Do I go with the safe or contentious name?

[Rjd13]

A few weeks ago I posted about the name Tabitha. It’s my favourite but the response on MN was mixed and the reaction from my nearest and dearest even worse.

My OH and I had originally picked the name Ivy before we thought of Tabitha, but we’re worried that it’s too common and similar to your Ava’s and Evie’s etc

So my question is do I go with the name that is a bit more unusual but often disliked, or the one that is more liked but also more used? We love both but we are struggling to settle!

Tabitha Jane/Tabitha Rose

Or

Ivy Elizabeth?

Tabitha Jane!

I’d go with Tabitha, I think it’s much nicer than Ivy.

I prefer tabitha

I love Tabitha, it is a pretty name.
Only thing is to me it is really a cat name, shortened to Tabby, and for a tabby cat.

I like it as a girl's name, but not sure I could get past the cat association.

I love the name Tabitha.

Tabitha Rose

Tabitha

Ivy is awful

Ooh you and I have similar taste, both are on our shortlist (along with Iris, Bryony, and others).

I vote Tabitha, it’s unusual but it’s not ridiculous. Very biased though as I love it!

Really like Ivy.
Tabitha is horrible imo.

Tabitha is a lovely name! Less keen on Ivy. Go for the name you love.

I prefer Tabitha and it won’t date - Ivy definitely will.

Love the name Tabitha and a uni friend called Tabitha (only one I know), is called Tabs

I'm not keen on Tabitha, but I prefer it to Ivy! Ivy will in the future be that name there was a spate of in the late 2010s.

Tabitha is beautiful. Much prefer it to Ivy, which is faddy and will date.

Oh, and definitely do Jane, not Rose, as the middle name.

I have an Ivy so clearly love it, there are no other ones at her school and I only know of 1 other at a local school. I love the name Tabitha as well, I think there is a girl in Ivys school called Talitha which is a bit unusual but I like it as much as Tabitha.

Tabitha is unusual (and maybe a little posh?) but it's hardly crazy or made up. I personally love it.

Tabitha is a lovely name and it's clearly your favourite so I think you should go for it.

I don't like Ivy at all, it's a real granny name and not in a good way. Like Ethel or Agnes.

I think Tabitha is a fantastic name.

I still think of Corrie when it comes to Ivy.

There are loads of baby Ivys in our area, I haven't met a Tabitha yet.

I know a few Tabitha's and only one Ivy.

I don't like one any more than the other.

I always think you should have a couple of names ready anyway, as the baby might arrive and you look at them and decide that one name or the other works better.

Really like Tabitha but you would have to like Tabby as a nickname as that will be what it gets shortened to.
For some reason, I don’t like Tabby, but do like Tally as a nickname, so personally I would go for Talitha.
I know a couple of baby Ivy’s but only one Tabitha who is over 30 now.

Tabitha is a gorgeous name, I’d definitely go with that one. Like PP, Ivy makes me think of Corrie.

Love both but I’d go for tabitha.
I named my DD a name my family didn’t really like. Name her what you like. They’ll get use to it.