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Baby names

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Original poster

Matilda, Tabitha, Ella or Nina?

62 replies

SummerMonths · 29/12/2015 21:10

Matilda, Tabitha, Ella or Nina: which is your favourite? Last name is two syllables and fairly common. Middle name will be Catherine.

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magpie17 · 29/12/2015 22:43

People say Matilda is common but I've never ever met one (I'm in Scotland), I love it! Tilda is lovely as a nn.

Nina is very nice too, simple, easy to spell, no obvious nn and not overly popular without being weird.

Ella is too common by far, although lovely, and Tabitha is the name of a posh cat!

ifigoup · 29/12/2015 22:45

Not Ella - way too popular. All the others are both strong and pretty and would be good choices.

ashesandfire · 29/12/2015 22:52

Nina by miles and miles!
Ella is yawnsome. Matilda would be my second choice Tabitha is OK.

DramaAlpaca · 29/12/2015 22:54

Nina, followed by Matilda.

Ella is OK. Not a fan of Tabitha.

CakeRattleandRoll · 30/12/2015 00:09

Love Tabitha.

We did have Nina on our shortlist for DD, but it was too similar to what DS calls fire engines (nee-nahs).

YeOldeTrout · 30/12/2015 00:10

Ella is only one I like. Nina is ok.

chocoLit · 30/12/2015 00:13

Ella lovely and certainly not popular/overused where we are. I only know of one.

Nina lovely.

Matilda - not a massive fan of the NN that come with.

Tabitha lovely but again not a fan of Tabby, love nn bitsy though Smile

Notso · 30/12/2015 00:25

Matilda by miles for me. It was on our short lists for DC2,3 and 4 but they were all boys.

Nina I like, but it seems unfinished.

Tabitha not keen on. Too feline.

Ella is a bit boring and again sound like half a name to me.

Alisvolatpropiis · 30/12/2015 00:25

Ella is a bit dull and as Not said, sounds a bit incomplete.

trinitybleu · 30/12/2015 00:35

Trying not to out myself but Tabitha is best (I have one) ... Having not met another, there's now another in our small school.

A family member has a Matilda plus I know 3 others.

Never met a Nina.

Ella's are everywhere.

Sophronia · 30/12/2015 00:36

Definitely Nina Catherine!

Second choice would be Tabitha, but Matilda and Ella are just so popular.

MackerelOfFact · 30/12/2015 00:44

Nina is lovely and underused.

BingoBonkers · 30/12/2015 04:25

Tabitha

IoraRua · 30/12/2015 04:46

Matilda - grand
Ella - it's popular, overrun with Ellas in my school, as well as Isabellas. No. Not a fan.
Tabitha - really hate this name, seems witchy or a cat.
Nina - gorgeous. Reminds me a bit of ambulance sirens but not too much.

mrsschu · 30/12/2015 10:05

Another vote for Nina. I'm a tad bored of Matilda and Ella although they are both nice. Tabitha is just awful. I've only ever come across it on MN where it generally gets rave reviews although I can't understand why. It just sounds a little ridiculous IMO. But Nina is gorgeous.

DontKillMyVibe · 30/12/2015 10:31

Matilda and Ella are everywhere at the mo. Nothing wrong with the names as such they're just not very original and likely to be loads of others with the same name.

Like others have said, Tabitha is a lovely name for a cat but not for a child IMO.

Have never met anyone called Nina - it's original but without being too unusual if that makes sense

dotdotdotmustdash · 30/12/2015 14:17

What about Tina rather than Nina? I had both in by class at school. Tina was short for Betina.

bodenbiscuit · 30/12/2015 14:19

Definitely Nina for me, followed by Ella.

Original poster
SummerMonths · 30/12/2015 15:27

Dot - the weird thing is that I HATE the name Tina while loving Nina. To me Tina is 70s and dated and weak and terribly boring and British whereas Nina is classics and international and strong. Makes no sense I know as they sound so similar.

OP posts:
dotdotdotmustdash · 30/12/2015 15:39

I get it, I understand what you're saying and agree.

I like all your name choices, but so lots of other parents at the moment, so I reckon Nina is probably your best bet for being a bit more original.

FWIW, I have a teenage Leah who I was desperate to call Hannah but my DH didn't like it. If I could have a baby girl tomorrow she would be called Anna or Ava.

banff82 · 30/12/2015 16:28

Definitely Nina; it's simple, classy and timeless. Tabitha is a cat's name - and as a pp said really doesn't work with the middle name Catherine! On hearing Matilda I automatically think 'Tilly' which is either a dog or the jolly hockey sticks Tilly character from Miranda. I'm a vet and I see a lot of Tillys. Ella is quite nice but seems like more of a shortening or nickname. What about Eleanor? Or Catherine as the first name, I think it's lovely.

Original poster
SummerMonths · 30/12/2015 17:23

I am going to totally out myself then name change so I can tell you sibling names. Maybe that will help me decide.

DD1: Isobel
DD2: Alice
DS: Kit (actual name Christopher)

OP posts:
ExBallerina · 30/12/2015 17:27

I actually love Tabby Cat Grin

With those names, I'd say Ella, actually.

turdfairynomore · 30/12/2015 17:34

In my accent Nina is the noise that a fire engine makes??

DontKillMyVibe · 30/12/2015 18:21

Although on its own I prefer Nina I think Ella goes better with the rest of your DCs names

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