Another shortlist

[deptfordgirl]

Okay so after consulting you guys we now have current favourites of:

Esther/Tess - if Esther would be known as Tess most of the time.
Harriet
Tabitha

Caleb
Edward

Ds1 has a biblical name outside of top 100 - fairly unusual but not made up!

I think they all lovely. I have a slight preference for Esther nn Tess and Edward. Caleb has a nice sound to me, too though.

Tabitha or Caleb!

I love Harriet and also Caleb is such a nice, strong, classic yet unusual name.

I prefer Harriet & Edward...they sound posh & reserved.

Esther and Caleb

Esther / Caleb vote here too

Esther/Tess or Tabitha for me.
Hate Harriet.

Caleb for me.

Esther or Harriet and Edward get my vote! All beautiful names.

Harriet and Edward from me, love them both. Abso. Loath Caleb ! Sorry

Tabitha and Caleb

If you like Tess then why not call her Tessa?

You can’t control what she will be known as ‘most of the time’, only what she’s called at home. An Esther will be known as Esther at school and her friends will determine the nickname not you, so it might be Essie or similar.

Tess isn’t a usual diminutive for Esther - so friends/school won’t think of it. If you want to school to use Tess, you will have to give her name as Tess.

Tabitha or Esther/Tess
Edward

Love them!

Thanks guys.

tatiana I don't like Tessa so wouldn't use this. I just meant I would put Esther on the birth certificate but call her Tess and introduce her as such. If she wanted to use Esther later she would be perfectly welcome to and also I wouldn't care if she had a different nn. For example, my friend has an Olivia but she is always known as Liv, even introduced as such in her birth announcement. She may well change her mind when she's older but as she's only 2 she is always called Liv.

Esther in its entirety, Tess is a dog's name to me and sounds incomplete.
Edward by a mile.

I love all of them but would go with Esther and Caleb .
I love a Biblical name !

I don't think it's true that she would be known as Esther at school. I'm a teacher and if a parent enrolled their child saying 'this is Tess' and filled in Tess in the 'known as' section of the form then we wouldnt call her Esther. Fwiw op I love both Esther and Tess.

I like Harriet and Edward :) although not keen on the nickname Ted which sometimes comes with Edward

There was a thread on exactly this on another forum which tallies with experience of my friends. A mother was complaining that the school call the child her real name not ‘known as’. She was advised just change the given name to the known as name.

This isn’t just an issue in school but doctors, dentists all official correspondence.

As I said I wouldn't mind that. I just have an irrational dislike of giving nicknames as full names. Although with Tess I might be persuaded.

Esther by miles. Then Tabitha. And Harriet is a long way behind...dropped off the end.
I like both the boys' names, but they are quite different from each other. Would Caleb fit better with your DS's name?

I don’t like Tess - makes me think of testicles.

I like Tabitha and Edward best

Yes I know that was a reply to the teacher.

Tabitha and Edward.

A contractor at my work recently called one of his children Esther. After he left, several of my employees made a comment about how awful the name was. We're not in the UK, so possibly it's "en vogue" in the UK, but that has stuck with me!

I like Esther and Tess. I like Caleb and Edward.

Esther or Caleb