Girl name help (first baby)

Girl Names
1

Hi everyone.

We’re expecting our first baby (a girl) and have managed to somewhat narrow down our long list. Unfortunately we feel stuck now - we like all of the names on our list but nothing seems to stand out enough. I’m thinking we’ll probably wait until we meet her to fully decide but we’d still like to narrow down to about 3 names.

It would be great if you could pick your 3-5 favorite names from our list and tell me why you like them. Similarly don’t be afraid to tell me if you really don’t like a name! All opinions welcome.

Surname is a typical English-language name, two syllables, first letter D. Middle name TBD.

Thank you everyone for advice and opinions.

OUR LIST:

Aurora
Dorothy (or possibly Dorothea)
Edith
Florence
Francesca
Frida
Greta
Indigo
Iris
Josephine
Lilith
Mabel
Maeve
Margot
Ophelia
Paloma
Phoebe
Quinn
Rowan
Sienna

2 Likes
2

Congratulations on your soon-arriving daughter! You have a beautiful list of names. I’ll comment on my favorites and least favorites.

[name_f]Aurora[/name_f]- the name I chose for my first-born (now 11), and I still love, love, love it. I love that it’s very feminine but [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is a spunky nickname.

[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] (or possibly Dorothea)- I have a strange aversion to the th sound, so I don’t adore [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]. But I love [name_f]Dot[/name_f] and [name_f]Dotty[/name_f] as nicknames!

[name_f]Edith[/name_f]- that th sound again

[name_u]Florence[/name_u]- I like this one a lot, especially with the nickname [name_f]Florrie[/name_f].

[name_f]Frida[/name_f]- I prefer [name_f]Freya[/name_f]

[name_f]Greta[/name_f]- Iove it as a nickname for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]

[name_u]Indigo[/name_u]- I love it.

[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]- sweet nicknames. I think [name_f]Joceline[/name_f] nickname [name_u]Joss[/name_u] stands out to me a bit more.

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]- I love [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]. [name_f]Polly[/name_f] is a sweet nickname.

3

I like
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] - [name_m]Classic[/name_m] & sweet
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] - lovely, classic, uncommon & nn [name_u]Frankie[/name_u]!
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]- Can’t go wrong with this
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]- Simple & gorgeous & strong name, like [name_f]Iris[/name_f] but maybe a bit more unique. [name_f]Edie[/name_f] is a cute nn but I prefer the full name.
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] & [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] - both nice, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] better with last name maybe & less trendy?

For me [name_f]Edith[/name_f] stands out, but [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] or [name_f]Frances[/name_f] are also very cute!

4

favourites:

aurora — i have a little cousin aurora (now 5) and i remember being so impressed with her name when her parents announced it.

josephine — i love the nn josie, it has just the right amount of vintage without feeling like a dated old lady name.

mabel — same as above with regards to just vintage enough, but not dated.

margot — such a strong name! love it.

sienna — bridgerton vibes. so cute!

least favourites:

paloma — i’ve never seen the hype around paloma tbh, it just feels… old.

ophelia — i find it a little flowery but that’s no reason not to use it!

quinn — this is the only name on the list i actively dislike. i feel like it tries to hard to be edgy, without any of the success of other one syllable names like wren and pearl.

5

Favorites:

  • [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]: beautiful names and nicknames, has a vintage feeling that makes it fascinating
  • [name_f]Edith[/name_f]: give me the same vintage vibes
  • [name_f]Frida[/name_f]: so cool and reminds me of [name_f]Frida[/name_f] [name_u]Kahlo[/name_u], so is a plus
  • [name_f]Margot[/name_f]: simple, beautiful
6

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there.

I’ll be an over achiever & list them my favorite to least favorite. :grin:

Josephine-I love love [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]. It’s elegant & smart & glamorous & feminine but feels sleek & not frilly. It’s easy but not super over done. The only thing that I don’t like about [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] is that Jo/Joey/Josie are not my cup of tea. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like them? They may or may not be avoidable. I like the nn [name_f]Posy[/name_f].

Greta-Greta is really sweet. And I love the nn [name_f]Gerty[/name_f], but that’s not for everyone. [name_f]Greta[/name_f] is one of those names that I’m really surprised hasn’t gotten more popular, but it really hasn’t that much. It’s sweet & down to earth & old fashioned & simple.

Maeve-This is sleek & smart & still has that little girl running through a meadow vibe.

Mabel-Mabel is super cute. It’s old fashioned & charming. Easy & not too popular.

Dorothy/Dorothea-I like [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f], but I really really like [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]! [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] feels a bit fancier, but not in a frilly way. In a bold feminine interesting way. And I think that [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] would flow better w/a two syllable ‘D’ ln. Plus, it has the nn [name_f]Thea[/name_f]. And the nn [name_f]Daisy[/name_f]!

Phoebe-This is sweet. Spunky & feminine & a little bit quirky & exotic. Never really got very popular despite Friends, but is well known enough.

Indigo-I love the artsy mystical vibe this has. And it has beautiful blueish purple imagery. I think that the nn [name_f]Idgie[/name_f] is adorable, but I’m not into [name_u]Indie[/name_u] myself. I think it just feels trendy. And I’m not sure that InDigo would sounds great w/a ‘D’ ln. I like the alliteration w/Dorothea, but it feels different when ‘D’ is the first letter. Maybe I’m just being picky.

Paloma-I like this. It’s another one of those super feminine names that feels smart & bold & not frilly. Plus, it’s really unique but doesn’t feel like trying too hard. And you can do the nn [name_f]Polly[/name_f], which is adorable.

Edith-This has the same ‘d’ in the middle issue as [name_u]Indigo[/name_u], but it’s a fun smart quirky vintage name. I’m not into [name_f]Edie[/name_f], but I can’t figure out why.

Aurora-I think that this is pretty & romantic. It’s just hard to say! This may just be my issue.

Francesca-This is nice. I feel like it’s a bit too frilly, but still a lovely name that you don’t hear too much. I really love [name_f]Franny[/name_f] & [name_f]Francie[/name_f]. Kind of prefer [name_f]Frances[/name_f] as a full name for them.

Margot-People seem to love this, but I can’t get on board. It feels heavy to me, & I hear it a ton.

Frida-I want to like this. I like it in theory, but just don’t care for the sound.

Ophelia-I feel like this is getting oddly popular. I’m not a huge fan of it. It feels too dark & dramatic.

Florence-I adore [name_f]Flora[/name_f], but [name_u]Florence[/name_u] feels very fussy in my opinion.

Sienna-I really don’t have a good reason why I don’t like this. I think it’s just too modern sounding. It’s not unpleasant though.

Rowan-I love this for a boy, & it feels really masculine to me. I love the potential of the nn [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] at least. And it’s botanical, which is nice.

Iris-I want to like it, because it’s an old fashioned floral name. But the sound is kind of like nails on a chalkboard. I really can’t say why.

Lilith-Surprised that I put this so far down, because I just love other [name_f]Lil[/name_f] names like [name_f]Lilian[/name_f], [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] & [name_f]Liliana[/name_f]. [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] feels snobby & kind of dark & is tricky to pronounce.

Quinn-I much prefer this for a boy, & it feels really trendy for a girl.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps. :slight_smile:

7

Florence, Phoebe, Greta, Josephine, and Mabel are my favorites! They’re all classic and sweet, charming and timeless. These just sound so sweet to me!

8

[name_f]Aurora[/name_f] - I love it! I like how she would be able to choose to have a nn if she likes. But [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] is also short enough that having a nn isn’t inevitable.

[name_u]Rowen[/name_u] - So cute! It sounds so fresh and I love that

[name_u]Indigo[/name_u] - Adorable, sounds super fun. I like it for the same reasons I like [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]

[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] - Super cute!

Dorothy/Dorothea, [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_f]Frida[/name_f] - All I can picture is someone in their 70’s

[name_f]Lilith[/name_f] - I love how it sounds but the meaning is far from the greatest

9

[name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] and [name_u]Florence[/name_u] are my favourites!

10

I think my favourites from your list are:

[name_f]Edith[/name_f] - has had a bit of a revival since Downton, I love the nn [name_f]Edie[/name_f]
[name_u]Florence[/name_u] - it’s a beautiful name in its own right, not to sure about the nicknames associated with it though
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] - still underused, a vintage gem
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] - always sounds so glamorous to me
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] - I think I prefer this to [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], I also quite like [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] which is very similar and might appeal…

You have a real mixed bag in terms of styles here, some I would say sound more American like [name_u]Quinn[/name_u], others are more gender neutral like [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], some are very trendy right now like [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], some are quirky bordering slightly gothic like [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] and [name_u]Indigo[/name_u]. I prefer your vintage names and I think they’ll ultimately age better, they feel more classic but they’re still unusual, they feel more effortless if that makes sense!

11

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You have such a lovely list at your hands, I can see why you’re struggling!

[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites:

[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] - such a gorgeous, strong and international name with a beautiful sound!

[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] - a vintage gem, and I think it has a great namesake in [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] from [name_f]Gravity[/name_f] Falls! [name_f]Amabel[/name_f] is also lovely, maybe you’d like that.

[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] - another name with a STRONG sound and a very interesting look!

[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] - used to be my absolute favourite name, so I can’t not mention it here! It looks and sounds beautiful, albeit a bit more frilly than the three names I mentioned above.

As for the “negatives”, [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] is a name I personally struggle to see on an actual person, especially anyone older than a teenager. I’ve never been a fan of [name_f]Sienna[/name_f] but that is just a personal preference, and [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] might carry some negative connotations so it’s up to you to decide whether you want to deal with them or not.

Good luck!

12

Hardly any names not to like!

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites:

[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_u]Florence[/name_u]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]

Also really like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]

Names that I like less because they are just not my style:

[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Sienna[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilith[/name_f]
[name_u]Indigo[/name_u]

13

Let’s see! :relaxed:

[name_f]My[/name_f] biggest favourites are [name_u]Florence[/name_u], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] and [name_f]Sienna[/name_f].

[name_u]Florence[/name_u] - I think [name_u]Florence[/name_u] is one of the most beautiful names. It sounds lovely, bright and feminine. I love that it’s a vintage gem but the nickname [name_f]Flo[/name_f] is such a spunky and sweet nn option.

[name_f]Iris[/name_f] - Another darling name! I love how soft and pretty it sounds. When I see the name I always picture a smart, intelligent girl with a huge heart! It would be a sweet choice!

[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] - The simplicity and elegance of [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] always make me smile! Gorgeous name and it works perfectly with so many middle name options.

[name_f]Sienna[/name_f] - Though I prefer the [name_f]Siena[/name_f] spelling, [name_f]Sienna[/name_f] looks equally beautiful. [name_f]Siena[/name_f] is the Italian city for me. Colors, laughters, summer breeze, amazing people, rich history and breathtaking scenery. [name_f]Siena[/name_f] totally has this vibe to me.

[name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] and [name_f]Greta[/name_f] are cute, too! :relaxed:

Good luck! :sparkles:

14

Congratulations! From your list, my three favourites are [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], and [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]. I also love [name_f]Margot[/name_f] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. I love how substantial [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] is, with the cute nn [name_u]Frankie[/name_u]. [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] is classic and easily recognizable, but not overly popular. That’s such a hard balance to strike! I like [name_f]Iris[/name_f] because it’s similarly recognizable, serious but not stuffy, and can suit any age. [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is unexpected but easy to pronounce and fun to say.

15

Favorites: [name_f]Sienna[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_u]Indigo[/name_u], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Francesca[/name_f]

Don’t like: [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_u]Quinn[/name_u]

16

[name_f]My[/name_f] 5 favorites are [name_f]Edith[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] & [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]!

17

Wow what a great list!
I love [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is in my list too like the suggestion of [name_f]Polly[/name_f] as a nickname but you could do [name_f]Dovie[/name_f] or [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] also as that’s what the name means.
Also love [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] with nn [name_u]Frankie[/name_u]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] is a set vintage choice, I love the [name_f]Eddi[/name_f] nn.
[name_f]My[/name_f] last fav is [name_f]Greta[/name_f], simple and strong.
Good luck

18

Top 3:
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Sienna[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]

least fav:

[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f]

hopefully that helps!

19

First of all I would suggest that you practice saying just the first name and the surname out loud without a middle - might help clarify whether some might sound better than others.

[name_f]My[/name_f] personal favourites from your list:

[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f]
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]

[name_f]My[/name_f] least favourites, for semi-objective reasons:

[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] (although I like [name_f]Dorothea[/name_f] better, especially for the [name_f]Thea[/name_f] nickname) - to me a lot of the names on your list feel much fresher

[name_f]Edith[/name_f] - I’ve never warmed up to it, plus if your surname starts with D, does [name_f]Edith[/name_f] Surname or [name_f]Edie[/name_f] Surname sound awkward?

[name_u]Indigo[/name_u] - not a bad name objectively but stylistically feels like an outlier on your list

[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] - total personal opinion, but to me this fails the [name_m]President[/name_m] or [name_m]Rock[/name_m] [name_f]Star[/name_f] Versatility Test. I can only picture it on a little girl or an elderly woman.

(Edited because I had forgotten to delete the whole list from the top of my post)

20

Congratulations! You have some lovely names on the list. Here are my opinions:

[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] - this is one of my long time favourites! It is sweet, simple, and I think it fits a baby, child, and adult.
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - I also love this, it is pretty and feels feminine without being frilly
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] - this is an excellent choice and it feels like you can’t really go wrong with it
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] - this is nice, to me it seems a bit dated but I love the nickname [name_u]Josie[/name_u] or [name_f]Posie[/name_f]. I agree with @bjoy that [name_f]Joceline[/name_f] nn [name_u]Joss[/name_u] would stand out more
[name_f]Aurora[/name_f] - it’s a pretty name but I personally find it a bit of a mouthful with all the r’s and vowels
[name_f]Sienna[/name_f] - this is beautiful! I have always loved this name
[name_u]Florence[/name_u] - it feels a bit over done as I know lots of little Florence’s. However there is a reason why it’s so popular, it’s a great name!
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] - [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] is very cute!

Good luck choosing!