Twins - Harriet for girl and Alexander for boy - oldfashioned???

[lavender11]

Friend is expecting twins any day, one of each, she wants Harriet for the girl and Alexander for the boy. I like her choices except think they are a bit old fashioned, although I guess could be shortened, Alex is reasonably modern. Do you agree and what can Harriet be shortened to (if that is what she wants which I havent asked her)?

Harri

Hattie

Hettie

Alex and Hettie are quite sweet whereas the long versions are quite long winded!

I do like short names though so would never have an Alexander though I do like the name.

Beautiful names, not old fashioned at all. Much nicer than some of the chav names that some children have the burden of. Alexander will certainly never be old fashioned and Harriet is sooo feminine.

monkeysmum, I did say to her I thought they were classic and timeless so i think i agree with you really

Why are you bothered about your friend's choice of (perfectly normal) names?

Lovely names

Lovely.

said not bothered at all, just wondering myself whether they were old fashioned but sounds from the responses like they are not considered to be old fashioned. i like them. i like alexander slightly more than harriet but basically i like both names. (before you come back if you are thinking this, even if i didnt like them that would be no reason for my friend not to call them these names...)

And Alexander has been top of the boys' list for years. You have a weird idea of old fashioned.

rockbird, the whole point of my thread was the question marks at the end of the title, namely i genuinely didnt know what perceptions of these names is

Very lovely indeed.

I'm not picking a fight! But you did say in your op that you thought they were, no question mark.

They are both lovely names. I'd say they are classic, rather than old-fashioned. I think Hattie is the nicest abbreviation for Harriet, and Alex is a nice nickname too.

(disclaimer: my name's not actually Harriet)

I don't see either name as at all old-fashioned, honestly. All the Harriets and Alexanders I know are either children, teenagers or in their 20s (Alexander maybe a bit more timeless, a few older ones too). They seem to me like completely unremarkable, mainstream choices for twins born this year.

Classic - lovely

Harriet is a lovely name and yes, probably a bit 'old fashioned' but so are lots of the names that are currently in vogue. My own name is Biblical so I guess that's old fashioned too...

I have a Harriet (aka Hattie) who is nearly 6, loves her name and is always delighted on the odd occasion that she encounters another. She is disappointed that her name isn't 'posh enough' to appear on souvenir tat in seaside gift shops but loves it when ladies aged 70 ish tell her that the only other Harriet Mary they've come across is their grandmother (which would qualify as old fashioned).

Alexander is a lovely name too - classic and reasonably popular.

My only reservation with having siblings named Harriet and Alexander would be that they may choose to call themselves Harry and Alex rather than Hattie and Xander... that may cause confusion in time to come.

There should have been a after my 'posh enough' comment.

Both lovely names.

Love them.

Harriet isn't considered old fashioned now, but it was when I was growing up. She became Harry - perhaps because Hattie was also old fashioned. Mind you, she changed her name to Fiona in her 20's, which I'd say is even more old fashioned at the moment!!