Will I regret not using the name I have loved for 20 years?

[IloveConkers]

Currently 26 weeks pregnant with DC2. We don't know the sex but I suspect girl.I have loved the name Alice since I was 18 but there seem to be so many around at the moment! Numerous younger siblings from DC1s preschool seem to have the name. DH and I also love Margot so am veering towards that but will I always regret not using Alice?!

I went to school with lots of Alices 30 years ago. I think that is part of its appeal- it's an ancient name and one that will always be lovely and liked by people. It's not overly popular and not faddy, but I think Margot is becoming more popular and may date badly.

I've not come across the name much at all, it's a lovely name. However, I had my name picked during pregnancy, used it talking to baby bump all the way through and when she was born the name didn't suit her at all, so maybe you should have a plan b just in case?

Margot's up in the 4

4 hundreds. It's more popular than it was but not exactly popular yet.

Alice isn't a three-in-every-class name either though.

If you had asked me at age 15 what I would call two girls I would have said Sophie and Chloe. By the time I was having kids both had been extremely popular for many years. We called out first daughter Sophia (not popular here in Ireland although probably will be!) & I love it even more than Sophie.

When I was expecting DD2 there was no way of changing Chloe to anything similar but less popular and I spent 9 months OBSESSED with finding a name I loved as much. I was on here 5 times a day!

But when it came to the crunch, I liked nothing else as much so she is Chloe! I still love it, yes there's lots of them but my Chloe is obviously the best one! Her middle name is Alice!

Go for Alice, you won't regret it!

You should absolutely use it! Alice is a classic and not at all over-used IMO. Similar to another poster on here, I didn't use my all-time fav boys name because hubby wasn't sure about it - and I do regret it (even with a really good reason for not using it!) and I am envious of every mum who uses it :). Stick to your gut intuition when it comes to naming your babies, it's such a personal and important decision.

I have an 18 month old Alice. It's clearly the best girl's name ever
I'm in South East London, and I know 2 others, aged 3 & 5. My Alice was named for my Nanna.
Every other baby girl round here is Isla (which I also think is lovely despite being so popular)

Margot is trendy and will date as a mid-2010s name.

Alice is classic, and although currently having a popularity spike won't date in the same way.

I listen to readers in a local primary school and don't know of one Alice. The popular ones for girls seem to be Lucy and Ruby and variations on Isabel/Isabelle/Isobel.

I love the name Alice. And I met an Aussie family with a DD called Ellis which seemed like a wonderful alternative.

Alice is a stunning name - I think you should definitely use it. It's DD2's middle name and we chose it partly because of a family member on dh's side with the same name and partly because of the Oxford/Alice in Wonderland connections.

Margot (and check out my username) will always remind me of The Good Life. Slightly ridiculous. Go for Alice :)

But that Margo without the t - Margot will always remind me of Margot Fonteyn. Still prefer Alice though!

We had the same issue when I was pregnant with DS, I had loved the name Samuel since I was a teenager and it was also the middle of DH late brother. We spent months obsessing over Samuel or a couple of names just outside the top 100 but we didn't love either of those as much as Samuel. Am so glad we chose Samuel, we have met a couple of others but not as many as I originally thought.

Also remember because there is such a bigger selection of names and people are going for more 'out there' names these days, the top 100 doesn't necessarily mean there are going to be 100s of them. Eg, Jack was #1 in 1996 with almost 11000 babies named Jack but in 2014 when Oliver is #1 there are only about 6500 babies named Oliver, almost half the amount of Jacks.

Ah stick with the name you've always loved. I've always said I'd use my great grandma's name if I had a DD, it's now getting more popular each year but I think I'd still go with it if I had a girl.
Alice is timeless. I like it

We called DD the name I had loved for 20 years. It doesn't suit her, at all. So we call her by a nickname. I still don't regret it, though. I waited a very long time to have her, so calling her "the name" was like realising a dream.

Alice is a lovely name, although you could alter it to Alicia if you feel thats less popular maybe?
I'm not at all keen on Margot as, to me, it sounds mumsy and frumpy

Alice is a thousand times nicer than Alicia (IMHO) x

Yes use it.

I had a favourite boys name from when I was a little girl.

With DS1 it just didn't feel right and didn't even make it onto our shortlist.

With DS2 I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that this would be his name if he was a boy (which we did find out at the scan). DH wasn't convinced so I had to go through months of shortlisting names even though I knew he was this name.

DH eventually agreed and we have never regretted it. It was totally right for DS2 but would not have been for DS1. I say, go with your gut instinct. You can always change your mind once you see the baby.

In my friend's experience Alicia will often get mispronounced as Alesha.

I have never, in all my 38 years, met another Alice! Both names are nice. Use the name you love or you will probably regret it. Go with Alice :-)

Margot is faddy and I don't like it. Alice is much nicer.

I know a few little Alices. I did not use the name I loved. I regret it. Go with the name you love.

Loving the love for my name on this thread.