jonnym's baby name shortlist

[jonnym]

Here's the shortlist of baby names I'm considering that I generated with Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder. Let me know what you think.

Boys
Bowyn
Lloyd
Noah
Willoughby

Girls
Isabella
Lily
Seren
Willow

[TodaysAGoodDay]

My faves are Noah and Seren (love this one particularly).

[EdithWeston]

Bowyn - never come across this before, and don't take to it, sorry
Lloyd - don't like
Noah - like
Willoughby - ok

Isabella - lovely
Lily - like
Seren - don't like
Willow - ok

[jonnym]

Thanks todaysagoodday, do you think Willoughby is a bit 'toff', wife thinks so, but he'd be called Willo which I really like

[jonnym]

Oh I should add, wife is Irish and I am Welsh, but we live in Hampshire, hence the couple of Celtic choices

[TodaysAGoodDay]

My X had a van called 'Willoughby'. It was a case of Willoughby (will it be) going, or Willoughby not going today? Your choices are fab! (other than Willoughby!)

[VolAuVent]

Noah Lloyd or Willow Isabella.

Bowyn - a bit Lawrence Llewellyn
Lloyd - quite like
Noah - like
Willoughby - a bit frilly for me

Girls
Isabella - lovely classic name, popular though
Lily - very nice
Seren - getting a bit faddy
Willow - like, very pretty

[VolAuVent]

Welsh people living in England always seem to pick Seren these days. It's a pretty name with a nice meaning but there are so many others out there too.

[jaffacakehips]

Lily and Noah for me. But they are very very popular. Which will either bother you or not.

Don't like Willow, it's a bit to wishy washy for me. What about Rowan?

Willoughby he was a naughty boy in P&P however it's a great name, for a dog.

[HolyCameraConfusionBatman]

Bowyn - no
Lloyd - no
Noah - lovely
Willoughby - it's awful, but I love it. I think names like this are ok if they can be shortened to something more mainstream and 'Will' is very 'normal'.

Isabella - prefer Isobel/Isabel, but very popular at the moment
Lily - ok
Seren - lovely
Willow - a bit try hard and a 'celeby'

[seeker]

Oh, don't be silly, you can't call a boy "Willo"!

[HolyCameraConfusionBatman]

I know several 'posh' Williams, and they all shorten it to 'Willo' and not Will/Billy etc

[Badgerina]

Bowyn - sounds like that weird "alternative" therapy Bowen Technique. Nah dunlikeit

Lloyd - Grossman.

Noah - LOVE. V. popular though.

Willoughby - Sweet name. Character from Sense and Sensibility, was a bit of a cad/bounder.

Isabella - Too popular.

Lily - Ditto.

Seren - Sounds like Sarah? Not keen.

Willow - Prefer Willa.

[Fireandashes]

Seren far and away the nicest IMO. Willow is okay but makes me think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Isabella and Lily are a bit meh (and hugely popular).

Don't like any of your boys names, sorry. Noah is both an ugly sound (again IMO) and sets the boy up for teasing every time it rains - "where's your ark" - and the other three sound like surnames.

[Stellan]

Bowyn
As far as I'm aware, Bowen is the more common spelling of this name. It's a nice alternative to Owen or Rowan.

Lloyd
I don't think it's due for a revival yet.

Noah
I really like this choice but the problem is that many others will too! It's certainly the most popular of your choices.

Willoughby
On paper, this name looks great. It has a lovely, mellifluous sound to it as well. However, it's a bit of a mouthful for a name and quite flouncy, especially for a boys' name. I think William, Wilfred and Wilbur are better choices.

Isabella
This is a gorgeous name but it's a bit commonplace. Personally, I'd be inclined to use something a bit different (i.e. fresher sounding) - maybe Arabella, Annabel, Estella, Christabel, Gabriella, Fenella, Mabel, Isadora, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Raphaela, Susannah, Cassandra, Seraphina, Juliana, Eliana, Georgiana or Liliana - but if Isabella is the frontrunner, go with it.

Lily
Lily is pretty but it's a bit insubstantial. It doesn't sound like the name of a strong, independent woman to me; it's just a bit too delicate-sounding. If you like Lily, you might also like Willa, Liliana, Libby (as a nickname for Elizabeth), Elodie, Amy, Amélie, Cecily, Emily, Millicent, Pearl, Lucy, Sophie, Sadie, Audrey, Kitty (as a nickname for Catherine), Felicity, Rosalie, Ruby, Alice and Verity.

Seren
Apparently the only Welsh name people know at the moment. Of course It's lovely but it's a little bland! How about rediscovering Megan, Ffion, Bronwen, Angharad, Myfanwy, Lowri, Nerys, Sioned, Delyth, Dilys, Carys, Cerys, Nia, Bethan, Elin, Catrin, Ceri, Catrin, Rhian, Gwen, Anwen, Eleri, Glenys, Eirian, Gwendolen, Lowri, Meredith, Tegan, Mali, Rhiannon, Haf or Sian?

Willow
See Lily. How about Willa, Rowan, Violet, Hazel, Olive or Laurel?

[jonnym]

Thanks all, some great opinions!

[jonnym]

Wife was due yesterday with our first baby - no sign of the little arrival yet! We don't know if it'll be a girl or boy. Wife is Irish, I am Welsh, we live in rural Hampshire. We have a large range of names, wife wants something that is not common or trendy - i am the one that has added Lilly which i know is v popular right now. Any constructive viewpoint welcome! :)

[CrapBag]

I like Willow.

Don't like any of the boys names though.