Honest Opinions on our Girl List?

Girl Names
1

[name]Hi[/name]! I’m new to this board, but I would love some opinions on our girl name list (we’re team green right now). DH and I are trying to narrow down our list as much as possible, so we’d love some honest, constructive feedback/opinions. Suggestions are welcome, too!

Thank you! :slight_smile:

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh)

[name]Evelyn[/name]

[name]Hannah[/name]

[name]Gabrielle[/name]

[name]Leah[/name]

[name]Carina[/name]

[name]Caia[/name]

[name]Emilia[/name]

[name]Arabella[/name]

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]

[name]Aria[/name]

[name]Elara[/name]

[name]Ella[/name]

[name]Emma[/name]

[name]Faye[/name]

[name]Gwen[/name]

2

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh) - love it! Consider [name]Cora[/name], [name]Clara[/name], [name]Lara[/name]?

[name]Evelyn[/name] - love it! Consider [name]Eve[/name], [name]Eva[/name]?

[name]Hannah[/name] - like it but very mildly tired of it. [name]Anna[/name]?

[name]Gabrielle[/name] - similar to [name]Hanna[/name]. Fine name.

[name]Leah[/name] - similar feelings to [name]Hannah[/name] and [name]Gabrielle[/name]. Fine name.

[name]Carina[/name] - pretty enough but more tired than some. [name]Cara[/name] seems more classic.

[name]Caia[/name] - seems more out there than your average taste so unless you really love it I’d let it go. Prefer [name]Cara[/name].

[name]Emilia[/name] - very nice name that will be a headache with getting misheard as [name]Amelia[/name] and maybe [name]Emily[/name]. [name]Do[/name] you like those? They’re easier. If you truly love this one definitely commit to it but it’s an annoying risk without that love.

[name]Arabella[/name] - very pretty, but very on trend with all the [name]Isabella[/name]'s running around. Might feel mildly tired soon.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - very pretty, I’d encourage [name]Isla[/name] as it’s going to become the more familiar/expected if it’s not already.

[name]Aria[/name] - very nice name that is a bit trendy.

[name]Elara[/name] - very pretty, seems bound to confuse people though. Again I’d recommend considering just plain [name]Lara[/name]?

[name]Ella[/name] - very cute and nice name that is very popular right now if that’s of concern. [name]Elena[/name]?

[name]Emma[/name] - very nice name, if it came to this or [name]Emilia[/name] I’d take this. [name]Emmaline[/name]/[name]Emmeline[/name]? (Obv. some spelling/prn concerns with those names too).

[name]Faye[/name] - very cool name that is however more retro than your average taste, so be sure you like it if you use it. [name]Freya[/name]?

[name]Gwen[/name] - it’s a perfectly fine name but I’m not wild about the sound, and it is plainer than the rest of your taste. [name]Jane[/name] or [name]Wren[/name], perhaps?

My favorites are [name]Cara[/name], [name]Evelyn[/name], and [name]Emma[/name]. Good luck!

3

[name]Cara[/name] - Dislike, sorry. Not really awful but just kind of dated and '80s for me. I like a lot of other C names more. The ones that are further from [name]Karen[/name].

[name]Evelyn[/name] - Neutral, its pleasant but it doesn’t do anything for me. I prefer [name]Eve[/name].

[name]Hannah[/name] - [name]Love[/name], but popular just so you know.

[name]Gabrielle[/name] - [name]Love[/name].

[name]Leah[/name] - [name]Love[/name].

[name]Carina[/name] - I prefer [name]Catherine[/name] or [name]Katerina[/name].

[name]Caia[/name] - Ok

[name]Emilia[/name] - Prefer just [name]Emily[/name].

[name]Arabella[/name] - I think I prefer [name]Annabel[/name] but [name]Arabella[/name] is nice.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - [name]Isla[/name] is quite nice.

[name]Aria[/name] - Trendy, not my style.

[name]Elara[/name] - Not my style.

[name]Ella[/name] - It’s okay. Sort of sweet. Very popular.

[name]Emma[/name] - Nice but Top Ten Popular, are you okay with that? Its a nice enough name. I prefer [name]Emily[/name] but [name]Emily[/name] is also very popular. 18,674 Emmas were born last year in the US by Social Security stats, 14,164 Emilys. It’s a lot of little girls running around answering to [name]Emmy[/name], you know?

[name]Faye[/name] - No offense but my least favourite of the [name]May[/name]/[name]Mae[/name]/[name]Kay[/name]/[name]Rae[/name] names.

[name]Gwen[/name] - Like it as a middle name, it’s got a smooth sound it and is far less predictable than [name]Rose[/name] or [name]Grace[/name].

4

Wow, you have a great list! I like almost all of them! …Here are my thoughts:

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh)- This is nice sounding, just boring.

[name]Evelyn[/name]- Really cute name, the popularity would bug me though…don’t know if that’s an issue for you or not…

[name]Hannah[/name]- This is my name, and I love it, so I would heartily recommend it :slight_smile:

[name]Gabrielle[/name]- I quite like [name]Gabrielle[/name], but I hate the nn [name]Gabby[/name], and I bet ppl would tend to shorten [name]Gabrielle[/name].

[name]Leah[/name]- Can’t go wrong with this one, it’s just a bit…unexciting.

[name]Carina[/name]- It’s a nice sound, but it’s nms

[name]Caia[/name]- I know a girl who spells her name [name]Kaija[/name], pronounced the same as [name]Caia[/name], and it’s a beautiful name. nms though

[name]Emilia[/name]- I love [name]Emilia[/name], great pick!

[name]Arabella[/name]- [name]Love[/name] [name]Arabella[/name] as well.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]- I would spell it [name]Isla[/name]…love this one too. I know a lot of ppl have issues pronouncing it though

[name]Aria[/name]- nms, and it reminds me of Pretty [name]Little[/name] Liars too much

[name]Elara[/name]- This is really pretty. Might have some pronunciation issues though

[name]Ella[/name]- Despite [name]Ella[/name]'s popularity, I can’t help loving it

[name]Emma[/name]- Same as above

[name]Faye[/name]- [name]Faye[/name] is quite cute, it just seems a bit insubstantial.

[name]Gwen[/name]- I love [name]Gwen[/name], but only as a nn for [name]Guinevere[/name] or [name]Gwendolen[/name]/[name]Gwendolyn[/name]. Otherwise it lacks substance imo.

5

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh) - a pretty name…I liken it to names like [name]Anna[/name] in terms of it’s wholesome simplicity. Others you might like to consider as well: [name]Cora[/name], [name]Coral[/name], [name]Caroline[/name].

[name]Evelyn[/name] - [name]One[/name] of the only non-trendy -lyn names, though it IS gaining in popularity. It’s pretty, but also a tad middle-ageish.

[name]Hannah[/name] - can’t go wrong with [name]Hannah[/name]…very popular, but a strong, sensible classic. I love that it’s the same backwards and forwards!

[name]Gabrielle[/name] - I’ve heard that many people mispronounce this as “[name]Gabriel[/name]”…though I wouldn’t. I think it’s okay, but I don’t like “[name]Gabby[/name]”.

[name]Leah[/name] - I think it’s alright, well-known without being super common, but there isn’t anything special about it.

[name]Carina[/name] - lovely. Seems to be a fancier version of [name]Cara[/name]!

[name]Caia[/name] - you like your Ca____ names! I love this! Really unique and beautiful.

[name]Emilia[/name] - I like this alot, but you’ll have to put up with it being mixed up with the popular [name]Amelia[/name], I’m afraid.

[name]Arabella[/name] - I’m such to death of the ‘ella’ names. Too frilly and so over-done. This DOES sound a lot fresher than all the [name]Isabella[/name]'s running around though.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - [name]Isla[/name] is a fabulous names. Glamourous, feminine and sweet.

[name]Aria[/name] - so lovely! You can’t go wrong with this choice. It’s just the right amount of girlyness without being frilly.

[name]Elara[/name] - another lovely choice, unique without being weird. You might also like: [name]Elena[/name], [name]Lara[/name], [name]Lyra[/name], [name]Eleanora[/name]…

[name]Ella[/name] - VERY common. It used to be my absolute favourite, but now it’s completely overdone.

[name]Emma[/name] - A soft, sweet name with old-fashioned charm…but again, super-popular.

[name]Faye[/name] - this is totally different that the rest of your list! Gives off a spunky, vintage vibe. Really cool. I like it!

[name]Gwen[/name] - I really like [name]Gwen[/name], but can never decide which long form I like best…[name]Guinevere[/name], [name]Gwendolyn[/name], [name]Gwyneth[/name]…

On the whole, you have quite a nice list…I like that you don’t seem stuck in one particular style…you seem to have a bit of everything here! My favourites are:
#1: [name]Aria[/name]
#2: [name]Caia[/name]
#3: [name]Faye[/name]
#4: [name]Gwen[/name]
#5: [name]Elara[/name] or [name]Isla[/name]

Suggestions based on your list: [name]Clara[/name], [name]Elodie[/name] or [name]Eloise[/name], [name]Juliet[/name] or [name]Julia[/name], [name]Mara[/name] or [name]Molly[/name], [name]Lillian[/name], [name]Gemma[/name], [name]Stella[/name], [name]Phaedra[/name] (prn [name]Fay[/name]-dra).

[name]Hope[/name] this helps!

6

Wow, thank you so much, everyone! This is exactly the kind of feedback we were looking for! I love the suggestions of [name]Cora[/name], [name]Lillian[/name], [name]Clara[/name], [name]Elena[/name], and [name]Wren[/name]! I will definitely be sharing those with DH.

Thank you again! I’m so glad I found this site! You are all so helpful! :slight_smile:

7

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh)-- I don’t dislike it but it doesn’t really feel fresh or special to me

[name]Evelyn[/name]-- I love this one! Timeless, elegant, and feminine. Really like the nickname “[name]Evie[/name]”

[name]Hannah[/name]-- This one is a little boring to me. It’s a nice name, but I probably wouldn’t use it unless it was really significant to me for some reason. Could be cuter with a spunky middle name

[name]Gabrielle[/name]-- I just really don’t like the nickname “[name]Gabby[/name].” This alone would discourage me from using the full name

[name]Leah[/name]-- Very pretty, but I always think of the story in the Bible where [name]Jacob[/name] wants to marry [name]Rachel[/name] but her father gives him [name]Leah[/name] instead. It just seems like a sad story for a girl to relate to with her name. I love the sound of it though!!

[name]Carina[/name]-- Not my style… People might misspell it [name]Corina[/name]

[name]Caia[/name]-- pronounced “cay-a”? Sounds hawaiian… not my favorite on your list

[name]Emilia[/name]-- cute and very girlie. Not a huge fan of the nickname “emmy” and I prefer [name]Amelia[/name], but [name]Emilia[/name] is ok

[name]Arabella[/name]-- this one sounds a little bit like a fantasy princess… I can’t imagine a real little girl with this name

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]-- sounds ok, not really my style

[name]Aria[/name]-- sorry, not a big fan of this one… seems like “like a real name” than some of your others

[name]Elara[/name]-- not my style and I’m not crazy about the way it looks

[name]Ella[/name]-- Very cute, pretty popular though. If popularity didn’t count, I’d use it probably!

[name]Emma[/name]-- similar to [name]Ella[/name]… I love the sound and simplicity, but it’s really popular

[name]Faye[/name]–I think I’d like this better as a nick name. I need to meet a little girl with this name… I can still only imagine an old lady

[name]Gwen[/name]-- I love this one!! Not sure which long version I like best though. I’m not sure I’d use the shortened version as a first name, it feels a little incomplete

My favorites are:
#1 [name]Evelyn[/name]
#2 [name]Gwen[/name]
#3 [name]Ella[/name]

8

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh): I like it, but you might have spelling problems. Have you considered [name]Keira[/name]?

[name]Evelyn[/name]: NMS

[name]Hannah[/name]: Too popular

[name]Gabrielle[/name]: NMS

[name]Leah[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]

[name]Carina[/name]: My aunt’s name, accept she spells it [name]Karina[/name].

[name]Caia[/name]: Cool!

[name]Emilia[/name]: NMS

[name]Arabella[/name]: NMS

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]!!!

[name]Aria[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]

[name]Elara[/name]: NMS

[name]Ella[/name]: Too popular, but I like it.

[name]Emma[/name]: ditto

[name]Faye[/name]: Slightly dated??

[name]Gwen[/name]: NMS

~[name]Jasmine[/name]

9

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh) - I like it. I don’t love it, but I like it.

[name]Evelyn[/name] - I like this a lot. My favorite of the [name]Eve[/name] names is [name]Evangeline[/name], but [name]Evelyn[/name] is adorable.

[name]Hannah[/name] - I like it. I have a cousin with this name.

[name]Gabrielle[/name] - I really like this.

[name]Leah[/name] - Not a fan.

[name]Carina[/name] - Eh, it’s all right. I prefer just [name]Cara[/name].

[name]Caia[/name] - It’s okay.

[name]Emilia[/name] - This is a nice name, but I actually know an [name]Emilia[/name], and she has had some issues with spelling over the years.

[name]Arabella[/name] - I like it.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - I don’t love it like other people do, but it’s okay.

[name]Aria[/name] - Very pretty.

[name]Elara[/name] - Pretty, but I wonder if the name would get misspelled. Maybe just [name]Lara[/name]?

[name]Ella[/name] - It’s insanely popular, but I love it.

[name]Emma[/name] - I like it, but it seems like every other kid born is an [name]Emma[/name] these days.

[name]Faye[/name] - Not a fan. Could make a good middle name.

[name]Gwen[/name] - I like it, but I would suggest using a longer name and making [name]Gwen[/name] the nn–[name]Gwendolen[/name], [name]Gwyneth[/name], etc.

10

[name]Cara[/name]- I prefer the ca-rah pronounciation. I also prefer [name]Clara[/name] better. However, with that being said, it is a solid name and I like it.

[name]Evelyn[/name]- Not a fan. I picture a greyed-hair women in her late 40’s. Not something I want to connect to a growing girl.

[name]Hannah[/name]- Pretty.

[name]Gabrielle[/name]- Stunningly beautiful. I love [name]Gabby[/name] as a nickname, though [name]Brielle[/name] and [name]Elle[/name]/[name]El[/name] seem to be more common nick names.

[name]Leah[/name]- Not a fan. I always found this name to be rather boring.

[name]Carina[/name]- Very pretty. I picture a dancer. Though [name]Carina[/name] the ballerina sounds silly haha.

[name]Caia[/name]- Neutral on this name. [name]Haven[/name]'t met anyone with this name yet, so my thoughts will probably be altered once I do.

[name]Emilia[/name]- [name]Way[/name] better than [name]Amelia[/name].

[name]Arabella[/name]- [name]Love[/name], love, love this name.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]- Not a fan.

[name]Aria[/name]- It seems like all my friend’s names are coming into style, including this one (ex. [name]Tessa[/name] being the most popular). I like it though.

[name]Elara[/name]- Pretty and uncommon.

[name]Ella[/name]- I am considering using this name. I absolutely love it.

[name]Emma[/name]- Very pretty. Classic but yet sounds fresh and new.

[name]Faye[/name]- Maybe as a middle name. Sounds plain and old to me.

[name]Gwen[/name]- I like this name. The new spiderman features [name]Gwen[/name] instead of [name]Mary[/name] [name]Jane[/name].

11

Thank you so much! This is really helping us narrow down our list! :slight_smile:

12

in order of favorite
[name]Faye[/name] - pretty, I really like this one
[name]Gwen[/name] - lovely!
[name]Carina[/name] -beautiful, though I prefer [name]Corina[/name]
[name]Aria[/name] - pretty, I like it a lot
[name]Evelyn[/name] - lovely, one of my favorites, but quite popular
[name]Hannah[/name] - simple and pretty, not bad
[name]Leah[/name] - pretty, I think it’s underused, but it is a tad bland
[name]Emilia[/name] - okay
[name]Emma[/name] - okay, super popular
[name]Cara[/name] - okay, not spectacular
[name]Ella[/name] - nice, bit dull
[name]Arabella[/name] - pretty, but not really my style
[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - never felt the attraction of this one
[name]Gabrielle[/name] - I’ve never been fond of this one
[name]Caia[/name] - I don’t like it
[name]Elara[/name] - don’t like it

13

Thank you so much for your help! Right now we’re leaning towards eliminating [name]Elara[/name] (pronunciation issues) and possibly [name]Isla[/name] (DH isn’t in love with it).

14

I love this site! Thank you for all of your help! :slight_smile:

15

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh) - Pretty, but maybe a little simple. Doesn’t have a ton of depth.

[name]Evelyn[/name] - I really like [name]Evelyn[/name]. It has a lacy, Edwardian feel to it. I prefer the male pronunciation of [name]EVE[/name]-lin rather than EV-uh-lin, however.

[name]Hannah[/name] - Meh. Very pretty in a conventional way.

[name]Gabrielle[/name] - Gloriously pretty.

[name]Leah[/name] - Doesn’t feel like it has a ton of substance to me.

[name]Carina[/name] - A bajillion times more beautiful than [name]Cara[/name]. Very nice.

[name]Caia[/name] - Is this [name]KAY[/name]-uh, or KIGH-uh?

[name]Emilia[/name] - Another lacy, Edwardian favorite. Very nice.

[name]Arabella[/name] - I love this name.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name] - [name]Eila[/name] is a really charming spelling

[name]Aria[/name] - Been in my top 20 for a decade. Still just as lovely. Added popularity because of [name]Arya[/name] from Game of Thrones

[name]Elara[/name] - [name]Pleasant[/name] syllables, but feels a little contrived for me.

[name]Ella[/name] - I love [name]Ella[/name], even though there isn’t much “there” there. Still feels a little like a nicname to me, and I’m not sure why.

[name]Emma[/name] - [name]Uber[/name] popular for a reason. It’s a beautiful name, and suits all sorts of personality types.

[name]Faye[/name] - I knew a diner waitress named [name]Faye[/name]. Also reminds me vaguely of a TV preacher’s wife, not sure why. I [name]LOVE[/name] fairy inspired names, though, so I have mixed feelings.

[name]Gwen[/name] - [name]Gwendolen[/name] is such a pretty name. [name]Gwenny[/name] is such a cute nickname, too.

Cool list!

16

I love [name]Emma[/name] and [name]Ella[/name], but like others have said, I think they’re popular. If you don’t mind that, I’d go with them. If you do, maybe you could try a longer, more formal first name and use [name]Emma[/name] or [name]Ella[/name] as a nickname. I could see [name]Eleanor[/name] or [name]Elena[/name] for [name]Ella[/name] (she could also go by [name]Laine[/name] if you use [name]Elena[/name] and she could go by [name]Ellie[/name] if you use either one). Maybe [name]Emmaline[/name]/[name]Emmalyn[/name] for [name]Emma[/name]. That way, if it’s too popular in school or whatever, she has options.

17

Thank you! Great advice! :slight_smile:

18

[name]Cara[/name] (care-uh) - sounds a little 90s to me but maybe that’s because I knew a [name]Cara[/name] in the 90s…it’s cute a simple i suppose.

[name]Evelyn[/name] - lovely.

[name]Hannah[/name] - a beautiful name but too popular for my taste

[name]Gabrielle[/name]- I prefer [name]Gabriella[/name] but this name is cute and unpretentious

[name]Leah[/name] - a name i’ve always loved, but, again too popular for my taste

[name]Carina[/name] - This is weird spelling but I [name]LOVE[/name] the name. Very fresh.

[name]Caia[/name] - eh. wouldn’t be sure how to pronounce this…

[name]Emilia[/name] - You’re going to run into a lot of spelling issues. [name]Even[/name] though i know this is a real name, you are going to have people who think you changed the spelling just to be different. Like [name]Jennipher[/name].

[name]Arabella[/name]- Interesting and cool.

[name]Eila[/name]/[name]Isla[/name]- cute.

[name]Aria[/name] - I’m a musician so maybe that is why this sounds pretty pretentious to me.

[name]Elara[/name] - with a short a? I like it.

[name]Ella[/name] - obviously an adorable name, which explains why it is #12!

[name]Emma[/name] - Also cute, but do you REALLY want your kid having a name that has been in the top 5 for ten years? http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi

[name]Faye[/name]- fresh and lovely.

[name]Gwen[/name] - Not my style but I don’t dislike it.

Nothing on this list is bad, just not everything is my style. Pick whichever one you love best and write down how they “sound” to you right now. I wish I could go back in time and have a long list like this, look at it with fresh eyes, and pick my favorite (not anyone else’s)! Now I am 5 months pregnant and have looked at the same 5 names for the last 3 months - they have all lost the appeal they had at first because I have been over thinking all of them! I wish I could ask the old me which one she liked best 6 months ago!

19

[/b]

This is great advice! Thank you! :slight_smile:

20

My favorites from your list:
[name]Emma[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Emilia[/name](although I like [name]Amelia[/name] most)
[name]Gabrielle[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]
[name]Hannah[/name]
[name]Carina[/name]
[name]Elara[/name]
[name]Aria[/name]

Not a huge fan of
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Faye[/name]
[name]Gwen[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Cara[/name]