Know nothing about names and need some help please!

[tizzwas]

As my username suggests, I am in a tizz about names. I dont' really know how to go about narrowing my shortlist and if the names I like (DH not too bothered and happy to go with anything I like!) will stand the test of time - I'm looking for something that isn't faddy. Here is my shortlist:

Jessica
Emily
Erin
Millie (too nicknamey?)
Lois
Cassie (pet's name?)
Martha (frumpy for an adult?)

Please could you give me your views and a bit of a potted history, nn's etc. about each name to help me make my mind up. Any other suggestions much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Jessica/Emily - safe, dull choices - don't like, sorry
Erin - pretty, unusual - like this
Millie - ok but very popular at the moment as a nickname for Amelia/Emilia
Lois - lovely and unusual
Cassie - nice, would use as a nickname for Cassandra
Martha - love this, and not at all frumpy for an adult

So in order:

Martha
Lois
Erin
Cassandra (Cassie)
Millie

and way down
Jessica
Emily

Behind The Name is the very best name site imo. Very well-researched and should help a lot.

I think that Erin Jessica is a lovely name.

You could also consider:

Emmeline, Aurelia, Michaela?

All lovely names. You need to choose the one YOU love! (Not us )

How long have you got? Can you just sit on that short list for a bit and get used to them?
I think it's best to have 2 or 3 names in mind when the baby comes as the baby will suit one more than the other (DD did anyway).

Thanks for your replies.

Sandalwood - Three days -that's why I'm in a tizz! Really would like to have made my mind up by the end of today.

Jessica - not too keen personally but a perfectly good name, she'd probably get Jess/Jessie too
Emily - really love
Erin - not keen, but I'm not sure why! Bit of a 'hard' name, I think
Millie - okay, you could have it short for Emily if you can't choose!
Lois - I assosiate this too much with family guy/lois lane
Cassie - I like it
Martha - Don't love it straight away but I think it's one of those names that grows on you, would suit a child and an adult

It's all personal taste really! Do you have a favourite?

Jessica - like
Emily - like
Erin - don't like
Millie - nice as nickname for Amelia/Millicent
Lois - OK
Cassie - nice as nickname for Cassandra. Cassia nice too
Martha - yes I do think of this as frumpy

Belmo - thanks for your reply. No, I don't, as all of them are compromise names for one reason or another, so whilst I like them all very much, none of them is my favourite - if that makes sense! Hence the tizz!

Erin for sure - good luck!!

Are you worried about popularity. If so emily and Jessica I think are both in the top five (or certainly in the top ten).
What do they sound like with your surname? Personally I wouldn't choose a name with same letter as surname but that's personal choice. It might also sound better to have a varying number of syllables so if you have three syllables in surname avoid three syllable first name ( again just personal preference)

Emily is a classic name, nn em, emmie (even Millie at a push!)
Jessica another classic name nn jess, Jessie
Erin - lovely name, not over popular but well known.
Millie- traditionally a nn but now a name in its own right.
Lois - a bit less common, does remind me of superman!
Cassie - very pretty, traditionally a nn but think it works well in it's own right

Martha - quite old fashioned (which is popular these days) I can't picture a little one called Martha but she will be a grown up for much longer. (personally not a fan of old fashioned names)

I agree with pp go with the one/two that you love and see what she looks like or let oh choose his favourite of the two

DD1 is Emily (nn Milly).

I may be a bit biased

I still love Emily I think eveyone thinks it's overused now but I can't think of any babies with the name (My dd is nearly 7)

I like Martha best from your list. I know of two; one is 2.5yrs and the other 9mo. Think it has a lovely sound and will see her all the way through her life cute when little and has gravitas when grown up.

Erin is a lovely name too, probably my second favourite from your list.

Emily is a nice name but quite popular these days, that may or may not bother you.

Lois seems to be gaining in popularity. In my early 30s I knew a grown up Lois and she was the first I had ever met. Then last year there were two in my daughter's nursery group and this year another one in her preschool class.

Jessica, Millie and Cassie are too cutsie for me although I quite like Jess.

Keep the list close to hand and decide on the day you meet her :) I called my Daughter Rose then had changed to Emily by the morning as it was just her name it just suited her.
You could call Emily and use Millie as short name
Love Lois and Martha too

Erin, Martha, Lois or Emily are the only ones in your list that would suit a little girl and a middle-aged woman as well as an old dear waiting for the bus IMHO.

Would plump for Erin or Martha on the grounds that neither is too popular yet both are easy to spell, good "strong" names that would equally suit a dainty feminine little girl or a tomboy or a sporty outdoorsy girl IYKWIM.

Jessica - I love it (But I'm biased!) nns Jess or Jessie but I try to avoid them
Emily - Pretty name. No need for nn imo but I guess Em/Ems/Emmy
Erin - Lovely
Millie (too nicknamey?) - Personally I would use it as a nn for Emilia
Lois - I don't like it
Cassie (pet's name?) - Lovely but I would christen Cassandra
Martha (frumpy for an adult?) - Lovely, not frumpy nowadays, lots of babies.

My order would be:
Jessica
Cassie (Cassandra)
Martha
Erin
Emily
Lois

Martha and Lois are my faves from your shortlist and i adore Cassandra (Cassie)

i say go with your heart - just nothing silly and 'made up' is fine.....

i also love right now

Susannah
Felicity
Elsa or Elsie

and tbh - i'd wait to see her, it's amazing how 'fitting' a name can appear

Good Luck and update us please! xx

In my opinion...

Jessica - a safe name. slightly dated but ok (in the same ballpark as Hannah and Francesca). Jess is a really gorgeous nn.
Emily - another safe name, but more on the dull side....zzz...
Erin - have come across a couple - not totally unusual but has quite a nice feel to it. Lauren and Seren are also v nice.
Millie (too nicknamey?) - yes, too nicknamey. Lots and lots of similar names around - Tilly, Lily, Molly, Holly, Maisy - a big cutesy mess of names!
Lois - Very pretty. Haven't come across any.
Cassie (pet's name?) - know quite a few adults of this name, or variants. Would need a longer version.
Martha (frumpy for an adult?) - no, not frumpy, esp compared to other names you hear these days (e.g. Daphne, Mabel, Agnes, Nancy, Edith). Beautiful and long-lasting - cute for a little girl and mature for a woman. Pretty popular now - somewhere in top 100.

All I will say is that if you're specifically looking for something which isn't too faddy, then out of all them, avoid Millie.

This will date terribly. It's of an ilk with all the other cute-sy names which are inexplicably popular right now, and seems to epitomise all of them. Millie, Lily, Ellie, Evie, Maisie, Ruby, Daisy, etc, etc, etc...

In another 10 years these names will have dropped right out of favour, and in another 10 years I woukd venture some of them may have even taken on Sharon/Tracey-esque proportions. Just my loan opinion, before I get slated.

The other names are fine. I can't get too excited about any of them. Not to diss your choices; I certainly don't like very 'out there' names myself. They're all just a bit safe and predictable and I'm only saying this because you specifically asked for opinions. I find baby name trends probably a bit too fascinating and so figured I'd drop in to comment since you say you're not too well-versed in the subject.

lone opinion, even...

Of them all, I like Cassie, as a possible nn for Calista, Cassia, Clarissa or even Catherine at a pinch (just as Bess/Bessie is a nn for Elizabeth) or just Cassie on its own with Cass as a nn.