Opinions on our lists- one week to go!

[DorotheaHomeAlone]

Baby is due in a week and we're still trying to get a proper shortlist. Will probably pick properly once they're here. Opinions would be great as would suggestions of similar names (especially boys where we're extra undecided!).

Girls:

Iris
Sylvia
Saffron
Florence
Mathilda
Evelyn

Boys:

Alexander
Theodore
Wilfred
Oscar
Sebastian
Arthur
Heath

We mostly like pretty traditional stuff and are prefer full names rather than nicknames. Help please!

Hmmm. Fairly evenly spread! Am I right in thinking there are loads of Alexanders, Florences and Oscars about in London right now?

This is so hard!

Alexander is a family name so I'm very tempted by it anyway. Wondering if Oscar is too faddy though I love it.

I would drop Heath. Too much a reminder of Ted Heath whose name may well come under a cloud in the not too distant future.

While Ted can be a NN for Theodore, it's more likely to be used as a NN for Theodore. I like Theodore and Oscar the most from your boys' list.

You could use Wilfred as a MN?

Suggestions:
Thaddeus
Fergus
Henry

I love Sylvia, Saffron, Mathilda and Evelyn from your girls' list. Not so keen on Florence and Iris.

'more likely to be used as a NN for Theodore' [gaagh]

It would be more Heathesque if it was Ted short for Edward -- the perils of letting your cat walk all over your keyboard..

Iris and Alexander.

I have Sebastian and Theodore on my boys list, both lovely.

OP you ask about popularity; out of top 100 names in England and Wales for 2012 (new stats for 2013 due out next month):

Alexander = 27
Alex = 65
Oscar = 17
Arthur = 52
Theodore = 97
Theo = 44

Florence = 34
Evelyn = 57
Evie = 11
Eva = 24
Matilda (no 'h') = 47

Thanks, florascotia. I've looked at those popularity lists which is why I'm so on the fenced about Oscar and Alexander, both of which I love.

Just feel some of these names will be even more over represented in the 'cool' London borough where we live!

OP I think that if you really like a name you should use it.

I think that many of your names - especially Alexander, Florence and Arthur - are classics. There will always be some. I like all those names, by the way, and also Sylvia. Everyone I've ever met with that name has been lovely! (Once of them spelled her name 'Silvia', which is nice, too.)

Even for recently-popular names like Oscar, the total number of babies is not that large; there were just over 3000 new baby Oscars in the whole of England and Wales 2012.

I expect you have seen these regional lists. But if not: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-318071

For London, they say that the Top 10 names in 2012 were:

Muhammad
Daniel
Alexander (649 for the whole of London)
Mohammad
Josua
Oliver
Harry
Samuel
Thomas
James

Your names are lovely, though I wouldn't be keen on Heath or Saffron.