What names would you suggest if we like Matilda and Jemima?

[Fairytalebloom]

Hiya,
I was wondering if you could help us name our daughter who was born yesterday. Our two favourite names are Jemima and Matilda.
However, we lived in America for 5 years before moving back to the UK and have lots of friends over there and so I worry about the racist connotations of Jemima.
I also think Matilda is really popular and so that puts me off that one slightly!
Any other ideas are very welcome please!
Thank you x

Tabitha? You seem to have a bit of a Beatrix Potter theme here…

Tabitha
Imogen
Harriet
Adeline
Florence (although popular in UK)
Madeleine

Hamble

My first thought was also Tabitha - and I hadn’t made the Beatriz Potter connection!

Beatrix is also nice!

Jamima
Miranda
Philomena
Dorothea
Edwina
Marigold
Millicent
Camilla
Madeleine
Matilda

The association with Jemima Puddle Duck far out weighs anything negative.
Jemima and Jamima are feminine forms of James and James is still very popular - though I'm sure there must have been a bad James somewhere in history.

Victoria
Henrietta
Josephine
Emmeline

Congratulations, OP! I hope you and Baby Girl are recovering well!

I suggest:
Miranda
Verity
Francesca
Freja

Genevieve

I had no idea about the Jemima connotations and think it’s lovely. I know a lead violinist who is called Jemima followed by a single syllable surname and have always thought how beautiful the name was. But I completely understand your reservations.

I also love Matilda and only know of one. At
my grandchildren’s school there are no Matildas to my knowledge but again, I can see why you might be worried if you know of many.

Of the suggestions you’ve had I like Marigold, Florence and Emilia the most.

Margot

Rosanna
Juliet
Viola
Flora
Betsy
Marguerite

Mabel

I’ve got a Matilda and I’m a teacher - I think it is popular but she is the only one in her school and I have only ever taught one other Matilda in 10 years, so maybe they mostly tend to shorted to Tilly? I’ve taught a few Tillys. Matilda itself isn’t common in my experience.

I also love Margot

I like both your names and didn’t opt for Jemima for the same reason. I have a Miranda and in almost 29 years, haven’t met many others.

Arabella
Clarissa
Ophelia
Seraphina
Valentina

Kezia(h)
Cassia
Talitha
Eliza
Beatrice
Miriam
Susanna(h)
Cordelia
Marina
Julia
Marianne
Dinah
Emmeline
Louisa
Felicity
Helena
Vivienne
Rosalind
Flora
Juliet
Isadora
Josephine
Martha
Lucia
Jessamine
Philippa
Lydia
Rosanna
Theodora
Violet
Willa

I would go with Matilda despite the popularity

other suggestion I like for you are
Juliet
Rosanna
Violet
Helena
Felicity
Marina
Emmeline
Marigold

Tabitha was also the one that sprang to mind for me.

Mariah
Gemma
Mirabel
Rosemarie
Rosalind
Rosalie
Bethany
Priscilla
Leah
Trinity

Jerlaina
Larissa
Pandora
Sabrina
Vanessa

Just use the name you love? How can people object to it, seriously?

Felicity is the first thing that came to mind

Lucinda?

NB the Aunt Jemima brand in the US was retired in 2021 so won’t be familiar to your daughter’s generation. I really love Jemima.

Congratulations on the new arrival!