Can't do girls' names... here's my maybe pile

[BeardyHammerclaw]

I've got two boys names I love and if this baby is a boy, I will just go with whichever of those he looks like

However, I'm not so good with girls' names and I'm not sure any of the ones we've come up with are just right. Please let me know what you think of this list and if you can think of any others we might like. We are hoping for a classic English name but not something overused. I don't want a really frilly name.

Meredith
Helena
Harriet
Alice
Martha
Imogen

Helena is my fave really but I am unsure about whether she will spend her life correcting the pronunciation.

I like Meredith and Helena, but as you say pronunciation could be an issue with the latter. Like all the others except Imogen but all quite common in the school I teach at and unfortunately Imogen seems to becoming 'Chavvy'' in my area (sure I will get slated for saying this as there are some lovely Imogen's!!!!)

Finbert is Helena popular in your school?

No, never taught one and I only know one in real life

I love Imogen as being different, beautiful, but not too frilly. Second choice... probably Alice.

Good luck!

How would you pn Helena? As HEL-ena or Hel-ENa? I like both. That's my fav from your list.

What a lovely list. Helena (pronounced Hel-LAY-na), Harriet and Imogen would be my favourites, but tbh all of them are pretty, classic but not 'fluffy' names.

depends how you pronounce Helena - do you go hell -enna or Hel- ay -na ?

the first would be more likely.

i like it.

if you're worried about pronunciation, you could have Eleanor instead.
(biased here though)
but I like Helena.

They are all lovely names!! All gorgeous so too hard to pick a favourite! My least favourite is Imogen. What about Miriam?

Thanks all. I'm glad people think they are nice names. Helen-a is the pronunciation I would use, like the character in Midsummer Night's Dream. I like Eleanor but have a family member with that name, plus the nickname Elly is quite ubiquitous. I like Miriam too...

Alice is beautiful. Love it.

Meredith is welsh not English. Just not sure if you knew as you say you want an English name

Lovely list. I love Meredith, Helena, and Harriet.

Meredith less popular.

Harriet or Alice

I love Imogen amd would like to it it on my short list but it has soared in popularity round here lately.

Helena is gorgeous - just use it and correct pronunciation if necessary. Yours is the more usual way of saying it, I think.

I know one small Helena - and was considering it for dd. Such great nn potential.

My cousin has been called Helena for 33 years and as far as I know is always called /hel-en-a/, no issues.
Her nickname is Hen.

I love Meredith.

Meredith gets my vote but I do also like Helena a lot

I have a name that's pronounced differently in foreign languages.
I normally use the english version, but find that I quite like the "exotic" version is someone accidentally calls me that!

that rule could work for Helena too.

You can do girls' names

Helena and Harriet are my favourites. And Alice is classic.

Helena can be pronounced in different ways - but sounds lovely however it's said.

Meredith is lovely! Alice also great.

Meredith is lovely. I knew a Meredith nn Merry and was just gorgeous. I also like Harriet, Alice and Helena. Not keen on Imogen. I also really like Martha.

I worked with a Helen-a and she was hugely pissed off when people called her Helayna in error.

Lovely list (apart from Harriet which I - probably irrationally - dislike)

Meredith and Helena are my favourites. I think Hel-en-a (not Helayna) is the more usual pronunciation so if that's the one you want, you should be fine.

Miriam!! Oh yes, it's a gorgeous name and I keep suggesting it to everyone. Much nicer than the others on your list.

My favourite aunt was Annie Miriam and I adore the name Miriam. I know one who is a Mirry usually. I also love Meredith and know a really lovely Imogen. It's a pretty name.

Helena is okay but I'm not massively moved by it. My cousin is Helen and is invariably known as 'Hels' which is just a bit bleurgh. She has spent years trying to avoid it but school friends, workmates etc all just abbreviate it accordingly.