Final list

[alessandrae83]

Comment on these names please.

Eleanor
Helena
Lucy
Evangeline
Esther
Emmeline
Louisa
Julia
Miriam
Frances
Cassandra
Marianne
Anna
Sophie
Iris

Edward
Isaac
Joel
Robert
Caleb
Francis
Oliver
Ezra
Zachary
Alexander
Mark
Matthew

Iris is pretty. And for boys names I always though Nathan is quite nice, could use Nate/Nath as a nickname. :)

I love so many of your girls names! Helena, Eleanor, Esther, Louisa and Miriam are all on my own list. The only ones I’m not keen on are Lucy and Sophie.

From your boys list I like Robert, Francis and Matthew best.

Eleanor - dull
Helena - ok
Lucy - bit dull
Evangeline - ok
Esther - ok
Emmeline
Louisa - ok
Julia - 1960s born dinner lady
Miriam - ok
Frances - nice
Cassandra - nice
Marianne - Faithful
Anna - boring
Sophie - very boring
Iris - nice

Edward - ok
Isaac - meh
Joel - nice
Robert - middle aged accountant
Caleb - nice
Francis - ok
Oliver - too popular
Ezra - George
Zachary - ok
Alexander - ok
Mark - very 1960s
Matthew - dull

Really nice list. All proper names!

Anna, Sophie, Helena or Marianne would be my favourites from your girls' selection. Or Julia, very classy and not at all 'dinner lady' (think Frith must have been confusing it with 'Julie'). Nothing wrong with Julie in itself though, it is, of course, the classic version in France, although it was so popular over here in the 60s.

Zachary, Isaac or Matthew from your boys' list.

Eleanor - nice, elegant.
Helena - love and love nn Lena
Lucy - plain and boring
Evangeline - love, it’s my dd middle name.
Esther - no awful.
Emmeline- ok
Louisa - dated
Julia - ok
Miriam - ok awful
Frances - not a fan
Cassandra - nice
Marianne - no
Anna - ok
Sophie - popular
Iris - no

Edward - like
Isaac - ok
Joel - no
Robert - ok good nn potential.
Caleb - ok
Francis - not a fan
Oliver - too popular and therefore boring.
Ezra - love
Zachary - no
Alexander - love and lots of nn
Mark - like would be ahead if the curve for a revival.
Matthew - nice.

I would pick Helena or Evangeline and Alexander or Ezra from your list.

Eleanor - No
Helena - No
Lucy - No
Evangeline- No
Esther - its OK
Emmeline - No
Louisa - No
Julia - No
Miriam - I like it
Frances - I like it
Cassandra - No
Marianne - its ok
Anna - No
Sophie - No
Iris - No

Edward - No
Isaac - No
Joel - its ok
Robert - No
Caleb - No. And no again.
Francis - its ok
Oliver - No
Ezra - No
Zachary- meh
Alexander - I like it
Mark - meh
Matthew - Love it.

@Pemba nope, our primary school dinner lady was in fact Juliana, but always called Julia!

I like Sophie and Oliver

@Frith2013 seems to me that your Juliana/Julia dinner lady was a one-off. Quite unusual and very specific, and probably only remembered by you and (some) of the people at your school. I don't think you can, therefore, link the name Julia to 60s born dinner ladies in general!

In the main, the name Julia has always been quite an upper-class name, and relatively unusual in the UK.

Disclaimer: there is nothing wrong with the job of dinner lady of course!