Shelley is expecting her second daughter imminently—a little sister for Mila Rose.
Shelley writes: "We struggle with names as we are both teachers so most names remind us of certain children! We chose Mila for our first as neither of us had ever taught a Mila but we didn't think it was too unusual either.
This time the only name we have is Avie. We thought a shorter name might go better with Mila's name, we liked the Ava, Eva, Isla type names but they're too common. The other name we had on Mila's list was Aoife as partner's grandad was Irish but decided it would give her problems throughout life as most people would mispronounce it.
Apart from that we really don't have any type of preferences, I'd mainly say different but not odd if that makes sense!"
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Different but not odd is so a common request for a name, you'd think I would have a pre-populated list. However, that can apply to so many names -- from just fallen out of fashion names like Caitlin to "sounds similar" names like Arla. For you, I've opted mostly for sound based on your current list that are all around Mila's popularity point or lower.
Alba – The word in many Romance languages meaning "dawn" which is both an ancient and modern choice.
Amaya – Both a Basque name meaning "the end, final" and a Sanskrit word meaning “free from deceit”.
Aria – Sweet Aria is both a musical term from the Italian for "melody" and a Sanskrit name meaning "honourable, noble".
Aubrey – A medieval unisex name, the feminine original form of which was Alberada (alb "elf" and radi" counsel, advice") the same meaning as Alfred. Aubrey is rising for girls in the UK (now #223) thanks to influence from America – where it has been in the top 50 for girls since 2008.
Avery – A longer alternative for Avie, Avery is another highly popular American favourite which is beginning to turn heads over here as well. Avery is descended from Alfred, sharing the same meaning as Aubrey.
Cleo – Striking but familiar, Cleo has an early 20th-century vintage jazz-era vibe.
Eden / Edie – Eden, meaning "paradise" in Hebrew, and Edie, a diminutive of Edith, are both sleek and slimline choices just under the top 100.
Esme – Meaning essentially "beloved", Esme is a sweet gem which compliments Mila beautifully.
Everly – Another Eva/Avie alternative to consider is rising Everly (currently #238), also spelt Everleigh and Everley.
Keeva – The Anglicised spelling of Irish name Caoimhe meaning "gentle, kind". While some might prefer to retain the indigenous spelling, the likes of Bridget, Aidan, Connor, Erin, Finley etc (all Anglicised forms) show that they still retain their Irish charm.
Luna – The Roman personification and goddess of the moon makes Luna an ancient gem with modern appeal.
Lyra – Both an astronomical and musical name which is gaining a rising profile in Britain but still below the top 100.
Maeve – Sweet Irish Maeve has a bold and beautiful namesake in mythology and is a familiar modern choice. A less common alternative is Maeva which means "welcome" in Tahitian and is currently popular in France.
Nova – Vintage Nova is hitting all the right notes currently having risen from obscurity to now just within the top 200 and rising.
Orla – An Irish gem meaning "golden ruler" which has none of the usual pronunciation issues.
Piper – Made famous from the series Charmed, Piper is in a similar style to popular Harper but ranks just within the top 200.
Pippa – Bouncy Pippa is familiar and has longevity, yet ranks just below the top 100.
Reeva – An alternate spelling of Riva, itself a diminutive of the Rivka, the Modern Hebrew form of Rebecca. It ranks at #334 and is on the rise.
Sadie – A bubbly vintage short form of princessly Sarah , ranking at #142.
Thea – Sleek and chic and a great compliment to Mila, Thea is striking and familiar at the same time.
Zara - Royal Zara is streamlined and classy with plenty of sass. Ranking at #66 and having sat in the bottom half of the top 100 for nearly two decades, it really is a familiar but not too common choice.
I hope this will help spark renewed inspiration for girls' names. Good luck with settling on the perfect name for your new family addition.
