B/G (not so)shortlists: help us choose

[MagdalenaAlec]

I have already asked you for your thoughts on some names but now that DH and I have come up with a list, we cannot decide between these names:

Gabriel Victor?/Ezra? Maurice
Victor Augustin?/Ariel?/Ezra? Maurice
Barthelemy James?/Victor? Maurice
Hadrian Victor Maurice
Henry Gabriel Maurice
Thomas Alistair Maurice (a bit worried as to Thomas with a surname beginning with the sound "Zay")

Octavia Louise Martha
Honoria Claire Martha
Adelaide Iris Martha
Antonia Louise Martha
Solveig Iris Martha

What do you think? Which one do you prefer in each category (will not find out the sex before)? Any ideas of nicknames for Gabriel (other than Gabe/Gaby) and Antonia (not Toni/Tonia)? Are these ok with a 2 syllables surname beginning with "Zay"?

Thanks for your help!!!

Henry Gabriel Maurice
Thomas Alistair Maurice
Adelaide Iris Martha
Antonia Louise Martha

I like the above and think they will sound fine with the surname.

Adelaide Iris Martha is gorgeous

I'd go Henry Gabriel Maurice or Gabriel Ezra Maurice

Love Victor and Barhtlemy!

Also love Octavia and Antonia!

(Henry/Harry & Thomas/Tom are very widely used already...)

sorry Barthelemy .

I like Victor from the boys list best. And Octavia from the girls list. Not Maurice, Barthelemy or Hadrian. Not keen on these three at all.

Sorry can I just add. I think two names is plenty. We gave DD three and she always complains.

From your list I prefer...

Gabriel Ezra Maurice (would El work as nn for Gabriel? Maybe...)

Octavia Louise Martha

I like the following

Henry Gabriel Maurice
Thomas Alistair Maurice (a bit worried as to Thomas with a surname beginning with the sound "Zay")

Adelaide Iris Martha (DH knocked Adelaide off our list but I love it with Adie (Ad-ee) as a NN.

Don't like any of the girls' names, sorry - all too fussy sounding for me. But I do like Claire, Louise and Martha.

Boys' names much better.

Gabriel Victor?/Ezra? Maurice - like Gabriel and Maurice - hate Ezra
Victor Augustin?/Ariel?/Ezra? Maurice - sorry but Ariel is a bit daft imho
Barthelemy James?/Victor? Maurice - love Bartholomew but not Barthelemy; love James
Hadrian Victor Maurice - like this
Henry Gabriel Maurice - don't like Henry
Thomas Alistair Maurice - don't like Alistair

Personally I like:
Martha Louise and Hadrian Victor Maurice best. Bartholomew Maurice would be ace though.

Agree that two names really is plenty though. :)

Adrian is much nicer than Hadrian IMO, Maurice is a ghastly name although, as it is not a first one it doesn't matter too much.
Girls name should be Adelaide Iris and Martha if necessary.

thanks for your thoughts, keep them coming!

DC2 will have 3 names because it is tradition in my family and DS1 has three too. I am aware that Martha and Maurice are not the best of names but it is for my grandparents (though I only took one of their hyphenated names and modified Marthe) and I really want my child to have their names.

DH and I have decided on Barthelemy rather than Bartholomew because we have tried it on my side of the family and no one managed to pronounce it right (I am not even sure I do...TBH). Training the English speakers to say "Bar-tay-lay-mee" seems to be a lot easier.

DH suggests nns "Elky" for Gabriel and "Torcky" for Victor - not sure what to think about that... How does that sound to MNeter's ears?

I think Martha and Maurice are both fantastic names. :)

Not liking Elky or Torcky tbh, sorry.

I love Victor, Maurice and Barthelemy. As well as Octavia and Antonia! Lovely, classic but not overused names!

(really don't like Elky for a boy, sounds like the girls' name Elke to me).

I like most of the names.

Don't like:
Ariel
Ezra
Hadrian (Adrian is OK)
Honoria

I would worry about the -laide in Adelaide, given the French background.

I wouldn't worry too much about nicknames. Names don't have to be shortened, and a nn often develops that has little to do with the given name.

So basically no one likes Honoria and Solveig.. Solveig sounds perhaps a bit "harsh" but Honoria ("Ho-no-REE-ah") seems quite similar to Octavia to me...Is it too old-fashioned? unusual? totally weird? or you just do not like it? I am curious..

Oh btw, I have discovered that the most common pronunciation for Octavia is "Ock-TAY-vee-ah": do you confirm? I guess I will have to correct people since our DD will be "Ock-TAHV-yah".

Percy the ending "-laide" will not be an issue since Adelaide is pronounced "Ah-deh-la-eed" in French, v different from "laide", which rhymes with "said" in English.

tammy I thought Elke was pronounced "El- kah"?

Yes, it is El-keh but I still think of it when I see/hear Elky... It would be a shame to shorten Gabriel to Elky imo.

I like Solveig! I would expect there to be a Scandinavian background though. Don't think it sounds harsh, but people may not know how to pronounce it at first. The only one I ever knew was Sol-vay, I assume that's right. Not so different from Sylvie which seems to be quite popular just now.

Point taken re French pronunciation of Adelaide, but will the whole family be pronouncing it the French way? Still, you're the best judge there.

Lots of nice names there :)

I'd remove Barthelemy, Ariel, Victor, Augustin, Martha, Adelaide and Iris.

Any combination of the others would be nice :)

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, since i think i probably have fairly different taste in names...but for what it's worth...

I'd only consdier these of your boy choices.
Henry Gabriel Maurice
Thomas Alistair Maurice

I'd only considere these of your girl choices
Claire -something- Martha
Adelaide Iris Martha

PS Elky and Torky don't work for me at all. Not even the teensiest bit. Sorry.