Discovered we're having a girl, need help with first lists.

[pomandergranite]

I'd really appreciate your comments on our list. We're keeping the name secret from friends and family so need to know:

1. what people will (genuinely) think when they hear the name
2. How popular. We want something fairly unusual
3. If it is trendy and may date

Bit of a mix here, some are mine and some are my husbands:

Monica
Meredith
Hester
Annabel
Cecilia
Dora
Celeste
Theresa
Octavia
Elinor
Ca ssia
Magdelena
Calypso (I know this one is risky but thought I'd include)

Monica - not keen
Meredith - quite like it
Hester - horrible
Annabel - ok
Cecilia - ok
Dora - ok
Celeste - not keen
Theresa - ok
Octavia - ok
Elinor - needs to be spelt properly & then quite nice
Ca ssia - like it
Magdelena - sweet
Calypso - a big no no

Star rating

Monica - **
Meredith -
Hester - **
Annabel - **
Cecilia - **
Dora -
Celeste -
Theresa - **
Octavia -
Elinor - **
Ca ssia - **
Magdelena - *
Calypso -

Will try again.
Star rating

Monica - * *
Meredith - * * *
Hester - * * * * *
Annabel - * *
Cecilia - * *
Dora - * * *
Celeste - * * *
Theresa - * *
Octavia - * * * *
Elinor - * * * * *
Ca ssia - * *
Magdelena - * * * *
Calypso -

Monica- no....
Meredith- definetely NO
Hester- isn't that a boys name?
Annabel- tis o.k. I suppose
Cecilia- quite like that one
Dora - teh Explorer...nonono
Celeste- lovely pretty
Theresa- lovely
Octavia- not sure
Elinor- totally love this one
Ca ssia- not so keen, would it be pronounced Cas-sia or Cashia?
Magdelena- absolutely love this one, and my total fAVOURITE FROM your list
Calypso - a definete NONONONONONONONONONO

by the way isn't Elinor correctly spelled, RC? I mean I know you could also use the name Eleanor....but I thought Elinor was a prefectly ordinary spelling, no?

by the way isn't Elinor correctly spelled, RC? I mean I know you could also use the name Eleanor....but I thought Elinor was a prefectly ordinary spelling, no?

Monica - ok, cool for a woman but I can't imagine a baby Monica iyswim.
Meredith - ok, prefer Miriam
Hester - prefer Esther but Hester is fine too
Annabel - ok, a bit twee imo, esp once you realise that it's the name of a baby doll.
Cecilia - a bit of a mouthful for me, I worry how a lisping child would pronounce it "Thethelia"?
Dora - the Explorer is the first thing I think of.
Celeste - lovely
Theresa - not keen, seems dated without yet being cool iyswim
Octavia - lovely
Elinor - very classic
Cassia - I really like this
Magdelena - I love it, would you call her Magda as a nn?
Calypso - a bit silly for me.

I like Hester, Celeste, Octavia, Elinor and Cassia best on your list. (We nearly used Cassia for dd2)

Great list!

Monica - quite a hard sort of name. Not keen.
Meredith - don't like it at all. Wet, hippy-ish.
Hester - Dreadful.
Annabel - twee, but quite cute.
Cecilia - love this name. Classic, classy, feminine.
Dora - the Explorer. No.
Celeste - nice, understated, pretty.
Theresa - has very very Catholic associations for me. Old Irish aunties are called Theresa in my world. But maybe it's due for a comeback?
Octavia - poncey
Elinor - Prefer the spelling Eleanor. OK.
Cassia - very nice
Magdelena - I like this one, too. It's quite quirky.
Calypso - you are hormonal and clearly not thinking straight

Monica - makes me think of Friends
Meredith - quite nice with Merry for nn
Hester - prefer Esther personally
Annabel - like this but think it is gaining popularity isn't it?
Cecilia - umm quite like it
Dora - the explorer, no that is unkind
Celeste - wasn't BarBar's wife called Celeste?
Theresa - OK but a bit 70s to me
Octavia - not for me
Elinor - very nice and yes you can spell it this way
Ca ssia - maakes me think of Casio calculators!
Magdelena - not sure how you would say this
Calypso - er no

Magdalena without a doubt the best name from your list. Also like Cecilia, Celeste, Octavia and Hester. How about Clemency or Leonora?? All gorgeous names - neither made up, new or strange. A refreshing change from the usual top choices of Emily, Charlotte and Sophie.

OK, my initial reactions to your names (nb. these change like the wind )

Monica - Friends. Don't like this. Very serious and can't imagine a baby Monica.

Meredith - Love it. Fantastic for a grown woman and Merry/Meri is sooooooo cute for a littlie. Strong and feminie.

Hester - Not keen. But somehow I really like Esther, which basically sounds the same, so I'm not sure how I reach that conclusion.

Annabel - Very pretty. I know a couple of Annabels now though, which may suggest that it's popularity is increasing?

Cecilia - OK. No real thought either way.

Dora - The explorer. Not keen.

Celeste - Not keen.

Theresa - I don't like this, but I do love Tess.

Octavia - I would assume probably very wrongly that it's an eighth child.

Elinor - OK

Cassia - Very pretty. Cassie gorgeous too.

Magdelena - Love this!! And the nn Maggie

Calypso - Who?

Monica - will always be neurotic from friends to me now

Meredith - nice, nn Merry for wee one pretty

Hester - ok

Annabel - ok

Cecilia - absolutely LOVELY spelt Cecelia and nn Cece

Dora - the Explorer, no

Celeste - beautiful

Theresa - MIL so not keen love Tess though

Octavia - a Skoda car nowadays

Elinor - spelt Eleanor is ok

Cassia - lovely

Magdelena - ok

Calypso - not to my taste

Cecelia, Cassia or Celeste for me

congrats on your wee girl, I have 3 and they're fab

Monica love it, was thinking of having it
Meredith no very old fashioned
Hester again no
Annabel yes but she will either be called ana or bell
Cecilia ok
Dora explorer will have the mickey at school
Celeste ok
Theresa ok but will be called terry which i don't like
Octavia no
Elinor ok
Ca ssia ok
Magdelena ok
Calypso (I know this one is risky but thought I'd include) unusual but its a name of a lolly!!!

Like Celeste best, then Merdeith
Elinor pretty but prefer other spellings (Elena, Eleanor)
How about Esther as it's close to Hester (once knew a nasty little Hester at school so put me off the name I guess!)

Monica DISLIKE
Meredith DISLIKE
Hester DISLIKE
Annabel LIKE IT
Cecilia DISLIKE
Dora DISLIKE
Celeste QUITE LIKE
Theresa DISLIKE
Octavia DISLIKE
Elinor OK
Ca ssiaOK
Magdelena DISLIKE
Calypso DISLIKE

I love your chosen spelling of Elinor, very Jane Austen!

Also love Magdelena. I like Hester, I know a (grown up) Hester and she is lovely, so I am biased!

Here are my impressions

Monica - no
Meredith - ok
Hester - no, much prefer Esther
Annabel - pretty, and I like the nickname Bella
Cecilia - no
Dora - no
Celeste - not keen
Theresa - no, rather dated
Octavia - I secretly love this
Elinor - yes, I quite like this
Cassia - prefer Cassandra
Magdelena - no
Calypso (I know this one is risky but thought I'd include) - no way.

Along similar lines how about Tamsin, Imogen, Susannah, Claudia or Evelyn?

LURVE Meredith

Also Tamsin, Rhiannon, Meryl and Rosanne