No name for DD2; on the verge of calling her Stephen

[PennilynLott]

DD1 has the perfect name for us - a choice of good nicknames, well out of the top hundred, family connection.

Here are other names we like. Please someone name her for us. We like quite long names generally, and ideally the nickname/shortening would begin with the same letter as the name itself.

Alexandra - love this but it doesn't go with the surname
Beatrice - current favourite?
Evelyn - literally every second girl is called Evie where we live
Clementine - DH hates it, I love it
Corinne - no nickname?
Leah - makes a comedy pairing with DD1's first name but would love it as a middle name
Juliet - makes a comedy pairing with my first name
Penelope - DH loves it, I don't like Penny

Love Miriam. Other nn are Miri and Mim.

Imogen
Larissa
Yasmin

Cassandra

I think Beatrice is lovely. Bea is nice for a nname, but I also like Tris - I know there's the current book/film connection, but I doubt it'll be remembered in 3 or 4 years time. (And she's a pretty cool heroine anyway.)

Miriam nn Miri is gorgeous.

Caroline is terribly seventies to me but I love Coraline.

Mariamne is a lovely version of Miriam and you could shorten it to Mari

I like Miriam, nn Mimi/Mim/Miri
Beatrice is a lovely name, you can't go wrong

Miriam Beatrice, Beatrice Leah or Beatrice Miriam

Rhubarbgarden but I didn't like the book Coraline! I suppose we'd get used to it though.

IvoryMadonna I love Madeline but can't use it :(

Damn, I really like Alexandra now. None of the shorter versions go with the surname either. How about we use a different surname?

Yes, do that!

Seriously, do you have other surname options, or do you and partner share one? Think outside the box and all that.

I am struggling to think of a surname that would be that bad with Alexandra tbh.

Thank you for all your suggestions, I can't believe you have literally guessed the entire rest of my list that I hadn't typed out, as well as a lot of names of family members!

I have relatives with 3 of the names off your list and only one gets shortened - her choice though. Nellie is a nice nn for Penelope. My favourite on your list is Evelyn which is perfectly fine without a nn

Penguins we used my surname for DD1 so it's DH's turn (apparently). Alexandra goes with my surname really well. Double barrelling wouldn't help the problem.

Oh well, we'll be homeless soon so having a ridiculous name will be the least of her worries :)

I have to say I really don't like Alexandra. Clunky and will just end up as Alex. And Millie, please no, there are a billion of them.

Helen shortened to Nell...

Penelope shortened to Nell -great choice. Caroline also a great choice IMO (

Other options:-
Esther - Hettie
Constance - Connie
Virginia - Ginnie
Dorothea - Dottie/Thea
Gabrielle - Gaby/Elle/Ella/Ellie
Cassandra - Cassie

Do you really mean that you and your dh will have 2 DC and one will have your surname and the other one his? A friend tried this - was v confusing for the children at school......

Why on earth do people like Nell or Nellie? I think it's hideous.

Smelly Nelly, Nellie the Elephant, Death Nell ....

why do you need a nickname?
i don't understand why people don't just name their kids what they want to call them...
(And I agree with prev poster about Nel in particular)

Penelope is v nice.

Other names I like and you might...

Rosalind
Aurelia
Estella /Stella
Margot
Josephine/a

DH loves Esther / Hettie but we live in london so Hettie would be eh-ee, not sure I could deal with that.

NotSpartacus I like nicknames because it gives the child more options to choose their own name when they're older, and also a high court judge name might not suit a baby.

fleur yes they'll have different surnames. I'm not that keen and would rather double barrel (DD retrospectively so) but DH doesn't want to.

How about Corinna?

Lovely classic name and very close to Corinne from your list, Cora would be a good NN.

From your list Leah is my favourite, with Juliette a close second though I'm not keen on Julie as a NN.

But if you named your DD Esther why wouldn't you call her that? I always think it's weird when people pre-determine nicknames, that's now really how they work!

Right, off home to collect Bear and Pieface.

How about Genevieve?

Sorry to hear about your housing situation, OP

I have a friend whose daughter is called Stevie, so don't discount Stephen

Of the names you posted, I also like Penelope nn Nell.

With Miriam, the nn could be Mira

Alexia nn Lexie?

Adele

Amalia

Andrea nn Annie or Riri

Esther could be Essie

Dinah

Kira

Timandra nn Tim

Jacinta nn Jack

Caroline is classic. I think Callie is the nicest short form.

(as to nicknames, your DD1 will come up with something really random for the baby and you will all end up using that. In one family I know the toddler older brothers immediately declared their baby sister was Eagle, and she was know as that for a while!).

I was going to say Jennifer (Jenna)

I like Alexandra - what about Sandra/Xandra - neither used very much at the moment and well due a comeback.

Also love Caroline

Also came across a little Gillian not so long back.