Final shortlist - opinions gladly received!!

[MummyNotMommy]

Hi all! After some very difficult negotiations, myself and DH have narrowed our boy and girl lists down to 5 for each. I think our final decision will be made once we have seen the resulting baby (in a few short weeks!), but I would really appreciate your reactions to the below names...

BOYS:
Huxley
Rafferty
Barnaby
Montgomery (would be Monty on a daily basis)
Jasper

GIRLS:
Gretchen
Juniper
Tabitha
Agatha
Clementine

Any negative connotations for you? Stand out favourites?

Thanks!

I like them all, but they all sound quite "posh" - I wouldn't use them round where I live!

OYS:
Huxley - sorry I snurked at this one.

Rafferty - celeb associations majority opinion on here, even the dreaded 'c' word. I like it not
Barnaby - fine
Montgomery (would be Monty on a daily basis) - fine also
Jasper - another fine one

GIRLS:
Gretchen - like this
Juniper - trendy, faddy
Tabitha - fine
Agatha - fine
Clementine - bit faddy at the moment personally , maybe it;s the influx of new babies and young children I've met locally. It's ok though

Jasper and Gretchen are my favourites - by a long way. The other girls' names are okay, but not keen on the other boys' names. Monty sounds like you're obsessed with military history to the point of jingoism. Rafferty is very late-90s Primrose Hill set. Aldous is better than Huxley.

Jasper and either Tabitha or Agatha

Girls ones I quite like but boys...

Huxley = cartoon pig
Rafferty = Gerry of Baker Street song
Barnaby = skating bear cartoon
Montgomery fine but it'll get shortened
Jasper = carrot

Huxley - quite like
Rafferty - C list celeb baby name
Barnaby - okay
Montgomery (would be Monty on a daily basis) - No. Uncle Monty from Withnail and I
Jasper - some bumbling idiot from a PG Wodehouse novel

GIRLS:
Gretchen - character in an American high school movie. There's always a Gretchen.
Juniper - like
Tabitha - like
Agatha - I'm aghast at Agatha
Clementine - okay if a bit too posh for me

Jasper and Agatha.

Excellent names, we have similar taste.

My favourites are Barnaby, Monty, Clementine and Tabitha.

I like Jasper, Barnaby and Clementine best.

Jasper and Agatha, by a country mile!

Thank you all for the comments so far. This is helping!

Agree Aldous is better. Imagine the several shades of crimson you'd turn on being asked little Huxley's name...every time

Oh yes, I remember Huxley Pig! There was a song too I'm trying to recall the lyrics

Another one who doesn't think much of Huxley. I don't like Gretchen at all...it rhymes with retching and the sounds are quite ugly.

GRRR ETCH it's hard sounding.

Juniper is nice as is Tabitha. Clementine is nice but popular.

I like Rafferty and Monty.

Barnaby is your only boys name I like, really like it actually.

I love Juniper. Tabitha is nice. Agatha ok.

Don't like gretchen.

Adore Agatha.

Really like Rafferty and Jaspar.
Great choices!

Gretchen is an interesting one too...

I'd assume if someone chose the name Huxley for their child it might be a good indication that they didn't find the name to be all that embarrassing.

The song went, "everybody knows Huxley Pig (oink, oink)". Sadly it's all I'd think of with Huxley.

My favourites are Barnaby and Tabitha.

Huxley is too try-hard in my opinion. The other boy names are fine. I especially like Jasper

I don't really like Juniper and Gretchen is awful. It sounds far too similar to retching and wretched to be attractive as a name.

Tabitha and Clementine are lovely. I prefer the French Agathe (pron. a-GATT) to Agatha, however.

Barnaby or Monty for a boy

Agatha is my favourite for a girl, I quite like Tabitha & Clementine also

Sorry but not keen on the others

"MONTY YOU TERRIBLE CUNT!!!"

it's a cult classic so his peers would almost certainly shout this at him at some stage of his life.

I still quite like it though...

I'd assume if someone chose the name Huxley for their child it might be a good indication that they didn't find the name to be all that embarrassing.

After the first few reactions I think they might.

Sorry OP, I'm being very unkind to poor Huxley now. You have good lists though so obviously not lacking in taste.

Agatha and Monty or Jasper

Huxley - too try hard even for a dogs name
Gretchen - just very hard sounding

After the first few reactions I think they might.

What's the grin for?

I can't imagine people give a name without being aware of currently popular books/cartoons/films currently featuring the chosen name.

Ha! Some of these comments are brilliant!

Definitely not offended by any of them - and wouldn't be embarrassed to name my baby any of them (obviously, as they are my choices!)

But still very useful to get honest opinions. I very much doubt anyone in real life will be as honest once the baby has actually been named, so getting a heads up is very useful!

Keep them coming - I can take it.

I can't imagine people give a name without being aware of currently popular books/cartoons/films currently featuring the chosen name.