help! my unnamed baby girl is 4 weeks old!!

Not that you're trying to persuade her or anything Raeray

one very large vote for Josie! I do also like Martha - but i think Josie pips it for me.
Look forward to hearing your final decision for your little one.

A little (hopefully helpful!) cut and paste from a baby name website - if you did decide on josie and did want a "longer" or more formal version.......
Jo [Jobelle, Jobeth, Jodean, Jodelle,Jodie Joetta, Joette, Jolana, Joleesa, Jolene, Jolinda, Jolisa, Jolise, Jolissa, Jolyn, Jolynn, Jo-Marie, Jonell, Jonelle, Jonessa, Jonetia, Joniece, Jonique, Jonisa, Joquise, Jorene, Josanna, Josanne, Jovelle, Jozette]Jane [Joan, Joana, Joanna, Johanna, Johnetta, Johnna, Jonella, Jonelle]

dotty I really hope you get a girl this time.

Mum in a muddle have you and DH decided yet? How about Kerry-Anne? My brother's girlfriend's name. I think it's suitable sutiable for a child and adult alike.

Also. I love the name Connie.

I like Martha better, plus it's like Martha in Doctor Who who is very cool - and then her initials would be MN too

But really if she is 4 weeks old already, you must be getting a bit of a feel for her personality (as far as tiny babies have one), so I would go with whichever seems to suit her best, or if you can't imagine calling her either one, then something else altogether. If it doesn't feel "right" to you, you might end up feeling you picked the wrong name.

I love Martha. I'm not keen on Josie personally, no particular reason why though.

Are you any closer to deciding?

I adore Martha. We chose it for our girl's name when pg 5 years ago, out popped a boy. It was our girl's name 2 years ago, another boy! And it's STILL our #1 choice if this baby turns out to be a girl in June

I have never actually come across a Martha IRL, I am not convinced about the whole possible top 10 popularity theory.....stats weren't produced last year but the official stats for the year before had Martha at 87

Martha is old fashioned without being old lady! It's lovely.

I love Martha but then am biased as my dd2 is called that.
She has just turned 1 and i don't know of any others around here. None at dd1 pre school or ds school either.

My mum's name is Josie shortened from Josephine. Her middle name is Mary. She was born in 1950 and her best friend at secondary school for 7 years was also Josie, but preferred to be called Jo.

My mum-in-law is called Christine. I like that and also Christina. Sounds a little bit holy.

I have always loved the name, Kieira as in Knightley but i think "Kieira Curtis" would be a bit much!!!! For the same reason I won't be using Christie or Kirsty!!!!!! It wouldn't be fair on the poor child. You need to say the name allowed lots of times to see if the names work together.

I have girl cousins named Lorna, Jodi, Abbie and Jane, their kids are called Charlotte, Rebecca, Maria, Ellie and Eva. I have male cousins named Glyn, Anthony and Ian.

Hope this helps you.

Martha is going up the list in popularity but I dont know any. (DD2 would have been Martha) depends on what you deem popular, think its still outside top 30 names so hardly the same as Ruby etc the area you live in tends to be more reflective than the 'list' as trends seem to be localised.

There is one Martha in DD's girls school (about 90 girls). None in the schoo I teach in (prob about 135 girls in infants). None of our friends have girls caled Martha.

I do think it si beautiful and top o my ist, aong with Matida and Florence, fr if I ever have another girl.

There do seem to be domestic connotations with the name, with Martha Stewart also. With the bible story, I don't mind if she were a servant. Just seems unjust that Martha was putting in the hard yards to make sure the guest is happy, whilst Mary is skiving. And Martha gets told off! By the son of god no less! If Mary had bothered to lift a finger, I bet they would have had it all sorted in no time and they could both listen to J regale them about his wine tricks. I know he's the big cheese and all that, but something tells me Mary must have been a bit of a looker.

Sorry. I'll let you have your thread back. Bit of a rant there.

On the other hand there's Martha Plimpton, a wonderful, yet underrated bratpack actress who got to snog River.

Than what puts me off Martha too MaryAnnSailors. She was the servant in the Bible. The kitchen maids in Agatha Christie books are always called Martha!

Josie is a lovely name. Liking Jocelyn as the strong adult version also.

Martha reminds me of the biblical story about the sisters Martha and Mary entertaining the Big J, where Martha ends up doing all the housework while Mary chats with J, and J tells Martha off for asking Mary for help with the work. Never seemed fair to me.

Nother vote for Josie here, love it, also knew a 60-s'th strong matriarchal Josie. And love josette, would never have thought of it!

I 've just realised why I wasn't sure about Josie. Have you Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore? Her character is called Josie and gets called Josie Grossy at school. Not that it shoudl put you off if you really like the name, but it would personally put me off. And I am biased.

They're both lovely but I think I prefer Martha. I know a Josette who's Josie if that's any help.

Martha Josie

Have you considered Josiane as a long version of Josie? I LOVE that name

I was always going to call a dd Martha but dh hated it and I'm glad now because there are so many around

And I think the MN initials says it all - def have to go for that now

I love the name Martha.

Martha

I like both but I think Josie has the edge for me. A longer version might be a nice option for her when she's older but it's in no way essential IMHO.

Martha is great but you do realise her initials will be MN if you go for that