Middle name for Eileen?

[LavenderHills]

We've definitely decided on Eileen, but are stuck for a middle name that sounds nice with it. Any ideas, please?

Oh dear. I had hoped that writing "we've definitely decided on Eileen" in my OP would be enough to prevent posters wasting their time by weighing in with dire warnings and/or hilarious Dexy's jokes, but apparently there will always be a few!

So here is my definitive defence of Eileen:

• It has enormous sentimental significance; we love it and are using it.

• I love that song! What a banger! The wonderful Eileens on both sides of the family have loved it as well, and happily sung along (or tapped their walking sticks along, because as has been helpfully pointed out, they are VERY old ladies.)

@JurgensCakeBabyJesus I adore your suggestion about "far too young and clever" and will file it away for future use!

• I raise my eyebrows a bit when English "granny chic" names are all the rage but Irish ones provoke such a strong reaction. There were two previous Eileen threads on this board when I searched, with comments from more than one poster about Eileen being a name for a middle aged cleaning lady with a fag hanging out the side of her mouth 

• We do not live in an area where she will be teased about the name Eileen. I am absolutely confident of this.

Now, to the vast majority of posters who have engaged with my actual question, thank you! There are some wonderful suggestions here. I really like:

Eileen Joy
Eileen Elizabeth
Eileen Alice
Eileen Rose
Eileen Mary
Eileen Frances

I agree with @SE13Mummy that it probably works best with a middle name that isn't too "vowel-y."

Joy!
My Grandma is Eileen Joy and it's such a lovely name.
I hope to use Joy as a middle name if I have a daughter!

@Santahasjoinedww

Come on Eileen... Years and years of this. Poor kid.

When I was a youngster, people's mothers and aunties were called Eileen, the woman serving in the bakery or the receptionist at the doctors.

I had no idea it was making a come back.

For those asking about the surname, you can use Hamilton as a proxy. Her surname will suit any combination of first and middle names that would also sound nice with Hamilton

And to the posters who have mentioned using a family name as the middle name, Eileen IS the family name. There are other family names we could use, but sadly they won't really go with Eileen.

I'd quite like to use Eileen Helen, but I think they're actually different versions of the same name? Would that be a bit silly?

@Yeshkimesh

Something nice. So she can use it when she gets laughed at for being called Eileen

You're lovely, aren't you?🙄

@milliemd

Joy! My Grandma is Eileen Joy and it's such a lovely name. I hope to use Joy as a middle name if I have a daughter!

Joy is quickly becoming a front-runner!

I don't think you can use Helen - too similar!

Eileen Joy is lovely! I also really like Eileen Miranda as suggested by a PP.

For the record, I made a hilarious Dexy joke, while also engaging with your question and saying multiple times how much I like the name. I'm also Irish 🇮🇪. But it is a good tune and nothing to put you off using the name at all! My name is in songs and I love it

If you don't have another family name you want to use for the middle, I'd personally pick something "softer" or more modern sounding that has been trendier this last decade or two for a nice contrast with retro, "stronger" sounding Eileen (it would also help differentiate her from some of the much older Eileen's if that's what she wanted, more than a classic/traditional middle name like Elizabeth, Frances etc would). Something like:

Eileen Arabella
Eileen Sophia
Eileen Isabelle
Eileen Freya
Eileen Willow
Eileen Maya

Another vote for Eileen Joy. Lovely.

Also the more times I've read Eileen on this thread the more I'm liking it. Plus the song is brilliant, so even if (minuscule possibility) the kids at school in 2030 are familiar with it and tell her to come on, well it's not insulting at all is it!

In fact if I had an Eileen I'd probably call her Talulah as a pet name in homage.

@Santahasjoinedww

Come on Eileen... Years and years of this. Poor kid.

Probably not from anyone under 40 though.

@ThePennyJustDropped

Another vote for Eileen Joy. Lovely.

Also the more times I've read Eileen on this thread the more I'm liking it. Plus the song is brilliant, so even if (minuscule possibility) the kids at school in 2030 are familiar with it and tell her to come on, well it's not insulting at all is it!

In fact if I had an Eileen I'd probably call her Talulah as a pet name in homage.

Yes!!! I'm so glad it isn't just me who thinks this is genius

I’m voting for Eileen Rose.

Eileen Joy is just a beautiful, beautiful name!

Eileen?!?!

Please pleeeeease don't do this to your child. She'll hate it and will change it the very moment she becomes old enough to.

I know granny names are all the rage at the moment but please don't make her suffer for it

Jane

Eileen Ellen

Rose

@JessicaJacket

For the record, I made a hilarious Dexy joke, while also engaging with your question and saying multiple times how much I like the name. I'm also Irish 🇮🇪. But it is a good tune and nothing to put you off using the name at all! My name is in songs and I love it

@JessicaJacket Yes, that's true. No objection to your Dexy's joke

@GrannytoaUnicorn

Please pleeeeease don't do this to your child. She'll hate it and will change it the very moment she becomes old enough to.

I know granny names are all the rage at the moment but please don't make her suffer for it

I've said my piece and will not be responding to any more pleas not to use the name Eileen.

We are using it. Toora loora toora loo rye ay to you all

@IamnotwhouthinkIam I quite like your suggestion of Eileen Freya, thank you!

@ThePennyJustDropped

Another vote for Eileen Joy. Lovely.

Also the more times I've read Eileen on this thread the more I'm liking it. Plus the song is brilliant, so even if (minuscule possibility) the kids at school in 2030 are familiar with it and tell her to come on, well it's not insulting at all is it!

In fact if I had an Eileen I'd probably call her Talulah as a pet name in homage.

I LOVE the Talulah nickname suggestion, thank you!!

Grimshaw.

Please don’t. You may like the name, but will your daughter? I wouldn’t.

Eileen is a lovely name. Helen is the same name though so don’t use that combo.
I am a fan of no middle name but do like Joy