We've got it down to 4 for each - honest opinions if you please

[blueberryink]

Boys

Zebedee James
Zebedee Andrew
Zephyr Andrew
Zeno Eddy

Girls

Iona Mary
Ida Mary
Ines Catherine
Iona Catherine

[tummytickler]

Zebedee James and Ida Mary

[rachel234]

Love Zebedee and Ida!

[phlossie]

My opinion...

Zephyr Andrew (I really dislike the name Andrew, though. Edward instead?)

Iona Mary or Catherine - both lovely. If we have a dd this time, her middle name will be Mary or Kathryn (just because that's how my mum's name is spelt).

[Meteorite]

Zebedee Andrew for a boy.

James seems to be quite a "default" middle name on MN at the moment - it goes with anything but that makes it a bit of a too-obvious choice.

Iona Mary for a girl.

Ida too old-ladyish, Ines trying too hard to be different/exotic, Mary more refreshing than Catherine.

[Rhubarbgarden]

I don't like Ida but your other girls names are all beautiful. Your boys names are not my cup of tea, sorry.

[Catsycat]

How about Zeno James? I have a DD called Zena, so admit a slight bias! Iona Mary is the girls name I like best from your list.

[cece]

I like Ines or Iona for a girl but not really sure about your boys names. Especially Zebedee - have you watched The Magic Roundabout?

[MelinaM]

Ines Catherine is lovely

Love Zephyr, but not with Andrew. How about Zephyr James or Edward as suggested above? ...Alexander would be rather fab too!

[suspiria]

I like Iona Catherine and Ines Catherine

I also prefer Zephyr James to Zephyr Andrew

[Clary]

I think Zeb is quite funky (sounds a bit like Seb but otherwise all right), so Zebedee is acceptable as long as you never call him his full name!

Zephyr and Zeno don't sound like names, sorry. Names at the end of the alphabet are not said to be a good thing BTW (always at the end of the queue).

Iona is a lovely name, I know two very nice ones, tho both have a Scottish connection so I might assume that (doens't matter tho, that's just my stuff).

[Williamsmum02]

Zephyr Andrew
Iona Catherine

[tammytoby]

Zebedee is great - lovely, cool and underused. And Zeb is a cute nickname for when he's smaller (I find it much nicer than Seb, which reminds me of sebacious = oily).

For a girl, I'd choose Iona.

[tammytoby]

"Zebedee is acceptable as long as you never call him his full name!"

Why would you give your child a (lovely) name only to 'never use it'

[Tewkespeggy]

i also think it depends on the area in where you live. round by me Zebedee would get highly bullied for a name like that. isnt Zephyr a wind?

He's gotta walk around with it the rest of his life... poor boy!

[tammytoby]

Really, is Zebedee THAT different than Zachary, Sebastian or Ezekiel?

I don't think so personally and I can't see what would be teaseworthy about it. There are far more teasworthy names out there imo (e.g. Willy, Gay-briel etc.)

[MediumOrchid]

I think Zebedee is the best of your boys names - I can't say I really like it but that it probably down to the magic roundabout and this generation of children probably won't know about it. Andrew and James equally nice as middle names. Zephyr and Zeno I don't associate as being names I'm afraid.

Both Ida and Iona are lovely, I prefer Catherine as a middle name.

[seeker]

You can't, Unser any circumstances, call a boy Zephyr. Zebedee is bad enough, but Zepyh is ghastly. And Zeno is not even a name.

Why would you call a girl a nice name that won't dominate her life, but a boy something he will have to explain every single timenhe tells his name for the rest of his life?

[Francagoestohollywood]

Zeno is a beautiful name.
I also like Iona, Ida and Ines.

Have no idea re the second names, I am not used to using 2nd names.

[Francagoestohollywood]

Zeno is an old Italian name Seeker. There is also a famous early XX Italian novel with the name Zeno in the title.

[Tewkespeggy]

tammyboy i agree , but all of those names are teaseworthy. having said that i suppose its charater building. DD is at school with a boy called Ace!

[seeker]

Well, so long a the baby is an old Italian......

[Francagoestohollywood]

... It is better than Rocco, imho

[phlossie]

My DS is OBSESSED with the name Rocco! He really wants us to call the baby I'm expecting Rocco... I don't dislike it, it's just not for us!

[EightiesChick]

Iona Mary and Iona Catherine both lovely. Not keen on the first names you have picked for boys, but Andrew is a nice change as a middle name.