Slightly 1970s, slightly upper crust suggestions

[rosiechristmas]

Hello

I am due in October, we don't know what we're having. We have a 4 year old Penelope and what I like about Penelope is the sort of 1970s Penelope Keith, Penelope Pitstop, Thelwell's Penelope, Penelope Mortimer vibe. (not the Kardashian connection which I was completely oblivious to until the midwife let me know at delivery!!)

I'm looking for a fairly classic name that has just a hint of upper crust, but not a Fenella or Araminta that would sound incongruous in most settings.

I like grown up names with cute nicknames.

Below are my current lists - a couple of these I can't get past DH so they are on the list more to show the style we are after.

We are planning not to name the babe until they are here and see what fits so looking for some more suggestions to add to the field from you clever ladies please!!!

On my list for girls is:

Susanna nn Suzie, Annie
Caroline nn Carrie
Jemima nn Mima
Josephine nn Josie

Boys:

Robin nn Bobby
Frances nn Fran
Jesse nn Jess (a bit of a wildcard this one I guess)

Thanks so much!

I like Joanna and thin that Joey would be a cute nickname. Also Cassandra because I like Cassie as a nickname.

Boys might be John, Hugh, David, James or with a slightly more Roman Catholic vibe, Benedict, Dominic, Augustine.

Eh, I probably did a bad job but here goes!

Portia. Pamela. Deborah. Barbara. Donna. Delia. Cynthia. Viola. Jocasta. Diane. Sandrine. Corinne. Christine. Kristina. Caroline. Francesca. Antonia. Melanie. Jacqueline. Valerie. Veronica. Patricia. Vanessa. Claudia. Cassandra. Angelica. Rebecca. Rosemary. Rosalind. Rosalie. Rosanna. Justina. Sarah. Bonnie. Gloria. Renée. Belinda. Constance. Virginia. Geraldine. Bernadine. Cornelia. Cordelia. Sabine. Helena. Georgiana. Coralie. Marjorie. Juliette. Eleonore. Alison. Angeline. Martha. Daphne. Yvette. Arielle. Ghislaine. Suzette. Dalia. Aline. Marielle. Delphine. Regina.

Harriet
Philippa
Doro (short for Dorothy)

Nicholas
Bill - this is my new love, DS has a Bill in his class and I really like it

Anthea
Flora
Francesca
Vanessa
Florence
Verity

Cressida?

Cassia. Kendra.

Arabella
Pollyanna
Stella
Esther
Kathryn
Imogen
Zara
Josephine
Victoria

Tarquin
Benedict
Sacha/Sasha
Sebastian
Gregory
Julius
Julian
Crispin
Rufus
Rupert

My friend Roberta was only ever nicknamed Robbie, not Bobby. Her friend Margarita we all called her Maggie/Mags.

So now you want adult 70s names?! How old?

My aunts who were teens then are called Louise and Marianne and had a cousin called Ruth. Other adults I know in that era were Joanna, Jodie, Josephine, Janet, Elizabeth. Men were Christopher, Jamie. Can’t think of any more.

A name I’ve never heard of in real life but is in one of Suzannah Dunn’s books is Ornella, nickname Nella.

Marina
Diana
Barbara
Delia
Celia/Cecelia
Margot
Joan
Rosamund
Annabel
Dorothea

70s friends of my DM had a Burmese cat called Jasper.

1970s you say...
Susannah (the H is important)
Daphne (Daphy)
Xanthe (Xanth)
Margaux (Marg, Mags)
Victoria (Vix)
Tamsin (Min)
Georgina (Georgie or George)
Louise (Lou)
Vanessa (Ness or Nessa)
Miranda
Diana (Di or Anna)
Zoë (Zo!)
Alexandra (Zandra or Alex)

Rupert (Roo)
Richard (Rich)
Sasha
Hugh or Hugo
Quentin (Q)
Alistair (Al)
Andrew (Drew)
Angus (Gus)
Jeremy (Jez)
Jasper (Jaz)
Anselm (Elms)
Howard (Howie)
Dominic (Dom)
Edward (Ed or Eddie)
Timothy (Tim)
Lindsay
Jonathan (Jonny)
Barnaby (Barney, Barn)

Marina is a terrific posh name.

My cousin (born in mid 80s) is called Rupert. Don’t inflict that name on a child.

Oliver, Olly is another sort of posh boy’s name.

Ooh love Valerie! Annabel and Margot both lovely too

My 70s friends were Elise, Anne, Sara, Camilla (Mills), Caroline (Caro) and lots of Jills.

The boys were Edward (Eddie), Charles, Richard, Julian (Jules), Marcus

How about Nanette? Or Trudy?

Susanna from your girl list.

Or

Jacqueline
Helen
Sarah

Nicholas
Andrew
Marcus

I beg you to reconsider Fenella!

My next favourites are Jemima and Susannah

For a boy, I don't know how 70s it is but I love Jonty short for Jonathan as a posh name.

The old English derivative or nn for Josephine is Posy...it would be super sweet with Penny.

Just read a Few Jilly cooper novels and take your pick. Agatha/Taggie or Flora for a girl, Cosmo or Rupert for a boy.

Ooh and Imogen!

Catriona
Rosalind
Davina
Sally
Elizabeth
Suzanne
Alexandra
Belinda

Philip
Roderick
Bruce
David
Timothy
Barry
Simon
Hamish

Nigella
Petronella