Getting Frustrated...

Girl Names
1

So, we were almost set on [name]Annora[/name] as the first name for [name]Baby[/name] Girl Kick when I broached the subject of a middle name. At that point, my husband said that he didn’t really like [name]Annora[/name] and didn’t want to commit to it. He then went on to say that he really just prefers [name]Shannon[/name] or [name]Erin[/name]. I then said that if [name]Annora[/name] was out, I liked [name]Elizabeth[/name] or [name]Cosette[/name]. He immediately designated [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Cosette[/name] as middle names to either [name]Erin[/name] or [name]Shannon[/name]!

It has been 3 full months since we found out this baby is a girl, and we are no closer to finding a name we both like. I am very frustrated and near tears!

You all have been a great source of help and comfort through this process. Any chance you may have a suggestion or two left for me?

My favorites:
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Cosette[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name] (this one is definitely out for DH)
[name]Elinor[/name]/[name]Eleanor[/name]

His favorites:
[name]Erin[/name]
[name]Shannon[/name]
[name]Ellen[/name]
[name]Elaine[/name]

Names that have met both our approval, but aren’t “the one”:
[name]Annaliese[/name]
[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Jane[/name] (too short with our last name)

2

After thinking about for a few minutes, I guess my real question is this: should I be OK with naming my daughter a name that I don’t love (or really like, for that matter) knowing that it will be important to both her dad and her that she has a name that he loves?

Call me a romantic, but it’s not worth damaging my relationship with my husband to continually fight over the hypothetical “perfect” name.

Thoughts?

3

That’s too bad. :frowning: I really like [name]Annora[/name]. Okay, here are some names that seem like they could fit both your styles…

[name]Madeleine[/name]
[name]Bronwen[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name]
[name]Nicolette[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Alana[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Gabrielle[/name]
[name]Greta[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Corinna[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Lillian[/name]
[name]Estelle[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]

4

It seems you need a long, ultra feminine name with a shorter, less feminine nickname. The first few that come to mind are:

[name]Charlotte[/name] - [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Carly[/name], [name]Cher[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name] - [name]Emme[/name], [name]Lena[/name]
[name]Savannah[/name] - [name]Vanna[/name], Savy

I agree with PPs suggestion of [name]Gabrielle[/name] too!

5

With the dated [name]Shannon[/name] and [name]Erin[/name] being on his list, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he likes the even more dated [name]Elaine[/name] and [name]Ellen[/name]…but I am. Your list appeals to me more, personally, but I’ll have a go at being unbiased.

[name]Adele[/name]
[name]Adrienne[/name]
[name]Antonia[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Belinda[/name]
[name]Celia[/name]
[name]Christiana[/name]
[name]Colleen[/name]
[name]Delia[/name]
[name]Dorothea[/name]
[name]Elsa[/name] (…also a cute nickname for [name]Elisabeth[/name]…)
[name]Estella[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Freida[/name]
[name]Graciela[/name]
[name]Gretchen[/name]
[name]Gwendolyn[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Heidi[/name]
[name]Irene[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Isabel[/name]
[name]Julianne[/name]
[name]Justine[/name]
[name]Jemima[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name]
[name]Libby[/name] (…really cute nickname for [name]Elizabeth[/name]…)
[name]Magdalene[/name]
[name]Mariam[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Paloma[/name]
[name]Paula[/name]
[name]Prudence[/name]
[name]Ramona[/name]
[name]Regina[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
[name]Selma[/name]
[name]Sariah[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Tamara[/name]
[name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Tallulah[/name]

Maybe one in this list will appeal to the both of you - I hope so! Good luck :slight_smile:

6

To answer this question, no. Your husband loving a name does not take precedence over you loving a name - you should both love your child’s name, ideally. And, who’s to say that your future daughter will find it important that her dad loves her name? Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if my dad didn’t love my name - liking it is good enough for me…

From personal experience, let me tell you a short story. One day, a couple years ago, my mom and I talked privately about her two biggest regrets in life - don’t ask me why. The first of her regrets was not having a fourth child (she had three), apparently something she always dreamed of, but my dad wasn’t on board. The second regret was - wait for it…wait for it - not changing my name! My name is [name]Lauren[/name] [name]Elyse[/name], and my dad chose my middle name - a name my mom agreed with or at least liked - after some random TV character. My mom wanted my name to be [name]Lauren[/name] [name]Boyd[/name], for my father’s middle name - [name]Boyd[/name]. Secretly, I still think she wants me to change it…

You may ask, doesn’t this upset me? That my OWN mother isn’t in love with my name? Honestly, I couldn’t care less - I found it humorous that she even brought it up! Deep down, I know my mom at least somewhat likes my name, or she wouldn’t have agreed to it. That’s the point - that you both at least like a name, that you agree that it fits your daughter, and that you can be proud of it for years (and years and years) to come. Now, maybe I’m taking this example too far, and maybe this isn’t the situation that you are in, but it doesn’t matter.

(I do realize that this story could go either way, but I honestly believe that my mom was kidding herself with regretting my name, which is why I chose to continue with the story. [name]Don[/name]'t be my mom. [name]Don[/name]'t choose a name that you will REALLY regret. Choose something you both love - and that way, just as your daughter will know she was conceived in love, she will know that her name was chosen in love.)

Good luck!

7

Could you come to a compromise where you could name her “[name]Elinor[/name]” and he could call her “[name]Elin[/name]”? Of the names on your lists, I could see these two being the most cohesive to a mutual agreement.

8

wow,that is disappointing…[name]Annora[/name] is beautiful…

from your husband’s list, [name]Ellen[/name] would be my pick.
HOWEVER, I think both of you should agree to a name…only fair…

[name]Anneliese[/name] is very pretty…and I prefer far over [name]Ellen[/name].
good luck!

9

Oh, Ryllis! I’m so sorry! :frowning: I personally wouldn’t be okay going with a name I didn’t love, but if you’re okay with it, that’s what’s important. I still think it’s possible for you to both find a name you both love, though.

Out of curiosity, does he know that [name]Erin[/name] and [name]Shannon[/name] are dated? (I’m guessing you’ve already told him this…)Would he like to have a dated name? Maybe if he thought about it from that perspective, he’d be more open to different ideas?

Hmm…I love your name list so much!

More you both may like (or hate):

[name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Eleanora[/name]
[name]Elena[/name]
[name]Elaina[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Madeline[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] (nn [name]Nell[/name]/[name]Nellie[/name]/[name]Poppy[/name]/even [name]Ellie[/name], which he may like)
Roseline (The ending is close to [name]Elaine[/name])
Roselaine ([name]Elaine[/name] is in the ending…This isn’t on Nameberry, but from what I know, it’s a real name…pronounced rose-eh-lane. I think it’s gorgeous, and found it when I was looking for names to honor an [name]Elaine[/name]…)
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name]/[name]Vivienne[/name]

Names that remind me of [name]Erin[/name] and [name]Shannon[/name] on some level:

Adren
[name]Auden[/name]
[name]Bronwen[/name]
[name]Bridget[/name]
[name]Arwen[/name]
[name]Corinne[/name]
[name]Darien[/name]
[name]Delaney[/name]
[name]Elin[/name]
[name]Flannery[/name]
[name]Finola[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Kirby[/name]
[name]Linden[/name]
[name]Maren[/name] (ooh…so close to [name]Erin[/name]'s sound…)
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name]/[name]Romy[/name]
[name]Rory[/name] (even short for [name]Aurora[/name])
[name]Rhiannon[/name]
[name]Sheridan[/name]
[name]Tierney[/name]/[name]Tiernan[/name]
[name]Tatum[/name]

I’m really sorry for repeats!

Take care! :slight_smile:

10

What about Aniston [name]Nora[/name] or [name]Lisbeth[/name] [name]Ella[/name]

11

You like [name]Elizabeth[/name]/[name]Eleanor[/name], he likes [name]Ellen[/name]/[name]Elaine[/name]. It looks like you are both fond of the ‘[name]El[/name]’ sound, so why not branch off from that? Or you could always use [name]Eleanor[/name] from you list and he could call her [name]Ellen[/name] for short.

[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Elena[/name]
[name]Alanna[/name]
[name]Elani[/name]
[name]Elania[/name]
[name]Eliana[/name]
[name]Elara[/name]
[name]Elyse[/name]
[name]Alyssa[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name]
[name]Alicia[/name]
[name]Alexia[/name]
[name]Alexis[/name]
[name]Elsie[/name]
[name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Alina[/name]
[name]Elliott[/name]
[name]Ellison[/name]
[name]Alandra[/name]

12

Thank you to everyone! I’m about at my wit’s end trying to come up with compromise names! I wanted to address each post individually, but I don’t want to hit “reply” and end up with a mess of posts, so I apologize in advance for this long one.

Irisrose - I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name]/[name]Beatrix[/name], and it’s my husband’s grandmother’s name, but he won’t go for it. I’ve been trying for 3 years. Also on our list at one time or another, but have been nixed, are [name]Sabrina[/name] and [name]Corinna[/name] nn [name]Cora[/name]. Thanks for the suggestions.

Arilee - a long, feminine name is precisely what I’m hoping for to balance out our short, brusk last name. Unfortunately, all the names you suggested are taken by nieces/cousins! :frowning:

[name]Lemon[/name] - thanks for the personal POV. I appreciate it! Coincidentally, one of the only names we have agreed on over the long term is [name]Lauren[/name]! We may have to revisit…

Rbyndlrsn - Great suggestion. I’ll run it by DH!

[name]Jenevieve[/name] - I, too, love [name]Anneliese[/name]. We think, though, that spelling and pronunciation would be an issue since I would want to spell it in [name]German[/name].

[name]Jill[/name] - [name]Annabel[/name] has long been on my list, but DH has a strange association with the name. You would think he would like [name]Arwen[/name], being a Tolkien fan, but he doesn’t. I have toyed with the idea of [name]Elena[/name] (pro. [name]Ell[/name]-in-ah) as a compromise between [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Ellen[/name]. I’ll have to bring it up again.

Babyberry - [name]Norah[/name] is the nickname I would use if we named her [name]Annora[/name] or [name]Elinor[/name]/[name]Eleanor[/name]. It’s so pretty with a hint of spunk!

Thanks again, everyone! Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

13

[name]Danielle[/name], you must have posted before I finished my last one. Thanks for the suggestions! [name]Elena[/name] is becoming more and more a viable option, and as someone else also suggested, I will try for the [name]Eleanor[/name] nn [name]Ellen[/name] option as well! Thanks!

14

what did you end up choosing???!!!

15

It might be worth the time to sit down together with a couple baby name books and just start shooting names off at one another. I think a good brainstorming might help you two find a name you both love. That is assuming you havent already done this. :slight_smile: If so, then I must say I think you should both love your daughters name. It is not fair for either of you to just give into the others wishes, especially if you dont like the name.

His taste to me seem very dated and 80s. While yours are more timeless and tradtional. I dont think these two styles are that far apart, so surely there has got to be some common ground!

A few suggestions:
[name]Sarah[/name]
[name]Laura[/name]
[name]Katherine[/name]
[name]Allison[/name]
[name]Natalie[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Holly[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name]
[name]Brooke[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Alexandra[/name]
[name]Heidi[/name]
[name]Molly[/name]
[name]Jillian[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Meredith[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Claire[/name]
[name]Cara[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Savannah[/name]

[name]Hope[/name] that helps and good luck!

16

Well it seems that your husband is more into old fashioned names, while you are set on more of the unique names…

Heres a few suggestions that you may not have seen:

  • [name]Neva[/name]
  • [name]Brooklyn[/name]
  • [name]Trinity[/name]
  • [name]Gemma[/name]
  • [name]Isla[/name]
  • [name]Jenica[/name]
  • [name]Helena[/name]
  • [name]Kennedy[/name]
  • [name]Iris[/name]
  • [name]Krista[/name]
  • [name]Willow[/name]
  • [name]Alice[/name]
  • [name]Georgia[/name]
  • [name]Jasmine[/name]
  • [name]Ruby[/name]
  • [name]Matilda[/name]
  • [name]Ramona[/name]
  • [name]Gracie[/name]
  • [name]Jada[/name]
  • [name]Violet[/name]
  • [name]Camilla[/name]
  • [name]Alexa[/name]
  • [name]Etta[/name]
  • [name]Autumn[/name]
  • [name]Giselle[/name]
  • [name]Scarlett[/name]
  • [name]Saffira[/name] (pronounced like [name]Saphire[/name] but with the “uh”)
  • [name]Delilah[/name]
  • Azzaria
17

eleanor/elinor seems to make the most sense.
still has that annora sound/feel to it, but also has the ‘ellen’ sound that your husband likes.

18

I was in this exact situation 8 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. To make a long story short, we were both very young and he had shown little interest in choosing a name throughout the entire pregnancy. When he finally suggested one he loved, I let him have it. It was the first time he was excited, and I decided to choose my battles. That being said, I do sometimes feel sad that she doesn’t have a name that stands out more (because in my mind she is such a stand out kinda girl), but her name does suit her and I have a hard time picturing her as anyone else.

19

one thing i noticed about my husband when choosing a name was that he seemed to be into girls names that were popular around the time that he started to be interested in girls. Has anyone else noticed this?
The names shannon and [name]Erin[/name] remind me of some of the options that he chose when we were thinking of names. pretty 90’s tastic. I have to say that I would put up a fight about those names. But they’re not the worst possible names he could pick and if you can live with them then let him pick.

20

I am in the same boat. Due Sept 9. no name. For My first daughter I had my name stashed away since I first heard it at 9yrs old. So I was set. Now I am so confused. I think [name]Cosette[/name] is really cute. I would nickname her cosi(cozy). Which is probably cheesy to most but we are cute people in our house, and like cute names. I know someone who did [name]Ella[/name] [name]Cosette[/name]. Good luck. I will try to think about your names while I am searching for our name too.