Alexandra or Esme?

[Sorrelia]

Very different feel for our DD due in one week. What name is your favourite and why?
Last name is Ross.
Thank you 🥰

The Sewing Bee has ruined Esme for me

DD is Alexandra - Alex - Allie -Zandra, it's a great name, but I'm biased!

Alexandra. I'm biased as that's by daughters name.

Ditto! My girl gets A-J too as she is Alexandra Joy. Xx

Alexandra is one of those lovely classic but currently underused names. Also Miranda Susannah Antonia Zoe. Lovely and also rare in a sea of Eve / Olivia / Isabel / Lily tedium.

With your surname i think Esme though they're both lovely names x

Alexandra.

Esme is becoming overused and I don’t particularly like it.

Love Alexandra- strong, classic and feminine name

Alexandra is great. I love Sandy as a diminutive, but Alex is also super cool on the right girl/woman.

Esme is nice enough but feels disproportionately popular for babies just now. I feel it will start to grate and your DD will be "one of the Esmes".

Alexandra is well known but doubt there will be many in your DD's peer group. Can't go wrong.

Alexandra and I wouldn't shorten it..its a beautifully classy name.

Thank you all for your answers, i read them all! Its now firmly between these two and I am leaning a bit towards Alexandra. They are so different!
@Firsttimebabymummy Alexandra Joy, what a great name. Is your daughter old enough to say whether she likes her name? What was people's reaction to it, and do they automatically shorten it?
I am pleased by the positive feedback on Alexandra, didn't expect it.

@Parfortheparsnip same question :)

I have a 6yo Alexandra. She goes by Alex, and likes her name. I’ve let her know she can shorten to Lexi, Alexa, Lexa, Zandra, Sandra, Allie, Sasha, Andie, but she is happy with Alex. The fact that it’s classic, ageless and has a variety of shortenings influenced us picking it. I do also like that when she’s older applying for jobs that Alex is gender neutral.
She’s also an AJ but we don’t call her that much.

Alexandra, every time.

She's only 6 weeks so no! Only had good reactions but I suppose people wouldn't say they don't like once they're here (we announced name when she was born)
Pretty sure MIL wasn't keen tho. She kept suggesting Pandora and Bloom when we revealed we were having a girl- obviously different taste xx

My health visitor said she hadn't seen an Alexandra in ages xx

I absolutely love Alexandra and would definitely use it - unfortunately my husband doesn't like it 😕 so we can't

Alexandra is my favourite girls’ name. It’s so strong, classy and elegant. It won’t surprise you to learn that it’s the name of my oldest daughter 👧

Esme is… OK, quite nice.

DD (early 30's) is Alexandra - known as Al, Ali, Alex, AJ. Other shortened forms she has come across have been Lexi and Sandy. She's quite happy with it, although she did go through a phase of preferring Robyn which was our alternative choice all those years ago!

Alexandra. Timeless, classic, dignified. I like the full name best but I know it will most likely get shortened.

Of the two, Alexandra. Not keen on Esme.

I also prefer Alexandra, it seems more classic somehow, and lots of possible shortenings.

Esme seems to be very 'now', plus there's the two different pronunciations issue. But it does flow better with Ross, unfortunately.

Why not go for Alexandra Esme Ross or Esme Alexandra Ross?

@honestanswers love Esme Alexandra Ross but it gives EAR as initials :)
We're still debating between Alexandra and Esme, birth is now in 5 days, first day of summer, and DH slightly prefers Alexandra, I think I still prefer Esme, just because between Alex and Esme, I prefer Esme. I would use the long form Alexandra but know it will be very likely to be shortened to Alex. I don't dislike Alex but might not love it as much as Esme.
I might be overthinking it at this stage!!

It's so very rare that three initials are used though isn't it? And it's not like it's an embarrassing or rude shortening. I imagine in the vast majority of situations you'd use two- I do my minutes unless there are two people with the same first and last initial- if that's the name you love I'd use it. I think Esme first Alexandra second flows lovely and I like both names.

Alexandra is far more classic. One of my DCs has a very similar name, and I've always used the long version of it.