I'm biased as DD1 is Iris Katharine

I quite like Frances - but I do think it sounds a bit manly. However I think Iris Francesca sounds great!

Frances is very very smart, a lovely name and not over used.

Would go with lots of lovely middle names

Frances Elizabeth
Frances Boudicca
Frances Eleanor
Frances Soraya
Frances Rosamund

Frances Amelia Ward?
Francis Rebecca Ward?
Iris Helena also sounds good to me.

I think Frances and Iris are both nice names.

I really like Iris.

Frances sounds to me like a boys's name - don't know why though....Perhaps because I know a Francis?

Both are nice although I think Iris is prettier and personally prefer that. It is more currently popular though, whereas Frances is more an all time classic name and not coming up very popular these days, it will be more rare amongst their age group if that is something you want to consider

I LOVE Frances. My DS has Francis for a MN and I wish I had saved Frances for his sister.

I like Frances a lot

Iris Franchesca Ward

Frances is beautiful.

I like Frances (and Fran as a nn, although most of the Frances's I know are known as Frances). I don't think there are many around, whereas Iris (also nice) is more in the old lady theme, and I've seen suggested here quite a bit.

Rhythm wise I think a single syllable name in the middle would be best. There was a thread the other day about single syllable names there might be some good ideas there:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/780978-I-need-1-or-3-or-more-syllables-not-ending

I'm another who likes both. Frances would be my first choice.

I love Frances, dd2's middle name and dh's sister's name.

Iris is pretty too.

Frances is fab, it is dd2s middle name and sometimes I wish we had used it as her first name, it was a close call! But then, I have a theory that we often give our children a second name that we really wish we had the guts to use as a first !

What about Francesca?

Frances is lovely (biased) but no-one 'furrin' can pronounce it.

France - ess (said with horrid french r)
Fran - ches
Vrun - ses
Vron - sis
Flan - sis/ses
Fran - thith

I could go on...

Iris is safer if she ever plans to speak another langauge! Or be addressed by anyone who speaks another language or has a speech impediment.

Eleanor works nicely but you would need an alternative spelling which doesn't begin with E (Alienor?) to avoid her initials being FEW.

Is DS2 had been a girl, he would have been Frances Adrienne.

Both lovely

Frances

ooh Iris Clare/Claire sounds good!

Iris Elizabeth
Iris Catherine
Iris Joy
Iris Clare

Frances

I love both names, used to be friends with a lovely Frances when I was younger and Iris was on my list for DD1.

I'm not very good with middle names but Frances Anne sounds good.

Boogeek, I went to school with a girl called Frances catherine known as Franny-Kate. That still sounds good to me although she hated her name.

I like them both. Though would go with Frances as I like to shorten.

Iris May
Iris Jane
Iris Willow
Iris Rebecca

Frances Anne
Frances Cordelia
Frances May
Frances Mary

I am considering Frances for #3 due at the end of the year, so I think it is a very nice name ;) My DH is very hung up on family names so for us it will probably be Frances Catherine, which I think goes rather nicely!

surname is ward. u not think iris frances has too many s's? terrible if child had lisp!

I love them both Iris Frances is actually a nice combination, depending on surname - would work with a 3 syllable surname, not so much with a 2.

Iris Jean
Iris Dorothy
Iris Niamh
Iris Helena

Frances Miriam
Frances Anne
Frances Laura
Frances Claudia

iris or frances? middle name suggestions for both! x