Baby Name Poll - Thousand Oaks,CA

Kalea is a really popular name here in Hawaii.
Calliope makes me think of the musical instrument.
I misread Cal-AM-ia when I saw Calamia and it makes me think of calamity.... maybe not such a great association.
I've always like the name Laynie.
Emory is trendy and does make me think of an emery board.
Maisie/Macy are both popular in the midwest.
Just some of my thoughts. :) Good luck and congrats!

Love, love picking out names... here are my thoughts :)
1. Camelia - love it. the full name and nickname.
2. Maisie - Although Macy is becoming more common, I still think it is unique and love the name. I love names that you can shorten with an "ie" sound at the end.
3. Fiore - my immediate thought. Fiona from Shrek. sounds like too hard of an attempt to be unique.
4. Mirabella - don't like it at all. Like the Bella part, but that's it.
5. Laney - love it
6. Calamia - sorry, I'd pass on this also. few things came to mind... clammy and then the ever dreaded teases of STDs (I don't mean to sound mean-spirited, but I know kids can come up with the strangest nicknames and that is what I watch for also)
7. Ravel - don't like it. Too blah to me.
8. Calliope - although I love the nickname, I'm not fond of the names. At the end of the day, the first name is their name and they will be called out by 1st name until they have an opportunity to say call me "callie"
9. Emory - Love it. You can also call her Emi.
10. Kalea or Kalaya - No opinion. don't love it, but don't dislike it either. One of those names that will grow on you.

all the best for a beautiful, healthy baby :)

DEFINITELY Camelia, nickname Cami. BEAUTIFUL! I love it. And, both of my daughters' names end in "a" but no one ever notices because they're so different. Besides, that's a common female ending. =) Best of luck!

To start with, one of my daughters is named Pier (last name Sircello). My mother spent the day she was born (July 4, 1963) pacing the floor and muttering "Pier, Pier, what kind of name is that?" Actually, in Italian, it's a male name but there was a movie star, Pier Angeli. Anyway, I think my daughter, now in her 40s, loves her name, so I wouldn't be afraid of unique. I think it should sound good with the last name, particularly since most women now keep their maiden name. That influences whether or not there is a vowel at the end.

Personally, I didn't like Maisie (used to be a cow's name back in my day -- and my mother was named Bessie, also a cow's name, and she hated it all her life). I also didn't like Mirabelle, Calamia (sounds like calamity), or Calliope, which is a sort of pipe organ from amusement parks. Emory sounds like a boy's name but also just sounds strange and trendy and certainly not pretty. Kalea could be nice, although I think you could spell it a million ways. I actually like Fiore, but I think it depends on how it sounds with your last name. She'll have to teach people how to say and spell it, but I think my daughter found that could actually be a sort of ice breaker. You also have to think about baby names and nick names. My daughter was "Pierli" when she was little, but has always just been "Pier" outside our home, and sometimes it's good not to have nick names -- they can be unkind as well as friendly or loving.

By the way, another thing you might think about is how the name will sound when she is an adult. If she grows up to be in public life or business, you don't want a name that sounds too frivolous. You want a name that can have a "pet" variation or nickname, but not sound like a nick name.

Oh, and I actually do like Ravelle, although I'm not sure why! It's unusual, but it's easy to pronounce.

To add another personal note in the "name" category, our three granddaughters are Lillian (nick-name "Lil") Arianna, and Sofia (nick-name "Sofi.") A fourth granddaughter is on the way but I haven't asked them if they have picked out names. The boys are Michael, Thomas, Andrew, Julian and Jackson. I like the fact that none of them are too trendy. I think they will wear well through adulthood.

Good luck with your names. In the end, they are your choices, but I had fun looking at them and giving you my grandmotherly opinion!

S. Toji

1. Camelia-- Very pretty, but very similar to Camila. I don't think it matters that both daughters' names end with the "a" sound as long as they don't rhyme or begin with the same sound.

2. Maisie, prounounced "Mazy"-- Yes, people will pronounce it "Macy." And if you correct them, they may not even notice the difference or think you're nitpicking.

3. Fiore-- I think people will pronounce it "Fior," but perhaps you could put an accent over the "e," exchange it with an "a," or just get used to correcting people.

4. Mirabella, Mirabelle, Marabelle, Marabella-- This would be up to you, a matter of preference.

5. Laney, Lainie, Lanie-- I don't think people would frequently mispronounce the the last spelling.

6. Calamia-- You'll probably have to correct people's pronunciation, but I think this is pretty and unique. Certainly you won't find many others who share the name. It doesn't sound like a last name to me.

7. Ravelle-- Not a fan. It strikes me as "ravel," like the verb. To ravel and to unravel.

8. Calliope, pronounced "Call-I-opee"-- I think this is a pretty name, but be careful. What if the book is read in high school, or a book club? How will your daughter feel? How will you handle this? Just be prepared, because kids can be cruel.

9. Emory-- Really pretty. I love this name.

10. Kalea or Kalaya-- Once again, I don't think it's a problem as long as your first daughter's name does not rhyme or begin with a K or C sound.

All your names are very interesting. Good luck! I hope you'll let us know what you pick!

Think Ravelle is fantastic. It is unique but not weird. Instantly pronounceable. Very feminine. And a little exotic. Reminds me of "ravishing" and I like that it relates to "ravel" meaning "to clarify," or "disentangle." But "ravel" can also mean it's opposite -- "to tangle," or "to complicate." That it does both is a powerful idea. The composer's music does both and is also ravishingly beautiful.

Powerful plus that it relates to a remarkable woman in your life. That means something to a child when you explain the name as they grow up.

My parents were both teachers. As we were choosing our daughter's name (Eleya) they pointed out that in 20 years of dealing with children, it was clear that no matter which name you pick, the other kids will find a way to mess with it, so, really, don't let that worry you too much.

As to having to correct people's pronunciation, also think that is no worry. When people say "ill' - ay - a" instead of "ee - lay' - a," Eleya, who is now 8, just flashes a smile and gives them the correct pronunciation. She actually loves the little bit of attention when new people try to read it and mess it up... We have always made sure she knows we love her and we love her name, and they go hand in hand, so she is happy to share it.

What a great list of possibilities!

The names are all beautiful. Get past the mispronounciation. You will always run into this problem with even the simplest of names. Mia is pronounced "Maya" all the time. Good luck.

I vote for Camelia or Ravelle. Mirabella is nice, but right now there are a million "bella"s out there in Socal. Maisie is very cute for a kid, but you have to remember, your daughter will be an adult someday, and maybe a lawyer or a doctor, and how would you like your doctor's name to be Maisie? (Not me.) Fiore will be forever difficult for others to spell and pronounce; ditto for Calamia. Laney is nice, but maybe a little cutsie for an adult. (Also, I know about 5 Laneys, all in Texas.) Emory sounds like emery board, which she would be hearing every day during school. Kalea is OK.

I don't think having two daughters with an "a" sound on the end would be too similar.
Good luck! I went through the same thing with my daughter (wanted to be unique but not weird, but then everyone wants to be unique, so the "unique" names are all taken!). We went with Maya.

My favorite out of all would have to be Mirabelle!

I can't get Lazy Maisie, Emory Board, or Camelia lizard out my head since I read what others said these names reminded them of.....LOL

3. Fiore - My first thought was the face cleaner Biore.
8. Don't like Calliope...a friend has dogs named Calliope and Penelope.

1. Beautiful name
2. I think of Maisie the Mouse
3. Reminds me of a Ferrari
4. Pretty, but I think of Fancy Nancy's doll
5. Cute, cute, cute
6. Calamine lotion anyone?
7. Different and cool
8. Myeh
9. Reminds me of an emory board
10. Beautiful and exotic name

Good luck!

1. Camelia- Like. Camellia is how the flower is spelled, however.

2. Maisie, LOVE. Knew a little british girl named Maisy, and always loved her name.

3. Fiore- eh.... I think of the Compo de Fiori in Rome when I hear this, it's as famous as the spanish steps. It a big compo with shops, a market, bars, restaurants, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campo_de'_Fiori

4. Mirabella, Mirabelle, Marabelle, Marabella--

5. Laney, Lainie, Lanie-- This is one of my sister's nicknames. Elaine is her full name.

6. Calamia-

7. Ravelle--

8. Calliope, pronounced "Call-I-opee"--nickname Callie. Personally I think of the cartoon sheepdog and the oldest Muse (of epic poetry).

9. Emory-- This is the only one I really worry about. Since an Emery Board is the sandpaper board one uses to file fingernails down with. And the pronunciation is the same

10. Kalea or Kalaya-

If you have to give an explanation how to pronounce it...I would ditch the name. Your child will have to do that the rest of her life!

Whoaaa...so many choices....well, since she'll be partly Italian (how great! -sorry, i little bit of patriotism here ;-) I can certainly help you with Italian names, here are my favourite:

Sofia
Giulia (Julia) - this is actually a Roman name
S. (my name) - also a Roman name
Flavia - you guessed it, Roman name!
Allegra - which actually means "happy" or "merry"
Martina - pron. "mar-teena", very cute

Here you have it...keep having fun and choose one that sounds well with her last name!

I love your choices! They are unique and cute. My favorites are Emory. That was on my list but I would have spelled it Emery. Laney is adorable. You could also do Delaney (my niece is Delaney she is 7 and we love the name). Good Luck with your name choice and your new name!

Just a suggestion- close to your #4, my husbands sisters name is Maribel, and they call her mari ( like marie) for short. I think it's beautiful.

I like Lanie, Emory, and Kalea. They are all different but easier to pronounce without a translation from you everytime. I work in a pediatric clinic so I hear different names everyday and I constantly hear moms say that they wish that they weren't correcting people all the time. It should be what ever you want but keep in mind that you probably don't want to have to correct everyone on the pronunciation allday. I like simple and unique. Emory is my fav of the three I named. I have only heard one kid with that name and I always thought it was very cute. You could use "em" or "emmie" for nicknames too. Goodluck!!

It looks like you have more than enough responses. I absolutely love the name Kalea! I am newly pregnant and I if I didn't already have a Kayla and a Kendall I would have Kalea as my girl's name. Good luck, as others have said, you will pick the right name.

I also live in SoCal so I know what you mean about the high tolerance for unusual names. (my youngest goes to school with a girl named Genesis)

That said, however, don't forget your precious little baby will eventually be a college grad trying to get a job, a mother, a middle aged woman and eventually an old woman. For this reason alone, I would stay away from Maisie, Fiore, Calamia, Ravelle, Calliope (you know that's a type of musical instrument too?) and Kalea/Kalaya. This leaves Camelia, Mirabella, Lanie and Emory. All strong choices for the unique factor, but certainly all are considered to be "real names." Personally, my favorite is Emory - classic, strong and feminine. (this coming from the woman who nearly named her second daughter Emerson!)

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you for a quick and painless delivery!!

Ooh, fun question! Since you're in SoCal: have you been to see the camellia forest in Descanso Gardens, near Altadena? Wow, it is just spectacular when it's in bloom. That's my argument for naming the baby Camellia (with the extra L so it matches the flower)

My son is Emory and it is a male name. I know that doesn't matter too much these days. I like Camelia - very pretty. My nickname is L. so I like that one too.

I've seen a lot of names (being a teacher). Two of the names that you've selected that appeal to me are Marabelle and Kalea. Emory reminds me of emery board and Ravelle sounds like Ravioli, etc.

Here are a few to ponder:
Anniston (Annie), Avery, Avana or Ivana, Myla, Regan, Jayna, Nathalie (pronounced Na-tal-ee), and/or Jaylie

I think when you find the right name for the child you are carrying, you will just know it. My husband and I threw around a lot of names, but when the ones we used came out, we just kept finding them still in our mind even as others were suggested, that was how we knew that they were the names that were meant to go with our children. Many people do mispronounce my youngest child's names, but it is easy enough to correct them (Rayne (pronounced rain), they say rainee or ryan), so it is no big deal. Others thought our oldest boys name was strange because they had not heard it a lot, but now I am finding more and more people using it (Sage). So just go with your heart, it will tell you when you hear just the right one, it will be the one you keep returning too even though it is....................................

Go with the name that sounds the prettiest to you. I like # 10

Some of your names are difficult to pronounce..As a school teacher this is setting your child up for a lifetime of correcting people! UGH!

I do like Emory. That is our daughters name -though spelled differently.

I also really like Mirabella. Bella for short or Mira. Really Cute!

Happy naming!

I like Emory and Maisie the best.
Congrats and good luck deciding!

I saw you like Lanie, my friends name is Lelainya. Pronounced La-Lane-ya. I think it's beautiful and unique. We call her Lanie or Lane for short. I love it, if I weren't donehaving kids I may have stole it myself! Happy picking!

That's a lot of choices! I think it is fine for both daughter's names to end in "a" if those are the ones you like the best.

Calamia will definitely be mispronounced more often than not. I heard it wrong in my head until you put the pronunciation at the end.

Calliope - no one will associate it with Middlesex, but they may associate it with Callie from Grey's Anatomy. That's not a bad thing, I'm just pointing it out.

Kalea/Kalaya - I like this name but names like Kayla, Kyla, Kaylie, Kylie, etc are VERY popular right now, so this is not all that unique.

Maisie is cute as a nickname but when she's older, she might wish she had something more formal to put on resumes and stuff like that.

Caveat: I tend to go traditional with names (I'm naming my baby Sarah when she comes later this year), so names like Ravelle and Fiore are just too "out there" for me. : )

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

On your list, I would probably choose Camelia or Mirabelle.

Hi,
Emory, Laney and Calamia are my favorites, love the 2 nicknames too for Calamia. People for sure will call Maisey, Macy so be prepared for her having to correct people when she is older, unless they know the children's book. Friend named her baby girl last year Ayva. pronounced like Ava Gardner with the long 1st A and I liked it a lot too if that works w/ your last name. Calliope is a steam powered old fashioned instrument if you didn't know, it was my least favorite on your list and Ravelle sounds like boys name I think. You have some good choices though. Happy Baby.

You have some good ones. I pronounced #6 the wrong way. You'd have to loose that middle "a", but other than that I think its the most unique without trying too hard or sounding trendy. I'm in the exact same boat as you with the two sets of names. One really unique one that I can't use because it my husbands x-girlfriend : Maleiah (mel-LEE-ah),
I have a strong negative reaction to #8, but you'd defiantly be the only one with that name! #10 too similar the the "kaley" craze.
Good luck

My name is L. and I get complements on it all the time. As a matter of fact, one of the moms I met from my daughters school named her daughter that because she like it. My cousin asked if she could use it for her daughter, but she did Laina. It depends also on what goes well with your last name. Both girls having an 'a' at the end is not too similar. If that works with your last name and you like it the best go with that. Remember you will be using this name hundreds of times a day. You (and dad) really need to love it no matter what anyone else says.
My daughter is Sierra and everyone can spell it. It is on the unique side, but not weird. I also like Sienna.

Ravelle really stood out to me... seems like she could only grow into a beautiful, smart woman with that name.

i like maisie..........and congrats on waiting to find out.......i did and it was totally worth it!

I like Ravelle and Fiore but I think you might want to change the spelling of Fiore because I would pronounce it wrong like others.

Here are my thoughts on each of the names, hope this helps!!:) I love unique names!!:)

1)Camelia- is pretty and the nickname is cute too:)

2) Maizie- does look and sound similar to Macy so if you want it pronounced correctly I'd stay away from it though I think it's a cute name

3)Fiore- I like but think it may also get mispronouced

4)Mirrabelle/Mirabella- just not a fan of the name

5)Laney/Lanie- I like the name and think it's cute!:) Nothing wrong with it being a little like your own name...

6)Calamia- I actually really like this name although it does bring to mind calalily...but they're a pretty flower so it brings good thoughts/meaning to the name. I didn't think of calamine or whatever else people wrote at all.

7)Ravelle- It's an interesting name and while I like it I do think of the composer.

8)Calliope- never been a fan of the name...nor the nickname to be honest.

9)Emory- I think the name is cute but I like it better as a middle name cause it seems to go well with other names. It's cute as a first name though as well. My sister likes this name a lot!

10)Kalea/Kalaya- I think it's really unique and interesting. Certainly not a name you'll hear a lot! It's pretty!:)

When I was growing up my name was just enough different that I rarely met someone with my name, but enough the same that the named-products you could buy (pencils, name pins, xmas ornaments, mugs, etc.) usually had me. I really liked that. But even though it's a more-common name, EVERYONE misspells it and I need to correct everyone all the time, which gets very tiring. (I know these aren't direct comments, but something to think about).

1. Camelia--Names that end in 'ah' (or 'ee') are easier to holler down the street, lol (that's a good thing)

2. Maisie--I think of the mouse too

3. Fiore--I think she will be forced to pronounce and spell it every time.

4. Marabelle--Belle?

5. Laney, Lainie, Lanie--Pretty, but since it's a nickname for your name could be confusing.

6. Calamia--cute nick names

7. Ravelle--I like it

8. Calliope--I think most people would think of the "Grey's Anatomy" character Calliope Torres instead. (That's not a bad thing, she's a great role model, but not what you were going for I think.) I love 'Callie.'

9. Emory--yeah, emery board you file your nails with...

10. Kalea or Kalaya--I've seen "Kayleigh" which is nice, but I think Kalaya will be forever mispronounced. (If Kalea is not pronounced "Kayleigh" then I've just proved it will be mispronounced too.)

These are beautiful names.

We had the opposite problem -- picked out a girl's name 2x but had 2 boys... Our choices were "Elenore Grace" (because "Chief Justice Elenore" sounded wonderful, lol, or "Zoey" (to go with older brother Zach).

Good luck! (And let us know which one you pick! :)

I really like #1, #7, and #10. I dont like #6 because I think of calamity and you dont want that associated with your daughter. #2 seems too old fashioned. I had this same issue with my daughter's name. I wanted something unique but not weird. So her name is Abrial Suzanne (the middle name is shared by her great-great aunt, great aunt, and aunt). It was important for me to have the uniqueness because of my name being A.. I was one of 5 in my freshman class at college and there were only about 400 of us. That is too many in my opinion.

Hi M.-

I didn't read many of the other responses so if I'm repeating things then sorry about that!!

1. I like the name Camelia, with the nickname Cammie. I think people will shorten it to Camille, which I do like.

2. Maisie makes me think of a cow.

3. Fiore is pretty but I would think the mistaking the name would get old to the child.
4. Mirabella- Bella is nice
5. We have a friend who has a Laney and it works well.
6.Calamia is really pretty, and I like the family name aspect to it. Love the nicknames with it.
7. Ravelle is a college is San Diego and that is all I can think of.
8. No. I really don't like that!
9.Emory is fine. We have a friend's whose son is Emory so I accociate it w a boy's name.
10. Kalea- Very pretty.

From your list, my favorite is Mirabella. My daughter's name is Sienna so of course that is my ultimate favorite

My favorite of your list is Camellia (yes, with two L's, like the flower). I also like Calliope, but really only if you're Greek. I think it's too ethic to carry it off if you're not Greek, have a last name likes Jones or another kid with a name like Meghan or Audrey. I don't think sibling names have to rhyme or start with the same letter but they should be of similar ethnicity. Calliope and Kalea for example would not be siblings. I wouldn't use Kalea unless you have a Hawaiian sounding name for your first child, and I wouldnt use it if you have an ethnic last name that's not Hawaiian.

My daughters names are Karina and Angelina and I was nervous at first with them both ending in "a". I am so glad that I did!! I love it!! It rolls off the tongue perfectly! Our last name ends in an "a" as well...no problem there either, I made the middle name not end in an "a"...

Karina Ashley
Angelina Hope

Good Luck!!

P.S. My sons name is Franco Marcello (wouldn't change that either)!!!

"Kalea" is a Hawaiian name.
It means bright and clear.
It is a girls' name.

I would not worry about the name ending in "a" because of your other daughter. They will be sisters after all. It is fine, a lot of people give similarities to their kids names on purpose. I think the same goes for anything similar to your name. I wouldn't make that an issue.

Here is my thoughts on some of the others:
- Camelia is very pretty. I wouldn't worry about it being too close to the other more popular versions. It doesn't sound like you are trying too hard to do an alternate.

- Maisie - the mouse. I wouldn't do it

- Fiore - good concept with the meaning but not very pretty sounding

- Mirabella - this is fancy but it looks like you are entertaining nick-names anyways so I would concentrate on that. Belle, and Bella are beautiful. In fact, I think bella means beautiful in Italian. You might want to check me on that.

- Calamia - makes me think of calamity, too much of a train wreck of a name. = )

- Calliope - just looking at it makes me think of a melon.

- Emory - my cousin named her child that and it is a nail file.

- I am not crazy about the following - Laney, Revelle, Kalea

- Other thoughts - Brenna, Micca, Shila, Piya, Rayne, Shila, Maya

Good luck! I think naming these little human beings is the hardest thing in the world. I am sure whatever you pick will be just perfect for her or him.

I like the last to personally... Kalea. As for the a sound, don't worry about it...

We were looking for girl names and I had the hardest time trying to find ones I liked...

Good luck!
R.

From your list, my favorites are Mirabelle (I like Mirabella, but it does sound more fancy/frivolous if that concerns you), Lanie (spelled that way or Laney), Calliope (especially like that, but I am not familiar with the book) and Emory. I can definitely see the jump to emery board, but seriously will her classmates in school (the only people who are guaranteed to find ways to make fun of names) even know what an emery board is?? There is an Emory University if that figures into the decision at all.

I agree with some of your concerns about mispronunciations and similarity to more popular names. If you are looking for something unique, i would be more concerned about that than similarity to your name or ending with an "a" like your daughter. My daughter's name is Aubrey and we get lots of compliments on it, but I think it is starting to gain popularity. I think Calliope is probably my favorite!

I like Kalea, could be because my name is L. :)

lets see... #1) love the nick name cami
#2) i love the name..in fact i like it so much i had a pet rat named that when i was in college so....:)
#3) and #4) ok but not my favorite
#5) LOVE IT
#'s 6,7,8,9 and 10 again like them but not my favorite names
i love unique names also but i also like timeless names thats why i did kind of a combination with my daughter and went with Elizabeth Teagan, i fell in love with the name teagan and was going to spell it Teegan but my husband liked the other spelling, anyway she is 6 now and i still wish i used teagan as her first name. I love her name and it absolutley fits her though!! at the end of the day all that matters is that you and your husband like it and no matter what you pick it will end up fitting her :) Best wishes!!!!!!

My personal fav is Kalea, I think this is a very beautiful and unique name.

Hi - from this list I like Laney the sweetest name and think it will be the easiest to pronounce and spell correctly. I've really enjoyed having my unique name.... C.. I've never met another person with the name (although I know some exist in fact some of my friends have named their daughter's middle names after me). People usually spell it correctly and it's pretty but not too far out. It's easy to say and people recognized/remembered my name.

I vote for Camelia/Cami

I also like Maisie.

As for Calliope, reminds me of the circus too much--as in "cue the calliope."

Good luck!

Too late for another submission? Parker or Peyton.....will anyone ever choose these? lol I suggest them for girls every chance I get! :-)

So here's an off the wall kind of name, unique in itself, Einalem (I-na-Lem), which is M. spelled backwards. You can even change it up a little if you want. Einalene (I-na-leen), Amelia is also a beautiful name and short would be Mel another short name for M.. Just my thoughts!

Good luck

I like Laney, Maisie, and Camelia. None of these I think are all that popular. A lot of the names you chose could easily be mis-pronounced, but in the end if you dont care your child will learn to correct their name (i always had to correct my last name in school and I just got used to it). I also wouldn't worry because your other daughters name ends in an "a". It will probably be viewed as cute if both your daughters names are like that. Congrats and good luck!

I *love* Ravelle.

I think you and I have similar criteria for names. Calliope was on my short list, and I still like it. For the rest, I think your specific concerns are spot-on, but I wouldn't rule out Fiore - people will mispronounce it all the time, but I'm not sure that's a huge problem.

Kalea and Emory and Camelia are cute, but heading into that trendy area.

Just for reference (and I don't care if you poach them - the names, not my girls! :) my daughters are Eloise Clover and Teagan Avalon.

if i knew u guys name i can come up with the perfect name am from the Bahamas and we make up very unique names

i think you're too worried about what other people think or how they will pronounce it. my name is L. and barely anyone knows how to pronounce it when they see it. who cares? i just correct them if they say it incorrectly.

go with your heart and what feels best to you and to the person you are bringing into this world. all the rest doesn't matter.

hope this helps. <3

Well here's my 2 cents:

1. YES! Camelia-- Cami is a cute nickname too.
2. NO!! Maisie, prounounced "Mazy"- When I was thinking of names for my child I would try to think, what can kids make mean or funny from it....my first thought was Lazy Maisie.
3. NO - Fiore
4. YES! Mirabella, Mirabelle, Marabelle, Marabella - These are cute but I can imagine a nickname of Belle or Bella or Mira coming from one of these. Are you OK with that? I would be OK with Belle or Bella but not Mira.
5. YES! Laney, Lainie, Lanie-- I like the spelling Laney the best.
6. NO - Calamia
7. NO - Ravelle - I thought this name kind of sounded male.
8. NO - Calliope
9. NO - Emory-- I thought it sounded male.
10. 50/50 Kalea or Kalaya-- I like the spelling Kalaya better

Best of luck to you!

I love camelia, marabella, lainie, and Maisie. I know one child with each of these names! I think the rest of them will be mispronounced or misspelled, I grew up like that and hate it still! Calliope is a character on Greys anatomy, that's what it makes me think of. I like Emory but like Emerson better. If a name means a lot to you but you don't want it as a first, it's always acceptable to have a unique middle name too! After rereading I think my favorite is marabella. That's one of my daughter's best friends and she is so cute, very fancy yes, so it fits her. I like camelia too. Especially because like some people said, I don't think lainie or maisie suits a grownup as well. If you want calamia I would add another l (callamia) for pronounciation purposes, you could call her calla, Callie, or mia then!

syesha ts a nice name too and nick name sye are amanda nick name manda

camelia ia very pretty and I love the nickname cami :)

I love the name Bella, so you could name her Mirabella with that nickname. Calliope is just plain weird. A child does not like to grow up with a weird name. Nickname Callie is good, but on a lot of things you have to have your full name.

I love Maisey. As long as you spell phonetically and not visually, people will prounounce the names just fine, with the exception of Fiore. Unless someone knows to pronounce the "e" at the end (and how would most Americans) she'll be called Fiore for a split second until she corrects them. Then they'll get her name right. There's nothing wrong with that, either.

how about just naming her ISABELLE NYCOLE? I ACTUALLY DONT LIKE ANY NAMES U CHOSE, BUT LIKE U SAID ITS UR BBY!!! I ALSO LIKE LILLITH MARIE ITS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! WELL GOOD LUCK!!!

Krystyn. Besides, who says you have to have a nickname? Call here "sis" :)
Krystyne (Christine)

Hi M.

I would just go with what ever name you and your husband like the best! I know that is hard! Just to let you know I have a pretty normal name just spelled differently and it get mispronounced all the time. It is Lewann Pronounced Lew-Ann
I get called Louwana , LEE ann, Once even Lajauna I have no idea where that came from. People will pronounce names how ever they want and sometimes not even care that they messed it up. P.S. I live in So Cal too,
I liked all the names you have so far! Sorry I am no help! Good Luck!

Jaede, or Jade both pronounced the same just spelled differently.

My first impressions, not having read any other responses yet:
1. Camelia: Love it, I haven't heard it too much but there may be a lot of Camies out there but not too many camelias.
2. Maisie: I think this is kinda cutesy and trendy and common right now.
3. Fiore: Kinda weird, suonds like an Italian restaurant to me
4. Mirabelle etc: I like it. I like Mirabelle best. Lots of nickname potential, Miri, Mimi, Belle.
5. Lanie etc: Everyone will no how to pronounce this because it is popular right now. I do think it is too similar to your name.
6. Calamia: I don't like it because it makes me think if Calamity or worse, Chlamydia
7. Ravelle: I am mixed because it does make me think of the composer first but I like the uniqueness and the feminine spelling. And if it reminds you of someone that you like, I think thats a cool thing.
8. Calliope: I think this name is too weird. If you like the nickname Callie, you could get away with havinga Camelia who you call Callie. I have read middlesex years ago and you'd have asked me the main characters name i wouldn't have remembered it was Calliope.
9. Emory: Makes me think of Emory University. And kinda boy-ish.
10. Kalea/Kalaya: the first spelling is more Hawaiian. It's pretty. I think two girls names ending in A is fine.

Good luck and please update what you are leaning toward!

Phiona, a 3-syllable girl's name of Greek origin, means: Ivory.

Cute and you can her Phi (or Fiona)

Go with Fiore, but spell it so it gets pronounced right. I did that with my daughter's first and middle names. Selana,with the first A being long, and Andraya,so that would get pronounced right,for Andrea. Since there are two ways of pronouncing Andrea. Andrea is also a boys name in Italian.So Andrea would be a good choice either way .

please don't take anything I say to heart. just my opinion. it is no way meant to be rude even though I come out that way sometimes.
camellia sounds like a lizard but I love cami.
masie sounds old fashioned to me
fiore i think of the girl on shrek
mirabella to long
laney i dont like but I would like lansey. not common and more unique.
camilla don't paticualary like.but I like that spelling better than camellia.
ravelle what about changing this to the spelling and I don't know how to spell it the tune they play to get the troops up in the morning. revelee I think.
calliope sounds to me like a calidoscope. them things that make cool pictures when you turn them.
emory undecided on if i like that or not. what about emarld I like that.
kalea I can't decide on that one either. is this pronounced kaylee or kayleaha
I hope I didn't offend you with my answer. congratulations and you will pick the perfect name. ps I have always loved tiffany.

I like the first one! good luck and congrats!

You have a lot of beautiful and unique names.

1. A very beautiful name, and I like Cami. I do not think it is too similar to the other names.
2. I like the name but think the spelling would be difficult to pronounce easily.
3. I just did
4. Mirabella. Beautiful name
5. I really like Lainie. I don't think it is boring at all
7. I am not fond of this name.
8. Had no idea
9. I like Emory. I think it is a powerful name

Congrats. You will know when you meet your beautiful child.

I like Emory, Ravelle, Laney and Fiore.

Calamia and Calliope make me think of a cartoon cow! :)

I love Ravelle. It's pretty, unique and a strong name all at once. I agree about your worries about the pronounciation of the other names. I mentally pronounced them all wrong :o) My daughters have unique names (i'm from SoCal too) and I was prepared to be correcting people all the time. It hasn't been that bad and it's a great conversation starter!

1. Camelia--I think it's beautiful and unique, and the nickname Cami is cute, but is it too similar to Camille or Camila,
yes, it is very similar
2. Maisie, prounounced "Mazy"--we think this is cute and unique, but Macy is popular right now and we're not sure if it's too similar to that or will be pronounced like Macy. And what do you think of the name overall?
I like it. there is a very popular cartoon mouse called maisy. and I worry about growing up w/ that name. is it a grown up womans name?

3. Fiore--it means flower in Italian, and she will be part Italian, but will people pronounce it "Fior" instead of "Fior-A"?
yes they will. but, fior is pretty

4. Mirabella, Mirabelle, Marabelle, Marabella--too fancy and frivolous? If not, which one?
Mirabelle...again, not very grown up

5. Laney, Lainie, Lanie--I prefer the last spelling (Lanie), but people have said it will be pronounced Lonnie instead of Laney.
Lanie
I think this name is cute, but is it boring? My name is M.--is it too similar to that?
yes

6. Calamia--a family name, and the nickname could be Callie or Mia. Does it sound too much like a last name, which it is? My mom said it would sometimes be pronounced "Cal-AM-ia" instead of "Cala-MEE-a"
it sounds like Calamine lotion

7. Ravelle--the name of a famous composer (spelled Ravel, but would be mispronounced), and my mom's good friend from college who was smart, beautiful and talented. Do you like the name?
sounds like raven

8. Calliope, pronounced "Call-I-opee"--nickname Callie. The transgender character in Middlesex, the book, was named this--do you think people will associate the name with this character? (we didn't get it from the book.)
I don't think of the character, i think of the thing that plays music

9. Emory--too similar to Avery or Emerson or does it sound too trendy? Also, someone just pointed out that this sounds like an emery board you file your nails with...
It sounds just like the nail file, and the University

10. Kalea or Kalaya--the "a" at the end is mainly the issue b/c our daughter's name ends in "a"
I think this may be really hard for a kid to say

Why dont you try boy/unisex names? or old names that no one uses, so they become unique. that is what we did w/ all our kids. They can all be spelled, said, they are real names, not nouns. Chosing a name is really hard, w/ our last 2 we had a few names we went in w/. and after they were born we chose.
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I like Ravelle, Fiore, and Calamia. All very different but strong names that aren't too out there.

I actually like most of them, I think Maisie, Ravelle, and Mirabelle are my faves. I don't like Calliope, Kalea, Emory, Calamia, or Fiore.

Just curious, what are the boys names?

Emory or Ravelle are really cute

I like Emory or Maisey. Those are cute.

You are so cute in trying to figure out a name for your new arival. Some of the names you wrote i have never heard of. one of my daughters friends name is Maribelle., and they call her Mari for short. Emory sounds to close to a boy's name, but people may call her Em for short, The nick names are almost as important as the first name because for some reason people don;t call each other by their full first name, for example my daughters name is Samantha which i love, but every one calls her Sam. I love the name Raeana for a girl pronaunced Ray ana, and I love the name Asia for a girl, Let us all know what you decide, by the way what boy name do you have picked out? Remember when choosing the name, they expect them to be able to spell it in kindergarden so don't make it to hard. J.

Both my sister and I have unusual first and middle names. Lots of explanations and corrections and mispronunciations, sure, but don't worry about it...lots of compliments too.
Go with your instincts.