I would really love some honest thoughts and opinions on this list. These are names I have loved for a long time. I crossed some of these off my serious list a long time ago for one reason or another but I have come back to them. What is the best name from this list? What are your top three and what do you think of them? I’m considering all of these for first names but if you think it would be better in the middle tell me. Let me know your true thoughts and opinions please! If you have friends or family with these names or you know any babies with these names please let me know! Thanks Berries.
Top 3 and what comes to mind when I envision someone with the name
[name]Miriam[/name] - graceful, smart, beautiful, generous
[name]Lorelei[/name] -thoughtful, beautiful, reserved around strangers but very outgoing with friends and family, creative
[name]Phoebe[/name] - caring, charismatic, funny, creative, pretty
I’m afraid I would strongly disagree with the PP. Where I live, [name]Colette[/name] is a decidedly old-fashioned and almost down-market name, so for that reason it would be the worst name on your list for me personally.
Really like most of your names though! If I could only pick three I would say:
*[name]Dahlia[/name]
*[name]Delilah[/name]
*[name]Maple[/name]
[name]Just[/name] for the fact that they aren’t everyday names.
We considered [name]Miriam[/name] at one point. Although it’s an ancient biblical name (think [name]Miriam[/name] was sister to [name]Moses[/name]), it just rolls off the tongue and has a really “warm” sound to it. [name]Miri[/name] or [name]Mim[/name] are fab nicknames!
[name]Helena[/name] is pretty, can’t say a bad word about it and would work as a first or middle name.
[name]Magnolia[/name] is a fresh choice with cute NN’s [name]Maggie[/name] or [name]Nola[/name].
[name]Daphne[/name] is eternally linked with Scooby doo for me, so I wouldn’t use it!
[name]Love[/name] [name]Rosemary[/name] and [name]Elspeth[/name]! [name]Both[/name] “Old-lady” names but yield modern nicknames: [name]Rosie[/name], [name]Romy[/name], [name]Ellie[/name], [name]Elsie[/name].
My mum has a cat called [name]Phoebe[/name], but I do see its appeal as a name. Nicknames [name]Fifi[/name] or [name]Bee[/name] would work.
[name]Patricia[/name]: see [name]Colette[/name]
Finally, [name]Lorelei[/name]. I like this name. [name]Love[/name] the NN Lo and the fact that it reminds me of [name]Marilyn[/name] [name]Monroe[/name]'s character in “Gentelmen prefer blondes” - [name]Lorelei[/name] [name]Lee[/name]. HOWEVER… I feel its slightly awkward to say sometimes and for that reason along I would put it as a middle only.
[name]Hope[/name] that helped!!!
Difficult choice! I like [name]Delilah[/name], [name]Dahlia[/name], [name]Maple[/name], [name]Magnolia[/name] and [name]Rosemary[/name] the best. My top three would probably be [name]Magnolia[/name], [name]Rosemary[/name] and [name]Maple[/name]. [name]Maple[/name] has really been growing on me lately!
My favorites are [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Miriam[/name] and [name]Rosemary[/name] but I like a lot of the others on your list. I only know a little girl with the name [name]Nicolette[/name], but I have not seen any children with the other names.
My favorites are [name]Maple[/name], [name]Lorelei[/name], [name]Colette[/name], and [name]Helena[/name].
[name]Maple[/name], I love because it is so sweet. It fits perfect with my other nature names that I like, [name]Clover[/name] and [name]Hazel[/name]. I really really love this one.
[name]Lorelei[/name]- Can be a little bit of a tongue twister for some people, but I adore “Lor” names. [name]Lorelei[/name] Elesabeth, or even [name]Lorelei[/name] [name]Beth[/name] would be very pretty and could have the nick name [name]Lori[/name] [name]Beth[/name].
[name]Colette[/name] and [name]Helena[/name] make a very pretty sibling set! They are both pretty, sophisticated names. [name]Colette[/name] is the spunky one, but she is every bit as refined as her sister. I like [name]Helena[/name] both said, “Hell-en-ah” and “Heh-lay-na” but the second is my favorite.
[name]Hope[/name] that helps some! I think the above four are gorgeous! I have a hard time choosing between them. If I REALLY had to… [name]Helena[/name] said the second way, if said the first way, then I very well might pick [name]Maple[/name].
My favourites-
[name]Helena[/name]- I love this name. Wish it were less popular, but its beautiful. Got it all- history, cadence, femininity without frill
[name]Elspeth[/name]- Like this a lot…prefer [name]Elsa[/name], but like it a lot. Think it has a snappy, lively sound. My one qualm would be, it feels quite a mature name on a little little girl. However, there are always nicknames (if you like them) and little girls grow pretty fast!
[name]Miriam[/name]- This one is a new love of mine. Has kind of a murmury sound; a softness. I think of a quiet, smiley, thoughtful person with this name. [name]Miri[/name] is a lovely short form, too. Underused to the max!
[name]Dahlia[/name]- Another underused one. I think of [name]Dahlia[/name] as more flamboyant, maybe because it reminds me of someone saying ‘dahhhhhhling’. Colourful choice…think I even like it better as a middle name. [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Dahlia[/name] is cool.
[name]Maple[/name] (as a middle name)- I wish I could get behind this as a first name…I love unusual names, I do, but when they’re unusual nature names I think they can come across as somewhat hippy, and somewhat ditzy…hopefully [name]Maple[/name] will become as acceptable as [name]Hazel[/name] in the future, because the sound of it, and the associations, are beautiful. I love it in the middle spot- [name]Helena[/name] [name]Maple[/name] is a swooner!
[name]Lorelei[/name]- [name]Lorelei[/name] and [name]Dahlia[/name] go well together. [name]Both[/name] fun, perky, girlie. Like it less than [name]Miriam[/name]/[name]Helena[/name], though. [name]Helena[/name] and Loerlei would make an offbeat pair.
[name]Magnolia[/name]-What a name! Its a lot to carry off, but its gorgeous. [name]Nolia[/name] is a beautiful nickname too- almost like that even more!
Ones I am more ambivalent of-
[name]Daphne[/name]- I am so off and on with this one. [name]Just[/name] can’t get behind the ‘Daff’ sound…or the fact that other people might not be able to. It might be just too similar to [name]Daffy[/name] for me. However, the story behind the name is a winner…
[name]Delilah[/name]- I’m all for the revival of [name]Delilah[/name]. The only reason this didn’t make my first list is that I like [name]Dahlia[/name] more. [name]Dahlia[/name] has a more spunky sound, for me, and none of the potentially criticized Biblical associations…
[name]Rosemary[/name]- Really dislike this name. It sounds kind of fusty, and hasn’t got the freshness of other nature names to me. I think of dusty dried [name]Rosemary[/name], rather than vibrancy and spring. Prefer [name]Rose[/name]/[name]Rosa[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]- The rhymeyness of this one puts me off. I just find it kind of acoustically a little silly. Plus it is SO popular where I am that I am a little offput (yep, I’m a trendy snob. Guilty)
[name]Patricia[/name]- Hmm. I find this one a little stuffy too. Having said that, I think it works in the middle alongside a more flamboyant first name. [name]Maple[/name] [name]Patricia[/name] gives a little [name]Maple[/name] some more mainstream options
[name]Colette[/name]- Pretty, but uninspirational, in my eyes.
Sorry if I’ve sounded a bit critical- I do genuinely think you have fantastic taste!
In my opinion: [name]Dahlia[/name], [name]Helena[/name], [name]Lorelei[/name] are the best names on your list. I think [name]Lorelei[/name] and [name]Colette[/name] are great in the middle as well.
I don’t know any one with those names, so I can’t give any personal experience.
[name]Daphne[/name] - Spunky name with a long mythological history. I prefer [name]Daphne[/name] over [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name].
[name]Delilah[/name] - Biblical name with a negative association that needs to be dusted off.
[name]Dahlia[/name] - A little too frilly and feminine for my taste but it’s a pretty flower name.
[name]Maple[/name] - A guilty pleasure (I’m Canadian so the [name]Maple[/name] [name]Leaf[/name] is an important symbol) best used as a quirky mn choice.
[name]Miriam[/name] - A soft sounding Biblical gem
[name]Magnolia[/name] - Ladylike and lush. Very feminine but I do like it more than [name]Dahlia[/name].
[name]Rosemary[/name] - An underused and unappreciated name. Two names for the price of one!
[name]Elspeth[/name] - [name]One[/name] of my favourite Scottish names. Different but usable choice.
[name]Helena[/name] - Gorgeous and classic name
[name]Phoebe[/name] - Spunky like [name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Patricia[/name] - A little dated so I think it’s better in the middle spot.
[name]Lorelei[/name] - A [name]German[/name] name full of charm and character. I knew a smart, strong and opinionated [name]Lorelei[/name] so I have a positive connection.
[name]Colette[/name] - I like the sound of this name even though “ette” names are out of fashion. It has a literary association as well. However, I knew a very loud woman by the name of [name]Colette[/name] so it’s tainted my view somewhat.
FAVES: [name]Helena[/name], [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Rosemary[/name] and [name]Miriam[/name].
My favorite is [name]Miriam[/name]! Followed by [name]Colette[/name]. [name]Magnolia[/name] would be cute in the middle I think and honestly I am not personally a fan of any of the others, though I don’t think any of them are bad! [name]Just[/name] not my style. I love [name]Miriam[/name] though! I am considering it now for a middle name!
[name]Miriam[/name], [name]Rosemary[/name], [name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Helena[/name], and [name]Colette[/name] are far and away my favourites. All five are fairly timeless classics with a great choice of nicknames. Brilliant.
[name]Dahlia[/name] and [name]Magnolia[/name] are gorgeous florals, but I like them as middles better. Same goes for [name]Maple[/name], which would be forever heard as [name]Mabel[/name].
[name]Phoebe[/name]- eh. I know a lot of Phoebes between the ages of 8 and 21. Most of them seem to be [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Jane[/name], for whatever reason.
[name]Patricia[/name]- great name, but there are just so many of them between the ages of 30 and 75 that the name just doesn’t quite shine again
[name]Lorelei[/name]- don’t like the sound or the myth.
[name]Daphne[/name]- I go on and off this one, but today I’m hearing the ‘Daff’ as ‘daft’ and I don’t like it. Always seems a bit, well-- [name]Glinda[/name]'s character in Wicked would make a good [name]Daphne[/name].
[name]Delilah[/name]- Rather a lot of these, rather suddenly. Also has the even-trendier [name]Lila[/name] in it. I like it, but it’s one that like [name]Juniper[/name] is best as a rarity. Possibly I’ve heard ‘Hey there [name]Delilah[/name]’ one too many times in the last five years, too
[name]Elspeth[/name] [name]Dahlia[/name], [name]Helena[/name] [name]Maple[/name], [name]Colette[/name] [name]Magnolia[/name], [name]Rosemary[/name] [name]Phoebe[/name], and [name]Miriam[/name] [name]Daphne[/name] are my favourite full names from the ones you’ve listed.
Thanks everybody! I take the Berries opinions very seriously. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to comment. I loved the suggestion of which names worked together as siblings because I don’t know how many children I want to have total but I know I want to have more than one. I also really appreciated feedback on which names sounded good together in combos, too. I feel bad that I forgot to include that the last name would be very close to “Garris”. D’Oh! I also thought I should note that I would use [name]Helena[/name] as he-[name]LAY[/name]-na, thought I don’t mind it said HEL-en-uh. Ideally I would find a middle that works with both pronounciations. PLEASE feel free to comment again if knowing the last name helps change your mind on anything. Thanks Berries! You guys are the best
This are my favorites:
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Delilah[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
I will choose [name]Dahlia[/name]. [name]Dahlia[/name] feels played out because it’s highest peek was almost a houndred years before. But it’s still a nice name.
My favourites are [name]Maple[/name], [name]Magnolia[/name] (nn [name]Nola[/name]), [name]Elspeth[/name] (nn [name]Elsa[/name]) and [name]Helena[/name] (nn [name]Nell[/name]).
I’m in a [name]Helena[/name] phase right now, so it’s my favourite of the four. I do really like [name]Maple[/name] as well, but I prefer nature names as a theme or in the middle.
