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!

(can't believe people are still posting on this - must have touched a nerve)
another out of left field from DH, suggested as an alternative to Susan - Sally. Not bad, eh?

I'm sorry i'm not keen on orchid, but if we all liked the same name everyone would be called it. Basically Mrs B you have to hold out for a name you both like and agree on and you usually find that is the best name anyway. I quite like Mary as it's not very common at the minute but a classic and very pretty. Also when you have loads of Olivia's and Grace's it stands out. Good luck finding one you both like.

I LOVE the name Sally, I really do

Jeannie Cole?

Mary Cole is lovely, it's a grower.

Well if the criteria is short and pretty - I'd agree with whoever already said Dawn and Eve.

If it's simple and pretty (but possibly longer), I'd say Constance

Don't know what hasn't been said in the way of down-to-earth names maybe, Janet, Vivian, Gillian, May

Or what the heck, just go the whole hog: Gwendolyn (hubbie will love it when he comes round). Perhaps he could cope with Gwen?

I agree Anna is lovely.

and Elsa!!

Elsa always reminds me of Elsie the cow . (sorry)

We have a short surname and our girls all have short firstnames and longer middle names:

Devon Elizabeth;
Daisy Michelle; and
Rosie Victoria.

I don't think you can be too picky when choosing the name of your baby. It's a huge responsibility. Good luck.

Chi, strangely he lurves Gwen (being a Welsh boy and all), and I could deal with Gwendolyn... but I can't shake the Malory Towers spoilt-brat associations.

Oh we're dealing with a WELSH boy here. Well in that case, how about Bronwyn?

Sally's nice.

Now Welsh names...

Rhian? (I know one, though it's short for Rhianydd, which is pretty, but maybe fails on the 'simple' criterion).
Ceri (though not great with your surname, I suspect).

has anyone said Tessa?

ah Sally

very sweet

No, no, stop stop!

DH may have grown up in Wales but is in all other respects utterly English. I am as English as they come, and we live very Englishly in the most English part of England (except when the rugby's on, obviously).

So there is NO justification for giving the Cub a Welsh name, and there are defintiely none in either family. So you can stop right there!

Rhiannon, my all time favourie name of all time (says the girl with two out the three namesin your OP)

Rhiannon Cole

We're not allowed down that Welsh track, foxy. Shame there must be some great names with 4 consonants in a row!

OK then plain and simple: Jill?

Shame - anyone else want a welsh name?

Helen Stella Joanna Bridget

Hannah
Eva
Lily
Ruby

What is the most English part of England?

[puzzled foreigner]

Mostly that was for dramatc emphasis, but we're in a small country town near Oxford - real story-book picture-postcard England.
Apart from the enormous looming power station, of course.

Which has a particular beauty of its own, especially at sunset

Any chance of an update on current faves MrsB??

Zoe ('no dots on the e, they're poncey') is still the front runner, and may even have edged out Eleanor after all my hard work to get it in. Rachel a close second.

I love Zoe. That's a great name. And if my DS had been a girl, he would have been Rachel.