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!

[FizzyGreenWater]

Esther and Tabitha are both lovely.

I am not so sold on either Edward (bit dull) or Caleb (slightly fashionable and a bit hard sounding?) I'd choose Cassius instead.

[Munchkin08]

Deptfordgirl - it's funny we were talking about it the other day. She is now 21 and when I called her Tabitha I think some people were a bit shocked - I asked her if she was happy with her name and she says she loves it and a lot of people comment on what a nice name she has.

[MammieBear]

All lovely names some of which I myself have used.

[deptfordgirl]

munchkin Tabitha is probably my favourite from the girls' names. Have you just had positive reactions to it then?

[CaseStudyResearch]

Adore Caleb.

Out of the girls, I like Tabitha the most. Very similar to my favourite name Talitha.

[helpmum2003]

I like all the names but just be aware that being known by a name which isn't your first name on your BC can cause problems with banks etc.

[Munchkin08]

Tabitha and Edward

(I have a Tabitha and everyone loves it and it is a Biblical name)

[DuggeeHugs]

Esther or Caleb

[17caterpillars1mouse]

I like Esther alot - not so keen on Tess though, I prefer Essie

I really like Harriet nn Hattie but it's become popular in our area. Saying that it's still on my list

I dislike Tabitha it reminds me of cats

I really like Caleb

Edward is nice enough but I'm not a fan of Eddie

[EleanorXx]

Esther or Caleb

[MikeUniformMike]

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

[SuperBeagle]

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!

[TatianaLarina]

Yes I know that was a reply to the teacher.

[Prettyprettygood]

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

I like Tabitha and Edward best

[daisypond]

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?

[deptfordgirl]

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.

[TatianaLarina]

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.

[starkid]

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

[Ca55andraMortmain]

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.

[onlyonaTuesday]

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

[CPtart]

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

[deptfordgirl]

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.

[CakeRattleandRoll]

Tabitha or Esther/Tess
Edward

Love them!

[TatianaLarina]

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.

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

Tabitha and Caleb