about really plain names for girls?

[MrsBadger]

Now I swore I would never start a baby-name thread but I can't hold off any longer.

DH wants to give the impending BadgerCub a name that's been used in our families before. I'm fine with this - we have about 20 generations and 500 names to choose from.

The boy's names are generally fine by me (classics like Edward, John, James, Benjamin etc), but he always leans towards girls' names that I just find a bit... dull.

We have a short surname - think Stone or Rowe - and I can't help feeling that (eg) Mary, Susan and Jane don't sound especially nice with it.

Am I being overly picky or should I hold out for something longer and (oh the shame, never thought I'd say this) 'prettier', eg Eleanor or Susanna?

Come on, beat me with sticks now, I know I deserve it!

i love Margo, like The Good Life Margot, but i thought she was fantastic

Lily

I wanted Elsa for dd2 but turned out to be DP´s half-brother's mother's name (and his parents were still married at the time!) so would have gone down very badly with MIL. 2 weeks after the birth we still hadn't agreed. So we had a vote at dd1's b'day party and Inés won. (We live in Spain)

what about

Elena
Eloise
Beatrice
Bethany
Phoebe

Just a few we considered when looking at girl's names for no3!!

Tess, Kate and Rose are gorgeous and traditional if dh really insists on one syllable. Can't go wrong with Elisabeth (so many lovely abbreviations) or simple, two syllable names like Anna, Emma, Sarah, Martha, Alice, Laura...if it really has to be a family name can you modernise it?

Joanna

Tess or Tessa is a pretty name and simple.

Helen

[rubs hands]

right ladies, the votes are in (DH is most impressed with your work )

Top picks include:

Alice
Helen
Anna
Fiona
Rachel
Judith

Under consideration are:

Laura
Emma
Ellen
Susan
Philippa
Sophie
Julia

Great ideas but failed due to alliteration with surname, or being names of friends / relatives / evil girls from DH's school:

Lydia
Ella
Lucy
Hannah
Sarah
Chlöe
Catherine and all variants
Harriet
Bridget
Ruth
Clara
Bethan
Martha

Thank you for your time and effort!

Mallory, tis great

Fiona is lovely and can be shortened to fifi when little, and Judith is a lovely original name.

like all of the top picks (not sure about judith tho)

OK Mrs B having flicked through this you appear to like all the names of people I was at school with. So I give you My List Of Names Used By At Least Three Contemporaries at a Poncy School In Dorset Circa 1985.... (drumroll please)

Helen
Caroline
Sarah
Clare
Julia
Anna
Fiona
Victoria
Diana
Joanna
Josephine
Rebecca
Catriona/Katrina
Kate/Katie
Nicola
Penelope
Tanya

There must have been 10 or more Helens, Carolines, Sarahs, Fionas and Victorias. And almost as many Clares and Kates.

I think Diana is an excellent name if you can get past the princess of hearts. Like Nancy but with style instead of galumphingness.
And if your dh wants one syllable simplicity I'd go for Kate. Otherwise Anna which is timeless, ageless, classless and pretty.

Oh just remembered Charlotte, had a few of those too

I was at a poncey school with a lot of those top names too - maybe twenty years on it's time for a Retro Sloaney Name Revival?

Diana had crossed my mind actually but I loathe and detest 'Di', whihc put me off a bit.

Anna. Classic, simple.

As is Ellen.

Lady of style, I trust you implicitly!

My Jake was going to be Astrid Poppy if a girl, so either of those?! or Gwen/ Lily

Mrs B, you could look up the short list and see which ones have meanings you like. I'm very into the meanings. I used to like the name Doug, then I looked it up and found out it meant "from the dark water" and that was the end of Doug.

NONE of the dresses linked here would go with anything other than heels im afraid

wine gives you confidence and numb feet

DAMN WRONG THREAD!

My dd is Rachel Helen!

Her bf is Mary-Ann

Go for what you like, otherwise you'll regret it! You are`not being unreasonable, and even if you are , reason is often over-rated, go with your heart not your head! How about Tabitha or Iolanthe, btw?

Charlotte
Barbara
Alison
Anabel
Amanda
Alice
Tanya
Karen
Nichola
Hillary
Anna
Sara

My poncy school in the Lakedistrict

love the name Josephine. Josie if she's cute, Josephine if she prefers. I was overruled on this one, sounds like Jozie with a Lancashire accent. Ended up with Anna, pretty but wish I'd stuck to my guns.