Help me whittle down my shortlist...

Good names.

From your boys list, I like Hector, Ted, Wildred and Frank best.

I really don't like Percy.

From the girls I like Peggy, Dorothy and Mirabelle.

Girls :
Decca - NO
Nina - NO
Clover - JUST NO!
Betty/Betsy - No, Blue Rinse
Maude - Way too old
Mirabelle- sounds like a resort
Peggy- Michell from Eastenders
Dot - Cotton from Eastenders
Dolly/Dorothy - Wizard of Oz

Girls Names I prefer from your list...
Clementine - (Clemmie) nice
Edie - possible??

Boys :
Percy - The Park Keeper, NO!
Hector Nah
Ted - Big Ted
Rex- Dog, NO
Ernest - NO
Frank - NO
Boys Names I prefer from your list...
Laurie - REALLY LOVE THIS NAME
Wilfred - would use Wilf

I like:
Nina
Clementine
Mirabelle
Laurie - prefer Laurence, with NN Laurie as I think he may outgrow that - perhaps a bit too girly?

Both my DSs' names are on your list for boys. And my fave that I wasn't allowed to have for DS2 coz it was too canine - Rex. So I have to say it's a tasteful and classy list! I also fancied Clement (Clem) for a boy.

Several of the girl options were on my list too - love Clementine, Maud (without the 'e') and quite like Edie, but not keen on Edith. Elsie was a fave of mine too.

Nina or Frank - don't like any of the others, really

Girls:
Decca - hadn't heard of the Mitford sisters so I'm seeing it for the first time and to me it sounds masculine and made-up
Clover - pretty but does make me me think of cows and butter
Edie - not for me, but would only use as nn, short for Edith
Nina - don't like this
Betty/Betsy - pretty but again only as a nn. I know a little Bette and like it much better spelt like this for some reason
Maude - I think it's an ugly name
Clementine - beautiful, DC2 would have been this had he not been a DS
Mirabelle - don't like, agree with previous poster that it sounds a bit 'Disney princess', also Mama Mirabel's Home Movie's springs to mind
Peggy - Mitchell. Don't mind as nn for Margot/Margaux though. Know an 8 year old Margaux who is very cool and really suits this name.
Dot - horrible
Dolly/Dorothy - like Dolly as a nn, but not Dorothy. Much prefer Dorothea.

Boys:
Hector - quite like
Ted - like as nn for Edward but quite common
Wilfred - really like this, and Wilf as nn
Percy - no
Rex - good name for a dog
Ernest - love this, and Ernie for nn although does make me think of Benny Hill and the Fastest Milkman in the West but quite a few years ago now so wouldn't be an issue with his peers.
Frank - not keen, not sure why though
Laurie - sounds a bit feminine. Not keen at all

My culled list would be

Nina
Betty
Maude
Peggy/ Peg

Hector
Ted
Wilfred
Percy

i do know an Ernest and his mother used to say she wished she'd never called him that as he felt he had to live up to the name.

Oh yes, Nan is great. And right not to fall for Tommy. Dan is the man for me though!

Totally agree janeite - and why bother with Meg's kids when they're so dull like their mother? Loved Nan though

Laurie was soooo insipid once he married Amy. I do love Jo's Mr Baer too though: pity she couldn't have a threesome and forget boring princess Amy. AND Dan should have been able to snog Amy's daughter, at the very least.

Slight diversion there - shuffles out.

Girls:
Decca - double decker if fat, without a doubt
Clover - lovely esp re: what katy did, but like everyone else think of cow instantly
Edie - lovely
Nina - beautiful name
Betty/Betsy - don't do it! What about Bess (short for Elizabeth)
Maude - rhymes with bored and sounds like mould - nooooo
Clementine - it's a fruit and not a nice name
Mirabelle - i like this! unusual but pretty
Peggy - tolerable but margaret is awful. Margot?
Dot - have you got a thing for soap grannies? no
D olly/Dorothy - Dorothy is ok but not dolly!

Boys:
Hector - nice
Ted - Teddy is nice (short for Edward)
Wilfred - smashing name, wilf or freddy for short
Percy - not unless you're planning to point him at the porcelain
Rex - the alsatian
Ernest - drippy I'm afraid, Ernie is not nice
Frank - fashionable i think but a bit blunt
Laurie - lovely, and if he meets a girl called Jo make sure he marries her!

So to whittle, yes to Nina, Edie, Mirabelle for girls. Wilfred, Hector or Laurie for boys.

Girls:
Decca - don't like
Clover - love
Edie - love
Nina - not for me
Betty/Betsy - nice but prefer as nn for Elizabeth
Maude - yes
Clementine - no
Mirabelle - no
Peggy - no
Dot - no
D olly/Dorothy - no

Boys:
Hector - love it
Ted - no but love Edward
Wilfred - no
Percy - god no
Rex - no
Ernest - yes, yes
Frank - gads no
Laurie - fabbo

Decca: not nice
Clover: cow
Edie: OK
Nina: like
Betty/Betsy: like Betsy as a short form of Elizabeth
Maude: sounds like a plain Victorian scullery maid
Clementine: no
Mirabelle: prissy
Peggy: no
Dot: don't like
D olly/Dorothy: like Dorothy

Boys:
Hector: love
Ted: don't like
Wilfred: like
Percy: don't like
Rex: don't like
Ernest: OK
Frank: don't like
Laurie

Gosh, I can whittle that down no problem.

Girls:
Edie
Nina
Clementine
Dolly/Dorothy

Although I would have Dolores if I wanted to shorten to Dolly, and Dorothy if I wanted to shorten to Dot/Dotty.

Boys:
Hector
Ernest
Frank
Laurie

Girls:
Decca - doesn't it mean 10, if so perhaps you should wait awile...
Clover - poor child and cow jokes
Edie - OK
Nina - like this
Betty/Betsy - like but would have Elizabeth as proper name and use as nn
Maude - not one I like that much
Clementine - no
Mirabelle - no
Peggy - as nn for Margaret then yes
Dot - as nn for Dorothy
D olly/Dorothy - see above!

Boys:
Hector - no
Ted - as nn for Edward yes
Wilfred - not sure
Percy - no
Rex - like
Ernest - no!
Frank - like
Laurie - no!

Decca - the record co
Clover - Daisy is a 'cow' name too and very popular. Why not this?
Edie - yes
Nina - dated and old fashioned. I know two in their late 30s
Betty/Betsy - Betty on its own is ok
Maude - maudlin or mould
Clementine - yes on my list too, underused
Mirabelle - Cartoon elephant, Mirabelle plums and poncy. No.
Peggy - yes
Dot,Dolly/Dorothy - I like them all. Dorothy for me

Boys:
Hector - something you do not a name
Ted - Edward
Wilfred - old old name. I can't stand wilf either
Percy - slang for the male member
Rex - ok Tyrannosaurus
Ernest - no
Frank - yes, ok
Laurie - girly on its own, Laurence

Decca - could be a nn, but not a real name
Clover - NO
Edie - great
Nina - great, classy
Betty etc - Elizabeth, with nn of your choice - excellent choice
Maude - NO
clementine - nice, not my fave
Mirabelle - sounds like a sanitary towel
Peggy - no, BUT - MARGARET, nn Peggy, Maggie - excellent
DDorothy - no

Hector - depends where you live whether you could get away with it
Ted - Edward nn Ted
Wilfred - like it
Percy - posh and a bit "weak"
Rex - no - dog
Ernest - like it
Frank - nn Frankie - my favourite
Laurie - Laurence nn Laurie - nice

Girls:
Decca - record label
Clover - the cow
Edie - too old ladyish
Nina - lovely, french
Betty/Betsy - would use Elizabeth and nn Betty
Maude - too old ladyish
Clementine - like it but reminds me of the song too much
Mirabelle - not keen, sounds a bit Disney princess
Peggy - Noooo
Dot,Dolly/Dorothy - would use Dorothy, very sweet

Boys:
Hector - farmer
Ted - would use Edward
Wilfred - old man
Percy - posh but sweet
Rex - dog's name or T-Rex
Ernest - LOVE this
Frank - nice, Frankie for when little, proper mans name for an adult. Good all-rounder.
Laurie - very nice.

Keep:

Clover
Nina
Maude
Clementine
Mirabelle
Dorothy

Hector
Wilfred
Ernest
Frank

decca?
Clover - I like this.
Edie - trendy but nice.
Nina - love this one, beauiful
Betsy - ok, bit too old lady for me
Maude - jayzuss no
Clementine, bit poker up the arse for my taste
Mirabelle, - i like it. I shouldn't because it's quite saccharine or something but I do like it.
Peggy. eurhg
Dot - no but I like Lottie
Dolly/Dorothy - like Thea and Polly but not Dolly/Dorothy

Hector- like it. the boy's Edie. I'd go for Victor
Ted - ok, as a nn for Edward, you can't go wrong
Wilfred. no.
Percy - no
Rex - i love this one! latin for King. I love it.
Ernest - no really creepy
Frank - I like it!
Laurie - also like this one.

my faves are Nina, Edie or Mirabelle
or Hector, Rex, Frank and Laurie

It's a very now list, isn't it? Lots of recently unfashionable names which are returning to the fold.

Girls:
Decca- record company, quite cool I guess
Clover- quite like but wouldn't be brave enough due to cow connotations
Edie- ok. One of those names that seemed to come into fashion strongly a few years ago
Nina- I like it. Has some good namesakes like Nina Simone and Nina Bawden
Betty/Betsy- an Edie name of the moment
Maude- really not keen
Clementine- too formal for me
Mirabelle- no
Peggy- yes, ok, I guess
Dot- sweet
Dolly/Dorothy- quite like

Boys:
Hector- strong
Ted- no
Wilfred- not keen personally but all the little Wilfs I know are really lovely children
Percy- oh dear
Rex- oh dear dear
Ernest- no
Frank- not bad
Laurie- sweet

Girls:
Decca Love it love it love it.
Clover not my thing
Edie Love it
Nina not keen
Betty/Betsy Love it
Maude not for me
Clementine not for me
Mirabelle not for me
Peggy like it
Dot like it
Dolly/Dorothy like them

Boys:
Hector not my thing
Ted not for me
Wilfred not for me
Percy not for me
Rex My least favourite
Ernest no again sorry
Frank like it
Laurie Love it

Hector for certain for boys - I love it but dh vetoed (we also had girls)

None of the girls grab me but would like some of them as nicknames (betsy, decca, dolly)