Anyone fancy helping me to narrow down please?

Eliza - I love this but would use it as a nn for Elizabeth (best of both worlds!)
Martha - I really dislike this name. I know it's a name that many people love, but I've just never got it ...
Elspeth - I don't like this - it doesn't run off my tongue properly
Beatrice (Bea) - Nice
Elizabeth - Just gorgeous! My favourite ever girls name (and of course you can use Eliza as a nn so using two of your favs)
Esther - Ok
Imogen - Ok
Katherine (Kate) - Beautiful!
Madeleine - Ok

So, my favourite would be Elizabeth/Eliza followed by Katherine (Kate)
My least favourites are Martha and Elspeth

Specialsmasher, I loved all your list and it was practically identical to mine!!! I have 3 dd's two of whom are Martha & Esther!!!
My experiences of their names are:
Everyone loves Martha but got to be hon and say it is certainly getting much more popular in recent years. My Martha is 7 but have heard it several times on younger girls. Don't know if that would bother you? That said she is the only one in her school and I don't know any recently born.
Esther also attracts lots of positive comments yet when she started school there was another in her class! Who'd have thought it:-)
I guess you just can't predict it and therefore should just go for the name you love most!
I've recently had dc4 and we were planning on Elizabeth or Vivienne.
Good luck xxx

Eliza - Yes, beautiful
Martha - nope
Elspeth - nope
Beatrice (Bea) - Yes, Lovely
Elizabeth - Yes
Esther - nope
Imogen - ok
Katherine (Kate) - Yes, beautiful
Madeleine - ok

I'm less keen on Martha because it is open to horrible pronunciation. I used to live near a grotty city with a grotty pub known locally as 'Marfas'.

I would eliminate Elspeth - sorry - it sounds like quite a tweedy old lady name to me

My favourites are Elizabeth, Madeleine and Katherine.

Esther also nice

How about Marta as an alternative to Martha?

Eliza and Katherine are both great but Katherine probably has more nn possibilities

All lovely nmaes. 5 of which were on my list when naming DD - Martha, Esther, Eliza, Beatrice, Elspeth (Elsie).

We went for Martha Felicity-Rose and have no regrets, as it suits her perfectly. Good luck with your choices

I'm biased but Katherine definitely gets my vote!

I like Madeleine but really dislike Maddie. However, it is quite possible to avoid shortenings if you so choose - I've never been Katy or Kathy (thank goodness!)

Quite like Esther, think that is nicer than Eliza. Like Elizabeth better than Elspeth though. Elspeth sounds a bit dated to me but then these names all come and go in circles I suppose.
Don't like Imogen all that much. It sounds a bit too frilly to me.

sorry didn't mean to copy your list out again in my message! good luck deciding by the way, keep us posted....

I really like the names on your list, especially Martha, Katherine/Kate and Elizabeth - would find it hard to pick one of these but Martha probably tops it for me.

I'm not a fan of Madeleine because there are sooooo many around and I think Elsa or Elizabeth are much nicer than Elspeth for some reason.

Eliza (though curse that Sonya off of Eastenders!)
Martha
Elspeth
Beatrice (Bea)
Elizabeth
Esther
Imogen
Katherine (Kate)
Madeleine

Eliza
Elspeth
Imogen
Elizabeth
Katherine (Kate)

I like the names above, in that order. Hopefully 'Sonia' isn't popular enough to influence Eliza becoming mainstream. I really, really wish I had pushed to call my first DD Eliza.

Your list is spookily similar to mine , although we don't yet know what we're having. I am leaning towards Katherine / Kate I think, nice and classic and a name that I know I won't go off down the line. The other front runner for me, not on your list, is Alice - just in case you're looking for more suggestions!

Love your whole list. Favourites are Martha (wanted it for my DD but DH was none too keen!) and Elizabeth.
If there is one I am not so keen on, its Elspeth - not sure why though!

let us know your decision!

I don't really have any preference to Catherine over Katherine - but I think it is fine to name Catherine and nickname Kate - I don't think that the different letters matter.

I have a sister Catherine and she was always Kate/Katie with a K.

It is a lovely name. If I didn't dislike my sister so much I would have used it

Yes, Kreecher, you should have just called her Kate and be done with it, Kate is a fab name :o

OP - like most of your list, although not particularly Madeleine or Esther. Think my favourites on there are Martha and Elspeth. FWIW though, Kate is a lovely name, I've always loved being called it, so my overall vote would be for you to call her Catherine with a nn Kate :)

Lovely list, the only 2 I really don't like are Elspeth and Esther.

I absolutely love Madeleine. Beatrice, Eliza, Imogen, Katherine and Elizabeth all great too.

I'm a Catherine and I can assure you my name has NEVER been shortened.

All lovely classic names. I'd think of what sounds best with your surname.

I like Katherine (Kate)best of all.

All lovely names, but don't like Madeline.

Naah, Catherine --> Kate is fine. If you can make Nell out of Helena (random example!), then anything is acceptable! :o