39 weeks - time to make some decisions

[PollyIndia]

Firstly, can I ask a favour, that you don't just say you hate the names on my list as I have been through thousands and these are pretty much the only ones I like.

But it would be great if you could tell me which you like the best... I am starting to have doubts about all names, but the baby can't just be baby for the rest of his/her life. Though it worked for Baby Houseman, kind of.

I am nervous about opening my list up to Mumsnet, but here goes:

Girls

Ela (my grandmother's name)
Viola (though would kids maybe call her Vile Viola?)
Vivienne
Maud
Isis
Joan
Lyra
Theodora

Boys

Gilbert
Jude
Jago
Rafferty
Otis
Francis (nn Frankie)

I don't want anything that sounds pretentious or too 'islington' if that makes sense (which Jago may be....). Or anything too common or hard to spell.

Thanks for being kind, she says hopefully!

I love Ela! (I'm assuming sounds the same as Ella?)

I'd love to use Maud but DH says no :( Also love Lyra.

Boys names - I'd go for Gilbert off there!

Sleepingbunnies, my grandmother pronounced it Ee-la. I've never met anyone else with that name so no idea if that is correct!
Thanks potteringalong.

Ok, this isn't so bad!

Love Francis out of your boys list

Ela is lovely, as is Isis (quite jealous as I'd love to use that, but it sounds ridiculous with our surname!) Vivienne is my mum's name, so for me it's hard to think of it describing a baby, but I do like the name.

On the boy list, I LOVE Rafferty.

Congratulations on your impending arrival. :)

Ela Vivienne girls

Francis frankie boys.

Jago is a bit islington I reckon.

Isis is really lovely

Rafferty nice. Good nicknames from that.

Mmm i like Jude too.

I like Vivienne and Lyra from your girls list and Jude from the boys.

Jago, Rafferty and Isis are a bit 'trendy' IMHO and will really date.

Ela - Lovely. Pretty common in Wales, and pronounced the same as Ella.
Viola - absolutely wonderful lovely classic underused AND has musical connotations- This is a FABULOUS name (can you tell I like Viola?) :o
Vivienne - Adore it, but Angelina would put me off...
Maud - I think of Maudlin.
Isis - Sounds like a perfume.
Joan - LOVE this too. I think a lot of our generation would think but I think it will be dead cool when she's older...
Lyra- Not keen
Theodora- I don't like this, it's a boy's name with one letter changed for me.

Gilbert- Don't like it, but Gil is cool.
Jude- Lovely
Jago- Sounds like aftershave
Rafferty- No, sounds like someone from Downton who has money but no chin (I am being weird, sorry, but that's what I thought)
Otis- The aardvark
Francis (nn Frankie)- lovely lovely lovely, classic, underused. I would use NN Fran though.

Good luck :)

Vivienne and Otis are absolutely gorgeous IMO

Girls - Vivienne, Viola and Lyra are lovely. Can't imagine calling a little girl Maud or Theodora.

Francis (Frankie) and Gilbert (Gil) are great. Would call a puppy or kitten Rafferty but not a DS.

Looooove Jude

Ela - Like the way this sounds (Ee-la) but it's open to a lifetime of confusion over pronunciation and spelling
Viola - Like this, I like Violet too, kids will come up with all sorts of mean nn's no telling if Vile Viola would ever be one of them!
Vivienne - Not so keen, bit middle-aged sounding
Maud - Quite like this as 'old lady name chic' goes, prefer it to the increasingly popular Mabel anyway
Isis - Not really keen on this as a name, Iris is gorgeous though
Joan - May end up being quite cool, bit plain though
Lyra - Phillip Pullman
Theodora - Not keen, in terms of adding an 'a' to a boys name Georgina and Thomasina are nicer imo

Overall I like Viola best from your girls list.

Gilbert - No, sounds a bit feeble
Jude - Like this
Jago - Quite like this too but poss a bit pretentious as you've said
Rafferty - I actually really like this. DH has vetoed in our case and I suppose it could be considered a bit frilly...
Otis - No puts me in mind of the aardvark or lifts
Francis (nn Frankie) - Like Francis but really don't like Frankie

Overall I like Rafferty best from your boys list closely followed by Jude

Ela (my grandmother's name) - no
Viola (though would kids maybe call her Vile Viola?) - not overfond but better than Ela
Vivienne - like
Maud - awful
Isis - no
Joan - awful: terrible name
Lyra - fine
Theodora - no

Gilbert - horrible
Jude - good
Jago - bad
Rafferty - bad
Otis - really bad
Francis (nn Frankie) - ok only

Vivienne or Jude nicest imho.

I think Jago is a bit Isligton. Love Vivienne ad Frankie best.

Sorry, but what is 'Islington' . Apart from a north london suburb?

I think Isis, Rafferty and Otis are a little "Islington" although inlike them.

I love, love, love Theodora (am thinking if having a Dorothea myself). She could be Thea or Dora.

I also really like Jude. I love Hardy and The Beatles so it works for me!

I would go for Ela because of the family connection. You'll never go off it if it's meaningful to you. I also like Lyra and Jude.

Ela - like, if pronounced as "Ella". Middle name certainly?
Viola - love (though have the same worry as you about "viler")
Vivienne - love, also love Viv, Vi, V as nn.
Maud - Hm. My great-nan's name and she was cool. But still, not sure.
Isis - like
Joan - LOVE. Definitely due revival.
Lyra - love.
Theodora - love - also love Dora and Dolly as nn

Boys

Gilbert - not keen on the full name but like "Gil" and "Bert" nn
Jude - like
Jago - quite like. Agree is a bit Islington though.
Rafferty - like
Otis - Hm. Could be a very cool child, but I will probably have geeky DC so wouldn't use!
Francis (nn Frankie) - LOVE!

There. No hate at all. Some really nice names there.

Thanks all. Some food for thought there :)

Isis and Francis.

Isis was on my list for DD, and I know a very sweet 4 yo Frankie/Francis and a lovely old man Frank/Francis.

I like most of your girls, bar Joan, (horrible) and Maud and Lyra are iffy too.

Viola, Vivienne, Isis and Theodora are gorgeous, Ela is really nice but could be awkward - I'd imagine she'd get a lot of I-la and mainly Ella and 'You spelt you name wrong's in school.

Jude, Rafferty and Francis I love for boys, I like Gilbert purely from Anne of Green Gables, bit even then! Otis is iffy and Jago is horrid.

The other one I kind of like is Woodrow, Woody for short.

I love Gil Scott Heron and also Gilbert Blythe (surely everyone's perfect man!), hence liking the name though I do hate Gilbert Osmond (from portrait of a lady).

I like Otis because of Redding.

I am still no clearer to what I am leaning towards I have to say. People with children, does it become obviously once you see them? It's all so abstract when they are still in utero!