What do you think of these names? (Brand me harshly with your hot iron of judginess)

[Gene9]

First baby, DH won't agree on anything apart from Alice... I don't love it but I'll use it. I tried to compromise by nick naming her Alice and having Alison on the birth cert. Not an option apparently.

I wanted Lydia so badly

Anywhooo, what about middle names? Things I've considered are

Helen (my Mum's name)

Posy (love it, loved the book as a child. Thanks to the other OP)

Diana

Delphine

Athen

Any ideas? What do you think of them?

I'm a bit meh about all of them.

I don't mind Alice but it is used A LOT!

Helen is my middle name and I almost forget that it's in my name.

Posy makes me think of the Ring a Ring a Rosy song. Hate it!

Lydia was the name of a girl I knew who I couldn't stand.

Diana would make me think you were overly fond of the late royal.

Delphine and Athen really aren't to my taste.

I'd choose helen because its the least awful. Tempting to nickname her hell. Alice reminds me of head lice.

Forget donkey, delphine sounds like dolphine.

Your DP doesn't get to impose a name you don't like very much. Why have you just accepted that?

The usual arrangement is both partners can veto any name until one is found that both like.

What civilservant said - you need to both like the name.

Diana is just beautiful - I've been trying to get everyone I know to name their girls Diana. It means 'huntress'. Gorgeous.

I know two beautiful Delphines - in 3 years time no-one will remember the Peppa connection (and it certainly hasn't put people off George).

I don't like Helen or Alison - they are the names of mean girls from school in the 80s. Helena on the other hand is gorgeous

Other suggestions you may like:
Jane
Elizabeth
Kitty (yes, I'm doing the Bennet sisters)
Emma
Nancy
Eugenia (going by your user name)
Penelope
Eleanor
Aurelie
Athena

Helen. It's a lovely name and she'll be the only one in her class. I like Alice but it's so popular.

What about Allison? Scottish spelling.

I don't like Alice either. Please don't use a name you don't love, it's not fair.

If you wanted Lydia as a name, why not compromise on Alice Lydia?

Plus I don't like Ali as a nickname

I'd rethink Alison if you don't like Ali. It's an obvious nickname for Alison.

I'd also agree with pp that you and your DH need to reach a compromise on a name that you both think is ok, and you really don't seem to like Alice much.

Re. middle names - I'm a big fan of middle names being meaningful, so I'd be picking between Helen and Diana, for your mother or grandmother, in your position.

I would have gone for Alison if DS had been a girl. I changed my mind and now if I ever had a baby girl I would use Millicent (after my nan).

Helen and Diana are nice.

Lydia or Helen from your list for me!

I know two people called Ali as a NN. One is Alison and one is Alice.

Can you do Alice Lydia?

Posy sounds like I'm a contender in one of those 'who's got the funniest middle name?' conversation you have in the pub when you're grown up-sorry!

I like Alice and Posy from the list. Hate all the rest, with the exception of Alison which is my name. Can't say I love it but it is who I am. I might go and shorten it to Alice now

I would tell your DH that if Lydia is off the table, then Alice is too. It's fair enough if he isn't keen on your choice but that works both ways. Tell him he needs to come up with at least 5 other options and you maybe start from scratch and do the same.

From your other options, Helen is definitely the best.

Lydia and Alice are nice. Not crazy about Alison.

Diana and Helen are also beautiful classics.

Posy is twee
Delphine too 'now'
Athen - wot?

Since you have a slightly retro vibe going on there I offer a few 70s names:
Claire
Nicola
Amanda
Joanna

Or more like Diana et al
Georgia
Artemis
Ariadne
Carys

all the middle names youve chosen are nice, i like Delphine the best, but Alison?!?!..... blergh. 70s middle aged mum name. Your DP was right to go with Alice!!

PS that was harsh, apologies to anyone actually called Alison, i think it does suit grown women and is pretty on them. It was popular in the 70s and 80s just cant really see it on a child today tho

Alice, Helen and Diana all lovely. The others are a mix of ridiculous and outdated. Hate Alison.

I totally agree that if you don't like Alice, don't allow yourself to be railroaded into it. It's not fair.

And just as an aside, I've never considered Alice to be a shortening of Alison.

Alice is a boring, meh name. If you don't like it then don't let your dp bully you into it. If it's the spelling you don't like could you go with Alys? Or could you go with Alicia instead, which is very similar but much prettier

Love Alice
Hate Alison
Lydia= Chlamydia
Diana is a gorgeous name, and classic. Helen too. Helen Diana?

Congratulations btw

Agree, Alice isn't a short for Alison, and Ali is a very common Alison nickname.

But also agree that DH doesn't get to say "no, Alice is the name" to all your suggestions so that you only have a say in the middle name!

I personally like Alice Lydia but if you aren't keen on Alice, keep looking!

Naomi?
Caroline?
Larissa?

Alice Malice.
And yes, a girl called Alice did offer to beat me up behind the changing rooms at school.

As pp suggested, Helena is elegant and I'm pushing Celia forward. It's an anagram of Alice, has the same 'clean cut' vibe and moves towards your choice of Lydia ( chlamydia - yes, rhymes do stick in my head. When mine were small there was an excellent Nick Sheratt book that featured princesses. 'Prince Grace pulled a face. Princess Trudy was ever so moody. Prince Bridget started to fidget.. Great ending though. But I digress)

Celia

And I was looking at Diana on your list. The princess ( bit of a theme developing here) was Diana Frances.

Frances. There's another elegant name in the 'Alice' set.