Which name?

[delshell]

I'm pregnant with a baby girl and hubby and I are really struggling to decide on a name. We have a shortlist and would love to know your thoughts:

Harriet
Elizabeth
Penelope
Gwendolen (nn Gwen)

I'm pretty sure we have exhausted the internet looking through lists of names! But also happy to hear suggestions of similar names. We like names that are classic and traditional, but not overly popular.

Harriet - like
Elizabeth nice but long
Penelope - ok but long
Gwendolen (nn Gwen) - Nice but will be mispronounced and misspelt.
The correct pronunciation is Gwen-DOLL-enn not GWEN-duh-lyn
Will be spelt Gwndonline or Gwendolyn.

Love Elizabeth

The others are all very Enid Blyton

Penelope!

Love Elizabeth but they're all nice.

At this point I'd wait until she's here and see which one fits best.

Elizabeth is my favourite - all nice though

I vote Elizabeth too.

Oops, sorry, Gwendoline not Gwndonline

I like Elizabeth. Beautiful classic name.

I love Harriet but DH didn't like the possible shortening to Harry.

I do know a toddler Elizabeth and I do find it a bit strange! It's a really lovely name but it just seems so grown up for her.

Would suggest

Victoria
Honor

I know sisters Felicity and Amelie which is nice.

I love Gwendolen but people will misspell and mispronounce it as Gwendoline if you're not in Wales.

Elizabeth is lovely. Harriet and Penelope also nice but I think Elizabeth is my favourite.

I'd pick Elizabeth as I've always liked it. You'll find people try to shorten it though
Harriet - I don't like it abbreviated to Harry but I do like Hattie

Penelope - I think I know 4, all known as Penny. 3 of them are really nice.
Gwendolen - I like Gwen, but prefer it as a standalone name

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is the best imo

Harriet is my favourite by a long way. If you’ve been trawling I’m sure you will already have discounted the following suggestions, but here goes - Imogen, Eliza, Rowena, Eleanor(a/e), Beatrice, Florence, Guinevere, Henrietta, Honor(a), Margot, Marguerite.

I know sisters Felicity and Harriet, and Felicity and Bryony.

I personally don't like Elizabeth, but I know lots of people do. Elise and Beth are both lovely short forms, though.

I like Gwen, but just Gwen - not a longer form. They feel too prissy to me, apart from Gwenno which is cool - the name of the planet Venus.

All nice names, my favourite is Penelope.

Other suggestions
Juliet
Josephine
Eleanor
Annabelle
Isabelle
Alexandra
Victoria
Charlotte
Theodora
Henrietta
Rosemary
Matilda

@OrangeAndYellowAndBlue, while I agree with you that Gwen and Gwenno are nice, you are not right with the meaning of Gwenno.

Venus is Gwener not Gwenno

I like Elizabeth, beautiful!

Prefer the Welsh or is it Cornish Gwenno but I still think elderly lady in wrinkly stockings when I hear Gwen. Gwendolyn I think of Oscar Wilde and prissy characters

It sounds like you are wanting to go down the public school jolly hockey sticks root.
My local pony club had

Arabella
Charlotte (Lottie)
Sapphire
Cressida
Camilla
Esmeralda (Esme)
Dotty

Gwenno is welsh. Gwen is welsh and breton
There are breton names that start with Gwen too

Gwyn is a boy's name.

I think the cornish version of Gwen is Wenna, but Wenna is used in Wales usually as an abbreviation of a longer name like Alwenna

Harriet is my favourite out of your choices. I also like Penelope.

Harriet sounds frumpy to me but love both Elizabeth and Gwendolen!!

I really appreciate all the comments, thanks!

Harriet