What do you think of my shortlisted names?

[annabanana84]

please be brutally honest!

Henrietta
Harriet
Beatrix
Pippa
Christy
Cordelia
Hazel
Jemima
Ramona
Sheba

Christy is a boy's name.

Sheba is cat food.

They're all a bit whimsical for my liking, really. Harriet is nice.

Love Harriet and Ramona.

Pippa is nice as is Beatrix.

Don't like the others.

My favourites from your list are:

Philipa / Pippa - wanted this for my DD, but DH wouldn't let me. Said it was too similar to his dad's name.

Harriet. I love the nn Hattie. Dh wouldn't let me have it as he hated Hattie.

Jemima. DH just said Khan to that one, or puddle duck!

These three were on my list, and I think they are beautiful names.

Henrietta - lovely, but risible with some surnames
Harriet - lovely
Beatrix - lovely
Pippa - like, but see it as more of a nn than a main name
Christy - OK, but unisex (which I don't like) and again more of a nn
Cordelia - lovely
Hazel - don't like
Jemima - lovely
Ramona - don't like
Sheba - don't like

Not my cup of tea, and I generally like traditional names

Henrietta - our pigs name as a child
Harriet - ok
Beatrix - potter, prefer Beatrice
Pippa - Middleton
Christy - agree its a boys name
Cordelia - nice, depends on area if you can get away with it. Maybe Cecilia?
Hazel - nice
Jemima - ok
Ramona - very common in east europe among gypsy families, nice though
Sheba - cat food

Henrietta - Cute
Harriet - Not keen but I think because I automatically think of people i know IRL called Harriet.
Beatrix - Lovely
Pippa - Lovely
Christy - Cute
Cordelia - Can't imagine a Cordelia being a friendly warm person
Hazel - Nice
Jemima - Lovely
Ramona - Hmm undecided
Sheba - A neighbour had a staffy called Sheba when I was kid.

Sorry for crap/weird reasons!

NOT Sheba! Is cat food. Harriet is gorgeous and like Pippa (but would have as nn for Philippa) and Beatrix (prefer Beatrice). Henrietta is OK, but only if you call her Henri/Hetty. Not keen on the rest.

Harriet, Jemima and Ramona are my favourites from your list.

Love Ramona, Hazel and Cordelia.

They were all on my list. DH not keen on Hazel or Cordelia, and I couldn't get my head around the nn 'Mona' (moaner!) for Ramona, but it's a great name.

Henrietta - don't like at all
Harriet - know a lovely (grown up) Harriet, but I think it's a bit frumpy
Beatrix - prefer Beatrice
Pippa - cute, I love the nn Pip
Christy - OK
Cordelia - sounds snooty, and is a horrible character in Margaret Atwood book!
Hazel - like. I have a friend Hazel, she gets nn Haze
Jemima - OK though sounds like a dolly
Ramona - I'm warming to the more I hear it, also think Mona is a sweet nn!
Sheba - nope

Christy (which is not a boy's name - maybe unisex), Jemima or Ramona. Don't like any of the others.

I think Christy Turlington might disagree its a boy's name!

Of those Pippa and Hazel would be my preferred choice.

Love Harriet, Beatrix and Jemima.
Not so keen on others but don't dislike them either (apart from Sheba).

Hazel is lovely.

Henrietta - not fond
Harriet - love
Beatrix - hate but like Beatrice
Pippa - fine as nn
Christy - bad
Cordelia - poncey
Hazel - like
Jemima - no
Ramona - hate this, sorry
Sheba - this one is a joke, right? Sorry but it is awful and you did say be brutally honest.

Henrietta and Harriet, I've always disliked these names.

Beatrix is nice but may be a bit "now", not sure.

Pippa would be a no-no for me, the Middleton woman and various obscene meanings in other languages.

Christy is a unisex shortening for various names. I would always give a full name, so Christine, Christina, Christabel, Christianna ...

Cordelia - Shakespearean names always have class. This one not over-popular afaik.

Hazel - never been all that keen on this name, plus for many people it's a male rabbit thanks to Waterrship Down. I hate it when authors do that. Artemis Fowl is another sex-change one.

Jemima is a bit prim, and too Beatrix Potter (although strangely with Beatrix itself I don't automatically think Potter).

Ramona - I really like this name a lot and it's a clear winner for me.

Sheba is a German Shepherd Dog. (Sorry)

I like Christy and Pippa (if short for Philippa).

I love Hazel (never come across it at work either)
ditto Cordelia
I knew a Jemima, she got called Jemima Puddleduck all the time.

I know a female Christie.

Ramona is a stripper's name.

Henrietta - don't like.
Harriet - I like this, but know two under three if that bothers you.
Beatrix - dislike.
Pippa - Middleton.
Christy - nice
Cordelia - buffy?
Hazel - dislike
Jemima - love... Don't even mind the puddle duck connection :)
Ramona - dislike
Sheba - really? It is a cat food! What about Saskia? Or Sasha?

Henrietta, Harriet, Pippa and Cordelia are all ok names, not my cup of tea but hey - not my baby!

Beatrix and Jemima I like

Hazel, Ramona and Christy - big dislike

Sheba - Seriously?

Think our tastes are quite different! Yours aren't awful by any means, just not what I would choose (apart from Sheba, which is awful).

Henrietta - don't like - too clunky/awkward sounding
Harriet - OK, had its day though, I think
Beatrix - quite nice, coming across more and more lately
Pippa - dislike - can't avoid the Middleton association
Christy - too nicknamey - would choose a longer form e.g. Christina, Christabel
Cordelia - pretty, maybe 'too much', though, plus tragic King Lear association. What nn would you use? Dislike 'Cordy'!
Hazel - like - my favourite of your choices
Jemima - dislike - too prissy
Ramona - cool - a bit more quirky and 'rock chick' compared to some of your other choices!
Sheba - cat food or The Queen of - neither are great associations! Agree that Sasha/Saskia are nicer.

Definitely Hazel or Ramona for me, maybe Cordelia at a push.

What nn would you use? Dislike 'Cordy'!

I've never heard of anyone being called "Cordy". Of course, you don't have to use a nn at all, I've known loads of people whose names were never abbreviated. Cordelia might evolve into Cory, Corrie or Delia, but it depends on what will suit her, if any.

The only Cordelia I've ever come across was called 'Cordy' by pretty much everyone until she put her foot down and insisted on going by 'Lia' instead. This was around the time that 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' featured a Cordelia who also went by Cordy.

Of course a nickname isn't compulsory, although I'd have thought Cordelia would end up getting shortened to something, as it's a bit of a mouthful in its full form (ditto Henrietta).