Back again as I still have not really fallen in love with a name yet, and only have 6 weeks to go.
I do adore [name]Phoebe[/name] and DH is keen too but we think it may be a little mainstream for us.
(our two older daughters are [name]Kaia[/name] and [name]Willow[/name])
So I’d like some suggestions on girls names that sound like but are a little less popular than phoebe.
For eg. heard [name]Colbie[/name] earlier, would that work for a girl?
I don’t like [name]Colbie[/name]. It sounds like [name]Colby[/name], a kind of cheese.
Sounds like [name]Phoebe[/name]:
[name]Daphne[/name] - my fave on the list.
[name]Edith[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Libby[/name]
[name]Esme[/name]
[name]Flavia[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Mabel[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Myrtle[/name]
[name]Nora[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name] - but it’s popular like [name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Zoe[/name] - really sounds like [name]Phoebe[/name] and is Greek.
I would go ahead and name my daughter [name]Phoebe[/name]. I don’t think it’s that popular. But it doesn’t go with my last name.
I agree with [name]Susan[/name] [name]Daphne[/name] and [name]Zoe[/name] are great alternatives to [name]Phoebe[/name].
Lets see -
[name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Brie[/name]
[name]Darby[/name]
[name]Aubrey[/name] -popular
[name]Audie[/name]
[name]Bellamy[/name]
[name]Esti[/name]
[name]Flora[/name] nn [name]Florie[/name]
[name]Emery[/name]
[name]Gwyneth[/name] nn Gwynie
[name]Josephine[/name] nn [name]Posie[/name] or [name]Josie[/name]
[name]Marley[/name]
[name]Nola[/name] nn [name]Nolie[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] nn [name]Poppy[/name]
[name]Paulina[/name] nn [name]Paulie[/name]
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Whitney[/name]
[name]Willow[/name]
I think [name]Phoebe[/name] works great, also great with the other names, and is not too mainstream, or popular. It’s a very slow-mover, popularity-wise, and still not getting up there. Who knows what happens this year that’s not been collected and assembled yet, so let’s not place 100% responsibility on what I decipher from statistics to seem true. Statistically speaking, it seems to appeal to a lot of people (at least here), but not enough to make it most people’s final choice (going by the ssa).
The big plus is that you both love it. I can understand second-guessing and hope that if it’s definitely not the right name, you find one suitable with help from here.
What I think about [name]Colbie[/name] - you are right when you say you love [name]Phoebe[/name] but are trying to tweak it. It has the [name]Bee[/name] ending. It’s sort of made up and trendy. It’s not “not” mainstream. I think it fits in, despite not being popular on its own steam, with current mainstream trends, surname/boys names for girls and feminizing the spellings or changing up the spelling so it’s dypherrante. It’s not the same as most people’s names, but that’s not what makes it different.
[name]Phoebe[/name] is head and shoulders above - a real cool name, a pretty name, an ancient and respectable name that’s not too big or small a load for a newborn or a capable grown woman.
Thanks for the ideas guys.
[name]Susan[/name] I had’nt thought of the cheese which is very popular here in NZ so [name]Colbie[/name] is now a no-no!
disa_ian I love [name]Marley[/name] and [name]Bellamy[/name] but our surname is [name]Kelly[/name] and I was worried about them not flowing very well. I also love [name]Willow[/name] but this is already taken by our two year old!.
We do love [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Willow[/name] was going to be [name]Phoebe[/name], So [name]Karen[/name] you’re right we should go with it, I hav’nt heard it on anybody except the friends character and I think thats where I get the idea its too mainstream from.
Well DH says its “on the list” as he’s refusing to settle on anything until he’s met her anyway, but I think [name]Phoebe[/name] is our forerunner.
I think [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] would be an AWESOME name! And, at least in the states, it’s not a mainstream, overused moniker. 
[name]Do[/name] I think “Friends” character? Yes. But, really, one of the coolest, funniest and best personalities from the show. Yet, still not a name overused in the US. It’s hard to find a name that hasn’t been used to portray some Entertainment character!
I adore the name [name]Phoebe[/name], and while I do make the connection to the Friends character, I think it is just common enough for that not to matter.
A few more names which sound like [name]Phoebe[/name] (i.e. have that ‘ee’ sound ending) :
[name]Hebe[/name]
[name]Evadne[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Aurelie[/name]
Hekate.
[name]Phoenix[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Penleigh[/name]
[name]Carly[/name]
I immediately thought of the [name]Hebe[/name] plant and the name has Greek roots too which I think is interesting. It would definitely fit with the nature theme.
[name]Hope[/name] is a name they suggest too so if you don’t like [name]Hebe[/name] then [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Hope[/name] would be lovely!!
I think [name]Hebe[/name] looks a little too close to a derogatory name for Jewish people. Not sure it’s spelled the same way or pronounced closely, or whether this has as much bearing in NZ as the US. I wouldn’t use [name]Hebe[/name] for a name in the US.
I really like the name [name]Phoenix[/name].
Could be an alternative to [name]Phoebe[/name].
I have never heard this term so I googled it and found out it was a term used to describe Hebrews (Jews).
It is at dictionary.com. Most definitions stick to the mythology and the plant, prn hee-bee. For the slur, it is prn heeb. I don’t know if this slur is used outside the US. I’ve never heard of the plant (native mostly to NZ where the OP is), and I don’t have a clue about most mythology. I’m not Jewish either, but I just thought I’d mention the first thing that occurs to me when I see the word [name]Hebe[/name], it’s unfortunately not a plant name to me.
In Australia almost everyone would have a [name]Hebe[/name] ‘hee bee’ plant in their yard, mostly it has a purple flower. It is very hardy.
[name]Just[/name] in case you are holding on to the name [name]Colbie[/name], there is a very popular female singer in the United States by the name of [name]Colbie[/name]. It has very nice associations here, despite the cheese!
Oh, I didn’t know that [name]Hebe[/name] is used as a derogatory term in [name]America[/name]! Over here ([name]England[/name]) it is all plant, and I know two.
I really like [name]Phoebe[/name]. I don’t like [name]Colbie[/name] for a girl. It’s a male name more commonly spelled [name]Colby[/name], like the cheese.
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]- [name]Mimi[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
Daveney- dav-ah-nee
[name]Amity[/name]
[name]Paisley[/name]
rollo I love [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Hope[/name]!
It fits well as we had some issues at the beggining of the pregnancy and was’nt sure if she’d survive.
[name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Hope[/name] would be perfect.
Thank you so much, I am very happy to hear that you love this beautiful name.
[name]Baby[/name] naming should carry some kind of health warning…“CAUTION [name]MAY[/name] END IN DIVORCE”.
My DH has now gone off phoebe completely and insists he never liked it in the first place.
I am blaming his [name]ADD[/name]. Though he did admit he is very fickle and I should probably just find something I like and tell him thats her name.
So…I’m thinking [name]Delphi[/name]. It has that ‘phi’ I love in [name]Phoebe[/name]’ plus also has the Greek connection I want. What do you think?