some I'm thinking of adding to my list... (open to suggestions!)

These are some names that I really like right now (lots are new, some have been on my list in the past). Weirdly they all have similar sounds and meanings - they mostly have sea-related meanings, very heavy on the ‘s’ sound and definitely are more dated than I tend to go for… I love Nameberry’s description of ‘‘British World War II feel’’. I definitely see that, and sort of love it…

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
Muadhnait / Muadnat ([name_f]MOON[/name_f]-ət) – ’‘little noble one’’
[b]Muirin /b – ‘’of the sea’’ in Irish mythology she was a pagan mermaid baptised by fishermen
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Oona[/name_f]

[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] (AYL-sə like [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] [name_m]Craig[/name_m])– v. popular in [name_f]Scotland[/name_f] right now
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] – ultra-trendy in [name_f]England[/name_f]/[name_m]Wales[/name_m], style-wise it’s about the equivalent of [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] in the US
[name_f]Doris[/name_f] - in Greek mythology she was a Sea Nymph
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - ‘‘little bear’’, is the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid reference too heavy still?
[name_u]Wallis[/name_u] - it does have a strong history of female usage but what bothers me most is in the UK Where’s [name_m]Waldo[/name_m] is called Where’s [name_u]Wally[/name_u] and she’d probably get that a lot. ‘’[name_u]Wally[/name_u]’’ is also a mild-insult.

Any suggestions of similar names that would fit well (basically: mermaid-meets-1940s, probably in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f])? And which ones do you like/dislike? Would just love some general feedback, thank you :slight_smile:

Beautiful names! I love [name_f]Avis[/name_f], [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], Muirin, [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] & [name_f]Marissa[/name_f].

I knew a Muiren, while most people called her MER-en, I think the correct pronunciation was more like MOY-ren.

Thank you - I think Irish names are quite prone to pronunciation/spelling changes especially outside of [name_f]Ireland[/name_f]; I always think they work best in Irish accents, but it also means some of the sounds don’t translate well, especially since there are huge accent differences within [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] too. Same goes for the way they’re spelt when anglicized, for rarer names there doesn’t seem to be an official ‘‘English’’ spelling.

The [name_m]Muir[/name_m]- root is quite common is Irish-Gaelic names. I’m no expert but looking them up quickly, Muiren probably comes from [name_f]Muireann[/name_f] or Muirne (whereas Muirin comes from [name_f]Muirgen[/name_f]).

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] - I like the open, airy sound of [name_f]Avis[/name_f], but it does remind me of the car rental company. [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] feels a bit stiff to me. I do love [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], though.

Muadhnait / Muadnat ([name_f]MOON[/name_f]-ət) – hmm, it’s definitely a pronunciation challenge, but the sound and meaning are lovely.

Muirin (MEER-en) – ditto.

[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] - pretty. I like nn [name_f]Delia[/name_f].

[name_f]Oona[/name_f] - a little too out there for my taste, but a perfectly nice name.

[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] - I love this name. It has a very round, pleasant sound, despite the possible connection of ail as in ailing, to ail.

[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] – one of those great 70s names waiting for a comeback in the US, glad to see it’s gaining popularity in the UK.

[name_f]Doris[/name_f] - still a little too far retro for my taste, I think.

[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] - I’ve never been a big fan of the double-s names ([name_f]Melissa[/name_f], [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f], etc also sound so sissy to me), but if you like watery, double-s ones, consider [name_f]Thalassa[/name_f].

[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - I’m not a huge fan of the sound, and the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid reference is almost the only one I can think of. I’d suggest [name_f]Undine[/name_f], however, which has a water-related meaning (she’s a female water spirit/nymph) and seems to be your style.

[name_u]Wallis[/name_u] - makes me think of [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_m]Simpson[/name_m].

Suggestions: [name_f]Naia[/name_f], [name_f]Elysia[/name_f], [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], [name_f]Undine[/name_f], [name_f]Kairi[/name_f], [name_f]Delphine[/name_f]

Thank you, I’ve always thought [name_f]Thalassa[/name_f] was beautiful but it lacks the Shakepseare reference [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] has for me. I know Muadhnait/Muirin look entirely crazy to most people haha, but in reality I’d probably only use them in the middle spot. It’s a shame.

I love the suggestions of [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] (I’ve also been loving this again recently, thanks for the reminder) and [name_f]Undine[/name_f]. So pretty.

Wow! This a beautiful list, with a lot of names I had forgotten or never heard of before. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], Muirin, [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Oona[/name_f], [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f], [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f], and [name_u]Wallis[/name_u].

Here are some others that you might like:

  • [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f]/[name_f]Orla[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Sabine[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Eudora[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Cressida[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Letitia[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Jocasta[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]/[name_f]Ottoline[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Odessa[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f]
  • [name_u]Winslow[/name_u] (I secretly love this name for a girl.)

I know all of these don’t exactly fit your 1940s Irish mermaid theme, but I believe that they share some of the same qualities as the names on your list.

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f]- Nice vintage sound.
Muadhnait / Muadnat ([name_f]MOON[/name_f]-ət) – ’‘little noble one’’- I think the spelling is a bit difficult, but great name. I like [name_f]Mignon[/name_f] too, except for the steak association, which I can’t look past.
Muirin (MEER-en) – ‘’of the sea’’ in Irish mythology she was a pagan mermaid baptised by fishermen- Very pretty. I haven’t heard it before.
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]- [name_u]Love[/name_u] this name: classic, quirky and regal.
[name_f]Oona[/name_f]- Makes me think of [name_f]Una[/name_f] Stubbs, aka Mrs. [name_u]Hudson[/name_u] on [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m]. (‘I AM not your housekeeper, dear.’ Gotta love her). It is quite a good name too.
[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] (AYL-sə like [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] [name_m]Craig[/name_m])– v. popular in [name_f]Scotland[/name_f] right now- I think it is very pretty. Sort of a cross between [name_f]Aisha[/name_f] and [name_f]Alisa[/name_f].
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] – ultra-trendy in [name_f]England[/name_f]/[name_m]Wales[/name_m], style-wise it’s about the equivalent of [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] in the US- I think [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] could make a come back.
[name_f]Doris[/name_f] - in Greek mythology she was a Sea Nymph- A touch too retro for me, but I like [name_m]Darius[/name_m] for a girl (I met one, and it suited her perfectly.).
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]- I personally don’t like it… Something about the Ner sound to me. That, and imagining it in a really strong Australian accent. Ugh- It would get butchered where I live. It is pretty though.
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - ‘‘little bear’’, is the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid reference too heavy still?- I think this is a great name! I have a friend whose name is [name_f]Ursula[/name_f], and she never has really had people comment on the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid- she made it her own.
[name_u]Wallis[/name_u] - it does have a strong history of female usage but what bothers me most is in the UK Where’s [name_m]Waldo[/name_m] is called Where’s [name_u]Wally[/name_u] and she’d probably get that a lot. ‘’[name_u]Wally[/name_u]’’ is also a mild-insult.- I really like it. Spunky.

Suggestions:
[name_f]Manon[/name_f]
[name_f]Marina[/name_f]
[name_f]Marisol[/name_f]
[name_f]Unity[/name_f]
[name_f]Melaina[/name_f] (A Greek nymph)
[name_m]Daphnis[/name_m] (ditto)
[name_f]Maris[/name_f]
[name_f]Oceane[/name_f]
[name_f]Naiad[/name_f]
[name_f]Thetis[/name_f] (a type of Greek water deity)
Aurai (another type of water deity)
Caliadne
Orseis
Tiasa
[name_f]Lethe[/name_f]
Minthe
[name_f]Ulla[/name_f]
[name_f]Mab[/name_f]
[name_u]Auberon[/name_u] / [name_u]Oberon[/name_u]
[name_f]Desdemona[/name_f] (I too am a [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] lover… I just found a complete book of [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] at a second hand book sale. It cost 50c!!! It was also in perfect condition.)
[name_f]Ophira[/name_f]
[name_f]Oriole[/name_f]
[name_f]Odelia[/name_f]
Orintha
Thaïs (THA-ees)- There is also a beautiful piece of music in the opera Thaïs, called Méditation. I thoroughly recommend looking it up.

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f]- too frumpy for me still, sorry. Also, [name_f]Avis[/name_f] is a car rental company here.
Muadhnait/Muadnat- looks rather masculine and Arabic, reminds me of [name_m]Mohammed[/name_m] for some reason
Muirin- reminds me of [name_u]Mirren[/name_u], as in Dame [name_f]Helen[/name_f] :smiley: I like the mysterious enchantress vibe but would pronunciation be an issue?
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]- one of my favourite names :slight_smile: elegant, dramatic, strong, the type of girl that captures people’s attention
[name_f]Oona[/name_f]- I don’t like the “oo” sound myself, but it’s cute and dainty. It makes me think of the ocean, cliffs, and lighthouses.
[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f]- pretty and feminine, different but with similar to common names like [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Isla[/name_f], and [name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f]- quite surprised it’d be trendy over there, since it still feels really old-lady to me. I also think of [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Reagan[/name_u]
[name_f]Doris[/name_f]- too clunky and old-fashioned for me
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]- its bewitching, watery vibe appeals to me. The Merchant of [name_f]Venice[/name_f] is my favourite [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] play so I love the connection.
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f]- I wouldn’t have thought of the sea witch if you hadn’t brought it up. I know an [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] who’d be about 20 now, and she wore it really well.
[name_u]Wallis[/name_u]- the [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_m]Simpson[/name_m] association would stop me from using it, personally. It’s nice but may be confused with [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] a lot.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] I wasn’t too harsh :confused:

@nooshi- What an awesome find! I got mine secondhand too, for about $15 CAD (still not bad at all)! There’s no copyright date but it has [name_f]Happy[/name_f] [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] 1941 written inside, so fairly old :slight_smile:

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] - I think both are cool, slightly prefer [name_f]Mavis[/name_f].

Muadhnait/Muadnat - I like the sound of the name, but the spellings would trip me up, so I’d prefer something more Anglicized.

[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] - [name_f]Lovely[/name_f], I think it would suit the names in your signature well.

[name_f]Oona[/name_f] - I find this beautiful.

[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] - Ditto, gorgeous name, love the sound of it.

[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] - I definitely like this name more than I did now that I’ve met a few younger Nancys (~20’s in age) but it’s still not quite my style.

[name_f]Doris[/name_f] - Can’t quite get behind it.

[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] - [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]'s gorgeous, and I greatly lament that it would sound terrible with my last name because I love how it looks, sounds, and its sea meaning.

[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - Neutral to this. I think you can distance it from the Mermaid after this much time, it’s just nms personally. The first thing that came to mind for me was fantasy author [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] [name_m]Le[/name_m] Guin.

[name_u]Wallis[/name_u] - [name_m]Just[/name_m] don’t like this sound for a girl, prefer the name [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] for a boy.

Some suggestions (sorry for repeats):

[name_f]Arista[/name_f]
Briseis
[name_f]Clodagh[/name_f]
[name_f]Davina[/name_f]
[name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]
Nimue
Ombeline
[name_f]Pella[/name_f]
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]
[name_f]Thetis[/name_f]
[name_f]Verona[/name_f]
[name_f]Yvaine[/name_f]

Thanks everyone! Much more positive feedback than I was anticipating for some reason, I assumed this list wouldn’t go down particularly well - good to know [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] has a warm reception on here especially.

je m’appelle - [name_f]Eudora[/name_f] is one I’ve never really thought much about before, thank you. I also really love [name_f]Jocasta[/name_f]/[name_f]Odessa[/name_f]/[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]/[name_f]Cressida[/name_f]. [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] is growing on me at the minute, and I want to love [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f] but I already know a few, and the strong Irish ‘‘r’’ is lost in my English accent making it a bit… floppy. I don’t know.

nooshi - Lots of very exotic suggestions, thank you! Some are possibly too Greek for my taste but I love [name_f]Marina[/name_f], [name_m]Daphnis[/name_m], [name_f]Maris[/name_f], [name_f]Mab[/name_f] (I’m so interested in [name_f]Mab[/name_f] for some reason, I just with she was more feminine, you know?), [name_f]Desdemona[/name_f] (I adore this, it’s already on my favourites list!). And [name_u]Oberon[/name_u] too, but only for a boy.

bonfireazalea - don’t worry about being harsh, honestly I can take it :slight_smile: I’ve never heard of the car rental, is it American? It’s funny, I’ve had the Arabic comment about a few very Gaelic looking (or very Welsh) names but I just don’t see it… I mean I guess some of the letters are similar, but they’re mostly the ones that aren’t even pronounced! I wouldn’t dream of using Muadhnait in the first spot though, not even in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] (it’s quite old fashioned over there).

pacifica - thank you for the feedback, I love the suggestions of [name_f]Davina[/name_f] and [name_f]Verona[/name_f]. [name_m]Both[/name_m] beautiful.

I love [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Oona[/name_f], and [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f]. [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] is cute in a retro way. I could see [name_f]Doris[/name_f] that way too.

[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] and [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] are not my favorites; one is too hissy sounding, and the other carries the image of a stern grandmother for me.

Muirin (MEER-en) - the sound of this one is pretty. the look could grow on me.

Thank you, that’s really interesting :slight_smile:

I really like:

Muirin (MEER-en) - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this! So so beautiful. What a gem. I totally get a marina/ocean feel from this one.
[name_f]Oona[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] the sound & feel of this. Short & sweet. Somehow airy but powerful.
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - YES. [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] is so wonderful. I don’t think the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid connection is too strong anymore. I love the meaning too.

[name_f]Avis[/name_f] and [name_f]Mavis[/name_f] - I love [name_f]Avis[/name_f] and don’t care at all that it’s a car company. [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], not so much–it feels way frumpier and less interesting.
Muadhnait / Muadnat ([name_f]MOON[/name_f]-ət) – I love the sound and meaning, but there are the obvious wearability/spelling issues.
Muirin (MEER-en) – Pretty. I think it’s more wearable than Muadnat, too.
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] - I love the sound, meaning, and [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] cred.
[name_f]Oona[/name_f] - Really like this one. Very mermaid-y and easy to say/spell/etc.
[name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] (AYL-sə like [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f] [name_m]Craig[/name_m])– One of my favorites. I fell in love with it after reading the short story “Kraken” by [name_m]Peter[/name_m] [name_m]Dickinson[/name_m], in which it’s the name of a mermaid princess.
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] – Sounds hopelessly dated and frumpy to my American ears.
[name_f]Doris[/name_f] - Same as [name_f]Nancy[/name_f].
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] - I quite like it, although it has a slight bitchy undertone [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - Yep, [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid is still too much of a thing. Which is a shame, because [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] is a cool name.
[name_u]Wallis[/name_u] - I love the -allis part, not so much the W. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like [name_m]Tallis[/name_m]? That feels like a more wearable option.

Other suggestions:
[name_f]Ondine[/name_f] (with an O, because [name_f]Undine[/name_f] looks like “undies” to me)
[name_f]Ourania[/name_f]
[name_f]Winona[/name_f]
[name_f]Azenor[/name_f]/[name_f]Senara[/name_f] (the Mermaid of Zennor’s name)

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] and [name_f]Ursula[/name_f]. Suggesting [name_f]Melusine[/name_f], [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f], [name_f]Mabyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Ondine[/name_f].