Just a quick peek please

[MrsRupertBear]

This is my newly revised list. Just was after a few thoughts good and bad. Thanks

Girls:
Francesca
Matilda
Florence
Harriet
Beatrix


Boys:
Edward
Gabriel
Arthur

[Kayano]

Franchesca and Gabriel are my absolute faves!

[freerangeeggs]

They're all lovely. Florence and Matilda are quite popular now though.

I really love Beatrix and Arthur :) Beatrix is very cool and unusual.

[tiptoptally]

Francesca - LOVE, and not too common
Matilda - hmm, just think there seems to be lots just now, can such an old name be trendy??!
Florence - nice
Harriet - sounds too harsh
Beatrix - it's okay, but I'd be frightened it'd get shortened to 'Bea' or 'Trixie' which are both awful!!

Boys:
Edward - dull
Gabriel - used to hate this, but a few friends have called their sons this recently. It's definately growing on me!Gabe is pretty cool too.
Arthur - NO NO NO, on behalf of your unborn child, please don't do this!!!

:-)

[bramblina]

Love them all Very good choices.
The thing I would consider would be how they might get shortened (because I am agianst shortening names!) Frankie, Fran, Tilly, Flo, Harry, Bea, Ed, Eddie, Gabe, Art. If you would shorten them, you could eliminate by that? Or if you would not like to, it's good to be aware of what others might try to do! IYSWIM

[InstantAtom]

Florence Harriet for a girl, Edward Gabriel for a boy :)

Francesca - nice, prefer Frances as less frilly
Matilda - don't like, quite faddy ATM
Florence - lovely, classic
Harriet - OK
Beatrix - don't like, prefer Beatrice

Edward - like
Gabriel - quite like
Arthur - too "old man"

[CurwySwide]

I think they are all lovely bar Edward, but that is a personal thing to me as I knew an Edward as a child and he was not a terribly nice person! Also I would agree that Beatrice is a preferable spelling to Beatrix, but again, that is a personal opinion.

My favourites would be Matilda or Harriet for a girl, or Arthur for a boy.

I hear a lot about Matilda and Florence being faddy but have never met any little girls called Matilda and only one called Florence, whereas there are lots of Ellas, Evas, Millies, Amelias, Olivias etc. where I live (Hampshire) and would therefore think of these as more faddy, for want of a better word.

[scarlettlips]

Wow....I LOVE them all! Sorry not much help!

At a push......I'd say...
Francesca, Harriet and Edward. These are Classic names that won't date..popular but not too popular.

Whist I like Florence etc, It's a bit on tread for me.

[helendigestives]

Girls:
Francesca - really lovely, but (as shown in the thread) easy to misspell
Matilda - I know so many Tillys...
Florence - lovely
Harriet - lovely
Beatrix - one of my favourite names

Boys:
Edward - getting quite popular with the whole Twilight thing
Gabriel - still not keen on this name
Arthur - I wasn't sure about this, but I know a little Arthur and it suits (he's just met a Guinevere at playschool; I was so entertained!)

[benne81]

Girls:
Francesca - my fave
Matilda - second fave
Florence - really hated the city so automatically puts me off the name
Harriet - nope ( will prob be shortened to hattie and I know a mental girl called hattie)
Beatrix - bit try hard and I think becoming quite popular

Boys:
Edward - I like
Gabriel - I hate
Arthur - I like but quite popular around out way

[ragged]

Not one of them would be in my own top ten list.

The ones I can most understand the appeal of, would be Florence, Harriet & Francesca.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

I like all of your girl's names. DD is Matilda and is DS had been a girl, he would have been Florence or Beatrice.

Edward & Gabriel are both lovely. Not so keen on Arthur.

[pilates]

All great names except Gabriel

[ProcrastinatorGeneral]

Some lovely names there. I think the only one I would steer clear of would be Beatrix, but that's more that I am very fond of Beatrice. I blame studying Much Ado About Nothing at A level. I fell in love with that fiesty character

[babycham42]

Not keen on Harriet,Beatrix or Gabriel.Love the rest!

[manicinsomniac]

Girls:
Francesca - love it, it was on my list
Matilda - love it, it was also on my list!
Florence - really like
Harriet - really like
Beatrix - not too keen, prefer Beatrice

Boys:
Edward - good solid name.
Gabriel - always think it sounds a bit girly. Not keen
Arthur - really don't like, it's still an old man's name to me though I know it's becoming popular.

I'd choose either Francesca or Matilda for girls (possibly use both!) and Edward for a boy.

[tammytoby]

I like Francesca and Beatrix - both are lovely and not that 'trendy' as Florence and Matilda seem to be currently.

I'm not keen on any of your boys' names but probably prefer Gabriel.

[MrsRupertBear]

Thanks everyone. Your contributions are greatfully recieved

Francesca seems to be coming out quite well, as does Edward.

Gabriel seems to get a lot of . I wondered myself if it would be thought upon as being girly. I think it is lovely but not sure if I would actually use it yet. I think it is a good solid name, as is Edward

[Lonnie]

All nice safe choices..

[mathanxiety]

Love Beatrix and Gabriel.

[tummytickler]

I love Harriet, Edward and Gabriel. Not keen on the others, and really dislike Florence.

[Catsu]

Love your list. Very very similar to mine.
Arthur is my definite boys name.
The only one I don't like is Matilda. It's quite popular now and I dislike tilly as a nn.
I'd go for francesca and Arthur!

[oohlaalaa]

Francesca - like nn Frankie
Matilda - like nn Tilly
Florence - like nn Florrie or Flo
Harriet - like nn Hattie
Beatrix - like nn Bee

Favourite would be Florence. A classic.

Boys:
Edward - like
Gabriel - not keen on
Arthur - like

Favourite is Edward, with Ted as a nn.

I think Florrie and Ted are lovely together too.

[KikiRC]

Beatrix and Edward are lovely.

[SaffronCake]

The best ones are Francesca and Edward IMO.