I love flower names and am thinking of using the name Astilbe (uh-stil-be) nn Tilbe (Tilby).
Thoughts?
I’m a big fan of nature names, so I quite like Astilbe. But the pronunciation doesn’t seem clear enough to me. Maybe consider an alternate spelling?
I think its cool! But the pronunciation could be an issue because I would have guessed it was “ass-til-be” which might be a big problem. You will also get a ton of strange looks because its an uncommon name & an uncommon word in general. The nickname [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] might make it a little more usable.
Astilbe… hm… I’m not positive how I feel about this. I think I’d rather meet an [name_f]Aster[/name_f] than an Astilbe, though it certainly is interesting. I could picture it on an adult and a child, though I don’t know about a newborn. It seems a bit studious and serious for a baby. I’d prefer [name_f]Tillie[/name_f] to Tilbe, which would lighten up the name quite a bit. Some other nicknames could be [name_u]Ash[/name_u], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], or [name_f]Bea[/name_f]. There is also the issue of spelling and pronunciation issues. It’s spelled about how it sounds, but there would still be major complications and a lot of explaining to do. Also, it isn’t a widely accepted name, so if Tilbe as a nickname is too babyish, the full name might not be any better. I don’t hate it, but I wouldn’t use it. If you like it, by all means, go ahead! 
I’m into it in a way, but I think Astilbe just isn’t a visually appealing word, and therefore isn’t visually appealing as a name. I’m not convinced about Tilbe, either. I like [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] better, as someone else suggested, or just [name_f]Bee[/name_f] or [name_f]Bebe[/name_f]. But, again, the way the letters go together, even though I know how to pronounce astilbe, isn’t appealing to me, so I’d rather something like [name_f]Acacia[/name_f], [name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f], [name_f]Hyacinth[/name_f], or [name_f]Wisteria[/name_f]. Or [name_f]Tansy[/name_f]. I’ve always been big on [name_f]Tansy[/name_f]!
I think when given the pronunciation it is a very pretty word, but unfortunately I wouldnt have guessed at that pronunciation without a lot of help.
I love nature names, especially for girls. I have never heard of Astilbe. I had to go look it up. An Astilbe is a beautiful flowering plant. I am unsure how I feel about it as a name. I would need time to think on it.