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 have a retro name and i really like it

As both daughters have DH's surname, we argued slightly over first name (or shall I say I kept going until I got what I wanted and their middle names are names from my family that DH had no say in whatsoever. Long live democracy!

Both DDs have longer names or posh and pretentious in some people eyes.

...and mother in law declared she didn't like the name of DD2! Well we both love - because it is long and feminine (unlike my short and very 70's name) DH love it because it is the title of his favourite Chris Rea song!

when are you due MrsB?

I'm just talking about Jane Brown, Mary White, Susan Clark - those kinds of names martha! And if one of those is you... well I'm sure you were a very pretty and languid country maiden before you keeled over with consumption!

my mother, who had a single syllable first name and no middle name, decided to lumber me with a four syllable first name and then a three-syllable middle name just to make up for it

and how I envied the Janes and Susans. In fact I spent one school year trying to get everyone to call me Lisa, a name I'd plucked out of the air, cos I was so sick of it

we've given the Babyccinos a weird first name (well people seem to think they're weird) and a normal middle name so they can choose if they're really fed up with it

but as someone who thinks that pretty names like Eleanor are a bit, well, twee, you probably wouldn't be looking for my advice

Ah but Nimme I think Christina is LOVELY and completely underused, so there you go. I agree that Michelle's time has probably passed

MrsB I bet there are some nice names if you dig back. The victorians were often fairly adventurous...

what about Katherine - Kitty? I think Kitty is very pretty.

dh wanted Caroline. I'm not saying it's a bad name. But his cat was called Caroline

go on then Capp, what would you call a the cub that's neither plain nor pretty?

go on go on go on

(ponies are in the post by the way, sorry for the delay)

oooh sorry that was MMJ not Nimme

Yes but capp your mum was just WIERD for calling yuo Cappuccino though

ooh I didnt know you were pg

I nearly, nearly had Susanna for dd3 I love it, but we have a very jolly Thomas Hardy type surname that begins with S so it sounded a bit contrived.

I love names like Mary and Jane but agree with pph that they do sound dull with a short surname.

You can still have slightly flowery, yet trad names.

Dh loved Philippa - Pippa. With our surname it sounded like a showjumper but with yours it would go rather well.

Sister in law asked why I had to give my children such royal names. I later realised they are both names of empresses.

Pretentious - moi?

(NB is your full name Cappucino Espresso Surname? )

MrsB can you list some of the other girls names from your family list - they surely can't all have been called mary jane or susan?

Caroline is a fabulous name obv

I know a 3 year old Michelle - I don't think she'll encounter many others!
was just reading a book today with a Christina in and thinking how pretty it was. we have a few Christianas in my family. In fact we have lovely names, especially all the Victorian ones.
I have a 3 syllable name and longed for a short one as I had quite a long surname. Now I've pinched DHs surname and have a stupendously long name which I love as I am a ponce

enid obv

I have a friend who called her daughter Helen, which I thought was quite plain too (they have a single syllable surname) but it has grown on me as it's unusual now and I think of other impressive Helens like Helen of Troy, Helen Mirren

oh god you guessed that was my name? sooo unoriginal

I'm afraid, MrsB, that we have used up our only two favourite girls' names. Which is yet another reason why we don't want any more children for fear we would have to call them Evadne.

But I do think that Susan is lovelier than Susanna.

I know an Evadne

Actually my surname is Biscotti

cap i thought it was decaf

ooh yes Helen was on our list too

and Polly (actually that ended up being dd3s middle name in a fit of rebellion from me - not a family name, no history to it, just liked it!)