No longer sure about our shortlist - help please!

[schplappo]

With ELCS date looming, we're no longer sure about our names shortlist. Thoughts on the below welcome! We know we want names that can be shortened for a child but will work for an adult too.

For a boy:
Theodore
Henry
Alexander
Alfred
Jack

For a girl:
Elspeth
Grace
Honor
Blaise (middle name only)
Clemency

Hard one as they are all beautiful names, but for a boy I like Theodore and Alexander, Elspeth is lovely for a girl, how about Annie or Elizabeth

For a boy:
Theodore - lovely, and Theo works for both children and adults
Henry - not great, sorry! Only shortening would be Hen which is not good.
Alexander - good - choice of shortened names, however, full name is rarely used ime
Alfred - awful - really sorry!
Jack - okay - but lots and lots of them around

What about: Max? Isaac?

For a girl:
Elspeth - nice, could shorten to Elsie, Ellie (though Smelly Ellie nn can be a problem), Elsa
Grace - nice but Gracie is only variation I can think of (Greasy Gracie nn potential)
Honor - another no short version - not my taste but is a little bit different. If you have an irish surname would seem named after older relative, rather than new/fashionable - depends what you're after
Blaise (middle name only) - not keen - just not my taste. As a middle name, will probably avoid the 'Blazer' nn potential
Clemency - lovely name in full, horrid when shortened to 'Clemmie' - just sounds like 'clammy' mispronounced.

What about: Beth? Eliza? Elodie? Anna?

Like Henry, Alexander and Jack, all lovely names.

Only like Grace out of the girl's names.

How about Violet, Louisa or Emmeline?

LOVE Theodore, but my eldest is called that (he is 11) and is Theo most of the time :)

out of your girls names i think grace is incredibly popular, and i dont like Elspeth but thats due to a relative with that name.

Why the late change of heart? Not sure whether your list is comprised of names that you've been considering for a while or whether it's a new batch that you've just thought of. Anyway, here goes:

For a boy:
Theodore - I like. Theo is quite popular but lovely. Good, solid name.
Henry - like, but not mad about, although it always works well on little boys.
Alexander - not keen on Alex as nn so that would put me off.
Alfred - would be Alfie, which I'm not keen on.
Jack - I love this, despite its popularity.

For a girl:
Elspeth - very pretty, lots of possible nns.
Grace - a bit overused.
Honor - don't like this, I'm afraid.
Blaise (middle name only) - really, really don't like this. Sorry.
Clemency - prefer Clementine but Clemency is pretty. Quite unusual.

If you're having a last minute wobble then take a deep breath and step away from the baby names board for a while. In my view last minute choices are not great. I'd be tempted to take a break from it all and then go back to names that you've liked for a while. I've always found that there are some names that I return to again and again and that names that I suddenly decide I absolutely love sound dreadful 2 weeks later.

Only like Theodore from your boys' list - really don't like Henry. Love Elspeth.

I agree with prinpo the names i used for dd2 were the ones i picked in the first place, disgarded then went back to in favour of the more unusual ones.

I love Honor though. Its not a name i would have ever thought of (smile) Also like Elspeth

Forgot your boys names...Alfie is probably the most used boys name up where i am and its going to be the next Jordan. I like Theo and what about Samuel - Sam?

For a boy:
Theodore - love
Henry - like
Alexander - love
Alfred - dislike
Jack - like

(my favourite it Theo)

For a girl:
Elspeth - not keen
Grace - not keen
Honor - not keen
Blaise (middle name only) - fine as a middle name
Clemency - like

Alexander or Jack.
Elspeth or Honor, or Grace if you must. Clementine is nice, but I don't like Clemency.

Blaise is a ridiculous name, and I'm not sure it being a middle name makes it better or worse. I know a girl with this name and it's just so odd. I can only imagine it suiting a dark-haired tomboy.

Thanks for all the comments & suggestions. Our trouble is having had too many names we both like and struggling to whittle it down to a short enough short list that we can make a sensible choice from when the baby's born.

Squeak - i had Scarlett picked for one of mine but only if she had my dark hair. She came out Blonde ringlets and blue eyes. For some reason i can only see the name Scarlett suiting a dark haired child

Like all your names (except Blaise), particularly Clemency which is top of my girls' names list.

depends on your surname, but would go for Theodore or Jack, Honor or Clemency.

Thanks Jollster - Clemency is my favourite for a girl - had to convince DH it was a real name though!

definitely real, I went to school with one :)

I work with a lovely Elspeth and a friend calls her Els which I like.

Clemency - sorry don't like it all! Makes me think of an old wizened judge.

Oooh, love your shortlist. My thoughts below

For a boy:
Theodore - adore! Teddy for nn
Henry - adore! On my list should I have another boy
Alexander - love (my DS's middle name) but bit more popular than the others
Alfred - love, nn Alfie
Jack - don't like simply because it is soooo popular

For a girl:
Elspeth - adore
Grace - adore, on my list should I have a DD
Honor - don't like, mainly because Jessica Alba has an Honor and I don't think it is as classic as the others.
Blaise (middle name only) - don't like
Clemency - like....little bit difference as well. What about Clementine?

Thanks for these thoughts.

I also prefer Teddy as nn rather than Theo, esp for when little.

Didn't know about Jessica Alba's daughter - thought we were being original!

Clementine makes me think of that awful song - did Rolf Harris sing it? And endless questions from other children as to why named after a fruit!

So, with 5 days to go, my thoughts are:

Boy:
Theodore Henry Alexander

Girl:
Elspeth Grace
Clemency Grace
Honor Blaise

Do you think this is the right order for the boy's name and do you have any preferences for the girl? (I know you won't like Honor Blaise but I love the way it sounds!)

Thank you!