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Having a baby girl end of July. I cannot settle on a first name... her middle name is still undecided as well, however I do know that it will be Ren or a -ren combo. I just need to a) pick a first name and b) decide whether I want/need to add a second syllable. Ren is Japanese for lotus, which I am using as an honor name for my mothers whose mn are Lynn and Sue. I have been quite lucky to have some very knowledgeable people offer terrific advice on using a Japanese name, as well as suggesting longer versions which are simply lovely! You can see some of that advice on the Name Facts Message Board here, if you're interested. Anyway, I ramble...

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I like Alexandra, Alexa, and Alexis. They are all much more popular than I wanted, but they all are on a down slide, so I can deal. I also like Clarissa and Marissa, but Dad does not. To get to the point, I'm not sold on anything. So I thought I'd feel out some perfect strangers reactions to these names, and ask for suggestions of other names based on these requirements:

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Nothing from the top 20.... the less popular, the better.
I like classic sounding, feminine names and their variations.
Meaning is important, and I'd like a name with a "softer side".

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I have a two year old named Elaina Marie Louise, to give an idea of my tastes. She is named for family, too.

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Thank you in advance for your input!

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