Pick and choose first and middle names from our name list please....need some help!

[puddle2]

We didnt find out if we are having a boy or a girl so have 2 lists to plough through. I'd find it hard enough if I knew the sex!

For a girl we like:
Holly
Emily (too common/popular? - but family name)
Imogen (Immy) (Again - seems to be going through a popular phase)
Matilda (Mattie rather than Tilly) (Too 'now'?)
Olive (Noses have crinkled when we've mentioned it)

For a boy we like:
Finley (Fin) (I know....seems to be getting more popular but I love it)
Oscar (Too common I think, plus I don't like nn Ozzie)
Thomas (Tom - both family names)
Tom (On its own)
Oliver (Like but think Id prefer to have a Holly or Olive and couldnt have both!)

What do you think? We are looking for best name combinations (and nickname horrors that we havent thought of!). Our surname is 2 syllables and starts with M. Its quite an unusual name so would having an unusual name be too much?

Name that baby!!

I like Holly and Thomas best from your lists, but don't think any of the other names make good pairs with them so would just leave the middle name out.

Holly-pretty
Emily- the world does not need any more Emily-children.Trust me. And it's wet sounding
Imogen- Faddy and harsh
Matilda it's OK.
Olive-I personally think this is fab,and easily the nicest on your (dare I say a bit boring) list.

For a boy we like:
Finley- common
Oscar- Ok, the male equivalent of Matilda.
Thomas - see Emily
Tom - see Emily
Oliver- see Emily

I'd like you to have a girl and call her Olive Matilda!

Emily and Thomas for me- classic and don't date and were both on our last list for DC3

Thanks for replies

My battle is whether to go for classic/wont date (but possible 'boring') names like Emily and Thomas (as you say NickNacks) or to for for more interesting/little bit different/names like Olive Matilda (as you say Bucharest). And are Imogen, Matilda, Oscar and Finley all faddy? I love all (and always have) but will they date my child to 2011 or thereabouts?!

Is Imogen really a harsh sounding name? I think of it as soft sounding (a little wet if anything) because of the soft g.

Playing it safe is easier as Im always going to like Emily/Tom type names. Yes, theyre popular but theyre also lovely, which is why they are so common. I was one of 4 in my classes at school and never minded at all.

I would go for Emily and for a boy Oliver or Thomas. Prefer Molly to Holly. Finley will date I feel and feels a bit Home and Away to me. . Oscar is ok, wouldn't go mad but don't think it's awful. Like Imogen but prefer Emily. It really depends on if popularity bothers you. I don't like Olive at all...

Missed out Matilda... It's not different, really it's not, there are loads where I live. I think you would be surprised at it's popularity. Go for Emily, it's gorgeous... Not wet at all.

I really Like Olive for a girl; nice and plain and simple and straightforward. If people think it's "ugly" (Wrinkled noses) you could use 'Liv' for a nn (beautiful Liv Tyler) ?

I would only use Holly for an Xmas baby. Used to like Emily & would be nice for you to use it as continuing a family name, but has become a bit too popular for me.

Matilda nn Mattie= you been watching "True Grit"? We really like Reuben for a boy

Holly or Matilda and Finley or Thomas

Olive Matilda and Oscar Thomas are both GORGEOUS names!!!

My favourites from your list - by quite some way - are Olive and Thomas. Both just lovely! Good luck.

I like Holly and Thomas.

They're all fairly popular yet traditional names. We have a Matilda and it's actually going down in popularity but she's nearly 4 and when she was born there were lots of them, 3 on my MN antenatal thread for example.

I'm not really wild about any of them. They're all fairly ubiquitous except for Olive (though Olivia is no 1 on the charts). There are two 'sleb babies' called Olive too which often makes me wonder if it's set to rise in popularity.

Any of them would be fine, but if you wanted anything a bit different and not ten a penny, your list needs revising dramatically.

I think you should just go with a name you really, really like and sod popularity.

I like middle names to have a family connection so I'd def have Emily as middle name. Plus because its middle name, they wont get called it very often!

For first names, I like Matilda and Olive, but I dont think 'Olive Emily' goes together, so I'd have Matilda Emily!!

Boy - Finlay Thomas....just because it's wonderful!

Olive and Tom for me.

Olive Matilda and Thomas Finley for me.

I love Olive, it's far more stylish then its 'sister' name Olivia.

I like Holly and Oscar. But as I'm called Holly (middle name Anne), I'm biased! I don't think it matters about being a Christmas baby, I'm not!

I think Holly Matilda sounds great, and Oscar Thomas.

I always think of an actual green slimy olive when I hear the name Olive, sorry.

Good luck choosing the name!

I love Olive too. So much that I blew it by calling our dog Olive, thinking I'd never have kids. Now 35 weeks with a DD and a bit gutted! Olive Matilda is an AWESOME name.

Emily, Imogen and Matilda

and Oliver Thomas (nn Tom)