Narrowing Down my List

This is my first baby and I’ve hit a brick wall in narrowing down my list. I have 15 names I absolutely love and my husband has mostly left the decision up to me. If you could comment on your favorite/least favorite names and maybe tell why that would be a huge help thinks.

[name_f]Maria[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
[name_f]Beth[/name_f]
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] (we would use [name_u]Josie[/name_u] as a nn)
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]
[name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]
[name_f]Mira[/name_f]
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]
Greta
[name_f]Johanna[/name_f]
Simone
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]

Favorites bolded!

[name_f]Maria[/name_f] - Nice. I have a friend [name_f]Maria[/name_f] who wears it very well, but she often complains that people constantly sing “[name_m]How[/name_m] [name_f]Do[/name_f] You [name_f]Solve[/name_f] a Problem Like [name_f]Maria[/name_f]” and “I [name_m]Just[/name_m] Met a Girl Named [name_f]Maria[/name_f]” (or whatever it’s called) at her.
[name_f]Gwen[/name_f] - [name_f]My[/name_f] name! I love having it. 10/10, would recommend.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f] - I like it. It feels wise, but also a bit…hmmm, passive maybe? I wish it were a little more substantial.
[name_f]Beth[/name_f] - [name_f]My[/name_f] middle name. I kind of loathe it. It’s almost aggressively bland.
[name_f]Kate[/name_f] - Not terribly interesting, but very versatile and pleasant.
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] it. [name_m]Just[/name_m] an all-around great name, in my opinion.
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this one, too.
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f] - Eh. I like that it’s unusual, but don’t like the actual sound.
[name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] - Too insubstantial; I like it as a nn but wouldn’t want it as my full name.
[name_f]Mira[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] it. Gorgeous, unexpected, and sort of serenely wise and powerful.
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f] - I adore [name_f]Nadia[/name_f]! It’s dynamic and pretty.
[name_f]Tara[/name_f] - Dated. Although it is the name of that cat who has been in the news lately for rescuing a four-year-old boy from an attacking dog.
[name_f]Johanna[/name_f] - I don’t like it, but at the same time, I see the appeal. I do like [name_f]Johanna[/name_f] better than [name_f]Joanna[/name_f].
[name_f]Mallory[/name_f] - Dated and just generally trendy-sounding. Plus it has a negative meaning. The rest of your list is way better.
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f] - [name_f]Lovely[/name_f], strong, and right in the sweet spot.

Greta - Ditto Heidi. It feels austere and harsh to me.
Simone - I quite like it, but would be mildly concerned about “moan” teasing.

[name_f]My[/name_f] fave is [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] for her strong but feminine beauty. This classic name is suitable for all ages. I also like [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_u]Simone[/name_u] and [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. Less faves: [name_f]Mallory[/name_f] for its meaning and it’s “dated” feel from Family [name_m]Ties[/name_m] TV show. I don’t care for [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] as a full name or [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] for its cutesy sound.

Since this is your first child, I would advise you to think about what style of name you find most appealing. What parents name their firstborn child often determines what direction they will follow in naming future children. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like more substantial names like [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Johanna[/name_f], shorter feminine options like [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and [name_f]Thea[/name_f] or unisex options like [name_f]Mallory[/name_f]? [name_m]Just[/name_m] something to think about before making your final decision.

Favourites: [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Mira[/name_f], [name_u]Simone[/name_u] (I adore [name_f]Thea[/name_f] especially).

Least Favourites: [name_f]Maria[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_f]Nadia[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] (either I dislike the sound, they’re dated, or they’re too popular).

Great list! I love:

[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]
[name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]

I really like:

[name_f]Gwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]
[name_f]Mira[/name_f]
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]
[name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]

[name_f]Gwen[/name_f] and [name_f]Mira[/name_f] are my favorites.

[name_f]Maria[/name_f]- Personally not a fan, but a lovely classic name.
[name_f]Gwen[/name_f]- It is short and spunky, but I wish it had a tiny bit more substance.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]-I love this, it is elegant and poetic and serene. One of my favourites from your list.
[name_f]Beth[/name_f]- Not a fan. It doesn’t stand very well on its own.
[name_f]Kate[/name_f]- There are so many [name_f]Kate[/name_f]'s now.
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]- [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] choice, studious and stylish.
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] (we would use [name_u]Josie[/name_u] as a nn)- [name_u]LOVE[/name_u]. Very classy, and loads of nn options.
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]- I think it is sweet, and I think it would work.
[name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]- Sweet as a nn, but not really a name.
[name_f]Mira[/name_f]- Very lovely: artsy, creative, serene and polished.
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]- Pretty.
[name_f]Greta[/name_f]- [name_f]Lovely[/name_f]. I think this would be a great choice.
[name_f]Johanna[/name_f]- [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] classic name. You can’t go wrong with this.
[name_u]Simone[/name_u]- I know others love it, but to me it is still a middle aged woman’s name. That might be a perfect reason to use it though.
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]- A nice name, but it is becoming increasingly popular.

Good luck and happy naming :). [name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Mira[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] and [name_f]Greta[/name_f]. Ultimately, though it really is up to you :).

Great options! I vote for [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]. Good luck!

Favorites are [name_f]Thea[/name_f] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. I love the soft, romantic vibe and the mythological connection with [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] is an extra bonus. I also love [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_u]Simone[/name_u], and [name_f]Nadia[/name_f].

[name_f]Beth[/name_f] and [name_f]Kate[/name_f] are both very classic, feminine choices. If you choose these, I’d go with a more unusual middle name.

I find [name_f]Maria[/name_f] and [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] to be overwhelmingly common, without that quiet classic strength that elevates [name_f]Beth[/name_f] and [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. Especially [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]…all I can think of is the Disney show [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] [name_m]McGuire[/name_m].

Nice list! I love: [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Nadia[/name_f], [name_u]Simone[/name_u], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f]

The only ones off your list I don’t like are [name_f]Mira[/name_f] and [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]. [name_f]Mira[/name_f] feels unsubstantial, and I don’t like [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] unless it’s a nn for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. [name_m]Even[/name_m] then, I prefer [name_f]Beth[/name_f]. If you chose [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], then you could choose later if you’d like to use [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f], or [name_f]Beth[/name_f], or one of the other many lovely [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] short forms.

Good luck! You’ve got a really great list here.

I like [name_f]Nadia[/name_f], [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], and [name_f]Josephine[/name_f].