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?

My fave of your possible possibles is Catherine. I also adore Lydia (but don’t quite think of it as classic - is it?).

Meredith
Victoria
Harriet
Martha

Classic, very underused, names are Mary, Jane and Ann. (With an 'e' if you prefer)

Anna, Sarah, Ellen, Olivia, Kathryn, Isobel, Alice.

Alice
Thea
Taymar
Lucy

I really like Emily!

Jane
Mary
Anna
Marianne
Elinor
Juliet
Susan
Margaret
Lydia

Very jane austen inspired

Eve
Sarah
Lucy

Jemima
Jessica
Helena

If you like Elizabeth but don’t want a Liz, then maybe Eliza? I have one and her name is never shortened

Sarah
Anna

All lovely names and not sure what would is meant by 'posh' or what's bad about that

I also don't understand what makes a name 'posh'? And why that's negative?

I have a Polly Elizabeth. Not unheard of but certainly not popular. It's not posh but I think it's pretty & classic. It gets lots of compliments

Polly is lovely, so fresh.

Marilla/ Rilla would be my choice if I had the nerve. Lovely nick name.

Really like Imogen - I dont think its posh at all!

Viviana is a refreshing spin on Vivienne which is so overused. There are three in my family alone!! It is a pretty name but it's a little posh! Viviana is nice because it's a fresher version I feel like. It's also a bit posh though.

I'll suggest

Viveca - its Swedish and super pretty and fresher and less posh than Vivienne

Lucienne or Luciana - I think Lucy names are classics that are sweet and not posh!

Lola, Lana or Lila - these are all kinda similar but all classic and not posh in my book

Grace as a first name is lovely. Its overused in the middle spot.

I like Elizabeth but only with the nickname Bette/Betty.

Scarlette, Evangeline, Violet, Bridget, Anneliese, Loretta, Juliet and Dahlia are also classics that I don't think are posh but maybe your DH would! It's hard to say.

Posh names to me are:
Victoria - thanks Posh Spice!
Olivia
Rachel
Rachelle
Isabel
Rebecca
Odette
Gemma - although I love it!
Genevieve- I love this one too
Jennifer
Kelly - dont know why but I feel like this is posh in a subtle way
Juliana

But I think everyone has different tastes for this sort of thing!

I'm a fan of classic but not posh names.

For me, posh names often end in A, so things like:

Arabella, Araminta, Antonia, Octavia, Henrietta and Cordelia

Lucinda (but not Lucy)

Georgiana/Georgina, but not Georgia

Isabella, Francesca, Olivia and Sophia (but not Isobel, Frances, Olive or Sophie) used to be posh, but not any more as they are so popular

Amanda may have been posh, but was very popular in the 70s when I was a teenager so I don't think of it as at all posh.

Ancient Greek names also used to be posh (eg Antigone, Persephone, Hermione) but are probably now too popular to be.

Alexandra, Victoria, Fiona, Diana, Julia and Maria are on the cusp between classic and posh.

Other classic names:

Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary, Sarah, Catherine, Helen/Helena, Caroline, Rose, Anne/Anna, Jane, Eleanor, Rebecca, Rachel/Rachael, Charlotte, Emma/Emily, Laura, Isobel/Isabel, Lucy, Alice and Frances.

@zitouna

Nancy? Maybe with a long middle name

Nancy Elizabeth

Florence
Eloise
Emmy
Alexandra
Isobel
Aurora
Seraphine
Evangeline
I guess everyone's definition of 'posh' is different though. I have a friend called Penelope, I think it's a very beautiful and classic name and everyone shortens her name to Penny.

Eleanor also x

@bxua oh I do like Nancy! Nancy Elizabeth is lovely.

I’m only saying this because I hoped people would point stuff out like this to me - ‘Marilla’ is very uncommon and while that’s a good thing, it means the nicknames ‘Rilla’ is also pretty uncommon and if I heard it I genuinely wouldn’t think ‘oh that’s short for Marilla’ I’d think ‘Rilla? Like short for Gorilla?’ And I’m only saying this because kids can be really cruel and I posted on name board specifically so people might point stuff like this out to me that I hadn’t thought of - genuinely not saying it to be unkind because I think your name options are lovely (especially love Nancy Elizabeth!). But you know. Kids can be awful to each other and I feel like Rilla might get teased, and called Rilla Gorilla or something, which although stupid might upset her.

Other than this, I love your name option and I think I think Nancy Elizabeth is perfect. Also love Katherine and Eleanor. Leonore/Leonora are also pretty but I’m not sure if they’re classic in the UK or more continental (or if that matters?).

Nancy Elizabeth is a lovely name @Zitouna 🥰

I’ve got a Nancy Grace
We also liked
Jemima
Eliza
Gabriella
Tallulah
Iris