Reining in the shortlist - Girls

Girl Names
1

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] all!

So, I’m not expecting any time soon, but I am just about two months away from my wedding and it’s SO difficult to not get a bit excited over potentially getting to put my list in play within the near future. I’m just looking for some feedback on what I think would be our top choices if we had to name a baby girl tomorrow, and some suggestions from there!

I don’t care overly much whether a name is rare/unique, although I’m not a fan of ultra-common or trendy choices. I prefer classic names that are instantly recognizable, easy to spell, and can shorten into cute nicknames; two to three syllables; practical, streamlined names over lots of frills and flourish. I’m generally not a fan of unisex names or modern day trends like -ley/lee/leigh.

Last name will be one syllable and universally known as probably the most intrinsic nickname for [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], so -en endings can work if done carefully.

IMPORTANT: No B or J names, please! FI and I will have nearly identical names once married (James/Jamie) and using B or J on future children just feels like an alliterative punch in the face!

I really like the idea of two middles - we would want to use _____ [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Douglas[/name_u], for honor reasons, if we ever had a son, and then I’d probably just want to continue the pattern. [name_u]James[/name_u] has potential as a middle for a daughter, too, in the event we have no boys/have a girl and decide to be one-and-done

  • indicates honor names

In no particular order, we have:
[name_f]Nina[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]*
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora/name_f
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]/[name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]* ([name_f]Nell[/name_f]/[name_f]Nellie[/name_f])
[name_f]Keira[/name_f]/[name_f]Kiera[/name_f]
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f]
[name_f]Sophie[/name_f]
[name_f]Annika[/name_f] (a guilty pleasure, for sure)
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]* (preferred as a middle)
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (FI’s fave)

If I had to name a daughter right now, I’d probably go with [name_f]Helena[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f], because it’s a triple-honor and I’m obsessed with the nicknames [name_f]Nell[/name_f]/[name_f]Nellie[/name_f], but who knows how long that will last!

2

I love your list! I also gravitate toward those no-frill classic names.

In terms of narrowing down your list, my favorites are:
[name_f]Nina[/name_f] - Underused, in my opinion!
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] - A lovely name, and I like that it honors.
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this. So feminine, so tailored.
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] - A little popular, but I love this name.
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f] - A little bit bolder than your other choices, but I love it.

I would cut:
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] - Doesn’t really fit with the rest of your choices. Would be a style mismatch for sisters.
[name_f]Annika[/name_f] - [name_m]Just[/name_m] not a fan.
[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] - I know you don’t care a lot about popularity, but [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]/[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] are so megapopular that I would avoid.
[name_f]Keira[/name_f] - I actually really like [name_f]Kiera[/name_f] but the millions of spelling variations would annoy me. You seem to like simple, straightforward names, so I could see this being a concern for your family.

On the fence:
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] - Homey classic, but also lacks spark to me.
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f] - A nice name, but I prefer your other options.
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] - I love that this honors, and [name_f]Nell[/name_f] is a nice name, but it’s much more flowery than your other choices. Maybe as a middle?
[name_f]Mary[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but agree that she makes sense as a middle for you.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] - Too popular for me, and not as nice as your more compact choices, but FI’s opinion matters too.

Congratulations on your marriage!

3

I love [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], and [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], and I think they would make a wonderful set of sisters!

(I much prefer [name_f]Clara[/name_f] to [name_f]Claire[/name_f] – while a very nice name, [name_f]Claire[/name_f] to me is a “mom name”, while vintage [name_f]Clara[/name_f] sounds fresh)

With the sibset style above, I would also suggest [name_f]Margot[/name_f]. [name_f]Edith[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] from your list could also fit.

I also suggest [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], which can have the nicknames [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Nell[/name_f], [name_f]Nellie[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], or [name_f]Leni[/name_f]

(The names I would cut from your list, simply because they’re not my own style, are [name_f]Nina[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Kiera[/name_f], [name_f]Cleo[/name_f], and [name_f]Annika[/name_f]. And I would nix [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] just because it’s been so very popular for so long).

Good luck whittling down! :slight_smile:

4

I love [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Annika[/name_f]!! [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] is my absolute favorite from your list! I love the idea of [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] [name_f]Helena[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]…So many classics wrapped into one! I have a few suggestions but I think you have a wonderful list already from which you could go from between you and your SO!

[name_f]Elena[/name_f] - [name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]/[name_u]Nelly[/name_u]
[name_f]Annalise[/name_f] - Maybe more feminine than you’d like, but offers nicknames like [name_f]Ann[/name_f]/[name_f]Annie[/name_f]/[name_u]Lisa[/name_u]
[name_f]Leonora[/name_f] - [name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Nora[/name_f]
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]/Elinora - [name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Nellie[/name_f]/[name_f]Nora[/name_f] (as SBW suggested above, I think this would be a fantastic addition to your list!)
[name_f]Cora[/name_f] - [name_u]Corey[/name_u]
[name_f]Coraline[/name_f]/[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] - [name_f]Carrie[/name_f]/[name_f]Cora[/name_f]

Congrats on the marriage and happy name hunting! :slight_smile:

5

[name_f]Nina[/name_f]: This is such a gorgeous name. It is simple and wearable at any age, and has a very bright, happy sound.
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]*: Wonderful. [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] has all the grace of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] in fewer syllables, and is a fantastic classic.
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f]: Elegant, feminine, and rich with history.
[name_f]Nora/name_f: Amongst the sweetest names out there. I really like this one.
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]/[name_f]Claire[/name_f]: Tailored, strong, classic, and rich in meaning.
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]: Perhaps a bit more cutesy than some of your other choices, but still a refined, classic name.
[name_f]Edith[/name_f]: While I like it, it seems to be a bit of an odd one out here. [name_f]Edith[/name_f] is quirkier, rarer, and not as classic as many of your other choices. It’s also quite vintage.
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]* ([name_f]Nell[/name_f]/[name_f]Nellie[/name_f]): [name_m]Just[/name_m] beautiful. [name_f]Nell[/name_f] and [name_f]Nellie[/name_f] are wonderful nicknames, and [name_f]Helena[/name_f] is such a melodic, elegant name.
[name_f]Keira[/name_f]/[name_f]Kiera[/name_f]: I don’t think this has quite the classic vibe of your other favorites, and it also seems a little harsh in comparison.
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f]: I like this one quite a lot! Sass in droves, but it’s also got a lot of substance.
[name_f]Sophie[/name_f]: While it has a nice sound, I think it is quite trendy right now.
[name_f]Annika[/name_f] (a guilty pleasure, for sure): I’ve always liked this one. Very strong and upbeat.
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]* (preferred as a middle): The ultimate strong, feminine classic. Would make a great middle.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (FI’s fave): Extremely popular, and maybe a bit frilly, but ultimately it has such a beautiful sound I wouldn’t worry about that.

6

Wonderful, gorgeous list! You can’t go wrong. My personal favorites include [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] (nn [name_u]Georgie[/name_u]), [name_f]Edith[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Edie[/name_f]) and [name_f]Helena[/name_f] ([name_f]Nell[/name_f]). I do think that that first three here would flow better with your last name than [name_f]Helena[/name_f]/[name_f]Nell[/name_f].

7

I really like:
[name_f]Nina[/name_f] (sweet, fun but also mature)
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] (bubbly by elegant)
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] (so clear and bright sounding)
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] (timeless and lovely)
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] (so cute but sophisticated)
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] (I mostly love it for nn [name_f]Nell[/name_f] but it’s a versatile name)
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f] (feels different to your other names, but nonetheless, I love the sounds - distinct and interetsing)
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (sadly popular but a versatile and elegant name!)