Have been thinking about these . . . .

[tummytickler]

Girls

Ethel (Ettie/Etta)

Boys

Forrest
Vladimir

Not sure if we would use Forrest or Vladimir as ds's have Hebrew names and dh wants another Hebrew name (probably Shem).
Ethel we are thinking about more and more though (I have already posted about our other choices Hilda / Juniper / Jean etc), as our dd's both have not too popular old names so wouls fit. Might add it to the list.

Anyway - they are going round and round in my head - would love some opinions please!

Ethel- had a friend whos sis was Eyvette shortend to Ette...love love LOVED it! is so nice when shortand to ette so ethel would be the same

Dont like vladimir

Forrest is nice but you say your DD's have old names and depending on what they are i dont thing this would work

may i ask what your DD's names are?

I also prefer Shem. Haven't read your other thread but like Jean better than the others. Lovely and now underused.

I love Ethel, too. Don't like your other choices.

But Ethel's not Hebrew, is it? I think there are some fabulous names in the Bible, like Elijah, Nathaniel, Jonah, Joel, Noah, Eli
Dinah, Tamar, Abigail, Tabitha

Shem and Forrest are nice. Jean is OK

Definitely not Ethel - my grandmother was Ethel and absolutely hated it. She loathed it so much she insisted everybody called her Mrs xxx. Can't say I blame her.

Not the name for a baby. Sorry.

Ditto Hilda. My best friend's mum is Hilda and she hates it too. Some names shouldn't be resurrected.

Vladimir just made me think Vlad the Impaler.

None.

Jean is a great name though!

I would go with Esther instead of Ethel. You could possibly get away with Etta or Ettie as a nn. Vladimir and Forrest -- neither are Hebrew names. Shem would probably fit in much better with your other names.

No, Ethel is not Hebrew (nor Forrest or Vladimir!).

Other dc's are Amos, Eli, Pearl and Iris.
Not sure i like Esther, but dh loves Miriam, which works with the boys Hebrew names and the girls old names, but i prefer Ethel!

Miriam is really lovely, imo.

Ethel? No. It will be a baby not an 80 year old woman with a purple rinse.

How about Gretta/ Gretchen? Similar but far nicer.

Greta and Gretchen are versions of Margaret, which is a version of Pearl. I love both names, but I wouldn't choose them if I already had a Pearl.

Ethel is Ok, but does sound old-lady to me still, we knew a horrifying Ethel who used to smoke B&H and overcook boiled potatoes on the first floor of our non-separated flat conversion ...don't ask...she was about a hundred, full of attitude and bitter as feck.

Is that your only girls' name?

Vladimir sounds gorgeous spoken in a proper Russian accent but not in an English one...sorry

Forrest...dunno. hmm.

so, you don't know whatcha gonna get then.

TT just seeing your other names there, don't go for another E, it makes it a fight over the post iyswim..'it's for me!' 'No it's for me!'

Forrest- has anyone else said 'life is like a box a chocolates'/ 'run, forrest, run'.

I would pick Vladimir over Forrest (a distant third, imo), but I think Shem is the best of the boys' names. With a name that is foreign (I'm assuming you're not Russian here) and with all the other boys' names Hebrew, there's a chance people will wonder if little Vladimir was adopted from Russia and you decided to keep his given name.

lol at mathanxiety

Vladimir- you're trying too hard. People would snigger behind your back.

Forrest - Gump. Hope you don't live in Nottingham.

Ethel - just no. Ettie's alright but as short for Esther / Henrietta.

Miriam's lovely - I know several and all great and it 'goes' with most cultural backgrounds ( in UK ) too.

Jean - dowdy.

I think you dh is right, Miriam is very nice, and fits well. I second others misgivings abut the boys names, for the same reasons (especially Forrest). Ettie/Etta are quite nice, but I don't like Ethel. There are other names you could shorten that way (if I met an Etta I wouldn't imagine her given name was Ethel tbh).

OK - Vladimir is scrapped - i do like it, but not enough! It was a thought passing through!
I like Forrest still , would maybe use it for a mn, but we have family mn and no family Forrests!
Will have another think, it makes me feel uneasy only having one name on my list! (apart from Cedric - my list is Shem and Cedric, dh ignores it!).
Still loving Ethel - and dh loves it! It is going in my top 2!