My shortlists

[Queazy]

Your thoughts on these please - thanks so much

Boys - Ben, Alexander, Robert, James

Girls - Alice, Otillie, Polly, Madeleine, Juliette, Felicity, Beatrix, Lucy

I like traditional/classic but not overly common names

Good lists! Otillie and Juliette are a bit "flouncy" for my taste but not objectively bad iyswim. The the others are all great.

My votes go to Robert and Beatrix

I love your boys' names. They're not very imaginative I guess but they were my top choices too, with the exception of Robert, but we're having another dd. I also like Laurence (as suggested on another thread), Keir (but dh vetoed). I think I would have gone for James, which I love, but that's mostly because the others were "taken".

Your girls' names are nice too but a little too fancy for my tastes. I think I like Alice and Lucy best. Beatrix is cool too - way better than Beatrice imo which sounds a bit lace doilie (sp?) stuffy to me.

All excellent names.

I love Alice and Beatrix, James and Alexander.

Alice Beatrix Suchandsuch
Beatrix Alice Suchandsuch

James Alexander Suchandsuch
Alexander James Suchandsuch

Favourites are Robert and Juliette.

I would choose Robert or James, and Julia because I find Juliette too frilly.

Nice list.

I love Robert. It's a great name and underused. But the others are nice too.

Of the girls names I like Juliette best, but spelt Juliet.

All nice names

My favourites are Robert & Alice

I like Benjamin (as opposed to Ben). Not fussed on Robert but Alexander and James are both lovely.

The only two girls names I like on your list are Madeleine and Polly. In fact I love Polly, it's top of my list for my dc if it's a girl.

Really like Alexander - strong and classic, lots of good short versions etc. Not a fan of your other boys' names though.

Of your girls' list I love Alice and Ottilie and like Juliet, but with this spelling (less frilly!) The rest are OK but not my style.

Boys: Alexander and Ben (Benjamin)

I love Polly and Felicity!

I prefer Benedict to Benjamin.

Robert is a lovely name.

Of the girls names, I like Polly best.

Thanks so much everyone - really appreciate your responses, and ideas for de-frilling some names (that had worried me too).

What could Polly be short for, or isn't it a shortened form of anything?

queasy I read the other day that it's a variant of molly so is short for mary and (maybe?) Margaret. It's not obvious though. If you want polly to stick you might have to have just Polly.

Pollyanna. (And yes, I do know one!)

Meant to add - Polly can be a nn for Pauline, Paulina, Paula, Paulette etc

Hmm. Those names aren't great alternatives to Polly though are tgey?I am all ffor alternatives if they are nice names but not if it means saddling your gorgeous newborn with a random name like Pauline that you never would have chosen if it didn't happen to be etymologically linked to your preferred name.

I like James & Polly. Have you thought of Penelope (Penny)

Penelope could have short form Polly too maybe?

There's nothing wrong with any of them. I like Alice best and Robert and Alexander.

Thanks again - I had thought of Penny but not sure if it is more old fashioned than classic? No offence intended to any Penny's. I do love the name.

I agree, if I want a Polly, I need to use that name. Not sure how it would go down with family, as it's pretty unusual. Most of my names are pretty mainstream.

This thread has made me realise I do like Robert more than I thought tho!

I like Beatrix (prefer Beatrice), Alice, Robert, James and Alexander.

I know a little Penny (just Penny I think) and a little Penelope known as Poppy.

longestlurkerever

OP asked the question "What could Polly be short for, or isn't it a shortened form of anything?"

I answered the question to the best of my knowledge. I wasn't recommending any of the names. Whether they are "great alternatives to Polly" or not is purely subjective. You clearly don't like them, but others might.

Yes, sorry, I wasn't saying you shouldn't have suggested them. Just offering my (unasked for, admittedly) opinion about them. Am not mad keen on Polly personally tbh, but the OP is, and those names to me don't sound very similar in feel.

It's usually 'Ottilie' I think. I like Alexander and Beatrix