Running out of time to pic our girls name

[Bella1905]

We are due our little girl soon and still haven’t decided between the below. I have a preference but my husband isn’t sure. Which do you like best please? (I also like Olivia but know it is even more popular than the below).

Voted Matilda, but also like Phoebe and Beatrice.

I have dc with 3 of those names! The only one I don’t like is Phoebe. I would go for Beatrice.

Phoebe - like, don't like Phoebs
Clara - don't like at all
Eliza - not keen
Beatrice - like, safe
Poppy - like best, but not everybody likes it
Matilda - like but don't like Tilda, Tilly's a bit wet

I'd narrow it down to Phoebe, Poppy or Beatrice.

Voted Matilda, also like Eliza

Clara is my favourite- it would be my choice if I had another dd.

Phoebe, Eliza and Poppy are all lovely.

Beatrice and Matilda - the full names feel a bit formal / unfriendly to me and the shortenings feel too informal / childish for an adult. (I introduce myself multiple times per day to new people at work and I appreciate having a name that sounds friendly but not childish.)

Great names, all of them!

I voted for Poppy. Very cute name.

Try each one with the surname, to rule out any that don't sound good.

Olivia is lovely but it might not be popular where you are.

You don't need to pick a name until after she is born.

Phoebe Clara Matilda: all such lovely names, I'd give her all three!

Beatrice, Phoebe, Poppy and Matilda are v popular. I like Eliza best. I really don’t like Clara, sounds nasal and snobby to me!

I have a Clara, she's in her 30s now. She loves her name and I still love her name

Beatrice, although maybe have a think about ‘Beatrix’ which you don’t hear much and there probably won’t be many in school. I find the others a little twee but Clara at a push, too.

Eliza is the nicest. They're all fine except Beatrice and Poppy which I really don't like. Most Poppys I know have 4 legs and a tail.

Voted for Eliza but also like Beatrice.

I voted Phoebe but I also like Eliza. I’d go for the two together, Phoebe Eliza, or Phoebe Elizabeth.

FWIW, you’re not running out of time! You have 6 weeks after birth to register, and even then, you can change the name up to 1 year. So try not to overthink it at the moment. Wait until she is born and decide what she looks like or feels like.

Poppy is cute for a little kid but too childish for an adult imo. Imagine a judge called Poppy. I think Eliza is lovely for a child or an adult.

@ClairDeLaLune , Poppy would be fine for an adult, and OP's daughter is unlikely to be a judge. Judges' names vary.

Judges are on average over 50 years old, and the names of the current judges reflect that. Poppy wasn't a top 100 name until about 30 years ago.

That's a good shortlist. Try some combinations of them as first and second names with your surname to make sure no awkward acronyms turn up.

Then, when the baby arrives, you've got dome final choices to try on her.

My daughter didn't get a name til she was 5 days old - we didn't know gender and she was premature. We spend the time I was in labour generating an idea list, and the sleepless time when she wouldnt be put down after birth, refining it. When she got really sick and was admitted to NICU, I couldn't face the idea of her incubator just being labelled as "Baby Surname" so my husband chose from our list then and there. As I was peak baby blues I couldn't do anything but sob, so he just chose, and I nodded. I can't imagine her ever being called anything else.

Her name is on your list. They are all lovely choices.

Your baby will find a name one way or another, too.

There’s no hurry. I didn’t name DS till a few weeks after he was born - wanted to test my top choices on him “in person” for while before making the decision.

I voted for Clara as I think it’s simple and very pretty, but Beatrice came pretty close. Also don’t mind Matilda and I don’t hate Eliza (I just find those 2 sound harsher in comparison).

However my first choice would have been the beautiful, elegant sounding Olivia if that had been an option - and it’s far less popular than it used to be (there are no Olivia’s at DS primary). And Olivia actually stands out in a good way these days because so many of the younger girls seem to have short 2 syllable names that end in an “ee” or “ah” sound, that they can blend together a bit (yes, I’m aware of my hypocrisy as Clara follows this trend too 🤣). I’d avoid Phoebe and Poppy for this reason.

Olivia is lovely but it might not be popular where you are.

She’ll grow up to work with all of them though. From my experience of having an 80s name. I’m one of very many.

@IfHeWantedToHeWould , Yes, she probably will. It's the Sue of it's time.
At primary school, we had no Marks or Susans, but there have been several at most jobs I've had.
I don't think someone should not use it just because it's popular if they love it.

We have a Poppy and we've picked Eliza for baby number 2 due any day now 🩷

That's a really lovely list of names. You can't go wrong with any of them. See what she looks like, what matches with middle and last names and just pick what feels nicest to you.

I voted Matilda but I also like Beatrice.

I voted Matilda but also like Poppy and Eliza. Dislike Clara and not keen on Beatrice, but love the nickname Bea. I remember thinking I had a long time to choose my children’s names but both times picked before leaving the hospital as I didn’t want any pressure after leaving!

Edited to add that I also like Olivia and haven’t met any little ones with the name. Top names aren’t as common as they were 30+ years ago.

They're all lovely. Wait and see what she looks like when she turns up. Try a few out. Don't rush the decision!