Me again. Sorry.

DH and I both adore our little girl's name. But this time around we can't agree on anything and with a week to go I'm STRESSING. The more I love a name, the more he hates it. For those in this situation, did you pick something neither of you loved, but a name you could both tolerate, or did someone "win" their name.

Maybe if I ask him after the labour...

So his list has names like Lenore (I only know a nasty old lady with this), Bronte, Clara, Esther and Helene.

I am a fan of Stella, Mae, Beatrix, Jewel and Emmaline.

The only middle ground we have is Elliot. NN obviously Ellie. Is Elliot too masculine? What about the spelling:

Elliotte and a soft middle name like Grace?

Hate or love? Opinions very welcome.

I quite like Elliot for a girl but only with that spelling- otherwise it looks like you are trying a little hard I think. Ellie is a cute NN too.
Elliot Grace is lovely

Some other ideas....

Isadora
Lena
Violet
Amelie
Lucinda

Edited to add- I just noticed Mae in your list and think Elliot Mae is divine!

Ella?

I agree with Lillijen : Ella is beautiful

I like Elliot for a girl.

I also really like Jewel.

Good luck with your decision

With those lists you come up with Elliot?

No, it's not a girl's name. Keep negotiating.

I second the suggestions of Violet and Lucinda. Both beautiful and feminine names.

Helena/Helene is on my list if I ever have another girl, prefer the first spelling. It's lovely :-)

I love Elliot Grace! And I'd tell him, when HE pushes a baby out, he can choose the name. But I'm a bit mean like that.

I really like Clara, it's gowing on me ever since I heard it on the show Chuck

Emmeline & Beatrix are gorgeous too!

Yes, because it's a lovely BOYS name. Making the spelling ugly or using a girly middle name like Grace won't make it a girls name either.


Clara, Emmeline and Beatrix are all so beautiful and Helene and Stella are good too.


Suggestions:
Estelle/Estella
Claire
Beatrice
Eleanor/Eleanora
Helena
Elodie
Maeve
Lara
Eloise/Eloisa
Louisa
Bronwyn
Emily
Emelia/Emilia
Adeline/Adelina
Lucille/Lucia/Luciana/Lucinda
Jemima
Georgette/Georgiana
Lydia
Cecelia
Aurelia
Aurora
Eliana
Philippa
Sybella
Arabella
Harriet
Henrietta
Eliza
Susannah
Tabitha
Rosetta
Violetta
Juliette/Julia/Juliana

Elliot is a boys name no matter how its spelt IMO. I would suggest that Ella, Elanore (sorry spelling), Eliza, Elise would all be better choices?

I don't really understand the stress and such heavy discussion. My baby will be born week after next and we have NO list but hey it all works out in the end

Good luck.

I know a couple that recently called their baby girl Elliot and yes I was surprised because I'd only ever known it as a boys name but it's grown on me since! I like it!

Darcy is nice too! and Tess/Tessa

Well Elliot for a girl is hideous and Elliotte is a train wreck. Now we have that out of the way...

You and your husband do not have widely differing styles so I wouldn't be stressing. I would scrap Jewel and Bronte though as they are not near in the same class as your other names.

What about Eleanor if you like Ellie?
Other suggestions

Miriam
Lydia
Georgina
Audrey

You both have such lovely names on your lists, don't go in the opposite direction to a boy's name!
According to Nymbler, when I fed three of your names and three of your DH's in, it suggested:

Antoinette
Charlotte
Flora
Grace
Lucy
Claudette
Amelia
Audrey
Liliana
Violet
Emme
Genevieve
Abigail

Not that I'm totally biased, but what about Eleanor. It's like a cross between Lenore and Helena which are on his list but gives you the nickname Ellie which you like

I have an Eleanor Grace She goes by Ellie and most people don't know that her name is Eleanor.

I have a traditionally male name with 'feminised' (aka bastardised) spelling and was teased for it throughout school. I would never use a unisex or opposite sex name for my kids. I love Elliot for a boy and would have liked it for DD2 if DD1 hadn't been Ellie but definitely not for a girl and definitely not with awful spelling


ETA We had no idea that every second girl had Grace as a middle name. those who don't, have Rose instead. I'd try and avoid that one if I were you

I noticed a PP suggested Claire - it is similar to Clara but a little softer in my opinion - do you like that?

Elleanor is a lovely name too, it is nice when shortened too to Elle, Ella or Ellie, all nice derivatives IMO

All the best of luck agreeing with your DH. Mine was difficult to agree with too

Nelly

So many beautiful suggestions (especially Eleanor, which really does give you a great melding of several names you like). I agree with Ianthe that your & your husband's naming styles are actually pretty similar. Please don't call the attorney just yet.

I bet you can find middle ground that does not involve:

* Using a boy's name as a first name for a girl
* Using a k8tive spelling of that name
* And then pairing it with the most popular (albeit lovely) middle name in the universe

Keep hunting! The perfect name combo is out there somewhere!

Good luck.

I think Esther is nice

I like a couple of the names from each of your lists: Esther and Helene from your husband's list, and Mae and Beatrix from your list.

I'm not a fan at all of Elliot for a girl, but if you do go with it, please don't spell it Elliotte!!

Thanks for the opinions guys. Elliott for a girl seems to spark some strong opinions! Hubby is really keen on it now, and I prefer it to his choice of Eleanor/Lenore. We don't like top 10 names, so with the majority seeming not to like Elliott, at least we'd be pretty safe.

Pregnancy must do strange things to your head. I actually spell check for a living, and for some reason I don't mind Elliette! Normally I hate strange spellings and think the parents must have been a little daft to pick weird spellings rather than just go for a different name...

Still hoping DH may change his mind on Stella or Beatrix. We both love Sophia but it's just way too popular for us.

For those who don't hate it, what middle name for Elliott? I don't mind a more common name in the middle. And would you definitely go Elliott, rather than a more feminine spelling?

Elliott Grace
Elliott Mae
Elliott Faith
Elliott Sophia
Elliott ??

Thanks again.

Sorry, one more thing... is Ellie really common in your circles? I figure that's the nickname we'll end up with.

Ellie and Ella are really common.

Please reconsider using Elliette or whatever your spelling was. It really is horrid. I have a cross gender name that has bastardised spelling. I spend my whole life correcting the spelling, have formal documents misspelt all the time and have clients often confused when they come to see me (lawyer) because they thought they were meant to be seeing a man. not to mention the comments from other kids/teacher/sporting coaches etc about my name.

Ellie is a lot more popular in our area than Sophia.
I don't mind Elliot for a girl. What about Juliet?
I also love the name Clara.
Elanor is a beautiful name, I also like the nn's Nell and Nora for it,
All things considered, I would use Sophia.

With DS I 'won' my choice by referring to him by name from around 24 weeks. DH liked the name or would have said so (although even after hd started calling him Oliver he was occasionally coming home with suggestions!)

friends had endless trouble with both their kids, they both made a list of their top 10 names to see if there was any overlap - with their DS there was only one so he was named George. With their DD there were 3 so they then rated them seperately 3,2,1 and the top ranking name 'won'. So both were compromises.

I like Elliot for a girl fwiw.

Good luck, we're both having trouble with DS2 so I know how frustrating it is.

Lenore- yuck! Eleanora is nice though
Bronte
Clara - ok name.
Esther - really pretty and different. i like!
Helene.
Stella
Mae - ok, a bit boring
Beatrix
Jewel- terrible
Emmaline- pretty
Elliot- no, no, no no!!! (although I do like Ellie/ Ella, and yes that nickname is very common.)
Grace- very very common middle name at the moment. but i like it.

If you can't agree, I think its best to brainstorm some new name options. Some that might be your taste:
Annalise
Annalee
Amelie
Amelia
Clarissa
Imogene
Elliana
Maria
Bianca
Clarabell
Estelle
Annabelle

Yeah, we tried the rating system for our names. DH decided we each got 20 points to allocate among the three names each of us put on the list. Ended up a tie on several names though, so his little game didn't work!

So sad, because we were both so definite on DD1's name. It's much easier when you're on the same page because everyone has their opinions and it's nice to be united when friends etc criticise your choice of name.

PS: Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Can't use any names starting with 'A' or ending in 'ie' as they clash majorly with our surname (don't mind a minor clash, but these ones sound ridiculous!)

Argh so many nice names, and then there's Elliot. Lol I'm not a fan obviously.

What about Elsa?

I know a little girl called Elliot back in Tassie - goooorgeous name!!! From the middle names you suggested I really LOVE Elliot Faith

Hmm I'm having issues is it TT on the end of single t?? I'm certain the little girl I know is Elliott...

Mia faith ? Nice easy simple... Elliot not to my liking fwiw

Yes, it does if you usually hate poor spelling ignore whatever your pregnant brain is telling you right now. You will be grateful you did later.



Please use Sophia. It is feminine, elegant, and a beautiful name to carry throughout life. Most importantly, you both love it.

School is a very short journey in one's life. When you leave High School you cease to be grouped with peers born in the same year and mix widely with people of varying ages. Sophia will not be common then as popularity changes over time.

Sparkles, I just had to reply and say that I can completely relate to your frustration. My DH has very strong opinions on names too and seems to automatically hate anything I absolutely love. So annoying!!!

I don't have any suggestions for you but just wanted to wish you luck with your choice. I love the name Beatrix by the way

Why not Grace Elliot?

(I'm biased, I find choosing names really easy, and my DH absolutely agreed with me when I suggested Grace - it was the only girls name in contention!)

I already have an Ella - and we don't know any others, apart from EB - and people who have called their daughters Ellanore, etc and give her the nick name Ella.

There are 4 Ella's in my daughter's kindy class of 20.

You have so many terrific names on both your lists and similar sorts of names as well so I think one or both of you could realise that and look at them afresh. I think though that it would help to decide what sort of style to go for because I see a bit of a mixture here. I wouldn't contemplate Elliot no matter how the letters land.


My favourites grouped by style (and I really, really like these):

Clara
Esther
Emmeline (spelt accordingly)
Helene (but preferably Helena)

Jewel
Bronte

I prefer Elliott for a girl rather than a boy. However, I am a big Scrubs fan. (I know the character was said to have been named because her father wanted a boy, but after 8 seasons I got used to the name as feminine).

I wouldn't pair it with Grace, however.

ETA: while still on the Scrubs theme, how about Carla instead of Clara?

OP I'm in the same position as you - DD1 was SO easy to name we both LOVED her name.

Now with DD2 we just can't agree and the 'middle ground' names I'm just not LOVING enough.....!

I love all your name choices except Bronte and Jewel if it helps! Don't mind Eliot for a girl, but I think some of the others on your list are way prettier.

I'm adding my girls names list incase it helps (we're not top ten people either).

DD1 is Poppy

Saffron
Imogen * middle ground name
Freya
Milly
Lola * middle ground name

that's what we had to do with our last

From his list I would pick Clara (prefer Carla)

Stella from your list.

Elliot is a boys name to me.

I like Helene form his list - though Helena is nicer.

I know what it is like trying to agree on a name. We had to go with a real compromise in the end for DD2, and neither of us particularly loved it. It has however grown on us. I do wish we had agreed on a "better" name, but at the same time can't imagine her as anything else.

Just to add, step back a bit emotionally.. Your child will get a name no matter what. don't damage a relationship over it. Bigger picture and all that.

Elliot = surname or boys names. Please don't give it to a little girl, she will only be teased.

From your list the only one that is okay is Emmeline, but I much prefer Emily.

Elliot for a girl is awful sorry. I like both your dh and your suggestions - Clara is a personal favourite.

Sometimes you don't have a name until you met them. It took us 10 days to name our second one and it was nothing we had thought of before. Good luck.