Help us narrow down our baby name list please!

[Secretlifeofme]

Not due until October but DH and I have got the list down to 10 names for each sex (chosen not to find out whether it's a girl or a boy) and we're stuck! Please critique our list :

Girls :
Alexandra
Cassandra
Catherine
Charlotte
Elizabeth
Felicity
Helena
Jessica
Madeleine
Nina

Boys:
Alexander
Benjamin
Daniel
David
James
Jonathan
Joshua
Samuel
Thomas
William

Please don't suggest any new names - we want to narrow the list down, not add to it! Thanks

Out of the girls I like Charlotte, Felicity, Madeleine, Jessica

Boys I like William, Thomas, James

Consider the initials. Any to be avoided? Think of how they could be shortened. I like William but dislike many of the shortened versions. Some also have more than one potential spelling. Would it annoy you if people got it wrong?
And good luck!

For a boy, Joshua, Alexander and Benjamin. For a girl, Helena and Nina

Alexandra- love but does feel a bit dated
Cassandra - nice - quirky
Catherine - nice but even more dated
Charlotte - lovely
Elizabeth - ok
Felicity - love this name- not as keen on flick
Helena - classy but 100 pronunciations would put me off a bit
Jessica - ok
Madeleine - beautiful name
Nina - not a fan

Boys:
Alexander - love
Benjamin - love
Daniel - ok
David - very dated
James - love
Jonathan - ok
Joshua - less classy than the above
Samuel - Same
Thomas - really like
William - love

I think I’d vote Alexander and Madeleine

Alexandra - love!
Cassandra - quite like, love the nn cassie
Catherine - nothing wrong with it but a bit old fashioned for my liking
Charlotte - really like and love the nn lottie
Elizabeth - same as Catherine, nothing wrong but not to my taste
Felicity - quite like
Helena - not too keen
Jessica - nice
Madeleine - really nice
Nina - sorry really not keen

Alexander - love
Benjamin - really like
Daniel - ok
David - really not keen
James - really like
Jonathan - really not keen
Joshua - ok but not my taste
Samuel - I like Sam but no Samuel
Thomas - nice
William - I dont get the love for this name! Its obviously not bad but I just dont think its very strong!

For girls I like Cassandra and Alexandra, the others feel too classic/dated/common. With a preference for Cassandra as less common. And I like Cass as a nickname (sorry, supernatural)

For boys, I like Alexander, Jonathan and Joshua, with a preference for Jonathan. I feel like it's not been used too much but at the same time isn't associated with a specific generation. And it just sounds good. Plus diminutive is Jon. Like Jon Snow ;)

I’d go for Elizabeth or Felicity, and James or William. But I like most of your names - we clearly have similar taste!

Madeleine and Cassandra
Benjamin and Samuel

Just personal preferences. However I agree about the issue with Helena having more than one pronunciation I speak from experience of having that type of name!

Lovely names. Favourites are Helena, Nina, Alexander and William.
What are you leaning towards op?

My girls have two of the names on your list. I like them all except Jessica, Felicity and Nina.

For boys, I like James, Thomas, Alexander and William. Joshua and Samuel are my least favourite.

@RickOShay this is the problem, we aren't leaning towards anything!
That was good advice from a PP to consider initials and nicknames. Last name begins with W so don't think initials will be too much of a problem, but maybe should avoid William as I'm not sure about alliterative names. I'm not a fan of deciding how to shorten the name before the baby is born, so I suppose that means we need to pick a name for which we like all the possible ways it could be shortened! I suppose that rules out Madeleine, which is a shame but I really don't like Maddie

Top threes:
Charlotte
Elizabeth
Felicity

David
Samuel
Thomas

Catherine
Samuel

Jessica and Benjamin

Charlotte and Jessica for girls. James and Joshua for boys. Consider nicknames. For example, at school Daniel will
Probably become Dan or Danny. Elizabeth could become Liz or Beth or any number of other nicknames. You might not be bothered by something to think about. Also consider the heritage of each name.

Alexandra, Alexander and Nina

Helena is beautiful and the only one I like.
Love Thomas, James and Joshua
I'm very sorry but when I hear Cassandra, I think of only fools and horses

My choices from your names would be Cassandra (we have a Cassia so biased!) and Daniel which I have always loved as a strong classic name.

Girls:
Mostly a bit prim and Mallory towers for me.

I like
Charlotte - I quite like Lottie.
Elizabeth - also good nn potentials
Madeleine

Boys:
I like:
Alexander - because I like Sandy as a nn.
Benjamin
Daniel

Charlotte and Felicity

Alexander and Benjamin

I like most of the names, but agree with pp who said you can whittle it down a bit by going through all the possible shortenings.
None of my 3 (now adult) dc are called what we had assumed their names would be shortened too, so it is wise to think of all probably shortenings and that might help you rule out some you don't like.

Girls :
Alexandra - ok
Cassandra - dated
Catherine dated
Charlotte nice
Elizabeth nice
Felicity no
Helena no
Jessica nice
Madeleine no
Nina ok

Boys:
Alexander ok
Benjamin ok
Daniel no
David no
James ok
Jonathan ok
Joshua nice
Samuel ok
Thomas ok
William ok

So for boys definitely Joshua and girls I like Jessica the most

Alexandra or Alexander
Benjamin

Girls, all lovely though Nina is my least favourite, Felicity Jessica & Helena are my favourites.

Boys, Joshua and William are my least favourite, Jonathan Daniel and Benjamin are my top three.

Thanks for all your input! I have narrowed it down a little. Further help greatly appreciated :

Girls :
Alexandra
Cassandra
Catherine
Charlotte
Elizabeth
Felicity
Helena
Jessica
Nina

Boys:
Alexander
Benjamin
Daniel
David
James
Jonathan
Samuel
Thomas