Ottilie, Tabitha, Eleanor...?

[veryfriendlylion]

Baby due end of Dec, we don't know the gender. I'm pretty certain it's a boy (name options Arthur, Fred, Felix).

Girls names we like are Ottilie, Tabitha, Eleanor, Florence, Beatrice/x. You probably get the picture that we like old fashioned names. We also work in a boarding school so hard pressed to find a name that doesn't remind us of a little shit darling.

My question is...is Ottilie (or any of our other options) a bit (or very) pretentious? I think it's pretty whilst not being airy fairy but starting to doubt myself.

Please be kind

I think it is a bit pretentious sorry. The real question is... you work in a boarding school but will your child go to your kind of school?

Think about the experience he/she will have rather than the one you are teaching in currently.

Of your choices Eleanor is my favourite and I think she would fit in in any environment.

I like Ottilie the best out of all of those.

Tabitha is ok but there is scope for being called tabby cat - i wouldn't mind myself.

I really like persephone but again percy as a diminutive isn't the best.

Ottilie i guess would be shortened to tillie

Tabitha is my favourite out of your suggestions. I think Florence is nice, and Eleanor and Beatrice are OK. Don't care for Ottilie at all - just don't think it sounds nice.

My niece is Otilie. Usually goes by Tilly. Not particularly posh, never had any issues at her local school.

Ottilie is terrible and very pretentious.

Sounds just like "otter" and I'd never heard of it until joining Mumsnet.

Tabitha is my favourite of your suggestions.

Eleanor.

I don't like Ottilie and do think it's a bit pretentious tbh.

Love the other names though, particularly Tabitha. Love your boy choices too.

I love Ottilie. It can be pronounced 'O-till-ee' or 'O-till-ee-yah'. I love both pronunciations.

I know an Ottilie. It is shortened to Ottie.

I love the name Ottilie

I also love Ottilie. I like Tabitha too but there are a lot of those. Feck this "pretentious" shit. It's a lovely name and if you like it so be it!

People who say "Oh that's a pretentious name" really annoy me. Stop policing other people's taste!

I know an Otillie and it is s lovely name for a lovely girl.

I love all your suggestions apart from Eleanor (just because I know loads of them, its the new Olivia around here) and I have a Tabitha.

She's called Tabs by some of her friends (we have another nickname for her which would out me) but I've never seen a problem with being called Tabby or the cat association. She'd love it if people thought she was a cat!

I prefer Etoile but don't think Ottilie is unreasonable if you like it. As a pp said Tilly is a perfectly normally nickname.

Love Ottilie and Tabitha (we clearly have similar taste), Eleanor is pretty - but a bit more run-of-the-mill to my ears. Your boy's names are all lovely too!

Etoile?

I like them, I know a little Ottilie, state educated, and an Eleanor (ditto) - neither are abbreviated by family but I guess they are at school!

I think Ottilie is lovely

Love the name Ottilie - DD has a classmate who is Ottilie, everyday name is Tilly.

Not so keen on Tabitha or Eleanor though.

Out of your choices I would say only Ottilie is somewhat pretentious. Lots of Florence, Beatrice and Eleanors around my way and social (&media) groups. I know one toddler Tabitha, her mother is very posh - Bibi for short.

My dd has a name that often described as pretentious. We live on a dire council estate so I suppose I'm a wannabe/social climber. Week cares? Choose the name you love!

I love Ottilie and Tabitha. Ottilie is beautiful, feminine, classic and not too common. I just don't get the 'pretentious' worry, what does that actually mean? Is anything outside the top 100 pretentious, is anything unusual pretentious?

And I wonder what those of you who find Ottilie 'awful and pretentious' have named your children? Just to get an idea of their tastes and preferences.

I love Ottilie, Beatrice, Eleanor and Florence - I think any of them are perfectly fine. I actually knew an Ottilie who was a bit pretentious, I guess you could say?? But I wouldn't say it's any different from Henrietta or Beatrix. I think they're quite nice names.

My favourite is Florence but SO isn't keen Ottilie and Eleanor are on my own list of favourite names

Ottilie just isn't nice in an English accent; sounds like utterly.

Ignore the pretentious worry because someone will always have an opinion about a name being faddy or unique or old fashioned or awful etc,. Just choose a name you like.

Loving Ottilie. I'd certainly consider it for my imaginary DC3 but think it's a boy

Ottillie - does sound a bit like 'utterly' in an English accent- shame as it is such a pretty name.

Don't like Tabitha - doesn't it always get shortened to tabby?

Same issue with Eleanor - like it a lot - but won't she just be another 'Ellie'?