Refine my girl list

[HisHX]

Please help me refine my (far too) long list of girl’s names - any awful connotations I should know of?! Current favourites in bold.

Ada
Eliza
Elizabeth (Libby)
Fern
Freya
Georgina (Georgie)
Harriet (Hattie)
Lara
Maggie
Mara
Megan
Molly
Nora
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie)
Penelope (Penny/Nell)
Phoebe
Sadie
Tabitha (Tabby)

Thanks! X

I’d go for Elizabeth nn Libby or Penelope nn Nell. Also quite like Tabitha or Maggie as a nn for Marguerite A few alternatives below

Ada - overused. Adela, Aphra or Ida?
Eliza - prefer as nn for Elizabeth
Elizabeth (Libby) - classic
Fern - ok, having a moment
Freya - done to death
Georgina (Georgie) - nice enough
Harriet (Hattie) - ditto
Lara - too many similar names - Luna, Leila, Lyra, Lena, Lola.. they all blur
Maggie - as a nn for Margaret / Marguerite it’s quite nice
Mara - no, odd
Megan - ok
Molly - ok, slightly babyish, nice enough as a nn for Mary, Maria, Marianne etc
Nora - can’t stand it, but it’s having a moment - Oona, Honor ?
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) - no faddy and fussy
Penelope (Penny/Nell) - nn Nell yes, Penny is wet
Phoebe - ok
Sadie - it’s ok, prefer as a nn for Sarah
Tabitha (Tabby) - I like Tabitha, Tabby only for a toddler

Tabatha and Penelope are my favourites.

… Lizbie is another short form of Elizabeth that’s less often used

I like a lot of names on your list. Obviously, how pretty a name is is completely subjective. The only ones I don't like are Penelope and Sadie. This is because Pene is the Spanish word for penis, and Sadie has the words sad and die in it.

Or blend them together! I know I very sweet little girl called Hetty

Ada - nice
Eliza - nice
Elizabeth (Libby) - nice
Fern - ok
Freya - nice
Georgina (Georgie) - nice
Harriet (Hattie) - nice
Lara - nice
Maggie - no (Thatcher)
Mara - no (rodent)
Megan - no (Markle)
Molly - no (maid)
Nora - nice
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) - nice
Penelope (Penny/Nell) - nice
Phoebe - ok
Sadie - no
Tabitha (Tabby) - nice

Ada and Phoebe are very very popular amongst primary aged girls. Freya is fairly popular and Ottilie seems to be very popular on Mumsnet right now so maybe it’s growing in popularity. I wouldn’t automatically think “Libby” as a nickname for Elizabeth.

Not keen on Georgina, Maggie, Mara, Megan, Nora, Sadie.

I think you're onto a winner with Elizabeth. A beautiful name in its own right, but with so many fabulous potential nicknames inc Libby. Also, very special for a baby born in the Jubilee year.

Maggie is great. There's one at DD's nursery and it's the only name where I get a slight pang of "why didn't I think of that?"

Good list OP - I like quite a few of these. My shortlist would be:

Eliza
Fern
Harriet
Mara (really like this - feels much fresher than Lara)
Tabitha

I would definitely drop:

Ada - too popular, will be lost in a sea of Avas/Evas/Evie
Georgina - quite a clunky, harsh sounding name to me (I don’t like George either)
Lara - like Ada, too many similar names that are currently on trend (Lyra, Lily, Layla, Luna etc)
Megan - bland and slightly dated
Nora - just always feels dowdy and fusty to me, and I don’t like the ‘gnaw’ sound
Ottilie - super twee and incredibly popular with the social media influencer set - will date very quickly
Penelope - see Ottilie - very ‘celebrity faddy’ and overly frilly

One of the nicest lists I’ve seen. I like all of them except Penny and Mara.

My favourites are Libby and Tabitha. Elizabeth was on our girl list for DS - he would have been either Libby or Elsie.

My favourites are:

Elizabeth (Libby)
Fern
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie)
Phoebe
Sadie
Tabitha (Tabby)

I really like Lara and Tabitha but not any of your other names.

Ada 10
Eliza 8
Elizabeth (Libby) 9
Fern 2
Freya 1
Georgina (Georgie)
Harriet (Hattie) 7
Lara 15
Maggie 14
Mara 4
Megan
Molly 13
Nora 3
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) 6
Penelope (Penny/Nell) 5
Phoebe 12
Sadie 11
Tabitha (Tabby) 16 No

Ada
Eliza*
Elizabeth (Libby)
Fern
Freya
Georgina (Georgie)
Harriet (Hattie)
Lara
Maggie
Mara
Megan
Molly*
Nora*
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie)
Penelope (Penny/Nell)*
Phoebe
Sadie*
Tabitha (Tabby)*

all fine I think; starred my favourites!

I only like Eliza and Libby.

Fern or Lara for sure.

Ada Nice enough
Eliza Bit prissy
Elizabeth (Libby) very nice
Fern Meh
Freya done to death
Georgina (Georgie) really dislike
Harriet (Hattie) really good
Lara meh
Maggie nickname
Mara very good
Megan meh
Molly cute but niicknamey
Nora not keen
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) awful
Penelope (Penny/Nell) fab
Phoebe very nice
Sadie not keen
Tabitha (Tabby) great name for a cat.

Penelope, Harriet and Elizabth very much the best.

Nell just makes me think ‘knell’ which is an awful association for a name

Ada - I like this. Also Ida.
Eliza - One of my favourites from your list.
Elizabeth (Libby) - You can never go wrong with Elizabeth. My favourite nn would be Betsy, but Libby is fine.
Fern - I've never really liked this.
Freya - Love this.
Georgina (Georgie) - I prefer Georgia.
Harriet (Hattie) - Neutral on this one.
Lara - I don't like, but love Clara.
Maggie - It's OK.
Mara - I actually really like this and never met one.
Megan - Neither like nor dislike.
Molly - I quite like.
Nora - growing to like it.
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) - I started liking this when I recently read a book with a character called Ottilie in it.
Penelope (Penny/Nell) - Love this. Prefer Nell to Penny.
Phoebe - My favourite from your list.
Sadie - Love this too.
Tabitha (Tabby) - Not keen.

Obviously it's all just personal taste/ preferences.

Like:
Elizabeth, Georgina (Georgie), Harriet (Hattie)

OK:
Fern, Lara, Maggie, Molly, Penelope (Penny/Nell), Phoebe

Dislike: Ada, Freya, Libby, Mara, Megan, Nora, Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie), Sadie, Tabitha (Tabby)

Ada - lovely. I really like this.
Eliza - lovely too
Elizabeth (Libby) - not too keen on this
Fern - don't like
Freya - pretty, popular but for good reason
Georgina (Georgie) - it's ok.
Harriet (Hattie) - lovely. I really like this too
Lara - ok. A bit 80s. I prefer Cara and Clara
Maggie - don't like
Mara - really don't like. Sounds very gloomy
Megan - ok.
Molly - don't like. Love Polly
Nora - not keen
Ottilie (Ottie/Tillie) - ok. Feels very now.
Penelope (Penny/Nell) - I'm not a huge fan of Penny but really like Nell
Phoebe - don't like. Sounds like feeble
Sadie - nice
Tabitha (Tabby) - lovely

I love Tabitha. Harriet or Ada would be my second choices.

I feel like Polly belongs on your list

Think my favourites are Elizabeth, Sadie and Phoebe

Same! I longed to be named Libby Kennedy as a child!

Oh it does! I’ve swapped Molly for Polly now, thank you!