Seeking honest opinions!

Hello All!

New here and am enjoying all the friendly, thoughtful ideas on this forum. I’m going through somewhat of a name crisis and wanted some honest advice. My husband and I are desperately TTC and enjoy talking baby names occasionally. As for boy names, we have a very short, non-negotiable list. But for girls, I’ve been around the world and back again. For a very long time, I was a big fan of nature-inspired, botanical names such as [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Iris[/name], [name]Violet[/name], [name]Willow[/name], [name]Meadow[/name], etc. However, I’ve slowly begun to realize these names and others like them are beginning to trend, (MUCH TO MY ENORMOUS FRUSTRATION!) Having an extremely popular name myself, I refuse to pass on that curse to my offspring. So lately, I’ve been considering vastly different options. I’m not sure how to classify them, as I’m no expert. I guess most seem pretty old-fashioned, vintage?

Anyway, please look over these names that I’ve become fond of and give me some honest impressions. I’m very curious to see what others think!

Thanks in advance for your time and advice!

[name]Annemarie[/name]
[name]Theodora[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]
[name]Thomasina[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Francine[/name]
[name]Florence[/name]
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name]
[name]Constance[/name]
[name]Eleanora[/name]

I think our naming taste is somewhat similar! I love most of these. Here are more specific thoughts:

[name]Annemarie[/name]: [name]Love[/name]. Only one problem–I am a teacher, and on the playground, I swear it sounds like the kids are shouting for “[name]Emery[/name]” to the little girl I know named [name]Annemarie[/name]. I cannot use this name now bc I do NOT like [name]Emery[/name]. I have moved to [name]Annamaria[/name] bc of this problem.
[name]Theodora[/name]: this is pretty but I would never use it myself. Also the [name]Dora[/name] nn puts me off, as in [name]Dora[/name] the [name]Explorer[/name].
[name]Rosemary[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. [name]May[/name] use it if I ever have another girl. My sweet, fun aunt’s name too.
[name]Eliza[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. For me, I would use it as a nn for [name]Elizabeth[/name] bc I love the full name too. Makes me think of [name]Eliza[/name] Doolittle. :slight_smile:
[name]Penelope[/name]: like this, but not enough to consider using it. [name]Don[/name]'t care for nn [name]Penny[/name] either.
[name]Josephine[/name]: like this, but can’t use bc of a children’s poem I know that I associate the name with.
[name]Miriam[/name]: not a fav of mine. I just don’t find it beautiful or charming. It feels plain to me.
[name]Thomasina[/name]: hmm, I like it but would never use it. Too unusual for me.
[name]Susannah[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. This is also a contender for the next daughter, if there ever is one! I like [name]Susanna[/name] spelling now, but I go back and forth.
[name]Francine[/name]: don’t like, but I love [name]Frances[/name] and like [name]Francesca[/name].
[name]Florence[/name]: love the city, don’t like the name at all. I think of Mrs [name]Brady[/name]…
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]: don’t like, but I absolutely love [name]Willa[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name]: don’t like, but I like the similar sounding [name]Sylvia[/name]
[name]Constance[/name]: kind of pretty, but don’t like [name]Connie[/name] as a nn
[name]Eleanora[/name]: beautiful tho I prefer just [name]Eleanor[/name] or [name]Nora[/name]

[name]Annemarie[/name] - pretty, but boring. I like [name]Anne[/name] better on its own.
[name]Theodora[/name] - I like this one, I think it’s interesting.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - love this name. I think these are two names, that on their own, leave something to be desired, but I love them combined.
[name]Eliza[/name] - cute, spunky name
[name]Penelope[/name] - ditto
[name]Josephine[/name] - love this name as well. [name]Love[/name] nn [name]Josie[/name], [name]Jody[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name] - It’s okay, a little boring and I don’t think it’s that feminine or pretty sounding.
[name]Thomasina[/name] - not a fan of this, I prefer [name]Tamsin[/name] (but both are just okay).
[name]Susannah[/name] - pretty name. [name]Don[/name]'t love it, but don’t dislike it either.
[name]Francine[/name] - it’s okay. [name]Franny[/name] is a cute nn (though I’d rather use [name]Franny[/name] for [name]Francesca[/name]). I like [name]Maxine[/name] better too.
[name]Florence[/name] - it’s okay, not that pretty or feminine sounding though.
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] - ditto
[name]Cynthia[/name] - I like this name. It’s a pretty, strong sounding name.
[name]Constance[/name] - I like the nn [name]Connie[/name] for this.
[name]Eleanora[/name] - I prefer [name]Eleanor[/name] and Nora. The a is too much.

Top 5 are: Rosemary, Eliza, Penelope, Josephine, and Cynthia.

[name]Annemarie[/name] – Ok.
[name]Theodora[/name] – [name]Love[/name]!! [name]Love[/name] the nn’s [name]Dora[/name] and [name]Thea[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name] – Like a lot.
[name]Eliza[/name] – Like
[name]Penelope[/name] – Very cute, do not like the nn [name]Penny[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] – [name]LOVE[/name]!
[name]Miriam[/name] – [name]Just[/name] ok.
[name]Thomasina[/name] – Too out there
[name]Susannah[/name] – Ok
[name]Francine[/name] – Not a fan. Hate the nn [name]Fanny[/name]
[name]Florence[/name] – [name]Love[/name], reminds me of [name]Florence[/name] [name]Welch[/name] of [name]Florence[/name] and the Machine…I would be worried that the nn [name]Flo[/name] may be ripe for teasing :frowning:
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] – like. [name]Love[/name] the nn [name]Mina[/name].
[name]Cynthia[/name] – This name seems very 80s to me.
[name]Constance[/name] – Cute. [name]Do[/name] not like the nn [name]Connie[/name].
[name]Eleanora[/name] – [name]Love[/name]!

I live most of your names. [name]Francine[/name] and [name]Florence[/name] border on maybe a little too old-fashioned for me personally. I think they need a few more years under the radar before they are ready for revival. Wow, that was a lot of R’s.

[name]Susannah[/name], [name]Theodora[/name], [name]Josephine[/name], and [name]Miriam[/name] are my favorites. (Although I slightly prefer [name]Teodora[/name] to [name]Theodora[/name]. It rings softer to me).

Interesting to see [name]Thomasina[/name] on someone’s list. Not many of these feminized male names get much love. I like [name]Davida[/name] and have yet to met anyone who agrees. Same kind of concept! I see that nameberry explains that parents are just using male names for girls now, instead of adding a feminine ending. I like [name]Thomasina[/name] though the more I say the name.

[name]Do[/name] you like [name]Rosalind[/name]? It’s my favorite “rose” name.

Here are my thoughts and impressions:

[name]Annemarie[/name] - Okay, but I’m not a big fan
[name]Theodora[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it! It’s distinctive, classy, and formal sounding. I am not big on nns, but it could be shortened in a number of cute ways if desired.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - I like [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Mary[/name] better separately than together.
[name]Eliza[/name] - Pretty!
[name]Penelope[/name] - Okay, but I’m not a big fan
[name]Josephine[/name] - Wonderful, classy, name.
[name]Miriam[/name] - I have never warmed up to this name, but it’s not bad.
[name]Thomasina[/name] - Adorable!
[name]Susannah[/name] - My favorite on your list. I am in [name]LOVE[/name] with the name [name]Susannah[/name]! It’s like a burst of sunshine to my eyes and songbirds to my ears.
[name]Francine[/name] - It’s okay.
[name]Florence[/name] - Not my style
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] - I really like it!!
[name]Cynthia[/name] - It’s a beautiful name!
[name]Constance[/name] - Not my style
[name]Eleanora[/name] - Not a big fan

[name]Annemarie[/name], [name]Theodora[/name], [name]Rosemary[/name], [name]Josephine[/name], [name]Miriam[/name], [name]Thomasina[/name], [name]Francine[/name], [name]Wilhelmina[/name], [name]Cynthia[/name] & [name]Constance[/name] are NMS :frowning:

I love [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Susannah[/name], [name]Florence[/name], & [name]Eleanora[/name]!

Some suggestions:
[name]Primrose[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Coralie[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Henrietta[/name]
[name]Elianna[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]

amarinta, beatrix, rosemary, hannah,

or araminta

[name]Theodora[/name] is my favorite, my fathers name is [name]Theodore[/name] and i would love to give this to my future daughter plus the nick name [name]Thea[/name] is timeless and adorable. [name]Penelope[/name] is cute, it is my sisters name, but it is quite popular right now, not quite in the top 100 but it is starting to trend. I also like [name]Constance[/name] with the nick name [name]Connie[/name], very classic. [name]Francine[/name] is also very cute and unique. I would love this on a little girl.

I also compliment you for taking the unique name route. My name is less common and I love it, I am young and most people that have my name are older so I dont meet many people with my name and I love it that way. Your daughter will be very lucky.

[name]Annemarie[/name]- prefer Annabeth, but [name]Annemarie[/name] is nice
[name]Theodora[/name]- lots of nickname possibilities, but not attracted to the name itself
[name]Rosemary[/name]- too old fashioned for me
[name]Eliza[/name]- not bad; not on my list, but it’s cute enough for me to admire
[name]Penelope[/name]- again, not on my list, but it seems pretty
[name]Josephine[/name]- starting to like this one; can have the nickname [name]Josie[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]- love love love this name
[name]Thomasina[/name]- don’t know what to think of this
[name]Susannah[/name]- not my style at all
[name]Francine[/name]- can only think of the girl from [name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Florence[/name]- will never use it for myself, but it’s not bad
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]- again, won’t use it, but very nice
[name]Cynthia[/name]- liked this name at one point, but not longer on my list
[name]Constance[/name]- doesn’t seem right for me to like this
[name]Eleanora[/name]- prefer [name]Eleanor[/name]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments! Surprised and excited about the positive reactions to the old-fashioned names. Feeling really good about my “list!”

[name]Annemarie[/name]: I don’t like this name very much. It’s definitely classic but I find it pretty bland. I like variations of [name]Anne[/name] a lot better, like [name]Anabel[/name], [name]Annelise[/name], or simply [name]Anna[/name].
[name]Theodora[/name]: I like this name, but mostly just for the possible nns. I really like [name]Thea[/name]. I actually know a [name]Theodora[/name] who goes by [name]Teddy[/name], which is not a favorite of mine but I think it fits the girl well.
[name]Rosemary[/name]: NMS. I do like [name]Rose[/name] by itself.
[name]Eliza[/name]: I love this name. It’s such a simple, pretty sound and I like to think the ‘z’ spices it up.
[name]Penelope[/name]: I know that a lot of people have become huge on this name lately, but I really don’t see it. I’m all for bringing back old-fashioned names, but I just cannot get into [name]Penelope[/name]. And I also really dislike [name]Penny[/name] as a nn.
[name]Josephine[/name]: I’m not sure on this one. My feelings on [name]Josephine[/name] are pretty closely tied to my opinion of [name]Josephine[/name]. I don’t like [name]Josie[/name] as a nn, but I do like [name]Posy[/name]. However, I would personally prefer to use [name]Posy[/name] on its own before using [name]Josephine[/name].
[name]Miriam[/name]: I like this but I would not use it. I don’t really see much nn potential which worries me slightly because there is a very strong likelihood of a little [name]Miriam[/name] going through a stage where she does not like her name.
[name]Thomasina[/name]: I do not like this. It honestly seems super made-up to me.
[name]Susannah[/name]: I see that a lot of people like [name]Susannah[/name] on here. I’m iffy on it. It just seems super folks-y to me, which I’m personally not a fan of.
[name]Francine[/name]: I like [name]Francine[/name] a lot. I had forgotten how much I liked this name on [name]Arthur[/name]! I think that it would be adorable and very cool since I’ve never met a [name]Francine[/name] before.
[name]Florence[/name]: This is also a name I like a lot, I would totally use it.
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]: NMS. Also, I think that it would be hard for kids to pronounce and spell, but I do like the nns people are throwing out.
[name]Cynthia[/name]: This is my mom’s name and she has commented a few times on how its not a favorite of hers. She always goes by [name]Cindy[/name], which I like. It’s hard for me to think of the full name without thinking of [name]Angelica[/name]'s doll on Rugrats. Funny side story: our neighbors recently got a new dog named [name]Cinderella[/name]. After awhile they shortened it to Cinder, which I thought was a cool nickname. [name]One[/name] day, my mom was outside getting the newspaper and heard our creepy neighbor whistling and calling her name… He informed her he was talking to the dog but it’s still super awkward.
[name]Constance[/name]: I’m liking this for a middle name, but not so much for a first name. [name]Every[/name] time I’ve met a [name]Constance[/name] they shorten it to [name]Connie[/name], which I don’t really like.
[name]Eleanora[/name]: I prefer [name]Eleanor[/name] a lot! I do know someone named [name]Elnora[/name], which I think I like better than [name]Eleanora[/name].

My favorites are definitely [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Francine[/name]. I also could see [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Annelise[/name] working well for you!

[name]Annemarie[/name] -Nms
[name]Theodora[/name] -I like this, love nn [name]Thea[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name] -Nms
[name]Eliza[/name] -[name]Love[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] -Okay
[name]Josephine[/name] -[name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name] -Dislike
[name]Thomasina[/name] -Dislike
[name]Susannah[/name] -Dislike
[name]Francine[/name] -Dislike
[name]Florence[/name] -Dislike
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] -Okay
[name]Cynthia[/name] -Dislike
[name]Constance[/name] -Okay
[name]Eleanora[/name] -Like especially with nn [name]Nora[/name]

[name]Josephine[/name] is my favorite.

I’m actually really excited about this list!

[name]Annemarie[/name]- Not a huge fan, but there’s not a lot of [name]Annemarie[/name]'s running around. I prefer [name]Marie[/name] or [name]Anabel[/name]
[name]Theodora[/name]- I adore [name]Theodora[/name]/[name]Dorothea[/name], but I’d never use it since my favorite boys name is [name]Theodore[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]- [name]Love[/name] [name]Rosemary[/name], especially the nickname [name]Romy[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]- Very cute and sweet
[name]Penelope[/name]- I used to love it, now it’s just a tad too popular for my taste, I see it every where. Like the nn. [name]Nell[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]- Classy and pretty, love the nickname [name]Posey[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]- So so, not really my style
[name]Thomasina[/name]- This was my great-great grandmothers name, but it feels too heavy. She went by [name]Theresa[/name], so I’ll suggset that instead.
[name]Susannah[/name]- Pretty, but “Oh, [name]Susannah[/name]!” sadly comes to mind.
[name]Francine[/name]- Growing up there was a TV show called [name]Arthur[/name], and there was an extremely bossy girl named [name]Francine[/name], so I think of her. This name isn’t really ready for a revival, it still seems out of date.
[name]Florence[/name]- I’m in love with [name]Florence[/name], it has so much charm and grace. So pretty!
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]- I like it with the nickname [name]Billie[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name]- Not my style, still very [name]Brady[/name] Bunch era
[name]Constance[/name]- Not my style either, it’s lacking oomf
[name]Eleanora[/name] - I love [name]Eleanora[/name]. It’s got more zing then just [name]Eleanor[/name] (which I love as well.)

[name]Hope[/name] that helps! I think our styles are fairly similar!

  • [name]Athena[/name]

Thanks for all the additional comments! I love all your thoughts and suggestions.

I’ve also added [name]Magdalene[/name] and [name]Henrietta[/name] to the list of possibilities. (LOVING the thought of [name]Henrietta[/name] right now!)

The middle name would either be [name]June[/name], [name]Pearl[/name], or [name]Jewel[/name] depending on FN picked, (all grandmother’s names.)

If I had to pick favorites right now, I think they would be:

[name]Henrietta[/name] [name]June[/name]
[name]Thomasina[/name] [name]June[/name]
[name]Theodora[/name] [name]Pearl[/name]
[name]Annemarie[/name] [name]Jewel[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name] [name]June[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name] [name]Jewel[/name]

Of course, my favorites change daily! I’m sure you know how that is. [name]Feel[/name] free to give insights on FN/MN combos!