lots of honest opinions on my girls list please!

got to say they all shout "granny" to me
but could grow on me........
not sure really
sorry!

Gwendolen (nn Winnie) has this name outlived being the villain in Malory Towers??
Winifred (nn Winnie) nice oldfashioned name. One of my colleagues is called Winni.
Iris - cant like this name
Dorothy - nice
Cordelia - No, makes me think of King Lear
Penelope - nice
Pearl - no
Polly - nice
Prudence (i ike P's !) - yes
Audrey - yes
Phyllis -yes
Enid - why not, its got to come back some time and its a nice name.
Sally - short for Sarah isnt it, along the same lines as Hal and Dal
Mary - yes
Esmeralda (NOT nn Esme though) - are you joking??
Margaret (Maggie) - nn Meg perhaps? v nice name
Juniper - no. no. no. makes me think of gin.
Jean - she will wear thick jerseys and be very sensible.

matilda's good too (tilly) or elizabeth (libby). Actually I really like the name Jane at the moment and John for a boy. think it's a bit of a backlash against all the stupid, made-up names that are so popular at the moment (not that any of your suggestions are stupid, op!)

You asked for honest:

Gwendolen (nn Winnie)horrid
Winifred (nn Winnie) ditto
Iris not bad
Dorothy no one would want to be your friend
Cordelia poncey
Penelope No m'lady
Pearl downmarket
Polly put the kettle on will ya!
Prudence (i ike P's !) okay
Audrey no
Phyllis yuk
Enid again, no
Sally a dog's name
Mary good
Esmeralda (NOT nn Esme though)pretentious
Margaret (Maggie) okay
Juniper FFS
Jean okay

How about Rita or Miriam? Or Velda? Or Clara? Ivy? Jane? Hazel?

Gwendolen (nn Winnie)-noooooooo
Winifred (nn Winnie)-noooooooooo
Iris-lovely very pretty
Dorothy-i like it
Cordelia-like it but would be shortened to cordy which dont like.
Penelope-like
Pearl-love,i know a pearl,very pretty name
Polly-like it
Prudence (i ike P's !)-not sure,dont hate but dont love
Audrey-no
Phyllis-no
Enid-no
Sally-no
Mary-like
Esmeralda (NOT nn Esme though)like esme but not esmeralda
Margaret (Maggie)-love
Juniper-nooooo
Jean-no

I quite like Cordelia, nn Delia.

Gwendolyn is nice but nn Winnie makes me think of Pooh.

Jean is actually ok but not Jeannie.

Someone suggested Gretta, that is lovely but Greta is the (proper? German) spelling.

What about Martha?

Only read OP.

Love Dorothy (on our short list) and Cordelia (would be on our shortlist if dh hadn't vetoed!).

Really like Penelope, Prudence and Sally.

Think Pearl, Margaret, Winifred, Phyllis and Jean are all quite old lady sounding.

Indifferent to the others.

Oh, I thought wen/wyn on the end of anything meant white. I bow to your superior wisdom though Calisteregg!!

I ADORE the name Sally, always wanted it to be my name.
Can't use it myself as the surname it would have go with is Stone
Please use it for me!!

What about Edith or Edie instead of Enid so a bit less twee? I was toying with idea of enid fr a girls name too but every now and again it just seem a bit too old lady-ish!

I don't like any of them, sorry

Penelope
Polly
Sally
Maggie

I think Iris, Cordelia and Sally are okay.

What about Olwen with Winnie for short? I know Bronwen has already been suggested, but white footprint is nicer than white breast!!

Absolutely love Penelope though, it has so many brilliant nns. Poppy, Polly, Lupe, Nell, Penny.....

Phyllis is the only one on the list that would make me WINCE if I were introduced to a baby called this. I would have to use my hands to rearrange my face.

Sorry-getting confused on threads-I thought I was on the Else, Freda, Ethel, Winifred one! Mind you-I still think Enid, Cordelia etc come straight from 1920's school heroines!

They all sound like something out of a 1920's girl's school book! Akin to calling a boy Ronald or Reginald.I think collision has an excellent test. The Freda that I know has always said that at least her name would never make a comeback, I must tell her that she was wrong! Up to now it has only been a Blue Peter tortoise.

I really think they are all awful.

DO THE TEST (which is what I always do with names!)

'This is Hilda Stewart, News at 10, in Iraq.'

'This is your Captain, Phyllis Maynard, speaking....'

They sound like old women! and not someone I would have confidence in flying my plane! LOL.

what about Coral? Am not keen myself but a little girl in ds2's class is Coral and it has grown on me.

Catriona is my dr's name which is quite pretty?

Gwendolen (nn Winnie)No
Winifred (nn Winnie) No
Iris Yes
Dorothy No
Cordelia Maybe
Penelope No
Pearl No
Polly Maybe
Prudence (i ike P's !) Definitely no
Audrey Yes
Phyllis No
Enid No
Sally No
Mary No
Esmeralda (NOT nn Esme though) Yes - I know a baby esme too and it is actually a lovely name.
Margaret (Maggie) maybe
Juniper yes
Jean No

Very Enid Blyton names!

Don't like any of them except Cordelia and Sally. Polly is ok but it reminds mioe of a victorian maid. They are all a bit 50 something womens institute names, so probably due for a revival.

I like:

Gwen
Iris
Polly
Mary

and I really don't like any of the rest.They will really date.

I like Margaret, especially Maggie (but never Peggy).
Polly and Penny are OK.
Winifred is unfair on child!
Pearl is like Ruby-don't like them.
Prudence-very open to teasing.
Juniper -the child would need to be quite confident to carry it off!
Esmerelda OK if known as Esme.
Phyllis, Enid, Audrey and Cordelia-don't like at all.
The other 3 not keen on.

Winifred (nn Winnie) - not keen
Iris - I prefer Ivy
Dorothy - Yes love it and would use Dot to shorten it...
Cordelia - not for me this one
Penelope - really love this one too
Pearl - no
Polly - put the kettle on? no
Prudence (i ike P's !) - OK
Audrey - really like this, very sophisticated
Phyllis - definite no
Enid - I like
Sally - know one of these and she is sweet little girl
Mary - yes unusual so like nice take you anywhere name
Esmeralda - why not Esme????
Margaret (Maggie) - OK
Juniper - No don't like at all
Jean - not for me this one

If you like older style names I really love Verity.

-Gwendolen (nn Winnie) - not keen on winnie but Gwen is nice
-Winifred (nn Winnie) - not keen at all
-Iris - love it
-Dorothy - ok
-Cordelia - hmmmmmmmmm, not sure
-Penelope - like it
-Pearl - not keen, reminds me of very old women and bath things
-Polly - lkike it
-Prudence (i ike P's !) - like it, but think she'll get shortened to Prude
-Audrey - like it
-Phyllis - don't like it
-Enid - like it
-Sally - like it
-Mary - don't like it, personal reasons tho
-Esmeralda (NOT nn Esme though) - no
-Margaret (Maggie) - like it
-Juniper - not keen