Have a look at my girl's list

[cosykins]

Please give opinions on the following names. We're looking for something that will fit our first dd, whether she becomes a folk musician or the prime minister. Middle name will be Catherine, plus another one if we fancy!!

Mary
Maggie
Sylvia / Sylvie
Julia
Siena
Seraphina (Seraph for short)

Thanks!! Xx

Love,love Mary.
Maggie is ugly.
Sylvia is very nice,but Sylvie is even better
Like Julia.
I don't like Siena and Seraphina at all.

Julia is a beautiful elegant name and is lovely with catherine

I love Sylvie and Sylvia. Julia is also nice, as is Juliet, IMO.

Congratulations!

Sylvia Catherine sounds lovely

Don't like Seraphina - too frilly
Don't like Mary - too dour
Julia is lovely, as is Sylvie
Don't like Siena
Like Margaret/Meg/Daisy but not Maggie so much

Julia Catherine or Sylive Catherine would be v nice.

Mary - bit boring
Maggie - like but will always be Thatcher to me
Sylvia / Sylvie - really dislike, just sounds very late middle-aged
Julia - love
Siena - dislike
Seraphina (Seraph for short) - too flouncy

So all in all my preference from your list would be Julia.

Maggie and Sylvie for me. In that order.

I am not wild about Maggie (sounds very harsh) but all the others are lovely, especially Sylvie.

I prefer Juliet to Julia though.

I would spell Sienna like the natural pigment/colour rather than Siena like the city though. Naming children after elements in nature seems less tacky than naming them after places!

Mary is so beautiful.
Mary Catherine sounds elegant and timeless imho :)

I think Julia Catherine flows the best.
Julia Catherine. Yep.

Julia Catherine, closely followed by Sylvia Catherine.

Thank you everybody! It's such a difficult decision isn't it?! I'm 30 weeks so have some time yet. Any other suggestions gratefully received, we're very open to ideas.....!!

Mary - quite nice. Uncommon enough to be classic rather than boring nowadays
Maggie - really hate this sorry, it sounds so harsh and I can't see it as a full name. Margaret if you must.
Sylvia / Sylvie - not keen
Julia - nice. Prefer Juliet.
Siena - pretty but would spell Sienna
Seraphina (Seraph for short) - rather fussy.

I'd go for Sienna Catherine followed by Mary Catherine or Julia Catherine

Julia or Sienna / Siena from your list. Maria instead of Mary?

Mary (or Margaret/Maggie) Catherine is an elderly Irish woman's name, and has been for the last 350 years. Nothing wrong with that of course, but it does sound more like a nun than a folk singer or prime minister.

I like all of your names, but Julia best of all (also prefer Julia to Juliet).

Mary is also a sweet, pretty name, underused and one I considered, but dh disliked it because he thought it sounded too relgious.

Love Sylvie.
Like Julia and Mary.

Like them all really, except for Maggie which reminds me too much of Thatcher, who I hated.

Love Mary.

Love Mary. Especially the little one who is asleep upstairs having a nap with her bunnies . But be prepared for everyone to tell you it's a borrrrring name and that everyone is called Mary - at which you can sweetly point out that it's not even in the top 100 any more.

Sister Mary Catherine was known as Siter Mary thwakum at my junior school - so I can't give an unbiased opinion.

Saying the names out loud follewed by Catherine Siena and Julia seem most 'natural'

Thanks everyone. This is very helpful. Do you think if we did go for Mary but added another name in between Mary and Catherine it might sound less nun-y? Like Mary Eleanor Catherine or something? Any ideas?!
DH is very unconvinced by Siena and Seraphina so those should probably come off the list!
I do love Sylvia with Sylvie as a nn. It's not too cute, right?!

Sylvie is not too cute.

I wouldnt force another MN in if you dont want to....in all honesty, how many times in her life will she be referred to as first name AND middle name?

Adore Mary!