We have a brand new girl named [name]Eloise[/name] and have gotten the same response from almost every person who has met her: “Oh, I love that name!” [name]Eloise[/name] seems to be a name that everyone loves, but not many actually use (though it has jumped a ton of spots in the last few years). It got me wondering what other names are universal favorites, but names you may not actually give your own child. So, which girl names do you love to hear?
I love to hear anything I have not heard before on a child (that qualifies as an actual name of course), so no weirdo spellings or smushes. I heard a little girl named [name]Dorothy[/name] the other day and I loved it. It totally refreshed the name for me. I also know a little boy called [name]Fletcher[/name]. That was awesome too!
[name]Quinn[/name], [name]Harriet[/name], [name]Maude[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Elizabeth[/name]. For one reason or another, none of these were even on the list when we chose the name for our little girl on the way ([name]Maeve[/name] [name]Isobel[/name]), but I love them all! [name]Mary[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], [name]Katherine[/name], [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]June[/name] were all in the running for either first or middle - love hearing those, too!
Oh, and [name]Sheila[/name] - your daughters really do have lovely names! I also love hearing [name]Martha[/name] - that’s my mom’s name 
[name]Cordelia[/name] is the one example I thought of straightaway. I love it, but for one reason or another, I can’t really imagine using it. I think I’d positively swoon if I met a [name]Cordelia[/name], though!
Same for [name]Penelope[/name]. Honestly, I think the reason I wouldn’t go for that, though, is that I go through hot and cold between loving it and hating it. Sometimes I think it’s wonderful and love the tie to The Odyssey and the nns [name]Poppy[/name] and [name]Lola[/name]. And other times I find it so overdone and boring and ridiculously overrated and it makes me want to gag, haha.
I’m not sure if they’re in the same category or not, but lately I’ve really come to appreciate [name]Amelia[/name]. I can see a daintiness, a femininity, to it that I’d never really appreciated before. I still prefer [name]Emilia[/name] for me, but I’m secretly hoping a little [name]Amelia[/name] will cross paths in my life sometime quite soon!
I love the name [name]Juniper[/name]. I love the nickname [name]Junie[/name] and [name]Juno[/name]. I love the nature association. I have in my mind the image of the cutest girl who wears this name. I would never be brave enough to use it, but I would love if one of my friends (or sisters for that matter) used it for their little girl.
[name]Eloise[/name] is definitely a name I love! I could never use it because it clashes with our last name. We still considered it as a middle name for our daughter but even in the middle name spot ([name]Catherine[/name] [name]Eloise[/name] was the name we had in mind), it sounded too odd with our last name. We ultimately went with [name]Nora[/name] [name]Cathleen[/name]. I notice a lot of people seem to like [name]Nora[/name] but not many use it, which I’m happy about. Another name I like that I notice many others like but don’t actually go through with using is [name]Annabel[/name]/[name]Annabelle[/name].
I work at a daycare and hear names I love and some I thought I’d love but actually…did not. Haha.
The loves include:
[name]Aspen[/name] and [name]Reina[/name] (sisters)
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name] (although popular, [name]Olive[/name] is just too cute a nn!)
[name]Aria[/name], [name]Adelynn[/name], [name]Annabelle[/name] (sisters)
[name]Max[/name]
[name]Quinten[/name] (heard this today, kind of love it)
[name]Janie[/name]
[name]Nona[/name] and [name]Piera[/name] (sisters)
I used to love the name “[name]Cohen[/name]” until I said it out loud a few times, and with his sister “[name]Kinley[/name]” I just wanted to gag (I’m horrible, I know.) [name]One[/name] of my favorite little girls is named Minaiya (men-eye-uh) which I completely hate on her! And her mother’s expecting so who knows what will accompany that! It’s nice working in an environment sometimes because you actually get to see what ‘works’ and doesn’t. I always feel sorry for the child that comes in that either 1. we have 3 with the same name and 2. no one can pronounce their name! Often times the staff will exchange looks as if to say, “what the heck where they thinking?” It’s opened my eyes to A LOT of my previous favorites, and it also stinks sometimes because the names you really love are the ones being loved by others! When my SO and I start family planning, we’re going to have to think a little outside the box due to my experience here!
That would be [name]Bette[/name]. “betty” Best name ever.
All those polkadotty vintage names - [name]Dot[/name], [name]Lois[/name], [name]Bette[/name], [name]Doris[/name], [name]Harriet[/name]! I so love [name]Harriet[/name].
I’ve gone in a different direction with my sibset, but these names make me smile.