What do you think of my girls’ shortlist?

[PastaBolognaise]

Dorothea
Matilda
Tabitha
Juno
Marigold (nn Goldie)
Aster
Aphra
Ivy
Ione
Olive

[Laaalaaaa]

Too try hard - sorry. Ivy and Matilda are probably a bit too popular from the impression I’m getting of your taste.

[Carolebaskins]

I know someone who called her daughter Iona. Unfortunately her surname is Dick. Her son is called Hunter. I wish I was making it up.

[Carolebaskins]

Please. Call her Carole.

[FamilyOfAliens]

Goldie? Seriously, no.

The others - if you like them, why not? Do you have a favourite in that list, OP?

[kissmysass]

Marigold. All I think of are the runner gloves you use to do the dishes.

[PastaBolognaise]

My favourite is Dorothea or Aster. My husband’s is Ivy. My eldest daughter’s is Marigold and my second daughter’s favourite is Olive. It’s hard to reconcile our tastes.

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

Dorothea. I don't like it. Although funnily enough I love Dorothy.
I think Dorothea is edging in to being too try hard.

Matilda. I blow hot and cold with this name. At the moment I'm cold.

Tabitha. See Matilda.

Juno. Awful.

Marigold. No. However I like the idea of Goldie as a nn. That's really sweet.

Aster. I actually like the sound, but It sounds like Asda.

Aphra. Awful

Ivy. At last I can be positive. I feel like I've torn your short list to pieces. I love this.

Ione. Can't give an opinion as I don't know how it's pronounced.

Olive. Don't like it, sorry.

[ParsleyPot]

Dorothea - ok
Matilda - nice
Tabitha - love it
Juno- no
Marigold (nn Goldie) - no to both
Aster - no
Aphra - no
Ivy - nice
Ione - no
Olive - nice

[Whatsyourflava]

Love Juno Matilda Ivy and Olive

[FamilyOfAliens]

Dorothea is my favourite out of your family’s favourites OP.

I’m afraid I don’t like Aster - it doesn’t even sound like a name to me.

[PastaBolognaise]

Dorothea I love because when my mother was dying we read Middlemarch together.

Aster I love because I like the flowers plus is a Romanised version is Esther which was my grandmother’s name.

[Blursula]

I love them all except for Dorothea (too old lady-ish - prefer Theodora), Aster and Aphra. Love the rest - particularly Marigold, Tabitha, Matilda and Juno. Nicest list I’ve seen in a while on here

[Anthilda]

I agree with the same names as @Whatsyourflava

[userabcname]

I love Tabitha! Great name. I like Juno and Olive too. Matilda is ok. Not keen on the rest.

[FamilyOfAliens]

Matilda is very popular (I work in a school but not in an area where you’d find anyone with any of your other names, OP!).

Ivy is getting more popular.

Do you like Rosemary? Loads of nickname options if you want to do the weird MN thing of choosing your child’s nn rather than letting it develop organically.

[Orphlids]

Your reason for adding Dorothea to your list is beautiful, OP. I can quite understand your wanting to use it.

My favourite from your list is Juno. It is a lovely simple sound, and I like the unusual ‘o’ at the end. Not many names that end with an o. It sounds sophisticated. I’d expect a Juno would be interesting company.

[CuppaZa]

Don’t like any of them apart from Ivy

[Elsiebear90]

Honestly, a lot of them sound very pretentious to me, I love Ivy though.

[LilacSloth]

I like Tabitha, Marigold and Aster. What about Aster Dorothea? Do your other dds have more unusual names?

[pilates]

Matilda is my favourite

Delilah?

[123Dancewithme]

I love Marigold! Aphra is great too, makes me think of Aphra Behn.

[Crabbo]

I like Juno. Not mad on any of the others though. Esther is lovely, much nicer than Aster - sound similar but totally different vibe imo.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

Only one I like is Olive.

[Aclh13]

Dorothea❌
Matilda❌ too many people using the og spelling now
Tabitha❌ icky name
Juno❔love it but think of the film
Marigold (nn Goldie)❔not sure don't love don't hate
Aster❌ no
Aphra✔️ unusual but like it
Ivy✔️ nice unique name
Ione❔not sure
Olive ✔️ love it

[Awrite]

I love Dorothea. Jon Bon Jovi's wife is called Dorothea.

Don't like the rest. Ivy will always be Ivy Brennan from Coronation Street so I have never understood it's revival.