Elizabeth or Emily? What's more timeless?

[hcarter8]

My and dh are struggling to decide on a name for our girl right now.

I adore the name Elizabeth I think it's very classy and probably the only genuinely timeless name out there, I think it's impossible for it to ever date or become unpopular. It feels vintage and is very versatile.

Our second choice is Emily which my dh loves but I don't love although I definitely don't dislike it. The only thing that puts me off slightly is that it dosent seem to have the same timeless feeling as Elizabeth does. I don't think it's as old as Elizabeth but I'm aware Emily is obviously an old name which has been in use since the 1800s (Emily Brontë and Dickinson) so it does have a couple of historical namesakes.

Despite this i always thought if it as more of a "modern classic" in the way that it only became mega popular in the last thirty years. According to a lot of naming websites Emily, was the number 1 name in the US/UK/Australia in the 90s/00s, it’s sliding down the charts now and will probably never be as popular as it has been over the last 25 years again. Not that it’s necessarily a bad things and it doesn't take away that it's a lovely name but I just wouldn’t class it as timeless because it is now dated to a specific time.

I was given a now dated/trendy late 80s name and absolutely hate it so I'm trying to make sure I don't do the same thing my mother did
Thoughts? What name has more of a classic/timeless feel?

I prefer Elizabeth. More options if she decides to shorten it- Liz, Beth, Betty, Liza etc. Emily is pretty, but just too common IMO.

Elizabeth is definitely more classic.

I much prefer Emily, it’s more modern but Elizabeth is more timeless. I think Eliza is a nice compromise

DD is a teenager, but we know loads of girls called "Emily" and "Lily" (and one Betty).

Once you get to school age, it's a right pain having a load of kids with the same first name. It is worth looking at the "popular names" lists to see what is fashionable now.

Elizabeth/Eliza runs in our family (it's a really common second name for people too).

DD is a teen Emily. Only around 2/3 in a year group of 200+ girls.
Its not an unusual name but not extremely popular for her age group.
Elizabeth will be shortened to Liz or lizzy most likely so it depends if you like that.

Elizabeth is more timeless and more versatile.

Elizabeth but have a diminutive lined up

Elizabeth

We have a pet form of Elizabeth, Elise. There are hardly any Elise’s and DD loves her name.

I love Elizabeth. One of my children has the Scottish version.

Of the two, Elizabeth is the classic timeless name, though Emily is a very pretty name.

Elizabeth has a good choice of diminutives, though really I prefer the full name, classy and cool.

Timeless would be Elizabeth but personally am tired of it.

Elizabeth is certainly more timeless. Emily is classic, although not timeless, however it’s a slow burner so wouldn’t date a daughter in the same way that Ava or Ophelia would IMO.
I think there is a huge bonus to picking a name with lots of lovely and well-accepted diminutives, it gives the child the option to choose and also it wards against dating, as different diminutives can be used throughout life. I like Eliza, Betsy and Elise the most.

Elizabeth. It was good enough for 2 Queens so it's good enough for your LO. And agree, there are lots of nn too. Emily is in my daughter's dad's family but I find it a bit soppy. Elizabeth is a strong name.

Elizabeth of course

And it has the advantage of lots of different short forms, so although it’s quite popular at the moment she can find an unusual nn if she wants. It’s a great name.

Emily is nice and it is a classic, but its part of a group of similar names (Emma, Emilia, Amelia, Amelie, Emmeline) that have been used a lot recently so it’s overdone)

It’s very rarely Liz these days - Elle/Ellie/Ella/Elsie/Elsa/Eliza/Beth/Lily all more common, and I should think Bess, Betsy, Betty, Libby, Buffy are all at least as common as Liz

Elizabeth is more timeless to me (but not much in it as Emily is also lovely and traditional). I’d be concerned that Elizabeth would be automatically shortened (probably to Liz/Lizzie which I’m not keen on) whereas Emily would probably be called her full name. So it depends if there’s a short form of Elizabeth that you love and will introduce.

I think both names are lovely but Elizabeth is a timeless classic.

I'd fight any attempts to shorten it to Liz, that's awful.

Elizabeth is less dateable but the diminutives of Elizabeth are not.

My generation of Elizabeths tended to be called Beth, my mother's generation were often Betty or Bess, my DCs peers tend to be Liz, my grandmother's tended to be Liza or Eliza. Diminutives go in fashions just like names.

Elizabeth has never left the top hundred in England and Wales. It's the only girls name to have never left. Emily was in the top hundred 1094-1924 and 1974-present. Emily has also has had more popularity recently, so many will feel it's more tired, so is more likely to tumble down than Elizabeth. That said, no-one can predict the future. For what it's worth, I don;'t think Emily will be seen as a 2020's name. If anything I seat as a 90's name, as I went to school with dozens of Emily's and know no young ones. I much prefer Elizabeth though.

Elizabeth is.

Also, with Emily, because of its recent huge popularity it would look like you're on the tail end of a trend, rather than using a classic. It feels more like "every fifth girl between age 10 and 35", rather than timeless.

Elizabeth is lovely

Definitely Elizabeth. I always felt Emily seemed dated and dull and didn’t consider it timeless at all (or know anyone did) until Mumsnet, where people seem to describe it as such.

I'm an Elizabeth and I would say only name your dd this if you don't mind it being shortened to Liz/Lizzie etc because that's what she'll end up being called by her friends etc eventually. My mum still gets annoyed that most people call me Liz!

I just correct people who shorten my name. I love all four syllables of it.