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?

It is one name that I really dislike. Have you actually asked any elderly Elsies? My great aunt hated being Elsie-she kept it a dark secret and I didn't even know it was her name until I was about 10yrs old. She had a nickname from before she went to school.

I really like it.
Elsa and Elise are ok too.
Really like Ailsa as well.
:)

Beautiful name.

Call your baby what you like!

I love the name Elsie.

Elspeth, Eloise, Elsa or Elisa are all much prettier.

I have just finished reading The Children's Book by A.S.Byatt and now think about Elsie in that context. Strong, independent character.

I like Elsie!

not so very long ago people would have raised eyebrows at calling a baby Eva/Evie/Ruby/Lily/Phoebe/Molly/Millie/florenece - and many others - all old lady names!

as for calling a boy Alfie/Wilf/Archie, would have been laughable - but trendy now!

i think elsie is a lovely name. 'old fashioned' names are beautiful.

I think Elsie and Elspeth are lovely names.

I have an aunt Elsie so I also have old lady associations with this name. I live in France and Elise is quite popular and a pretty name.

I also know and Elspeth and she is known as Elpie.

Elsie is lovely.
I had a Great-Aunt Elsie and she always sounded very cool.

And there is an Elsie in "What Katy Did" who is a lovely character.

I love it!

Number one rule about babies names - Don't tell anyone what you've picked! It's up to you what you want to call your kid. Just tell them after the fact!

My darling nan was an Elsie, and I'd love to call my child Elsie too. But DH is adamantly against it.

I thought I'd be sneaky and find a first name beginning with L and a second name beginning with C, so that I could call her by her initials, but he saw through that one.

We agreed that it can be a middle name though.

I know three little girls called Elsie, I think it's becoming increasingly popular so as long as you're not doing it under the impression that it's unusual then go for it. My friend with an Elsie was most disappointed to meet another two!

I like Elsie- very sweet. Our 4 yr old daughter is called Henrietta, another old lady name, it's nice to have a more unusual name, there is unlikely to be another Elsie in the class.

I frequent baby names and Elsie comes up often enough.

I'd say you're no more or less susceptible to the zeitgeist around baby names than anyone else. Certainly not if you're thinking of Elsie. There'll be enough of them around that it won't sound weird at all in a few years.

And never tell people the names you're considering - rookie mistake. People are way too frank when it's just a discussion, as opposed to when you're introducing your actual baby!

Another who loves it! Be confident about your choice. Who cares what they think.

DD1 (2) best friend is an Elsie, beautiful loving little girl without pretentious parents I promise! I'd go with it and NEVER tell anyone another name before having the baby.

It's lovely, sod the haters...... & you'll get that response from someone no matter what name you choose!

It's a lovely name, and it's what DS5 would have been called had he been a girl.

You are never going to get everyone liking the name you choose, so go with what you love, and ignore all the rude people.

If the kids' parents are agreed then go ahead.

Luckily we never had a son, DH wanted the name Otis. Yes, Otis the Elevator. I offered the compromise of Otis Tractor and there matters remained.

Come to think of it, what's wrong with Tractor? For a girl or a boy?

It's not pretentious IMO... are the people who reacted that way a bit naff, a bit 'Kelly-Marie' in their idea of a nice name? It's a name I could see being liked by the middle class but that's about the extent of its pretension.

I really like it actually! I would ignore.

I couldn't do Elsie personally, because one of DHs male adult friends is a bit of an old sweetie wife and the guys all call him Elsie or elspeth but that's just me!

We have an elsie in our extended family, she is 5. In the last few years the name has rapidly gained in popularity, so it doesn't sound so unusual. Loads of names previously considered 'old fashioned' are now much more popular and sound fresh and young again. If you love it, go for it.