If I like these names, what else might I like?

[Namethischildplease]

Ok, so I am 32 weeks and totally stuck on names. Please help!

For girls, I like traditional, strong but not too common names. I'm not keen on 'frilly' names or -ella type endings. I like Margaret, Ruth, Vivienne and Juliet, but all are out for various reasons.

For boys, again I like traditional names which aren't too common. I quite like Jonathan but DH not convinced. I don't really like any 'surname' names and our surname is very short, so longer names give some balance.

Please just name this child for me!

If you like Vivienne and Juliet, what about Violet? That's top of my girl's list. I also like Eloise. If you like Margaret, what about Margot?

For boys… Vincent? Theodore?

Violet is quite cool, but I just know DH will say it reminds him of Willy Wonka. Vivienne is out because of the Young Ones... Margaret has sadly been discounted as we've already used it as a middle name, so can't really do varients.

I like Vincent. I wonder if DH could be convinced...

Sorry, just realised you said Violet was top of your list. It wouldn't make a normal person think Willy Wonka (in fact, it makes me think of a delightful girl in DD1's class) but DH is weird like that.

Viola
Agnes
Delphine
Astrid
Celeste
Rosalind/Rosamund
Harriet
Frances

Alexander
Thomas
James
Arthur
Albert
Felix
Gabriel

oh, also maybe:
Oliver
Sebastian
Edward
Tobias
(shamelessly nicked from another thread...)

Miriam
Esther

Laurence
Conrad

Tamsin
Judith

Alasdair
Victor

Verity, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Imogen, Eleanor, Felicity

Andrew, Daniel, Stephen, Christopher, Philip, Fredrick

Colette (as an altermative to Juliet)

Robert

Haha, don't worry it wouldn't put me off, I don't mind the Willy Wonka connection! I also really like Cecile, that's up there too, and we went through a phase of loving Octavia, Tavi for short.

Victoria!

Susannah
Helena
Jane
Caroline
Judith
Nancy

Nicholas
Peter
Matthew
Christopher
Christian.

A lot of the traditional male names have surname uses though, Andrew (s), Matthew(s), (mac)Robert(son), steven(s/son), hugh(es), Thomas, William(s)

I think it'd be hard to avoid a traditional boys first name that isn't a surname.

In fact, I've just gone through the names of every single male relative (including middle names) & not found one that isn't also a surname, or surname linked...

Boys names are definitely harder to choose ime.

Gwenda
Amelia
Jeanne
Margot

Cicely
Penelope
Lillian

Fiona
Emma

John
Mark

Albert
Victor
Alan
Jonty

Rebecca
Martha
Tabitha
Judy

Sorry, I just realised that I didn't come back to this thread. And I hate it when people do that...

I'm not too worried about boys names that can be surnames where they are traditional first names too - e.g. James. After all, you can stick -son on the end of just about everything and it becomes a surname! It's more that my personal taste isn't to the Harrison, Bailey, Riley type names.

Unfortunately a fair few of the names suggested are in use in the close family. Not that that rules them out, but I'd feel funny giving my child the same name as my SIL (for example) without it actually being 'naming her after SIL' (if that makes sense). But there are some great suggestions.

On the girls, I definitely like Rosamund (DD1 has been petitioning for Rosie, but I think that's a Cbeebies thing!), Helena, Tabitha, Cecily and Verity. I really like Elizabeth too but I've discounted it in the past because I don't like Liz at all (Lizzie or Eliza would be fine) and I'm not sure you can hope to regulate the nickname past early childhood?

For boys I am still struggling a bit. Vincent is quite cool, and Albert. I also like Andrew, Philip and Tobias. Robert and Peter are both nice but in use in the very, very close family so probably not.

Thanks. I feel I am starting a bit of a long list at least! We had about five names of each sex before and didn't settle on one after birth, I like to keep lots of options until I meet him/her.

Portia
Erin
Caitlin
Catherine
Eleanor
Charlotte
Hannah/Anna
Bethan
Emma
Esme
Iris

Look at Shakespeare, he used wonderful names.

That is a beautiful shortlist, OP.