So, for starters, let me warn you that this list is quite long! I’d love it if you all would commit on these names, or at least choose your favorite and worst 5 or 10. I really value your opinions!
Thanks in advance!!
[name]Anneliese[/name] - love it, spelled just like that rather than [name]Annalise[/name], etc.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) - Like it a lot. [name]Alana[/name] to me looks as if it should be pronounced [name]Alayna[/name]. The double n makes teh pronunciation you want clearer.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) nice
[name]Adelaide[/name] not that crazy about it, I prefer [name]Adele[/name] or [name]Adela[/name].
[name]Aurea[/name] - ok
[name]Aurelia[/name] - pretty nice
[name]Adria[/name] - ok
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) like a lot
[name]Alison[/name] - love it.
[name]Aveline[/name] - nice
[name]Carmen[/name] - it’s okay
[name]Coralie[/name] - cute
[name]Cecily[/name] like it.
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) like it a lot
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) nice
[name]Estella[/name] nice - I prefer it to [name]Estelle[/name].
[name]Evelyn[/name] - pretty name
[name]Elissa[/name] - pretty name
[name]Eliza[/name] - not crazy about it
[name]Emmeline[/name] - very nice
[name]Elaine[/name] - okay,
[name]Elysia[/name] -pretty but will probably lead to pronunciation confusion - is it uh-lee-see-uh or uh-lee-sha?
[name]Elsa[/name] okay
[name]Ellen[/name] okay
[name]Geneva[/name] like
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] okay - prefer [name]Irena[/name].
[name]Jocelyn[/name] okay
[name]Lydia[/name] love it
[name]Laurel[/name] nice
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] it’s okay Prefer the [name]Lorraine[/name] spelling.
[name]Lorelei[/name] - okay
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] nice
[name]Rhiannon[/name] like a lot
[name]Raquel[/name] okay
[name]Ruby[/name] don’t really like
[name]Ruth[/name] don’t like
[name]Selena[/name] - love it
[name]Serena[/name] love it
[name]Vivienne[/name] love it
[name]Viviana[/name] love it
[name]Anneliese[/name] – I don’t like this, but I don’t like overly girly names in general
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) – NMS
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) – I don’t like this name either; I prefer “[name]Elena[/name]”
[name]Adelaide[/name] – love this name! I think it is beautiful and I haven’t heard it much, although it is getting more popular
[name]Aurea[/name] – no
[name]Aurelia[/name] – I don’t really like this
[name]Adria[/name] – this is pretty
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) – this is nice, I guess just NMS
[name]Alison[/name] – I actually kind of like [name]Alison[/name], I think it’s pretty
[name]Aveline[/name] – don’t really like this
[name]Carmen[/name] – NMS
[name]Coralie[/name] – this is really pretty, I love this one
[name]Cecily[/name] – I like this too
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) – I’m not really a fan of [name]Charlotte[/name] but loads of people love it
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) – I like this a lot more than [name]Carolyn[/name] but still not really a fan
[name]Estella[/name] – this is okay
[name]Evelyn[/name] – I love this one, too
[name]Elissa[/name] – no
[name]Eliza[/name] – oh, I love this name! I think it is really classic and beautiful
[name]Emmeline[/name] – it’s okay
[name]Elaine[/name] – I don’t like this one, it feels a bit dated
[name]Elysia[/name] – this is pretty
[name]Elsa[/name] – I love this name! It’s one of my favorites
[name]Ellen[/name] – I don’t like this
[name]Geneva[/name] – this is okay. I don’t like ‘place’ names much, but [name]Geneva[/name] is better than [name]London[/name] or [name]Paris[/name]
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] – this is pretty
[name]Jocelyn[/name] – I like [name]Jocelyn[/name]- I think it is really pretty and elegant
[name]Lydia[/name] – love this one
[name]Laurel[/name] – not really my style
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] – no
[name]Lorelei[/name] – this is pretty
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] — I don’t really know how to pronounce this
[name]Rhiannon[/name] – I sort of like this- I prefer [name]Bronwen[/name] though
[name]Raquel[/name] – no
[name]Ruby[/name] – I’m not a huge fan of this name, though I know plenty of people like it
[name]Ruth[/name] – I like old lady names, I think this could be really cute
[name]Selena[/name] – not really a fan
[name]Serena[/name] – I don’t like this either
[name]Vivienne[/name] – I do like this name, I think it is girly without sounding too frilly
[name]Viviana[/name] – nms
[name]Anneliese[/name] - [name]Lovely[/name]. Really like this one.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) - eh. Can’t imagine this on an adult.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) - Prefer the traditional spelling [name]Elaina[/name].
[name]Adelaide[/name] - NMS
[name]Aurea[/name] No.
[name]Aurelia[/name] - NMS. Too froo-froo princessy.
[name]Adria[/name] - Eh. Ok. Sounds unfinished to my ears.
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) - [name]Little[/name] Mermaid. Dancing fish and spell-casting octopi is all I’ll ever associate with this name.
[name]Alison[/name] - Nice. Prefer [name]Allison[/name] with 2 “l’s”
[name]Aveline[/name] - NMS
[name]Carmen[/name] - Pretty.
[name]Coralie[/name] - Too froo-froo.
[name]Cecily[/name] - Beautiful. Definitely one of my favorites.
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) - [name]Love[/name] this one, despite its popularity.
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) - Wonderful alternative to [name]Caroline[/name], which is rather boring [name]IMO[/name]. Good one!
[name]Estella[/name] - Prefer [name]Estelle[/name].
[name]Evelyn[/name] - Very pretty.
[name]Elissa[/name]- NMS. Prefer [name]Elisa[/name] or [name]Elise[/name].
[name]Eliza[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it.
[name]Emmeline[/name] - Nice. NMS, but it’s very pretty.
[name]Elaine[/name] - NMS. Too dated for me.
[name]Elysia[/name] - NMS
[name]Elsa[/name] - Ok.
[name]Ellen[/name] - NMS. Dated.
[name]Geneva[/name] - Pretty. [name]Haven[/name]'t heard this in a long time. Not sure I’d use it for a baby, though.
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] - Eh. Prefer [name]Irene[/name].
[name]Jocelyn[/name] - NMS. Really dislike this name.
[name]Lydia[/name] - Very pretty. Good choice.
[name]Laurel[/name] - NMS. I don’t like naming kids after foliage.
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] - NMS, either spelling.
[name]Lorelei[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it. [name]Glad[/name] it’s making strides on the baby name lists.
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] - NMS. Too close to [name]Melissa[/name], a name which holds bad memories of a particularly snotty college roommate.
[name]Rhiannon[/name] - No. No.
[name]Raquel[/name] - Prefer [name]Rachel[/name].
[name]Ruby[/name] - NMS
[name]Ruth[/name]- Very pretty, and vintage, which is popular these days.
[name]Selena[/name] - NMS.
[name]Serena[/name] - Ok, I guess. No strong feelings either way.
[name]Vivienne[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it.
[name]Viviana[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like it compared to [name]Vivienne[/name].
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh)
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Adria[/name]
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name])
[name]Elysia[/name] – [name]How[/name] do you say it? I say it the way I was taught to say it in Greek (as it’s a Greek name) – eh-lee-sheeuh
[name]Irene[/name]
[name]Jocelyn[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]
This is quite a varied list of names! I think to help you narrow down, you may want to consider what is most important to you about a name (ex. easily pronounced and spelled, family connection, uniqueness, sound of the name, nickname possibilities, etc.). I’ll give my first impressions of them.
[name]Anneliese[/name]: I like this name a lot. Frilly, distinctly girly. But it is hard to spell for most people and has a few variations which may make it trickier.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh): I like both of these. I agree with ksheja in saying that the double N makes your pronunciation more obvious.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh): My mom’s name is [name]Elena[/name] and she always has people mess up spelling and pronunciation, so this reminds me of her name.
[name]Adelaide[/name]: I like the name a lot. My husband and I know a baby named this and he never writes the baby’s name down because he doesn’t know how to spell it. I don’t like the nickname “[name]Addy[/name],” though.
[name]Aurea[/name]: I know a few older Puerto Rican ladies with this name, so I associate it with Latino culture. I do like it.
[name]Aurelia[/name]: I like it how it looks, but it is quite a bit of name. It may be a good one for a nickname.
[name]Adria[/name]: It seems incomplete. I’m unsure of how the first A is pronounced.
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]): I always pronounce this and other versions ([name]Ariel[/name]/Ariell) as [name]AIR[/name]-ee-ell, so she may have to deal with this for the rest of her life.
[name]Alison[/name]: Out of all of the [name]Alison[/name] spellings, I like this one the best. I think it’s a good name that shouldn’t die out.
[name]Aveline[/name]: I don’t like this.
[name]Carmen[/name]: Not a huge fan. Makes me think of “Where in the World is [name]Carmen[/name] [name]Sandiego[/name]?”
[name]Coralie[/name]: I like it, but I like it for a little girl and not a grown woman.
[name]Cecily[/name]: Same as [name]Coralie[/name].
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]): I’m not a huge fan of this name.
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh): I like this one, especially your pronunciation.
[name]Estella[/name]: I prefer [name]Estelle[/name] over [name]Estella[/name] and [name]Stella[/name], but they all feel like great grandmother names to me.
[name]Evelyn[/name]: It’s a little plain or “ordinary” for me.
[name]Elissa[/name]: I know a woman named [name]Elisa[/name] and she always introduces herself by saying “I’m [name]Elisa[/name]. [name]Lisa[/name] with an E.” She says she does this because there are so many variations of this with such slight pronunciation differences that no one ever knows what her name actually is. I would fear the same for an [name]Elissa[/name].
[name]Eliza[/name]: A bit plain for me.
[name]Emmeline[/name]: Another one that I like for a little girl, but not for an adult.
[name]Elaine[/name]: This one seems a bit dated to me.
[name]Elysia[/name]: See “[name]Elissa[/name]”
[name]Elsa[/name]: I like the simplicity of this one and how it can grow with a girl into adulthood.
[name]Ellen[/name]: I like this one. Simple, classic.
[name]Geneva[/name]: I like this a lot.
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name]: Though I know a 20-something with this name, it seems grandmotherly to me.
[name]Jocelyn[/name]: Not really my style.
[name]Lydia[/name]: I know that this is an “up and coming” name, but I don’t get it. I don’t really like it.
[name]Laurel[/name]: Pretty, but a bit plain.
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name]: I prefer [name]Lorraine[/name]. I like it. It’s isn’t frilly an femenine, if that’s what you’re going for.
[name]Lorelei[/name]: I will forever associate this with [name]Gilmore[/name] Girls. And because of that association, I love the name.
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name]: I like both, but I see the first as prounced “mil-EE-nuh” and the second as “muh-[name]LAY[/name]-nuh”
[name]Rhiannon[/name]: I don’t like this.
[name]Raquel[/name]: I don’t like this.
[name]Ruby[/name]: Not my favorite of the stone names.
[name]Ruth[/name]: A wonderful classic name, but it seems really old for someone under 60. That being said, the only three Ruths that I’ve known are all under 25.
[name]Selena[/name]: I like this a lot.
[name]Serena[/name]: I like this one.
[name]Vivienne[/name]: I don’t like this name or it’s variants.
[name]Viviana[/name]: Same opinion as [name]Vivienne[/name].
These are my thoughts, but don’t take it personally if you don’t agree with me. After all, I am just a stranger on the internet.
Top 5:
[name]Aurelia[/name]- I love this name! It has such a great sound and there are several nicknames that you can use.
[name]Coralie[/name]- This name is a great alternative to the uber popular [name]Caroline[/name], without sounding like its just a copy.
[name]Eliza[/name]- [name]Eliza[/name] has such energy and spunk! It just seems like a fun name!
[name]Ellen[/name]- [name]Ellen[/name] is a great classic name, and if you’re looking for the nickname [name]Ellie[/name], its a good way to go.
[name]Ruby[/name]- This is also such a fun name! It is so sassy yet pretty at the same time.
Bottom 5:
[name]Alena[/name]- I feel like this name is just another variation of [name]Elena[/name]. And the pronunciation would have to be explained a lot.
[name]Alison[/name]- This name it okay, but it feels tired, having been really popular a while ago
[name]Carmen[/name]- [name]Carmen[/name] feels really dated right now, and I think that it will only grow to be more so in coming years.
[name]Elysia[/name]- This name feels like kind of stretch from [name]Alicia[/name], so I think you would be better off with that.
[name]Selena[/name]- [name]Selena[/name] also feels really dated right now, and I think at least the younger generation would only associate it with [name]Selena[/name] Gomez
[name]Anneliese[/name] Quite feminine, not my style but can see why it’s appealing.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) Not keen on this choice.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) Again, not keen
[name]Adelaide[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Aurea[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Aurelia[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Adria[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Alison[/name] Nice classic, that never goes out of fashion!
[name]Aveline[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Carmen[/name] It’s okay
[name]Coralie[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like at all!
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) [name]Lovely[/name] cute name, love nn [name]Lottie[/name].
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) Prefer [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Estella[/name] It’s okay
[name]Evelyn[/name] Not keen but it’s not terrible.
[name]Elissa[/name] I like this one!
[name]Eliza[/name] Nice
[name]Emmeline[/name] Not keen
[name]Elaine[/name] Sounds a bit “old” to me
[name]Elysia[/name] Not keen
[name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Ellen[/name] Good classic again, nice.
[name]Geneva[/name] No, not keen at all.
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] As much as this screams “old lady” it’s actually quite cool and is probably due a revival!
[name]Jocelyn[/name] Not keen
[name]Lydia[/name] It’s okay
[name]Laurel[/name] I was considering this one the other day, hubby didn’t like, but I still do!
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] Not keen, much prefer [name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Rhiannon[/name] Reminds me too much of [name]Rihanna[/name], so not keen.
[name]Raquel[/name] A more interesting “[name]Rachel[/name]” in my opinion.
[name]Ruby[/name] [name]Love[/name] [name]Ruby[/name]! [name]Holly[/name] and [name]Molly[/name] are both popular now but [name]Ruby[/name] not so much, but a lovely name.
[name]Ruth[/name] Another “old lady” name but I think it’s lovely and should be reused now.
[name]Selena[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t like
[name]Vivienne[/name] It’s okay
[name]Viviana[/name] Not keen
[name]Anneliese[/name] - like, and prefer this spelling too.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) I pronounce them differently, [name]Alana[/name] as a-lay-na and [name]Alanna[/name] as al-ann-uh. I think the double n spelling is closer to what you want it to be.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) - don’t like the pronunciation, sounds too forced.
[name]Adelaide[/name] - ok
[name]Aurea[/name] - This kid’s going to get all the ‘oral’ gags as a teenager, I fear.
[name]Aurelia[/name] - see above
[name]Adria[/name] - prefer [name]Adrian[/name] on a boy to this feminisation
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) - don’t like, sounds made up to me
[name]Alison[/name] - ok, prefer this spelling
[name]Aveline[/name] - sounds made up
[name]Carmen[/name] - spunky, I quite like it
[name]Coralie[/name] - ok
[name]Cecily[/name] - nms
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) - great choice
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) - not really a fan of [name]Caroline[/name] or [name]Carolina[/name], feel too old fashioned to me
[name]Estella[/name] - nms
[name]Evelyn[/name] - only if it’s pronounced eev-lin, don’t like the ev-uh-lin way at all.
[name]Elissa[/name] - sounds a bit chavvy to me
[name]Eliza[/name] - nice
[name]Emmeline[/name] - nms
[name]Elaine[/name] - dated
[name]Elysia[/name] - variant on [name]Alicia[/name]?
[name]Elsa[/name] - ok
[name]Ellen[/name] - really like this
[name]Geneva[/name] - as in the place?
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] - dated
[name]Jocelyn[/name] - don’t like, sounds too old-ladyish and the spelling looks ugly
[name]Lydia[/name] - like
[name]Laurel[/name] - ok
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] - prefer [name]Lorraine[/name] but dated
[name]Lorelei[/name] - meh
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] - prefer [name]Milena[/name], and it’s not a bad choice
[name]Rhiannon[/name] - like
[name]Raquel[/name] - prefer [name]Rachel[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name] - nice
[name]Ruth[/name] - ok
[name]Selena[/name] - like
[name]Serena[/name] - like, prefer [name]Selena[/name] though
[name]Vivienne[/name] - like, but prefer it without the extra frill on the spelling
[name]Viviana[/name] - prefer [name]Vivian[/name].
You have all been so very helpful! Really appreciate it!! It helps so much to hear some objective opinions. I know my list is really long, but for so long we had such a short list (just [name]Coralie[/name], [name]Elise[/name], and [name]Lila[/name]) but friends have recently used both [name]Elise[/name] and [name]Lila[/name]. So while I still love [name]Coralie[/name], I wanted to find some other names to consider. So this is just a long list of possibilities, some I would consider more seriously than others.
You all have given me some great things to consider, and I like getting an idea of how the names would be received.
Please keep the feedback coming - it’s helping me weed out a few names!
[name]Adelaide[/name]-I like [name]Adaline[/name] better:)
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])-super cute!
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh)-I prefer [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Estella[/name]-I like [name]Stella[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]-Very nice!
[name]Elissa[/name]-sounds too close to the trendy ‘[name]Alissa[/name]’
[name]Emmeline[/name]-I really like [name]Emmalynn[/name]
[name]Elaine[/name]-better for an adult woman-not a baby
[name]Lydia[/name]-love this (but it is my name:)
[name]Laurel[/name]-Very pretty
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] (Makes me think of Lorraina Bobbet)
[name]Lorelei[/name]-[name]Love[/name] the nn [name]Rory[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]-love this!!
[name]Ruth[/name]-too old
[name]Anneliese[/name] not a fan of this spelling, but it’s a beautiful name
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) the second spelling would work better for the pronunciation you want. very lovely name.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) I don’t think anyone would pronounce this right without being corrected. Other than that, beautiful name.
[name]Adelaide[/name] love it!
[name]Aurea[/name] I prefer [name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name] love it!
[name]Adria[/name] fine
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) very pretty, but everyone will want to pronounce it like the [name]Little[/name] Mermaid
[name]Alison[/name] not a fan, seems to ‘[name]Jane[/name] [name]Doe[/name]’ to me.
[name]Aveline[/name] love it!
[name]Carmen[/name] fine
[name]Coralie[/name] cute! love it!
[name]Cecily[/name] love it!
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) I’m not a fan of [name]Charlotte[/name] but I love [name]Lottie[/name]!
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) major pronunciation issues
[name]Estella[/name] I’d like [name]Stella[/name] more, but [name]Estella[/name] is lovely.
[name]Evelyn[/name] love it!
[name]Elissa[/name] have you considered [name]Elyssa[/name]? either way, love it.
[name]Eliza[/name] lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove!!! love.
[name]Emmeline[/name] very girly and pretty. love it!
[name]Elaine[/name] one of my favorite names ever, but I always imagine a very plain-looking girl when I think of this name…
[name]Elysia[/name] not a fan. I’d go with [name]Elyssa[/name] or [name]Elissa[/name] before this one.
[name]Elsa[/name] fine
[name]Ellen[/name] don’t ask me why, but this seems like a ‘butch’ (as in, not very feminine) name to me. not a fan
[name]Geneva[/name] I’m not sure how to pronounce this, but it looks like it would sounds pretty
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] I prefer [name]Irene[/name], but they’re both lovely.
[name]Jocelyn[/name] I’ve never liked this name. not for any particular reason, I just think it looks and sounds awkward.
[name]Lydia[/name] looooooooooove this name! one of my favorites!
[name]Laurel[/name] I [name]LOVE[/name] this name, but everyone is going to think its [name]Lauren[/name].
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] I like [name]Lorraine[/name] of these two, but I prefer [name]Loretta[/name].
[name]Lorelei[/name] fine
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] I like [name]Melina[/name]. so pretty!
[name]Rhiannon[/name] I like [name]Rihanna[/name] better to be honest
[name]Raquel[/name] I’ve never liked this name
[name]Ruby[/name] pretty, love it!
[name]Ruth[/name] fine
[name]Selena[/name] love it!
[name]Serena[/name] I prefer [name]Selena[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name] love it!
[name]Viviana[/name] prefer [name]Vivienne[/name]
Actually I find that lot of these names are really really close to others, so I’m going to give you the list after I cut out the similar names.
[name]Alena[/name]-Prefer this pronunciation
[name]Adelaide[/name]- [name]Just[/name] love it’s vintage feel
[name]Aurelia[/name] - [name]One[/name] of my absolutely favorite LOVES on this list and in general. [name]Love[/name] the name.
[name]Carmen[/name]-I see this as more gender neutral, but it also works on both genders beautifully. [name]Carmella[/name] is an alternative. I have a baby cousin with the name.
[name]Cecily[/name]-Think this is cute.
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])-[name]LOVE[/name] [name]Lottie[/name], and that helps it beat out [name]Carolina[/name]. You have other names to get [name]Lena[/name] as a nn.
[name]Estella[/name]- I do love [name]Stella[/name] and [name]Estelle[/name]…not sure if [name]Estella[/name] is my favorite version but still cute.
[name]Eliza[/name]-Soft spot from My Fair Lady. I love [name]Elizabeth[/name] better and using this or [name]Lizzie[/name] as a nn. <3
Emmeline-While I think this is getting a lot of use lately, I still love Emmy as a nn.
Elysia- This beat out several close options like Elissa and Alison, but I still prefer Elyse. I do love that it means “blissful” though!! Love it though! <3
Elsa- This is a bias since this is the name I’m using if we have a girl next (or ever in the future!) LOVE <3
Jocelyn-nn Joss? I love it as Josslyn (pronunciation not spelling), over Joycelyn. Not sure which you intend.
Lydia-It’s not my style, but it is very charming. I love the literary vibe.
Lorelei-So cute. I can’t help but admit I’ve been a fan ever since Gilmore Girls. It is basically “Laura” so I crossed off anything close.
Milena-This is my favorite name to get Lena as a nn, regardless of if it’s pronounced LEE-Nah or Lay-nah. Another LOVE <3
Vivienne-Prefer this way more than Viviana. I am just hating all the Anne/Ana/Anna names lately. Just way overdone for me is all.
Serena- Pretty name, prefer it over Selena. Love that it means calm. I named my kid something that meant “Fire” and boy he is full of it.
Ruby vs Ruth- Not sure here, not overly fond of either, but Rue is a cute nn for either.
Raquel-Again not my style, but I don’t hate and I don’t see a downside.
Elaine-Love it for a middle name, but depending on what FN. There’s plenty of EL names on your list already.
Geneva-Prefer Genevieve myself, but this is a cute name and nn could either be Gen, Eve or Neve just like Genevieve’s.
Irene-cute, almost crossed off because of Alena, and I do prefer Alena.
I do not like: Anneliese (sick of Anna names altogether as previously mentioned) Coralie, Aveline, and Evelyn (Eve, Evie) is everywhere now. But that’s about it. Everything else I was either meh, or I just preferred another version that was close.
[name]Anneliese[/name] Pretty, but this spelling will constantly have her spelling her name for people.
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh) Not my style
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh) Not my style
[name]Adelaide[/name] I like this one
[name]Aurea[/name] Never heard of this, not my style.
[name]Aurelia[/name] Not my style
[name]Adria[/name] Reminds me of [name]Adrian[/name], not my style
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name]) I like it but spelled the Shakespearean way, [name]Ariel[/name]
[name]Alison[/name] Ok
[name]Aveline[/name] Pretty
[name]Carmen[/name] Not my style
[name]Coralie[/name] Pretty
[name]Cecily[/name] Nice, but I prefer [name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) This has been my favorite girl name for years but I hate that everyone else is now using it.
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh) Is this your own name?
[name]Estella[/name] I prefer [name]Estelle[/name] (b/c it’s my mom’s middle name) & [name]Estella[/name] wasn’t a nice character in Dickens’ Great Expectations
[name]Evelyn[/name] Pretty
[name]Elissa[/name] Not a fan, too much like [name]Melissa[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] Not my style
[name]Emmeline[/name] Too trendy as a new type of [name]Emily[/name]/[name]Emma[/name], which have been used to death
[name]Elaine[/name] Ok
[name]Elysia[/name] Not my style
[name]Elsa[/name] Seems old ladyish to me
[name]Ellen[/name] [name]Kinda[/name] blah
[name]Geneva[/name] Very Switzerland; how about [name]Genevieve[/name]?
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name] Not my style
[name]Jocelyn[/name] Pretty but what would nn be? I don’t like [name]Josie[/name] as a nn
[name]Lydia[/name] Not my style
[name]Laurel[/name] Reminds me of [name]Lauren[/name], rather blah
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name] Prefer [name]Lorraine[/name] spelling, pretty
[name]Lorelei[/name] I think this is en vogue b/c of a TV show, so no
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name] Neither
[name]Rhiannon[/name] [name]Don[/name]'t do this to your baby; might as well name her [name]Beyonce[/name]!
[name]Raquel[/name] No
[name]Ruby[/name] Old-school name that’s coming back, I actually like it
[name]Ruth[/name] I like this oldie but goodie also
[name]Selena[/name] Makes me think of the singer, no.
[name]Serena[/name] Makes me think of the tennis player, no.
[name]Vivienne[/name] Too [name]Angelina[/name] [name]Jolie[/name] (one of the twins)
[name]Viviana[/name] [name]How[/name] about [name]Valerie[/name] instead?
Some names not on your list that I offer as possibilities:
[name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Love[/name], love, [name]LOVE[/name] it! My 2nd favorite name, after [name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name] Classic name that’s beautiful
[name]Bronwen[/name] Use this one instead of [name]Rhiannon[/name], it’s a beautiful Welsh name & doesn’t make you think of a singer
[name]Camilla[/name]/[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name] Very feminine & classic
[name]Bellamy[/name] Not one everyone is using, has a lot of cute possible nn
[name]Clara[/name] Old-fashioned name that’s coming back
[name]Elise[/name]/[name]Eloise[/name]
Guienevere
[name]Gwyneth[/name]
[name]Gwendolyn[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name]
I don’t think there’s any name here I actually hate or think would be a horribly bad choice, so I might sound a bit more harsh than I mean to.
[name]Anneliese[/name]- I love this name, and I love [name]Anna[/name]. That said, I have a hard time with this spelling, and I doubt I’m alone in that. I’d spell it [name]Annalise[/name].
[name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name] (pronounced uh-lon-uh)- I’d pronounce [name]Alanna[/name] uh-lon-uh and [name]Alana[/name] uh-lan-uh.
[name]Alena[/name] (uh-lee-nuh)- I feel like people might pronounce this like [name]Elena[/name]. I’ve seen [name]Alina[/name] before; maybe that could work?
[name]Adelaide[/name]- not my favorite of this list
[name]Aurea[/name]- is this pronounced like [name]Aria[/name]? I love [name]Aria[/name], but I’d spell it like that.
[name]Aurelia[/name]- gorgeous.
[name]Adria[/name]- pretty, spunky, and exotic
[name]Arielle[/name] (R-E-[name]Elle[/name])- love
[name]Alison[/name]-not my favorite of this list, but classic
[name]Aveline[/name]- My favorite name is [name]Evelina[/name], so I’ve always been partial to [name]Aveline[/name]. It’s one of my favorites from this list.
[name]Carmen[/name]- very sultry in my mind, so I’d be a bit cautious
[name]Coralie[/name]- spunky-sweet and shortens to the more classic [name]Cora[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]- reminds me of As You Like It and The Importance of Being [name]Earnest[/name], lovely
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])- I’m a bit bored with this
[name]Carolina[/name] ([name]Caro[/name]-lee-nuh)- Most people will pronounce it line-ah instead of lee-nuh
[name]Estella[/name]- This (and [name]Estelle[/name]) has always been one of my favorites.
[name]Evelyn[/name]- classic
[name]Elissa[/name]- might be mistaken for [name]Alyssa[/name], but I like it better
[name]Eliza[/name]- I’m a bit bored of this.
[name]Emmeline[/name]- [name]Love[/name] this, but I’m seeing it a lot all of a sudden
[name]Elaine[/name]- lovely
[name]Elysia[/name]- like the fields of Greek mythology? I like the connection a lot, but I wonder if others will get it or just mistake it for similar names.
[name]Elsa[/name]- somehow manages to be uncommon and incredibly familiar at the same time
[name]Ellen[/name]- I was just wondering why people don’t use this name more. It’s far more grounded than [name]Ella[/name].
[name]Geneva[/name]- I’m not usually a fan of place names, but this one’s better than most
[name]Irene[/name]/[name]Irena[/name]- not my favorite of this list
[name]Jocelyn[/name]- again, you have so many names I like better
[name]Lydia[/name]- sweet but more common
[name]Laurel[/name]- love [name]Laurel[/name].
[name]Lorraine[/name]/[name]Laraine[/name]- I prefer [name]Laurel[/name].
[name]Lorelei[/name]- Again, I prefer [name]Laurel[/name].
[name]Melina[/name]/[name]Milena[/name]- not my favorite here
[name]Rhiannon[/name]- [name]Just[/name] reminds me of [name]Rihanna[/name].
[name]Raquel[/name]-the sound’s a bit harsh
[name]Ruby[/name]- nms but a nice name
[name]Ruth[/name]- classic but a bit bland
[name]Selena[/name]- I’m kind of bored of this name
[name]Serena[/name]- bored of this too
[name]Vivienne[/name]- [name]Vivi[/name] is cute, but I prefer [name]Viviana[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]- spunky yet frilly. a fun mix.
I think my choices would be:
[name]Annalise[/name] (spelled like that)
[name]Adria[/name]
[name]Arielle[/name]
[name]Aveline[/name]
[name]Coralie[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Estella[/name]
[name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Ellen[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]
