Hi everyone,
I was dead set on using the name Lorelei for my daughter but my mother-in-law told me it sounded trashy. My husband liked the name Rosalie so I posted a poll here asking which name people liked better. Most people chose Rosalie over Lorelei. The thing is, I don’t really like the name Rosalie. I was hoping it might grow on me but I honestly don’t think it will. So we’re back to where we started: searching for a name. I like uncommon names- names that aren’t found under #500 in popularity-based baby name lists. We both like elegant names, like Helena and Vivienne, but we can’t use them because we have family members with these names and they’re trendy. So basically we’re looking for uncommon, sophisticated, non-trendy names. Do you guys have any ideas?
Edit: my husband likes exceptionally feminine names, too. I loved the name Cecily but he thought it sounded too much like the masculine name ‘Cecil’. So we’re looking for names that are feminine, elegant, uncommon, sophisticated, and nontrendy. Lol could we be any harder to please? If you have any suggestions please share them!
[name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] is so lovely. Does your husband like it? If so, use it! [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about what your mother-in-law thinks. Once she meets your little girl, she’ll love whatever name she’s got.
Maybe [name_f]Coralie[/name_f]? It seems like the perfect inbetween name for [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] and [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f].
Hello!
I have very similar tastes, so maybe you’ll like some of my favourites
[name_f]Brianna[/name_f] - my lovely daughter’s name
[name_f]Anais[/name_f] - [name_m]AH[/name_m]-niy-is, can be pronounced several ways including [name_m]AH[/name_m]-nay
[name_f]Romilly[/name_f]
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]
[name_f]Violetta[/name_f]
[name_f]Cosima[/name_f]
[name_f]Willa[/name_f], possibly short for [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f], but I can’t stand that name personally
[name_f]Annika[/name_f]
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_m]Etienne[/name_m], is commonly used for boys but definitely a guilty pleasure of mine
[name_f]Persephone[/name_f], nn Sephy
[name_f]Saraia[/name_f], Saraya, [name_f]Soraya[/name_f] is another guilty pleasure
[name_f]Marisol[/name_f]
[name_u]Remy[/name_u], searching for a full name for this, but I think its a very sophisticated nickname
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanora[/name_f]
[name_f]Marcella[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] - my middle name, but I love it so much!
[name_f]Rosanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f]
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]
[name_f]Temperance[/name_f]
[name_f]Viviana[/name_f]
[name_f]Annaliese[/name_f]
[name_f]Giselle[/name_f]
[name_f]Cassandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Josette[/name_f]
[name_f]Selene[/name_f]/[name_f]Selena[/name_f]
[name_f]Rowena[/name_f]
[name_f]Morgana[/name_f]
[name_f]Alessia[/name_f]
[name_f]Catriona[/name_f]
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosina[/name_f]
[name_f]Delphina[/name_f]/[name_f]Delphine[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwendolyne[/name_f]
[name_f]Laurel[/name_f]
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f]Shoshanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f]
I know this isn’t your question, but for what it’s worth, I’m a firm believer in not sharing the baby’s name with anyone until the baby is born. There’s no perfect choice that will please everyone, and if the baby hasn’t been born yet, people will still persist in trying to change your mind. If your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] doesn’t like [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f], I would bet that she at least wouldn’t have complained about it to you if she only first learned of it when she was presented with a sweet baby with that name (she may well have complained about it to others, but probably less so, because the decision would already have been made).
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t use [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] if you don’t really like it.
I see what you mean about [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] - it’s not inherently a “trendy” name, but it is being used more in the last 5-10 years than it was before that. [name_f]Helena[/name_f] isn’t actually seeing a lot of use on the SSA list, though the similar [name_f]Elena[/name_f] is more popular now that it’s been for quite awhile, and for all I know maybe your area is full of little Helenas.
FWIW [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] doesn’t sound “trashy” to me whatsoever, but the opinion of a stranger on the internet likely carries less weight than that of your mother-in-law, so some more suggestions:
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] (maybe reminds your husband less of [name_m]Cecil[/name_m] than [name_f]Cecily[/name_f]?)
[name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f]Antonia[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]
[name_f]Celeste[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Johanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]
[name_f]Colette[/name_f]
[name_u]Simone[/name_u]
[name_f]Susannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] (there’s a zestiness to [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] that I feel [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] has too)
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Renata[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] (shares some sounds with [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] and is less popular)
[name_f]Laurel[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] is beautiful and not trashy at all. I understand wanting to make family happy but if you really love the name, do not let her comments deter you.
Here are some other ideas and ones that were already suggested but that I also think are great!
[name_f]Lisel[/name_f]
[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] (popular, but for me it is THE sophisticated name)
[name_f]Johanna[/name_f]
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] (this spelling)
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Grier[/name_f]
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] (ok, sorry popular again, but I just love it)
I love [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]. I love the suggestion of [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]. Here are some others you may like.
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f], [name_f]Raphaela[/name_f] or [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] would be my choices. As well as [name_f]Carlotta[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] and [name_f]Leonora[/name_f], obviously…
Your list sounds very similar to mine, [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] and [name_f]Helena[/name_f] are my top two for girls. I know it would be hard to ignore those comments, but if you truly love it- use it. We aren’t sharing our names for this exact reason. If it helps, the rest of my list is:
[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] (although too popular)
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
[name_f]Marin[/name_f]
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] (husband said no)
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] (husband said no)
[name_u]Arden[/name_u]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f]
[name_f]Chloe[/name_f] (husband’s choice but pop culture references are too much for me)
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elena[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] (little out there but pretty)
[name_f]Elle[/name_f]
Thank you to all of you who’ve answered! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. We have a lot of thinking to do. If there is anyone else who wants to throw some name ideas out there that we might like, please do!
[name_u]Truly[/name_u] excited for you and this new little one to come.
Elegant, feminine, sophisticated names like [name_f]Cecily[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] that aren’t trendy or common:
[name_f]Antoinette[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Audra[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] {#833}, [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] {#593}, [name_f]Coraline[/name_f] {#714}, [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Clarissa[/name_f] {#708}, [name_f]Cressida[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Melisande[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] {#654}, [name_f]Milena[/name_f] {#843}, [name_f]Regina[/name_f] {#574}, [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Sophronia[/name_f] {not in top 1,000}, [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] {#505}
I agree with the other posters- as much as it is nice to have a name that everyone will love, that will never happen. Your mother in law has had her chance to name her children, and now it is yours. My own parents are very outspoken on names, and while I deeply value their opinion, I also have to remember that at the end of the day, it will be my future child, not theirs.
