Critique my shortlist

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Bit of a mash up between mine and DHs preferences, surname Cavendish. Middle name likely to be Juliet (not fussed about whether it goes with the FN as I barely use DDs FN amd MN together). DD is Meg (just Meg) if that helps with the critiquing:

Erin
Kate
Olive
Liv
Ivy
Matilda
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?)
Petra
Lilian
Nora
Orla
Robyn
Iris
Ruby

Sorry......its not that short yet!

[littlegreengloworm]

The only two I dislike are Erin and Petra

Love kate and think it would be great with your surname

Nora is dated

Liv is maybe too short

Love the rest :)

[Youdontneedacriminallawyer]

Erin - lovey, and not too common
Kate - nice, but quite a lot of them about
Olive - I hate this name because I'm a 70s child and makes me think of On The Buses
Liv - not a name
Ivy - sounds like a Victorian maid's name
Matilda - love it
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?) - not bad, but you will get nn Evie
Petra - love it
Lilian - not keen
Nora - bloody awful
Orla - OK if you're Irish
Robyn - OK
Iris - not keen
Ruby - makes me think of Ruby Murry (curry) every time, so no. Also quite common atm

[manicinsomniac]

Erin - very pretty, I really like it.
Kate - not keen, it seems unfinished to me. prefer Katie
Olive - don't like this at all. I think it's the hard O (rather than Oh)
Liv - not keen, it doesn't seem like a name. Livia or Olivia for me.
Ivy - pretty and still relatively unusual I think (where I am, anyway)
Matilda - love it. Very popular but for a reason!
Evelyn - quite like it. I think you'd struggle to avoid Evie though.
Petra - it's ok.
Lilian - don't like this
Nora - it's ok. Can't get the granny image out of my head though.
Orla - not overly keen
Robyn - love it.
Iris - really like it.
Ruby - not keen but I've never been sure why.

Matilda Juliet would be my pick, I think that's gorgeous.
Second choice - Iris Juliet or Erin Juliet

[FourForksAche]

not keen on Nora or Matilda, but the others are lovely.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Its going to be so difficult whittling down this list

[soontobeslendergirl]

Erin - like it but not sure if it sounds great with Meg for some reason
Kate - like it but again not sure it sounds great with Meg
Olive - God awful and On the Buses for me too
Liv - like it and like pp said, would maybe go for Livia
Ivy - dislike - Coronation Street for me
Matilda - a bit twee and fussy compared to Meg, but Tilda is nice
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?) like it
Petra - not sure about this one - think I want to like it.
Lilian - Like it - also like Lilias
Nora - Love Eleanor
Orla - bit bored of it now
Robyn - like it and it goes well with Meg
Iris - not that keen
Ruby - been done to death I think but does go well with Meg

[HattyMonkey]

Only dislike Olive & Iris
I have a Robyn (3) and have yet to meet another.
I love Nora.

[BikeRunSki]

See, Erin sounds cluncky to me, and is really common in U3s around me!

[WhereHas1999DissappearedToo]

Erin- Really like, simple and classy
Kate- Not keen, seems a bit dated
Olive- it's ok, but does go well with Meg
Liv- Love this name!
Ivy- not keen. Coronation street to me too
Matilda- meh, their seem to be quite a few around
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?)- It's very pretty, but not sure about Evie.
Petra- gorgeous name and not very popular
Lilian- wonderful name (name of my lovely DM)
Nora- terrible.
Orla- ok
Robyn- not keen
Iris- don't like it
Ruby- nice name but sooooo popular.

[BikeRunSki]

Evelyn could be nn Lynnie
I like Robyn, Iris and Matilda

[Viviennemary]

I like Petra, Lilian and Iris best. Don't really dislike any except Liv and Nora.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

I strongly dislike Petra - it is just a very ugly sound to my ears for some reason (have never knowingly met one).

From your list I really like;

Ivy
Iris
Lilian (although I would use Lily as an everyday name)
Nora (but am probably biased because it is a family name)

Matilda - not bad but very common/popular here. I've become a bit fed up of hearing it TBH .

Orla - ditto Matilda.

Olive - not to my taste, but not awful either.

Robyn - again, not to my taste, but not awful.

Erin - nice but just doesn't seem that 'special'.

Kate - meh.

Liv - nice nn, but people would inevitably either ask what it was short for or assume it was short for Olivia. Would that bother you?

Evelyn - love Eve & quite like Evie but not so keen on Evelyn. Not sure why.

Ruby - nice name.

In terms of looking for something to go well with Meg and your other names I would go for Iris Juliet Cavendish. Sounds quite distinguished!

[Viatrix]

Erin - no, 80s American cheerleader name, also reminds me of the word 'urine'
Kate - really like it but I prefer it as a nn for Catherine or Katharine
Olive - not bad, better than the overused Olivia
Liv - not bad, would prefer it as a nickname
Ivy - clingy plant, poison Ivy
Matilda - like it but it is getting popular
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?) - ditto Matilda
Petra - like it
Lilian - not keen
Nora -dislike the 'gnaw' sound
Orla - like it
Robyn - prefer it without the y
Iris - love it!
Ruby - too popular

My favourite is Iris Juliet - so pretty!

[squoosh]

Liv is a real name!

[Guin1]

My favourites are Iris, Nora and Petra. No strong feelings about the others, although I think Liv as a full first name, rather than a nn, is odd.

[OnlyLovers]

Love:

Erin
Liv
Robyn
Iris

Don't like:
Olive
Ivy
Matilda
Nora
Ruby

Too old-ladyish (but I just don't like old-lady names)

Petra, Lilian, Orla and Kate are boring IMO (Sorry).

Don't like Evelyn BUT really love Evie and would actually just give her that as her name, not Evelyn.

[skinmysunshine]

Erin - I like this
Kate - not for me. Too many peers called Kate
Olive - great name
Liv - love this
Ivy - I like old fashioned names like this
Matilda - too popular for me
Evelyn - just lovely but I also don't like Evie
Petra - really nice and quite unusual
Lilian - ditto Ivy but don't like the nn Lily as is too popular
Nora - ditto Ivy
Robyn - love it
Iris - ditto Ivy
Ruby - too popular for me

[MrsBungle]

My favourites are orla, Erin and iris. I've not met any other children called these.

[Raskova]

Erin - 6/10
Kate - 10/10 - can't go wrong with this
Olive - 3/10 - people will think its short for Olivia or she will get teased for marrying popeye
Liv - 3/10 - real name?
Ivy - 8/10
Matilda - 2/10
Evelyn - my daughter is Evee, I imagine we will shorten it to Eve
Petra - 4/10 - reminds me of an old lady
Lilian - 4/10 - too old
Nora - 8/10 - lovely
Orla - 9/10 - becoming increasingly common
Robyn - 7/10 - a bit 90s
Iris - 5/10 - old lady
Ruby - 7/10 - again common

been as honest as possible but someone will find a problem with anything you call them! Its what you think that matters!

[squoosh]

Erin - strongly dislike
Kate - nice, unassuming name
Olive - HATE
Liv - love
Ivy - meh
Matilda - okay
Evelyn (could I use this without the inevetable Evie nn?) - love it if pronounced evva-lin, agree that Evie is not great.
Petra - okay
Lilian - nope
Nora - like
Orla - boring
Robyn - meh
Iris - like
Ruby - waaaaaaaaaaaay overused.

[squoosh]

Liv is very much a real Scandinavian name.

[BiscuitCrumb]

Evelyn or Petra sounds best with your surname. The only name I dislike on your list is Robyn.

[NorksEnormous]

Love Ruby!! I have one, and she's awesome!

[Montsti]

I think Kate works best with Meg and your surname. I also like it the best from your list!

The only other one I like is Matilda but don't think it goes well with Meg. How about just Tilda or Tilly?

I really dislike Olive, Ivy, Evelyn, Petra, Nora, Iris & Ruby. Indifferent to the others.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Dh prefers the "safer" names (Kate and Ruby) although he did suggest Ivy.

I prefer Olive and Iris. The rest are names that neither of us have vetoed when suggesting.

Very surprised to see Iris getting a good like, I like its rareness without being too Old Lady.