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Baby names

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Original poster

One week till the registry office appointment: our girl's name shortlist

61 replies

RakeABedOfTyneFilth · 22/09/2013 10:40

Baby girl is two weeks old, and we have booked our slot at the registry office a week tomorrow... Need a name!

The brief is 1. to go with DS (George) but not in too matchy a way. 2. To be "euro-royal" or otherwise vaguely aristocratic. 3. Not too popular but not unspellable/have to be explained all the time. 4. Surnames for last two initials are C P, the P is one-syllable so given name has to be 2 or more beats. 5. Nothing ending in -ia, -ie, -y, much prefer strong consonant endings.

We started with a long list of more like 20 and are now down to these, just looking for last votes really, or if there are unfortunate nicknames.

Beatrix
Edith
Helena
Marguerite
Matilda
Rosalind

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InfiniteJest · 22/09/2013 14:17

I like Helena, Rosalind and Matilda the best, but agree that Matilda is getting quite popular. I'd probably go with Helena from your list.

sleepingbeautiful · 22/09/2013 18:23

I like your list (aside from prefer Beatrice to trix), but I don't think Marguerite or Edith go well with George if that really matters to you.
I agree with pp who made the sitcom comment. George and Edith are nice alone, but together they "frumpify" the other.

Helena or Rosalind are great.
How about Anastasia?

elcranko · 23/09/2013 08:02

Matilda is my favourite from your list

wiltingfast · 23/09/2013 09:14

I like Edith best.

Don't think people will stop to consider the name pairing v often so I wouldn't worry about that too much though I see what people mean with the sitcom comments.

I like rosalind next I think.

Enjoy the choosing!

looki · 23/09/2013 09:27

Another vote for Matilda although cant bear the nn Tilly which is the reason I discounted it from my own short list.

I'm not a fan of Edith and the inevitable nn Edie is one of those 'cutesy' names I can't abide and certainly takes away from any vaguely aristocratic feel IMO.

What about Margaret? But please don't shorten it to Peggy or Daisy or similar names suited only to old spinsters. (My own opinion only of course). Maggie is a lovely shortening as is Margot or even Meg.

I'm presuming Elizabeth is either your or your mothers name? If not, it would certainly fit your criteria and has endless possibilities for nicknames.

looki · 23/09/2013 09:29

Ps I forgot one. Is Mary too short? It's classic, simple, understated and not too popular these days?

Original poster
RakeABedOfTyneFilth · 23/09/2013 10:18

Considered both Anastasia and Mary... The latter I just find a bit dull, and the former I gather was a character in 50 shades? Wouldn't want to be explaining that there's no connection for the first few years of baby's life!

Yes, Elizabeth is grannie's name. My grandmother keeps pushing Jane, I've no idea what the significance is, and my mother also thinks I should use my grandmother's name (Lillian) which is lovely, but versions of it are very popular among the Eastern European community where we are.

Margaret yes but I just like the Dutch/French spelling better, Marguerite. Oh god that could just be random pretentiousness couldn't it.

Leonora is a nice one... Is it pronounced Lee-oh-noar-ah? Or more like Leonard with an a ending, Len-oar-ah?

OP posts:
Artandco · 23/09/2013 10:53

Leonora - lee-oh-noar-ra pronounciation is all I have heard. Nn Nora, Nellie, Leo, lea, Leni, ellie, Elle

jobwoes · 23/09/2013 17:41

I'm pretty sure Beatrix is above Frances in the name charts...

jobwoes · 23/09/2013 17:46

Yes, Beatrix is no. 272, Frances is no. 493.

Hulababy · 23/09/2013 17:47

I like Matilda best, followed by Edith.

I am not so keen on Helena, Marguerite and Rosalind. Beatrix is ok.

Hulababy · 23/09/2013 17:50

From your last post - I really like Anastasia too.

jobwoes · 23/09/2013 17:50

Louise is no. 291. I think Louisa has more of an aristocratic feel, that's something like no. 280.

PestoSwimissimos · 23/09/2013 17:50

Margarita is pretty too Smile

BeattieBow · 23/09/2013 17:53

I like Beatrix out of those names (probably prefer Beatrice). Bee is lovely.

Marguerite is nice for the Daisy nickname I think - although you'd probably spend your life explaining it.

What about Cecilia or Cecily (royal names). I also like Miranda?

InStyle · 23/09/2013 19:08

OP, isn't it driving you mad not having a name? We named our baby too quickly. She's nearly 2 wks too and I'm really unsure of the name. We haven't registered her yet so may still name change but I hate the uncertainty. So wish we'd sorted it out definitively earlier. Feel totally unable to committ now, either to the name we have chosen or a new one!!

An really annoyed with myself actually and it's ruining my newborn snuggles Sad

Original poster
RakeABedOfTyneFilth · 23/09/2013 19:19

It's not unsettling us at all Wink - family and some friends quite another matter, but we fended off a few weeks of "ANY NEWS YET??" (baby came at 42 weeks) so we can handle these weeks of "ANY NAME YET??" easily!! This was always the plan, to wait after birth, tbh I'd love to spin it out the full six weeks but DH booked the registry office appointment for the three week point, which is fine.

I don't regret DS's name but I do think we could have done a bit more research. If I had known how popular 'George' was (just outside top ten) I probably would have gone for something way further down the charts.

Cecily was on the list earlier, DH binned it. Louisa and Frances don't grab me... there is something a little 'ballet school' about them to me (yes I know that is a random comment but sometimes it's about impressions isn't it!)

Beatrix and Rosalind are my favourites. This thread has somewhat put me off Edith due to the 'frumpy' impression it has given some of you. :) Helena seems a little bland now, the Roald Dahl pairing of George and Matilda is funny but could get silly when they're teenagers, and I worry that Marguerite is a bit pretentious now.

OP posts:
looki · 23/09/2013 19:50

I wouldn't have thought Marguerite is pretentious at all. Perhaps that's because I grew up next to a very typical farmers wife who was never seen without a big apron and whose name was Marguerite though. My advice would be to go with the name you really like rather than the one that fits your criteria the best. I'm not sure if that helps at all if you have two favourites though!

TheYamiOfYawn · 23/09/2013 20:51

Rosalind, Matilda and (to a lesser extent) Beatrix are very popular, so she is likely to be one of several in her school year if that's an issue. They are all nice names, though.

fruitpastille · 23/09/2013 22:06

It's true Matilda is popular, more so than Alexandra in my experience. My favourite girl's name is Rosa which is nice diminutive of Rosalind.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 23/09/2013 22:08

Helena is my favourite, followed by Edith (but much prefer Edie).

babycakemumma · 24/09/2013 09:33

Beatrix gets my vote!

Original poster
RakeABedOfTyneFilth · 24/09/2013 11:35

Yami when I realised George was 11th most popular in 2009 I thought that would mean almost certainly he would be one of many in his school year... But he's just started reception and in an intake of 45 he is the only one!

So I did check the ONS tables for all these, Matilda is the most popular across England and Wales but is still way down in about the 300s I think, so I thought we would have to be living in somewhere like Hampstead or Putney for the local "Matilda Index" to be so high that there is another in the class. But those fashions are so variable, I don't really mind. It would be ironic if DS managed to go through school without a namesake but DD had to be called 'Beatrix P'...!

OP posts:
looki · 24/09/2013 16:33

Ah have you def decided on Beatrix? It's lovely.

AmandaPandtheNightmareMonsters · 24/09/2013 16:39

I like Rosalind and Edith best.

I think -a endings are quite soft, and you said you prefer stronger consonant endings (so do I) so I am less keen on Helena (prefer Helen. Also always that 'is it Hell-ay-na or Helen-a thing to deal with ) and Matilda.

I like Beatrix, but do always mentally add Potter, so Beatrix P?

Marguerite is nice, but again I like harder endings so prefer Margaret.