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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Our new girls name list

28 replies

Chocolocolate · 29/07/2011 23:58

DH and I are undecided, yet again, on girls names to the point where we're now hoping for a boy as we love our boys name choice!

Any thoughts on the below list?

Cordelia
Penelope
Elsa
Evelyn
Matilda

Or any suggestions of similar names?

All help is much appreciated :-)

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EllenJaneisnotmyname · 30/07/2011 00:08

Still got too many 1970s memories of Penny, but I like the rest.
Matilda/Matti
Evelyn/Evie
my favourites.

MelinaM · 30/07/2011 00:12

Love Penelope and CordeliaSmile Elsa is okay, Evelyn and Matilda are too popular for me.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 30/07/2011 00:25

Hmm, Matilda is 53rd and Evelyn 87th, but Evie is 10th. I just like popular names, like everyone else! Elsa is 224th Penelope is 272nd, Cordelia is over 1000th.

Original poster
Chocolocolate · 30/07/2011 00:30

Yep, below hows the rankings and our preferred nns:

Matilda(Tilly) - 53
Evelyn (Evvy) - 87 (although loads of Evies)
Elsa (Elsie) - 224
Penelope (Penny) - 272
Cordelia (Dee or Cordy) - 1013

OP posts:
Tortington · 30/07/2011 00:34

cordy Hmm
penny - spend one
elsa
evie
tilly (not cute when you are 16) unless you look like a horse

startail · 30/07/2011 02:08

Elsa

IHeartKingThistle · 30/07/2011 02:56

I love them all actually, and I have NEVER said that about a baby name list on MN.

Not helpful though, is it? Sorry!

ifink · 30/07/2011 03:02

Aaaah Evelyn and elsa.....beautiful

InstantAtom · 30/07/2011 08:22

Penelope/Penny is my favourite from your shortlist :)

Cordelia - dislike, sounds pretentious to me
Penelope - like :)
Elsa - OK, prefer Elsie as nn for Elisabeth
Evelyn - like but Eve/Evie names v. popular
Matilda - dislike, getting overdone

muminthemiddle · 30/07/2011 14:29

Cordelia love this but I think you would be brave to use it as it is very uncommon.
Penelope Not keen. The only ones I know (all grown up) always use Penny and I don't think that is such a great name.
Elsa Reminds me of Elsa the lion.
Evelyn Like this a lot.
Matilda ok think it will date quickly though.

TanyaBranning · 30/07/2011 14:31

Love Cordelia and Penelope (Penny and Nell both lovly nicknames).
Matilda is sweet but there are little Tillys everywhere.
not keen on the other two names.

lashingsofbingeinghere · 30/07/2011 14:38

I know a lovely Cordelia - she is sometimes called Delia.

Penelope is nice - she wil be called Pen or Penny tho'.

Evie - not keen, a bit too like Stevie.

Matilda - nice but a bit unimaginative imo.

Elsa - makes me think of the Aillsa Craig potato, sorry.

lashingsofbingeinghere · 30/07/2011 14:40

Sorry just seen it was Evelyn not Evie - I like Evelyn - old fashioned and interesting.

feckwit · 30/07/2011 14:48

I have a Matilda - she has never been in class with another Matilda, it isn't as popular as mumsnet will have you believe!

We call her Tillie for short.

suspiria · 30/07/2011 14:53

Cordelia, Penelope and Matilda are beautiful names

Takver · 30/07/2011 15:03

I like them all. Personally, I wouldn't shorten either Elsa or Evelyn. I think both stand well as they are, and there an awful lot of Evie/Elsie type names around (perhaps more than appears from the shortlists because they're so often used as nicknames).

I think Evelyn is my favourite, makes me think of "Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead . . ." (though perhaps a bad thing, come to think of it, given she only made it to 16!)

mathanxiety · 30/07/2011 17:07

I like Elsa best, but I think Elsie has a completely different style. Choose one or the other.

I also like Matilda, but would use Tilda as a nn, and not Tilly (too many Millies, Ellies, Lilys..)

Would you consider:
Cecelia
Cornelia
Adelaide/ Ada
Adela
Genevieve

AlfieandAnnieRose · 30/07/2011 17:23

Just an interesting fact I noticed- in 1996 and 2010 there were 33 babies called Cordelia both at no.1013 in the chart. And in between it went slightly up in place :)

LetThereBeRock · 30/07/2011 19:30

They're all beautiful. You're not making it easy to choose a favourite.

I do particuarly adore Penny,Cordelia and Evelyn,but they're all wonderful names.

That's not very helpful I know.

ShowOfHands · 30/07/2011 19:36

I love Cordelia. And have a Mathilda so clearly quite like that. The others I can take or leave.

Matilda's not that popular actually. It's gone down the charts 3 years in a row and 53 is fairly low down over all. I have one and have as yet met no others (not a single one in her preschool or primary school). I think it's because people use Tilly and those twee Millie, Lily type names are very popular atm.

I don't like Tilly at all though. And in terms of Matilda dating, my great, great, great, great aunt was Matilda. It's been around for yonks and will be around for many more.

BibiBelle · 30/07/2011 22:47

DD3 is Cordelia and we love it Smile

adore Penelope nn Penny and Evelyn is beautiful too Smile

DD2 has Cecelia as her mn and had I known DD3 was coming we might have saved it as I adore Cece for a baby Grin

all lovely, lovely list - well done

Offspring · 30/07/2011 23:13

Love Elsa from your list and also like Penelope and Evelyn.

Suggesting Susannah, Josephine and Louisa.

Astrophe · 31/07/2011 12:22

I would use 'Nell' in preference to 'Penny' as a nn for Penelope, and "Dilly" as a nn for Cordelia.

rainbowtoenails · 31/07/2011 14:18

Cordelia's my fave, but i am a huge buffy fan.

birdofthenorth · 31/07/2011 14:44

Elsa. Fab.