Reticent to post...sure it's going to be panned, but what about...

[TheGrandOldDuke]

Apollonia. Polly for day to day.

I think I want honest opinions...

Don't you like Polydora?

Oops

I know a Polly short for Olivia if that helps. Might work for Penelope too at a push.

I'd love to know what sort of surname would go with Apollonia.

How about Cheryl?

Is this another joke thread?

I like it! Do it. :)

Nyac Appollonia Head. Appollonia Teachersdesk. Appollonia Lawnafteralotofwind.

Anyway... I prefer Aurelia, Katy (Katharine) or Eloise. Cressida makes me think of Viz Modern Parents.

I knew a nice Xanthe once... but she was Greek. Greek women in myth are often a bit tragedic but Zeus' conquests/offspring include a few good ones: Leda, Danae, Semele, Hebe.

Get lost lisaro

I'm not saying my surname, but it raises eyebrows on its own. Trust me, it goes.

It's ap-ol-oh-ni-a

Hmmm there is a part of me that does like to do exactly what I'm told not to....but naming my child probably isn't time to channel my inner rebel.

We shall see! Watch out for it in the Telegraph birth pages

I love it. It's my sister's confirmation name.

I also like the French form, Apolline and the Czech form, Apolena.

I was also going to suggest the French Apollline, which is both pretty and less eyebrow-raising IMO

I don't like Polly at all. Apollonia is very OTT.

Do what you like, but it sounds extremely try-hard.

Unless she's going to be mixing with lots of other middle class children whose parents have tried to find the most obscure name going. In which case she probably needs it.

The question you need to ask yourself is how much of a burden will the name be for her. If she's moving in the kinds of circles where it won't be, then go for it.

To me Apollonia and Polly have completely different vibes. Polly, is a rosy cheeked Victorian maid. Apollonia is Greek and classical.

Do you actually prefer Polly but feel you have to be a bit 'fancier'?

Greek names are deffo in vogue this week!

Apollonia is poncearama. NO.

The pollo part makes me think of chicken. The name is not one I would choose.

What's wrong with poncerama? Surely better than chavtastic?

I bloody love poncy names but was dis-allowed most of them because DH has a finely tuned ponceometer. I love it, OP, if that helps.

I struggle with names with so many syllables, sorry, easily tongue tied. I can just about handle Persephone coz I knew one at school.

And pollo is problem, too.
Mary with nn=Polly would be très cool in my mind. There's a Polly in DS yr7 group... But DS saying that she's rather socially handicapped, so alas not an endorsement.

You'll regret it if you don't
She may well regret it if she does! It's awful.

Hmmmm I do like Mary and I know it is the proper version on Polly, but how many people do know that nowadays?wouldn't people forever be going "Mary...Polly?!"

I think it's a name that needs time to grow on me. I'm afraid it conjures up images of the original Battlestar Galactica for me.

it's cool if you're a southern European type. or a v v v posh English type who will likely send DD to posh school where everyone's called Mungo and Hydrangea.

if you're putting two more names with it, plus a surname, i would give it a miss i think. my name is shorter than that, with only one middle name, and i frequently run out of space on forms etc.

The more I think about it, the more I like it. :)

I think Apollline would more naturally give way to Polly (and no pollo chicken/polo candy issues), but it is quite a nice name in it's own right. It would depend on the middle names for me, which name flows better with them (all 4 of mine have 2 middle names, family tradition, and it can take a while to find a first name to flow with them!).

Well we're double-barrelled as well so it would probably run to over 30 syllables.
I've gone off it anyway now, so thanks everyone for your input.