Which do you prefer?

[TheFantasticFixit]

We are expecting a little girl and have finally whittled the list down to:

Bess Violet
Violet Elizabeth
Martha Elizabeth

There is a reason for the strong Elizabeth theme!

[Beamur]

I actually like Violet Elizabeth best - but you are aware of the Bonnie Langford/Just William associations...
Martha Elizabeth is easier to say.
Not liking Bess Violet so much.

[seeker]

Martha is just wonderful- whatevervyou put it with!

[Gluttondressedaslamb]

Bess Violet - doesnt sound right, I think Bess is a most unappealing name<br /> Violet Elizabeth - is lovely if you dont mind the Just William association
Martha Elizabeth - I love the name Martha

[OvO]

I LOVE the name Elizabeth.

But from that list I'd go with Martha Elizabeth. Gorgeous.

[birdofthenorth]

I have a Bess (full name Elizabeth). I think Bess Violet is fab. Love Martha too, though!

[MelinaM]

Martha Elizabeth for me

[Cereal]

Violet Elizabeth

[CurwySwide]

Love Martha and Violet - actually prefer Violet but I agree with previous posters - the Violet Elizabeth connection is too strong.

[BonnieWeeJeannieMcCall]

I also think you can't call a child Violet Elizabeth; the association with Violet Elizabeth Bott is just too strong.

[LadyMontdore]

I like Violet Martha!

[SunnilyEnough]

Martha Elizabeth, by a long chalk. Lovely,

[survivingsummer]

Martha Elizabeth sounds nicest to me of your combinations. Violet always makes me think of Parma Violets (yuck!) and Bess is my least favourite nn of Elizabeth. But I absolutely love Elizabeth in its own right!

[hester]

Martha Elizabeth.

[LikeACandleButNotQuite]

Martha Bess.

Sorry to jig them around

[fairimum]

Marta Elizabeth ot Elizabeth Martha

[KnitterInTheNW]

I actually really like Violet Elizabeth, and didn't have a clue that that was the Bonnie Langford character's name. It's not like you'd walk around calling her by her full name anyway, is it? (Unless she was in trouble!)

Or how about Tess instead of Bess?

[LetThereBeRock]

Violet Elizabeth. I really don't understand the appeal of Martha.

[hester]

Oh, I like Tess.

[pilates]

Violet Elizabeth, agree with Knitter you won't be calling her by both names.

[Cereal]

Bess is a lovely name but just doesn't flow with Violet. How about Bess Viola?

[Hassled]

Violet Elizabeth is lovely, but she was a character in the Just William books/TV series - a spoilt, horrible princess with a lisp.

I like Martha lots.

[TheFantasticFixit]

Oh wow, thanks everyone!

Good point about the Violet Elizabeth combo - it doesn't have great connotations in JW..

Violet is my much treasured Granny's name, and Elizabeth is my MILs name, who has sadly passed - so both of those names are very dear to us. However, Martha recently keeps coming to me and I love the combination of it with Elizabeth.

My sister is called Elizabeth so unfortunately it is out as a first name - hence we tried to think of a nn version and thought of Bess. I quite like the fact that it is a strong, yet feminine name.

But thank you so much for all of your replies... our baby is due in just a few weeks and this naming business is an important one to get right!

[LadyMontdore]

Is it possible you might have another dd one day and could use one of the names for her. I used up all my special names on dd 1.