y:
