Catherine or Penelope?

[IzzyWizzyletsgetbusy]

DC3 due in 10 weeks, don't know if boy or girl so trying to pick possible names for each and thought I'd canvass opinions on possible girls names.

I have always loved Catherine (has to be that spelling!) and almost used it for DD - only put off slightly by royal wedding association. I was fairly set on it this time round but now I'm also finding myself increasingly drawn to Penelope. Middle name would be Hope. Surname is short and begins with D.

So it would be:

Catherine Hope D... or
Penelope Hope D...

Any thoughts?

[tummytickler]

Penelope, as I can't stand any of the nn for Catherine.

[minipie]

Catherine. Don't worry about the royal thing, the name has been a classic for ages and will be for ages to come. Penelope is quite nice but she'll be Penny which is a bit blah to me.

[rachel234]

Penelope is lovely and less widely used than Catherine which is a little dull in comparison. I particularly dislike Cathy.

[pilates]

Catherine, dislke Penelope.

My niece is Catherine and has never been called any of the awful nicknames.

[LetThereBeRock]

Penelope.

[ThenameisBlack]

Penelope is a fantastic name. Catherine is a bit plainer.

[MelinaM]

Penelope

[pinkytheshrinky]

Catherine - it is much more versatile. Penny is a bit bleurgh and little girly.

[exoticfruits]

Catherine

[Offspring]

I really like both but lean slightly more to Penelope, nn Nell

[CurwySwide]

Catherine. Love it

Penelope reminds me of Penelope Pitstop. Sorry

[IzzyWizzyletsgetbusy]

Thanks all for your feedback so far - although no obvious consensus

If it helps, other DCs are Isaac and Sophie...

[FessaEst]

Catherine all the way for me!

[brodanbell]

Catherine is the better option here. It is a classic and i don't think you should be worried about Kate Middleton associations.

Penelope is not for me I'm afraid. I really dislike Penny as the inevitable nickname.

[SlinkingOutsideInSocks]

Definitely Catherine, and yes, spelt with a C!

[CollieandPup]

Penelope for me I'm afraid! In think Penelope Hope sounds lovely. I think Carherine is very nice, and will be popular, but having said that wouldn't really worry about Royal associations. I just think Penelope has a little more about it. Yes, coud be called Penny, but Carherine coud become Cath, or Cathy which I personally don't like.

Penelope = PHD that's got too be a good sign!!

@ Isaac, I love this! Very high contender for us!!!

[FrankH]

Catherine is based on the Greek word for "pure".
Penelope is ancient Greek for a sort of duck - a wigeon to be precise.

[NotADudeExactly]

Penelope.

Catherine is really, really bland.

[reallacecurtains]

Penelope, my mother's name, she was named after a ship. Gorgeous.

[reallacecurtains]

I thought Penelope meant 'weaver' in Greek, FrankH, pene being the weaving 'pen'

[Hassled]

Catherine.
More nn options than the inevitable Penny.

[Meteorite]

Penelope

[DontTellAnyonebut]

Both on my list! Penelope over Catherine.

[ViviPru]

Penelope for sure - Penny is not necessarily inevitable if she becomes an Nell (utterly lovely nn).
Or you could really push the boat out with Persephone :)

[FrankH]

reallacecurtains, whether or not there was a weaving connection, its main meaning was a sort of duck. Hence the scientific name for the Wigeon (duck)is Anas penelope.