[name_m]Hi[/name_m]! We are expecting a baby girl in late [name_u]June[/name_u], and we’ve struggled for about a year to come up with a name we like. We’ve finally settled (mostly) on [name_f]Una[/name_f] which we love for its simplicity and freshness. It also seems to go well with baby-to-be’s older brother, [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] (age 3), and he loves the name. The drawback of the name is it is unusual and sounds like the Spanish word for “one” which might be confusing. She might get called [name_f]Luna[/name_f] and [name_f]Uma[/name_f] a lot. But overall we are happy with the name.
So - on to the middles! We are trying to pick between [name_u]Marie[/name_u], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], [name_u]Louise[/name_u] or [name_f]Selene[/name_f]. [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] are family names (my mother and grandmother) and mirror Hugo’s middle (whose middle starts with M and is after my father + Grandfather). [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is more beautiful than those two (to me) and can connect back to the many family “M” names but updated. [name_u]Louise[/name_u] and [name_f]Selene[/name_f] I just think sound great with [name_f]Una[/name_f].
I love [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Louise[/name_u]! [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] feels slightly jarring next to the soft [name_f]Una[/name_f], [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] feels slightly incomplete, and [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f] seems to run together.
Ultimately, I think [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] is perfect for you!
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] & [name_f]Una[/name_f] will be the cutest siblings
[name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f] or [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] work magically well. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though I do not like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] at all, I think with [name_f]Una[/name_f] it finally has its old ancient charm of magic and plants and old tales, while with most names it just sounds too trendy. So I would use these too.
I would also like [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or just [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] / [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u].
I love [name_f]Una[/name_f] and also [name_f]Oona[/name_f]! [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think the [name_f]Oona[/name_f] spelling (which I SLIGHTLY prefer, both are lovely) may help get around those confusing it with Uma/Luna?
From your list my favourites are [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u], [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f], and [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Louise[/name_u].
I like the flow of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_u]Louise[/name_u] best and since your son also has a family name I would pick [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] of the two.
I think “Oona” does get around those mistakes a little but they’re still pronounced the same! I was partial to “Oona” at first (it has a cuteness to it and is unmistakably itself, unlike “Una” which has other meanings) until my husband said it made him think of Dr Seuss and now I can’t un-see/hear it!
Plus, [name_f]Una[/name_f] is the original [name_u]Irish[/name_u] Gaelic spelling vs. the [name_f]English[/name_f] anglicization, so I like the Irishness of [name_f]Una[/name_f] (I’m 75% Irish-American).
I totally get the “magic” element of [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] … really evokes the [name_u]Irish[/name_u] roots of both names when you combine them.
[name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is wonderful - you like it, it mirrors [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] and hints back to her grandmothers I also love the mystical sounds of [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f]!
[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Una[/name_f]. Fun fact - There’s a book (and a movie) Stardust where all the children of the king were just given a number as their name, in the order of their birth. The oldest and the only daughter was named princess [name_f]Una[/name_f].
I love [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f] and [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. I’m just not a fan of the other names. I’m kinda feeling [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] rn.
Une [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] really jumped out to me! such a lovely sound and imagery. Une [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_u]Louise[/name_u] are my second favourites
You are all so great!! I should have posted while we struggled with the first name for so long - but I feel even better about it now. Thanks for contributing your thoughts, I love hearing your input. Keep it coming
[name_f]Una[/name_f] is one of my very favorite girl names I’m so happy to see it being used! I’m sad my husband doesn’t like it.
[name_f]My[/name_f] own favorite combination for years has been [name_f]Una[/name_f] Marguerite–so my vote goes to [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. So, so lovely.
[name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is wonderful too. So soft, magical and [name_u]Irish[/name_u].
Firstly Una is lovely! Regarding Una you could always spell the name Oona which takes away the confusion regarding Uma/Spanish associations. Oona has the same pronunciation and would match the ‘o’ of Hugo as well. Of course Una is Irish Gaelic spelling whereas Oona is Scottish Gaelic but both spellings are equally as common in ROI/NI.
Anyways Una is gorgeous and I really like the idea of Una Marie she’s sweet, simplistic and pretty.
agree totally.
I also love the mystical sounds of [name_f]Una[/name_f] [name_f]Selene[/name_f]!
