If not Alice or Jane or Madeline, what? Help!

[TheFace]

Hi All,

DD is due in Sept, and we're still undecided on a name.

Front runner always has been Alice, but I think because we've liked it for so long (DS would of been Alice but he was born a boy) that we're starting to go off it.

DH loves Madeline, but I can't help but think of that poor little girl who went missing. It's the first thing I think of when I hear the name.

We also like Jane, but my parents and his have said it's 'boring'. Even though we don't think it is, it's put us off.

DS is Henry, and our surname is Holmes.

Any suggestions?

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

I think the aversion to Jane is probably a generational thing. Its not boring its a lovely name that is not commonly used these days. But it used to be very common (as in there were a lot of them).

I often put Susan, Fiona and Claire in the same category as Jane.

[GoldPlatedBacon]

I quite like Jane as it isn't common these days (it was the default middle name for my generation)

How about Louisa, Marianne, Lydia?

[Rainbow728]

Mary Alice Holmes

[notagiraffe]

I love the name Jane. And Janie is really pretty as a nickname.
I love all three names though - so not much help.

[NoncommittalToSparkleMotion]

I love Alice and Jane.

In fact, Alice Jane or Jane Alice are very pretty. Both initial wise, you're OK.

But I love Jane and Henry the most.

Best wishes!

[AuntJane]

I'm somewhat biased! Jane is actually quite rare these days, and can have Janie, Jenny or Jay as nn.

[Ilikebats123]

Alice. It's a gorgeous name!

[spankhurst]

Marianne, Nell, Selena?

I also like Jane.

[NovaArt3mis]

Alice and Jane are lovely! In fact, I might go add Jane to my ever-expanding list (Alice is already on it!)

[LolaStarr]

I love Alice, very pretty name!

[ThomasHardyPerennial]

Victoria.

[TroysMammy]

How about Alicia Jane?

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Love Alice, love Jane

Mary
Celia ( anagram of Alice..)
Alison
Cecilia
Louisa
Susanna
Alexandra
Susan
Frances
Marian
Amanda
Margaret / Marguerite
Nicola
Verity
Felicity
Sarah
Serena
Sabrina
Venetia
Audrey
Eliza
Eloise
Beth

[VanellopeVonSchweetz99]

Clara?

[Gracey79]

I love Alice my ds would have been Alice if he was a dd. How about Jayne to mix it up a little?

[reup]

Do you like the other pronounciation of Madeline? As in the French books? - mad - e -Lyne - the end rhymes with vine. That would make it different

Jane is great and due a resurgence - I know so many 50 somethings (myself included) it would be great to have babies called that.

[Eloisaa]

Alice, who the .... Is Alice. Sorry I couldn't resist

What about:-

Daisy, Penelope, Rose, Chloe.

Good luck and congrats

[Fostec1]

I have a Madeleine and was a little concerned about the Madeleine McCann connection but honestly now it never enters my head. A child grows into and then owns a name totally. I think it's just because you don't hear of many older Madeleine's that you make that connection. People are still named Rose all the time, Rose West doesn't seem to have harmed that name!

[TheFace]

That's very true about Rose West, I never even thought about that.

I quiet like the suggestion of Alice Jane, espically as we are struggling for a middle name. DH thinks it should mean something but he doesn't like any of the names of women in our family's, so that's annoying!

[TheFace]

I love celia and also Cecily but DH is a firm no as he's rubbish

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Alternative spellings

Magdeline
Magdelin
Maddelyn.

Moira
Maura
Laura
Lucy, pretty rare
Lucilla
Pamela, v rare these days
Pauline or Paulina, ditto.
Deborah
Anne/Ann, not many of these.

[OrlandaFuriosa]

Does either family come from a particular area? Eg Wales or the North, so you could have something from there? Is there a particular historic association with where you live or where babe was conceived ( think Florence nightingale..)

[TheFace]

We're from East London. The only 'cockney' names I can think of are Nancy, Eliza or Queenie and DH doesn't like any of those, though I don't actually mind Nancy or Eliza.

[minipie]

Juliet or Julia
Jean
Eloise
Cara
Amy