to want to name my DD this.

[weaknosugar]

I love the name Elsie but have had some odd reactions when I've mentioned it to people. My sister said it was pretentious and a random lady in a shop laughed out loud yesterday. I've had the wind taken out of my sails. Is it really not on to name your baby Elsie?

I really need some objective views from ordinary folk to sort this out and don't want to ask anyone else in real life. I haven't posted in baby names as I assume most have a particular interest in names over there.

Am I being unreasonable to want to name my baby Elsie?

In the name of chips, don't tell people your name choices! Everyone will have an opinion and it's none of their business!

That said (see what I did there) I love Elsie and also Elsa but if you are in doubt, why not name her Elizabeth and shorten to Elsie?

Great name. I considered it briefly for DC2 before realising it was a shortened version of DD1's name. Doh!

DD1 is known by a similarly old-fashioned name. Some responses were a bit and others were really enthusiastic. She just is who she is now, and everyone loves the name because it's hers.

There are two Elsies in our school. Lovely name ! Congrats !!

I like Elsie.

Not keen on Elise.

YY to not mentioning the name until after the birth though, we kept both of our chosen names secret until they'd arrived - people are much less likely to go at your choice if they're looking at the actual baby

I love it!

I would ask them what names they would give a child. It's none of their business, it doesn't mean you can escape it, unfortunately.

Elsie. I like it

Complete blank for me. No opinions on it one way or the other.
Never, never, never let other people decide what you should call your baby. If you like it, go for it.

I had a lovely Auntie Elsie although we did (after she died) find out she was really an Elizabeth, amazing that she never told us her full name even after she had a great niece called Elizabeth.

My Nana was Elsie and I used to think it was an old lady name. I love it now, especially as its an anagram of my car.

I once met a two year old Elsie and it really suited her. Go for it!

Elsie was my Grandmothers name, she was born in 1894 I love it.

I love Elsie. Whenever I think of Alisa I think of alf off home & away screaming about flaming goolars

Elsie is a lovely name. Don't let anyone else ruin it for you. Our eldest DD is called Taylor, which some people think of as a boys name, or too modern, or too American sounding blah, blah blah... But we love it and they can all shove off! Call your little DD Elsie!

Not odd at all. Loads of them in London. Part of the whole old lady vogue thing. Its a bit cutesy for my tastes, but go with what you like.

I wonder when elsie was considered a new fangled and 'tendy' name like the modern names we go on about ,

I'm probably the only person who thinks 'Elsie Marley's grown so fine she won't get up to feed the swine.'

I have an Elsie she is 7 and she loves her name. I know what you mean about negative reactions though I made the mistake of telling my mum our name choice for a girl and she was horrified.

She is actually christened Elspeth ( Scottish roots) but every one knows her as Elsie.

"She lies in bed til half past nine"

I know 4 Elsies under 3

YANBU, you can call your baby anything you want (in this country anyway).
DH's grandma was an Elsie, and hated it. She said it was a name for a common scullery maid. DH's niece is Eleanor nn Elsie after her great grandma. We considered it as DH's grandma died when I was pg with DD, but thought it too informa, although we did think about Elise (same letters), Elsa and Ailsa as similar alternatives.

DD's name is actually something totally different.

YANBU, name her what you like.
But every name has connotations. For me, Elsie is one of my great-aunts. In my world it's an 'old' name.
For you, it'll be a 'young' name.

Seeker

I love Elsie, pretty without being too girlish. Elspeth is also lovely.

I had lots of "old lady" comments about DD's name, I don't care. We love it & that's what matters.

YANBU I like the name Elsie :)

Elsie is a lovely name. I would personally name her Elspeth (or Elizabeth, if that floats your boat more) and then always call her Elsie. It's nice to have a 'proper' name and not a diminutive of one, IMHO. Elspeth or Elizabeth will look better on CVs and applications when she's an adult, just as Charles would instead of Charlie, for example. I like old-fashioned names :)

Elsa, I'm not sure about. Makes me think of Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS...

I wouldn't say it was pretentious in it's heyday as it was a working class name, think scullery maid etc etc.

To resurrect it these days in the quest to be different could be seen to be pretentious.

Personally I don't like it despite having 2 really sweet old lady Elsies in my family.

How about Elspeth or Eloise or Elsa oe Elisa ?