Down to top 5, got to make a decision!

[BobbingUpAndDownLikeThis]

Stuck between Beatrix, Dorothy, Harriet, Marianne and Matilda for baby due very soon! Surname is double barrelled with lots of T's in it, so I think that Matilda probably doesn't work with it but not sure.

Would like to know if you hate/love any of these names, and if so, why. Also would be interested in nicknames used for Marianne (so far thought of Mari, Maz, and Annie but the others have much more nickname potential).

I love Marianne (and also Dorothy in Miss Fisher )

Love Marianne!

Harriet and Marianne my favourites - considered both for my 2!

Marianne is absolutely gorgeous and by far the best! You don't have to use a nickname, but one possibility could be Marnie?

Quite like Harriet and Dorothy. Not so keen on the others.

Marianne is brilliant

Marianne. my DP vetoed it.

Oooh I like Marnie as a nickname!

Ran everything by DH again with the surname and Harriet and Matilda are out due to number of T's :( But we did reclaim Susan which had been number six, so the top four are now:

Marianne
Beatrix
Dorothy
Susan

It's really helpful to hear all the love for Marianne as I thought people might find it a bit boring. Do feel free to express hate for any as I think that's really helpful in terms of knowing what to go for - we don't plan on running them past anyone in real life :)

Marianne.

Much nicer than the others!

And a brilliant song to go with it.......

Love love love love Beatrix.

They all nice names but Harriet & Matilda far more popular IME than the other 3 so I'd be inclined to go for one of the others

Marianne & Beatrix both equally lovely so I'd go which whatever sounds best with your surname

I much prefer your other names to Susan

What about Susannah?

Matilda - Love! Especially with nn Mattie or Tilda.
Harriet - Love! Especially with nn Harrie.
Marianne - Okay, but i prefer Marielle.
Beatrix - Okay, but love the nn Trixie.
Dorothy - Nice, could use nn Dora, Dot/Dottie or Dodie.
Susan - Don't like, very old fashioned, a bit frumpy. Susannah, or evern Savannah are much nicer.

As for nn, i always introduce myself as nickname surname, whatever the situation. So If you are planning on using Trixie as a nn for Beatrix or Dottie as a nn for Dorothy, it might bother you with all the T's. But if you like Harrie for a nn for Harriet, i don't think it would be as much of a problem. (i know your problem, this coming from someone with a fairly long surname which only cosists of T's, E's and B's)

Harriet which is the epitome of plain to my ear.

I agree! The popularity of that name is a mystery to me.

Beatrix or Marianne are lovely, Marianne bit more unusual.

Not keen on the others personally.

Marianne!

Oh I think the new list is awful
They're old fashioned in a 55/60 year old MIL kind of way ie not a good way
A baby called Susan? Just no

Dorothy or Beatrix are lovely! I love old fashioned names though! ( my girls are Nellie and Mabel)

Didn't see Susan - awful, sorry but like Susannah!

Agree the Leonard Cohen song Marianne a great reason to go for that!

I like Marianne or Dorothy

I don't think Susan is awful at all. I quite like it, more than Beatrix actually. The trouble is that it was massively overused in the 60s (I went to school with loads of them!) and so now is obviously associated in some people's heads with women of around my age (50). But in the future it will no doubt be regarded again as the classic English name that it is. It's just that at the moment a lot of people are not quite ready for it to come around again. I'm not particularly fond of Sue as a nickname, though. I agree that Susanna/h is gorgeous and could be a compromise?

But if not I would still go for the brilliant Marianne.

Marianne! Lovely name, sadly my DH vetoed it for our girls

You could call her Mari ("marry") for short which would be sweet. Or Mimi, Min, Mina...

Marnie as a nn for Marianne?

Sorry OP, that ^ was before reading whole thread, see it's already been suggested! I knew a Marianne who went by Marnie, really lovely IMO.

I love Marianne.