Please help with our final choices!

[CamboMambo]

DH likes: Charlotte, but I think it's too popular now and I don't like Charlie or Lottie as nn.
I like Tabitha, he's not keen.
We both like Magdalene and Maggie as nn.

We already have an Elizabeth (Lizzie)

What do you think?
Have you got any great alternatives?
We both want something strong and classic without being boring or common as...

Charlotte - every other girl seems to be called Charlotte these days.
Tabitha makes me think of Tabitha Twitchett
Is Magdalene a name on its own? It's quite pretty though.

Magdalene, definitely , cool and different but not silly.

I really don't think that you should pick Charlotte if you don't like Lottie or Charlie.

Not fussed on Tabitha.

Matilda - Mattie/Tilly/Tilda
Beatrice or Beatrix - Bea or Trixie
Cecelia - Cece
Clementine - Clem
Celeste - Cele
Evangeline - Eve/Eva/Evie
Avalon - Ava
Isabella - Isa/Issy/Ella/Bella/Elle/Belle
Alexandra - Alex/Lexie/Alexa/Sascha

Penelope - Penny/Nell
Helena - Lena/Nell
Josephine - Josie
Louisa - Lois
Florence - florrie
Harriet - Harry
Georgina - Georgie/Gina/Nina
Phillipa - Pip
Piper - Pip

Nicole - Nico/Coco
Constance - Connie/Nancy
Camilla- Cam/Millie/Milla
Camille - as above
Claudia
Catherine/Katherine - Kate/Katie/Kitty

mmm Tabitha does sound like a cat.

If you have an Elizabeth I would go for something complementary, probably royal eg Victoria, Mary, Catherine etc

Susannah?

I don't quite understand - or share - the assumption on MN that every name must and will be shortened. Every Charlotte I know (quite a few around here) is called just that - never Lottie or Charlie. If you want to name your dd Charlotte to be known as Charlotte then you can.

I've always been called by my full name, even though it can be shortened, and I know Amandas who've always been known as Amanda, Louises who've always been known as Louise and so on. I think the days when everyone just assumed that a Susan would be known as Sue (and so on) are over. You can choose what nn to give your dc but, equally, you can make it clear to friends and family that you don't want the name abbreviated, if that's your choice.

Some lovely names suggested above, but go with whatever you like best.

was just trying to give her classic names that had available shortened versions in a similar theme to her dd1

Yes of course. You suggested some lovely names. I want to rename myself Penelope.

All I was trying to say - and I wasn't just thinking of this thread - is that people seem to assume that if you name your child (say) Frederick, all and sundry will automatically call him Fred or Freddie. I don't think they will. If you introduce your child as Frederick and always call him that, so will other people (except maybe for the congenitally tactless). So I think it would be possible to avoid Lottie and Charlie, for anyone who likes the name Charlotte but dislikes its abbreviations.

Now feel in case anyone thinks I'm having a pop at them.

I love the term congenitally tactless - we had one of those at work who managed to pick our most hated versions of our names all the time! she lengthened my name to Annie (which I loathe, sorry to any out there, overtones of blardy musicals), shortened our Philip to Phil (he hated it), called my boss Katie (ditto) and her son CHristopher - need I go on?

The only Charlottes I know weren't shortened.

What about Madeleine as an alternative?

I used to like the name Charlotte as well but I agree that it is quite popular now. I think the name Maggie is lovely how about Martha or Grace. It is hard trying to think of a name these days my daughter is Kate which is quite traditional, I was a bit worried at first that it sounded to old fashioned but I love it. Good luck

i think they are all wrong.( in the op)

I like Charlotte, it doesn't matter if it is popular. It is better to have one you know is going to be popular than to have one where you think you are being different like Lily, Ivy, Ruby, Kitty etc and then find it is madly popular.
Maggie is nice but are you having Margaret as the full name.
I don't like the other two.

Maggie still has only Thatcher connotations for me, I'm afraid. Like Madeleine, though.

I like Charlotte best.

MAgdalene is rather nice I think

Love Magdalene - could also be shortened to Magda.

Quite like Charlotte - though I prefer Lottie.

Don't like Tabitha, sorry.

Like the sounds of all those names - so not a lot of help there narrowing down the choice! I hadn't heard of Magdalene as a name in its own right, but there is nothing new to using last names as first names. Prepare yourself for the comments about Mary Magdalene being a prostitute. Albeit, she did reform and was BF with Jesus, so if he didn't have a problem with it nor should they!

Thanks Everyone for your comments- all have been very helpful. And great alternatives too.

Doozie- LOL at BF Jesus comment- I have a cousin called Jesus but he is Spanish, it's a very normal name there!

Magdalene is the old-fashioned English spelling of Madeleine (French). I think there are different spellings throughout Europe. And I think we'll go for this one .

I didn't know that (old English!). You learn something new every day! I love it! Good choice!!

To digress, your cousin Jesus reminded me of a young, Aussie nun who taught me music and who swore like a trooper (she gave up her wealth, remained a virgin, dedicated her life to others but to ask her to stop swearing was too much). She told our class she once taught a kid called Jesus in South America where it is also a very common name. This Jesus was a naughty and disruptive little boy. So every five seconds it was Jesus would you &%$#$ shut up, no one is interested in what you have to say. You're not &%*&% special Jesus! All while teaching religion!!

Maggie I like a lot

naughty nun!
I bet she could drink me under the table

But Magdalene College is pronounced 'maudlin'.

And Joni Mitchell pronounces it Mag-da-lana in the song Magdalene Laundries.

Anyway, don't like Charlotte but Tabitha is nice.

Madbad....

yes, but what happens when the op's daughter decides that she wants to be called Charlie???

We didn't think of that when we named our Eldest (Eloise). She sometimes goes through phases of wanting to be called Ellie (which I hate) but its her name so I can't tell people not to call her that, if that's what she wants to be called.

It was for that exact reason that we decided against Charlotte for DD2 ourselves. Love Charlotte but hate Charlie and couldn't face my DD turning round one day and declaring that she would be called Charlie and there would be nothing that I could do about it...

... which would serve me right because my mum doesn't like the pet name that I go by either!