• eliminate names from Mary’s lists!

I’m pretty sure about my top-top names at the moment but my longlist is beginning to feel a bit sprawly and out of control, and there are more crushes I want to add. So berries, I’m calling on you to be ruthless - which of these would you get rid of? Explain your reasoning or just list!

mary’s longlist

Alice
Anastasia
Anna
Annabeth
Arden
Bess/Bessie
Betsey
Cecilia
Caroline
Charlotte
Chloé
Clara
Claire
Constance
Elise
Eliza
Elara
Eloise
Elsa
Emmelina
Emma
Fern
Francesca
Genevieve
Grace
Hallie
Hazel
Iris
Isabel
Josie
Juliette
Katharine ‘Kitty’
Lena
Lila
Lilia
Lilian
Lucinda
Mia
Mila
Odette
Rosa
Rosalie
Rose
Romy (ROME-y)
Susannah
Siena
Violet
Wren
Zelda

Thanks in advance :smiling_face:

I guess it depends on what you’re going for! For example, if you really care about stylistic cohesion, I’d remove [name_u]Arden[/name_u], [name_u]Romy[/name_u], [name_f]Annabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Siena[/name_f], because they feel more modern, while your other names mostly feel classic or vintage. Something like [name_u]Wren[/name_u] is also quite modern but it works well with your other word names, like [name_u]Rose[/name_u] & [name_f]Violet[/name_f].

And then, you also have a lot of similar-sounding names! It might help you to narrow down your list if you compare them against each other and only keep one or two. For example, I would say that:

Rosa/Rosalie/Rose - [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] wins for me! They all work with your list, but I think [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] works best.

Lila/Lilia/Lillian - Again, all three work, but [name_f]Lillia[/name_f] is the most interesting one to me so I’d keep her.

Elise/Eliza/Eloise/Elara/Elsa - I’d keep [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] and [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]! [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] has a very sweet vintage feel, and [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] a beautiful classic elegance, I really like them with your other names.

Chloé/Clara/Claire - [name_f]Chloé[/name_f] stood out to me; I think she’s the most memorable out of the three, I don’t see her on NB often but her aesthetic is really pretty! So she has my vote.

thank you so much - I definitely need to purge my ‘El’ and ‘Li’ names! I hadn’t realised until I put this list together just how many names I like have a similar sound (I really have a thing for ‘c’ names apparently!)

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I would eliminate

[name_u]Arden[/name_u]
[name_f]Bess[/name_f]
[name_f]Bessie[/name_f]
[name_f]Chloé[/name_f]
[name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Eloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
[name_f]Hallie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]
[name_u]Lilian[/name_u]
[name_f]Siena[/name_f]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u]

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Oh, I don’t like this! :joy: All of your names are so gorgeous! However, if I had to choose some to remove, they’d be:

  1. Chloé

I chose Chloé because although she’s lovely and has a storied history, she sounds less timeless than your other name loves, perhaps because of the Chloe boom of the 2000’s.

  1. Elara

Okay, I love this name. I had a huge thing for Elora way back when, I still think those adjacent-sounding names are gorgeous. However, it feels more like a middle name for you? Like, I’d expect to see Grace Elara on your list before Elara Grace, if that makes sense.

  1. Francesca

I’m being really nit-picky with this one, because it’s mostly on this list because I personally don’t love the name. I do think that Frances feels more Maryish to me. Francesca has that international, chic flair that is lovely, but it also for some reason feels very insubstantial to me, despi name.

  1. Lila

This is another name that I absolutely adore, but I think that your other “Lil-” names are lovelier and fit in better with the rest of your list.

  1. Mia

Mia’s never been one that I’ve taken to, although I get the appeal. It’s so sweet and simple and fun to say, but something about it just doesn’t work for me. It also kind of feels like a Spanish pronoun, like “mí”, which is ridiculous, but I can’t get past it.

  1. Hallie

This is another name that I’m axing simply because I don’t personally like it so much. I love Hollie and Allie, but Hallie just sounds off to me for whatever reason. Also, it’s just not beautiful like your other names.

  1. Siena

I love, love, love the sound of this name, and I actually prefer this spelling to the double “N” one, but it feels more beachy/boho than eclectic vintage. Don’t get me wrong – beachy/boho is a great vibe, but Siena feels more contrived than nature-inspired? I don’t know.

  1. Anastasia

This name is absolutely gorgeous and I love it as a middle for you, but as a first name I prefer Anna or Annabeth for your list.

I hope this was helpful! I adore your list and your names, so I mostly just picked the names that I personally wouldn’t use, or the ones that I felt didn’t fit in with the majority of your list, although I don’t think cohesiveness matters at all when it comes to long lists. That’s the fun of them – you get to include all the names you love! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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At a first glance, I’d lose:

[name_f]Claire[/name_f] (doesn’t sparkle for me)
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] (feels a bit flat compared to your other choices)
[name_f]Grace[/name_f] (doesn’t shine like the others)
[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f] (a bit clunkier)
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] (maybe it’s because I’ve just met many many many Mias)

If I had to make choose one out of the similar names in order to narrow it down:

[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f] (over [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and Anastasia)
[name_f]Betsey[/name_f] (over [name_f]Bessie[/name_f] and Bess)
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (over Caroline)
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] (over Claire)
[name_f]Elara[/name_f] (over [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] - but I’d keep [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] too if I can bend my self imposed rules)
[name_f]Emmelina[/name_f] (over Emma)
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f] (over [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], Lilian)
[name_f]Mila[/name_f] (over Mia)
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] (over [name_u]Rose[/name_u] and Rosa)

And if I had to just keep 10:

  1. [name_f]Elara[/name_f]
  2. [name_u]Fern[/name_u]
  3. [name_f]Francesca[/name_f]
  4. [name_f]Hallie[/name_f]
  5. [name_f]Mila[/name_f]
  6. [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]
  7. [name_u]Romy[/name_u]
  8. [name_f]Siena[/name_f]
  9. [name_u]Wren[/name_u]
  10. [name_f]Lilia[/name_f]

Here’s the ones I personally would cut:

Bess/Bessie - I just personally don’t think these are flattering. They were always reminiscent of cow names for me. Okay as a nickname but I would nix this as a full name.

[name_f]Constance[/name_f] - I see the appeal but it doesn’t have that “classic with a modern appeal” vibe for me. It just sounds more dated and not in vogue at all.

[name_f]Mila[/name_f] - it’s cute and modern, but just sounds oh-so-trendy at the moment

[name_u]Romy[/name_u] - I know everyone’s experiences differ but the [name_u]Romy[/name_u] I know is constantly agonizing over how much she hates her name and wishes she had changed it when she was younger.

[name_f]Zelda[/name_f] - for me, it is too tied to the video game, but that might not be something that children born today may have to contend with.

@heartwings not looking good for Chloé…
@seawillow this was all super helpful! I get that [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] and [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] are definitely longer and weightier than my usual picks; I have the opposite relationship with [name_f]Hallie[/name_f] - I can’t stand [name_u]Holly[/name_u] or [name_f]Ally[/name_f], [name_f]Hallie[/name_f] just does something for me :joy:
@Greyblue I have yet to meet anyone who shares my love for poor Lucinda; I totally get where you’re coming from about [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f] and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] though!
@Youssarian ha I like [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] for [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m] and a little girl I know, but I get those aren’t most people’s first associations…

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For the record, I love your whole list, but here’s what I’d take out if I had to:

[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f]- she looks stylistically different to the rest of your names, being more of a smoosh name

[name_f]Constance[/name_f]- I find that she looks out of place on your list. The vibes are very different to me

[name_f]Elise[/name_f]- I prefer [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] to [name_f]Elise[/name_f] and I think [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] works better on your list!

[name_f]Elsa[/name_f]- personally I find [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] too connected to the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] movie

[name_u]Josie[/name_u]- she feels too nickname-y when compared to the rest of your full names

[name_f]Lila[/name_f]- I love [name_f]Lila[/name_f], but I prefer your other [name_u]Li[/name_u]- names for you!

[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]- she feels too dated and clunkier than your other names

[name_f]Susannah[/name_f]- the vibes are off compared to the other names on your list. She doesn’t feel as elegant. (More in line with Constance)

[name_f]Siena[/name_f]- I don’t love this spelling. She looks incomplete!

[name_f]Zelda[/name_f]- she feels stylistically very different from the other names on you list to me

I don’t hate [name_f]Lucinda[/name_f] by any means! It just feels different to my favourites on your list :grin:

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I would rid

[name_f]Bessie[/name_f]
[name_f]Betsey[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
[name_f]Chloé[/name_f]
[name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmelina[/name_f]
[name_u]Fern[/name_u]
[name_f]Hallie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u]

There was nothing wrong with your list! [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] names! I just picked the ones I liked less.

So many names. I’d eliminate… (based totally on my preferences, so it might not be for you)

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] (feels too childlike for me)
[name_f]Anna[/name_f] (Keep as Annabeth’s nn)
Bessie/Bess (feels dated)
Bestey (way tooo cute)
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] (I’m not sure why to be honest)
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] (feels a little mum-ish)
[name_f]Elise[/name_f] (Evil imagery)
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f] (if you know you know)
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] (Keep as Emmelina’s nn)
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] (The name is ok but [name_f]Frances[/name_f] as an nn feels dated)
[name_f]Isabel[/name_f] (Isabelle is a better spelling)
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] (It feels emotionless)
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f] (Lil-ee-uh, Ly-lee-uh?)
[name_u]Lilian[/name_u] (Lillian is a better spelling)
[name_f]Mila[/name_f] (Mee-luh, My-luh?)
[name_f]Odette[/name_f] (too elegant)
[name_u]Romy[/name_u] (too cute)
[name_f]Siena[/name_f] (Burnt Sienna)

Out of Rosa/Rosalie/Rosa, I’d eliminate [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosa[/name_f], just because [name_f]Rosa[/name_f] feel pointless (it’s pretty though), and [name_f]Rosalee[/name_f] is a better spelling. I left [name_f]Chloe[/name_f] because I’d be biased (I knew one and she was only ok)

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I do!! I like it even if it is not in my official lists, I find it literary and originally beautiful!

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When I think of [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] the first thing I think of is [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m] and not the videogame as well!! But I get why most people connect her to princess [name_f]Zelda[/name_f]. I have her in the list for the same reason and also for the beautiful meaning and the strong yet particular sound.

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@Evergreeninrain I go back and forth on which Sien(n)a spelling I prefer! I keep trying to convince myself [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] is usable despite the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] movie but…
@bellerose ha that’s fine! I literally asked people to remove names :joy:
@Unice9729 I don’t love [name_f]Frances[/name_f] as a nn for [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] but I do like Cesca or [name_u]Fran[/name_u]! I am intrigued the [name_f]Elise[/name_f] comment…
@heartwings aw glad to get some love for [name_f]Lucinda[/name_f] and [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], they’re two favourites that don’t tend to get great feedback irl

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I have slightly weird imagery which is why I imagine [name_f]Elise[/name_f] to be evil (But beautiful too)

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i would remove (out of the similar names):

(anna/annabeth/anastasia) anastasia - shes very extravagant and regal, but it seems to me most of these names are on the shorter, snappy side

(betsey/bessie/bess) bessie - i think i lean towards bess and betsey as stronger nicknames to stand alone

(claire/clara) claire - has more of a gender neutral, universal feel but clara fits in with your other names better in my opinion !

(elise/eliza/elara/eloise/elsa) elara - as beautiful as she is, she tends to get a little lost in the crowd of more distinct el- names

(emmelina/emma) emma - although it depends on what vibe your going for ! emma is literary and sweet, but common compared to your other names

(lila/lilia/lilian) lila - feels more modern when looking at your style

(rosa/rosalie/rose) rosa - i think rosalie and rose fit more a classic feminine chic vibe, rosa is a little more rugged

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You have a lovely style and I like a lot of your names.

[name_u]Love[/name_u]

[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Constance[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_u]Fern[/name_u]
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_u]Josie[/name_u]
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]
[name_f]Susannah[/name_f]

Like

[name_f]Anna[/name_f]
[name_f]Bess[/name_f]
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Eloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f]
[name_f]Hallie[/name_f]
[name_u]Hazel[/name_u]
[name_f]Isabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliette[/name_f]
[name_f]Katharine[/name_f] “Kitty”
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]
[name_u]Lilian[/name_u]
[name_f]Mila[/name_f]
[name_f]Odette[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosa[/name_f]
[name_u]Rose[/name_u]
[name_u]Romy[/name_u]
[name_f]Siena[/name_f]
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f]

Lose

[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f] - not the best smoosh name imo. I’d prefer [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] or [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] as is.
[name_u]Arden[/name_u] - it feels a bit harsh (like “harden”)
[name_f]Bessie[/name_f] - too cutesy, I feel [name_f]Bess[/name_f] is sleeker
[name_f]Betsey[/name_f] - the extra e is a bit unnecessary, and I prefer other [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nns
[name_f]Chloé[/name_f] - I have just never liked the sound, I’m afraid - it sounds like someone clearing their throat
[name_f]Elara[/name_f] - doesn’t feel as polished as some of your other choices
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] - super popularity!
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] - seems a bit lightweight, and I think it will sound dated in years to come
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] - always makes me think of violent
[name_u]Wren[/name_u] - feels too brief and flighty

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Oh this is really hard, I like most of your names and we have quite similar taste.

The ones I would most likely eliminate:

Bess/Bessie: I have a really hard time picturing this on anyone in the modern day and it also feels like a cow name. I think [name_f]Betsey[/name_f] is much nicer, so I’d lean to that variant.
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]: prefer [name_f]Claire[/name_f] so I’d eliminate the “lesser” (imo) variant to trim the list down
[name_f]Elara[/name_f]: doesn’t fit with your other names imo
[name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]: similar concept, I prefer [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] and [name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Hallie[/name_f]: I find this a bit juvenile. I know there are other nickname names on this list but I just like them more.
[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]: I prefer [name_f]Lila[/name_f] or [name_u]Lilian[/name_u], I find [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] quite difficult to say.
[name_f]Mia[/name_f]: doesn’t fit with your other names, also doesn’t find as distinctive or appealing to me
[name_f]Odette[/name_f]: I don’t think the sound is very attractive and I think the association with [name_u]Swan[/name_u] [name_u]Lake[/name_u] is too overwhelming.
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]: again, prefer [name_f]Rosa[/name_f] or [name_u]Rose[/name_u]

A lot of names I really like here, again!

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wow all you sweet berries are so helpful!
@aiksx yeah I definitely mostly lead towards shorter names for girls (I prefer longer boys names for some reason?), I mostly like [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] from the movie; I get that [name_f]Claire[/name_f] feels a bit less feminine from the rest as well!
@Chococat well now you’ve said that about [name_f]Chloé[/name_f] I can’t unsee it; [name_f]Emma[/name_f] isn’t as popular where I am (UK) as it is in the US, but I agree that unfortunately [name_f]Mia[/name_f] is likely to date…
@findemaxa13 yeah my mum also struggles with [name_f]Lilia[/name_f]! I like the swan lake connection with [name_f]Odette[/name_f] but I do see it’s maybe a bit much :joy:

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