Classic but ‘not posh’ girl’s name

[Zitouna]

Hello, we have recently found out we’re having a girl. I already have an Alasdair, but DH and I have never yet agreed on a girl’s name. He is keen on Penelope - which I have vetoed as I don’t like Penny and think it would be inevitable. His other very subjective requirements are ‘not too posh’ and ‘not the same name as someone I don’t like’!

I like classic names, mostly, ideally not too popular. Names that I like - but can’t seem to pick a front runner, are:

Elizabeth
Stella
Estelle
Imogen
Iris
Simone
Merle (DH strong veto, sadly)
Viviana
Marilla (that’s an Anne of Green Gables reference, not sure if I could do it, but nn Rilla is pretty!)

Any thoughts? Anything else I might like?

I think Elizabeth and Viviana (or Vivienne) are beautiful name and two of my absolute favourites. How about Alexandra or Tabitha? I also love Celeste.

Laura
Lauren
Hannah
Megan
Stephanie
Georgia
Alice

Victoria
Charlotte
Alice
Verity
Felicity
Rowena
Selina

Emmeline

I love imogen Iris and Elizabeth best from your list

How about Clementine nn clemmie
Margaret nn Maggie
Edith nn Edie
Delilah nn lilah
Pearl
Eliza
Ottilie nn Ottie
Jemima
Mabel

Elizabeth is definitely classic but not posh. How about Charlotte?

All lovely names and not sure what would is meant by 'posh' or what's bad about that... but just an observation that The Queen's Christian name is Elizabeth. So certainly DC would have the most posh namesake possible.

Lovely name though!

In the vein of Elizabeth and Charlotte

Victoria
Anna
Sarah
Katherine
Louisa
Stephanie

India
Jade
Saffron
Ada
Darcy
Chloe
Zinnia
Astrid
Zelda
Delia
Adele
Heidi
Lois
Isolde
Leila
Amber
Nina
Anya

Claudia
Louisa
Julia
Phoebe
Rose

From your list I like Elizabeth best.
Have you thought about:
Katherine
Samantha
Beatrice
Jennifer
Victoria
Rebecca

I love Elizabeth and Vivianna, too. Also agree that Rilla is a cool nickname for Marilla. Agree with the poster who suggested Charlotte as another name that's classic but not posh. Oh, and yes, Alexandra.

Elizabeth is beautiful but very popular and invariably gets shortened to 'Liz' 'Lizzy' or ' 'Beth' or even 'Betty'.

Iris is also very in vogue at the mo.

Like pp suggestions of : Margaret, Felicity, Emmeline and Verity.

Verity in particular I like.

Also like Hannah, Cordelia/Ophelia and if not Penelope maybe something a bit off the beaten track like Primrose? Still romantic and classic.

Why not Nell for Penelope? If you call her that from the beginning, it's less likely that she will be called Penny later

Oo thanks all, lots of good suggestions. Keep them coming!

What my DH thinks is ‘posh’ seems completely arbitrary - he doesn’t think Elizabeth is, for example... I didn’t think it was so popular tho - I don’t know any below 30!

Like Margaret and Primrose - and Clementine has reminded me that I love Clemency, tho that’s maybe a bit niche.

I’m not keen on Charlotte, not sure why. And embarrassingly Verity makes me think ‘ferrety’

Frances
Felicity
Hannah
Eleanor
Margot
Alexandra

I like Elizabeth and Catherine - and all the various nicknames you can have with them.

I also like:

Margot
Ophelia
Felicity
Constance
Josephine
Madeleine

Sarah
Honor
Anna
Laura
Catherine/Kathryn
Emily
Rose
Julia/et

I love Simone. Helen or Helena are my suggestions.

Alice
Kate
Emily
Harriet
Sophie
Eleanor

Abigail
Rebecca
Louisa
Josephine
Juliet

From your list I like Stella and Imogen.

Ruth
Esther
Clara

Margot

Miranda
Rosalind
Eleanor
Helen
Sophia
Prunella
Priscilla
Susanna
Antonia
Lucy
Persephone

Lydia
Helena
Eliza
Caroline
Lucy