Can you take a look at my girls list. I need a bit of clarity.

[Hettyjones]

Ok, still a couple of months to go but scan says girl so we're focusing on names.
We want a name which we can shorten to an everyday nn. This fits in with our other kids names.

DH likes the nicknames, Josie, clemmie and Flo. So he's keen on, Josephine or Jocelyn, Clementine and Florence or Florentine.

I like Ruth/Ruthie, Margaret/Maggie and Constance/Connie

Dh's fav is one of the Josie names though he can't decide which. Mine is Constance.

Honest opinions without being too nasty please.

[3littlerabbits]

Lovely not lively!

[3littlerabbits]

Ruthie is so lively - would be my choice from your list.

[mathanxiety]

Gorgeous names both. Best of luck.

[Hettyjones]

The reason I wanted Constance was so I could call her Connie but that's out now.

So, she is either going to be Josephine Margaret or Jocelyn Margaret. Thanks everyone. Still can't believe I didn't cotton on to Jonny/Connie!

[squoosh]

Conty? Definitely wouldn't recommend that!

[Ham69]

Conty? Certain accents couldn't get away with that one!

[Skygirls]

*both

[Retroformica]

Your DH has excellent taste. Yours are nice enough though

[mathanxiety]

Lovely choices. I really recommend Margaret as a mn.

[MrsBazinga]

I was about to say Clemency, Clem for short. Much nicer than Clementine.... And personally, I love Constance and Connie, though not keen on Josie. Reminds me of dreadful Josie Jump :)

[Anri]

Since he likes Clemmie and you like Constance, what about Clemence or Clemency?

[Hettyjones]

Thank you everyone for being generally kind about our short list. And Niceone, thank you for being so kind about my boys names.

Ok, after thinking about it all day, we have narrowed it down to either Josephine or Jocelyn. Middle name either Margaret or Anne.

[bludgerwitch]

I love Josephine - it would've been top of my list if a cousin hadn't got there first! Clementine is lovely, too.

[AmIGoingMad]

I like Josie in its own right.

[JacqueslePeacock]

Josephine is great. I would think you need a shorter middle name after that though.

[NiceOneCenturion]

I like your boys names, I have one of them and have considered the others. I think Josephine is the best on your list by a country mile, beautiful name. Underused at the moment so it sounds really fresh, but I don't think it will date like some of the others might. Lots of nice nicknames for her to choose from as well.

Josephine Margaret and Josephine Constance are both lovely combinations.

[mathanxiety]

I think Joss is a much more likely NN for Jocelyn than Josie. I like it a lot.

I think Jocelyn is the standard spelling (but that won't prevent people from getting it wrong - this is because a lot of people can't spell and don't read much, and not because it isn't very straightforward).

[Ham69]

Some gorgeous names there. Not too keen on Maggie (Thatcher) and Florentine is beautiful but I think of the biscuits. Think my favourites would be Clementine and Constance.

[Spaghettinetti]

I know several people with daughters called Florence...I see it being very common in a lot of classrooms in a few years time. Josephine is lovely. It's a classic name - timeless even.

[TeaAndCakeOrDeath]

I love Josephine, also gives you the option of nn 'Posy' which is sweet for a little girl

[NoComet]

Josie of either Josephine or Jocelyn
Or Constance.

Not Margaret! it's my generations mothers name and, therefor my generations default middle name. It wasn't nice then and it isn't nice now.

[Hettyjones]

Thanks everyone, really helpful!
Saffron, you are so right about the Jonny/Connie thing. Oh my goodness, how did that not occur to me before??? Right, so Constance is out. As is Ruth and Florence.

I think Connie was my favourite and the one holding me back from agreeing to dh's Josephine or Jocelyn. I think I prefer Josephine as it seems to naturally shorten to Josie. I'm not sure. Is Jocelyn a bit too unusual these days? Is it a standard spelling or will she be forever spelling her name? Is she more likely to be called, Joss as someone mentioned up thread. We do actually know of one and she is Joss but she's the only one I've heard of. She's older though.

[Starfishkiss]

Just a thought, if you like Maggie but are not so keen on Margaret, how about Magnolia?