Help me whittle down my shortlist...

[BettyButterknife]

DC2 is due in July, and my list at the moment looks like this:

Girls:
Decca
Clover
Edie
Nina
Betty/Betsy
Maude
Clementine
Mirabelle
Peggy
Dot
D olly/Dorothy

Boys:
Hector
Ted
Wilfred
Percy
Rex
Ernest
Frank
Laurie

What lovely names

Girls:
Decca - is that short for something? If so, I'd use the long name
Clover - the cow
Edie - lovely but would have Edith and Edie for short
Nina - v good name
Betty/Betsy - love it but would use Elizabeth
Maude - love it
Clementine - love this name but can't get Phlegmy Clemmie out of my head. Or Clammy
Mirabelle - nice but a bit bovine
Peggy - nice but would use Margaret
Dot,Dolly/Dorothy - lovely but would use Dorothy with the others for short

Boys:
Hector - great name
Ted - lovely but would use Edward
Wilfred - brilliant name
Percy - this is the name we never used and I absolutely love it
Rex - bit canine
Ernest - great name
Frank - great but would use Francis
Laurie - great, esp the Little Women link, but would use Lawrence

Intersting list!

Decca - Think I've heard this was Jessica Mitford's nickname? I would rather have Jessica to fall back on, not keen on Decca.
Clover - A bit bovine... though it reminds me of the What Katy Did books. I would only use it as middle name.
Edie - I like it short for Edith, which I find really pretty.
Nina - Can take it or leave it
Betty/Betsy - I really love these, but I'm not at all keen on putting nicknames on the birth cert., so I would have them officially short for Elizabeth/Elisabeth.
Maude - Doesn't do it for me
Clementine - Has a bit of a trendy London feel to it iyswim? And Clemmy is not a nice nickanme imho.
Mirabelle - Too frilly for me
Peggy - Mitchell. (and again with me not liking nicknames as official names)
Dot - Cotton (can you tell I watch too much EastEnders)?
Dolly/Dorothy - I love the idea of Dolly short for Dorothy! V. old-fashioned and cute! The only thing stopping me from doing it is that I can't quite make myself love Dorothy, but if you like it then more power to you!

Boys:
Hector - Dislike... makes me imagine a "hectoring" person.
Ted - Love it (and Ned) short for something else.. Edward, Edmund, Theodore?
Wilfred - Quite like it (as long as not called Wilf!)
Percy - Not a fan... sounds a bit drippy. My grandad changd his name from this as soon as he could.
Rex - agree with Rolf that it's a bit canine
Ernest - can take or leave, def has that Victorian/Edwardian feel you seem to like!
Frank - Nice and solid, I like it.
Laurie - Love it, esp. short for Lawrence.

Love:
Decca
DD is Nina and I adore it (and everyone comments on what a lovely name)
Betty (if proper name Elizabeth)
Clementine
Dolly

Love
Ted (though for me it would have to be Edward), and think Eddie is the best boy's name ever
Frank (Francis)
Laurie

Maude and Ted are my favourites but I do like them all.

Ooh, I love Margot and hadn't thought of Peg/Peggy as a nn for that.

I dislike Clem as a nn for Clementine, so would go for Cleo.

Yes - Decca was Jessica Mitford's nn. My favourite Mitford by far...

Decca
Clover DISLIKE
Edie OLD GRANNY
Nina DISLIKE
Betty/Betsy DISLIKE BETTY, BETSY OK
Maude DISLIKE
Clementine DISLIKE
Mirabelle DISLIKE
Peggy REALLY DISLIKE
Dot DISLIKE
D olly/Dorothy REALLY DISLIKE

Hector DISLIKE
Ted LIKE
Wilfred DISLIKE
Percy DISLIKE
Rex DISLIKE
Ernest DISLIKE
Frank DISLIKE
Laurie DISLIKE

Decca
Girls:
Decca - don't like this
Clover - OK, but not my choice
Edie - I like this a a nn t Edith, but not as a name on its own
Nina - not keen, too harsh
Betty/Betsy - I prefer Elisabeth
Maude - quite nice
Clementine - ok
Mirabelle - don't like
Peggy - no, really don't like this. Margaret in full is nicer
Dot - this is a nn not a ull name
Dolly - nn only; don't like and liable to teasing in primary school
Dorothy - don't like

Boys:
Hector - don't like
Ted - I prefer the full name Edward, and prefer Ned as nn
Wilfred - love Fred, but not Wilfred
Percy - no
Rex - no
Ernest - no
Frank - no
Laurie - passable, but seems a bit of a weak name

I love your names! These are the sort of names we're agonising over for our DD due in seven weeks! We already have a Maisie and want a similar kind of thig to go with it.

I particularly like:

Decca
Betsy
Clementine
Dolly

Rex

Well done on such a lovely list!

MLM

Decca -- nice (short for Jessica? cf. Mitford sisters)
Clover -- too bovine
Edie -- ok
Nina -- very nice but she would need to be slim and graceful
Betty/Betsy -- very nice
Maude -- ok
Clementine -- lovely
Mirabelle -- lovely (prefer Mirabel spelling)
Peggy -- nice as nn for Margaret
Dot -- no (this is usually a nn for Dorothy)
D olly/Dorothy -- no, prefer Theodora

Hector -- like
Ted -- like (as short for Theodore? Edward?)
Wilfred -- no
Percy -- no
Rex -- ok
Ernest -- no
Frank -- no
Laurie --no

Why not Marge?

Percy will ensure a good kicking.

Decca -- Love this
Clover -- No agree re bovine comment
Edie -- Lovely
Nina -- OK
Betty/Betsy -- Nice but fairly popular
Maude -- Lovely
Clementine -- Nice
Mirabelle -- OK
Peggy -- Lovely
Dot -- Lovely
Dolly/Dorothy -- Lovely

Hector -- Lovely
Ted -- Nice but very popular here
Wilfred -- Lovely
Percy -- Not so much. Reminds of the David Hockney pic
Rex -- Love this
Ernest -- Not so much
Frank -- Nice
Laurie --Like this

Hector for certain for boys - I love it but dh vetoed (we also had girls)

None of the girls grab me but would like some of them as nicknames (betsy, decca, dolly)

Girls:
Decca Love it love it love it.
Clover not my thing
Edie Love it
Nina not keen
Betty/Betsy Love it
Maude not for me
Clementine not for me
Mirabelle not for me
Peggy like it
Dot like it
Dolly/Dorothy like them

Boys:
Hector not my thing
Ted not for me
Wilfred not for me
Percy not for me
Rex My least favourite
Ernest no again sorry
Frank like it
Laurie Love it

It's a very now list, isn't it? Lots of recently unfashionable names which are returning to the fold.

Girls:
Decca- record company, quite cool I guess
Clover- quite like but wouldn't be brave enough due to cow connotations
Edie- ok. One of those names that seemed to come into fashion strongly a few years ago
Nina- I like it. Has some good namesakes like Nina Simone and Nina Bawden
Betty/Betsy- an Edie name of the moment
Maude- really not keen
Clementine- too formal for me
Mirabelle- no
Peggy- yes, ok, I guess
Dot- sweet
Dolly/Dorothy- quite like

Boys:
Hector- strong
Ted- no
Wilfred- not keen personally but all the little Wilfs I know are really lovely children
Percy- oh dear
Rex- oh dear dear
Ernest- no
Frank- not bad
Laurie- sweet

decca?
Clover - I like this.
Edie - trendy but nice.
Nina - love this one, beauiful
Betsy - ok, bit too old lady for me
Maude - jayzuss no
Clementine, bit poker up the arse for my taste
Mirabelle, - i like it. I shouldn't because it's quite saccharine or something but I do like it.
Peggy. eurhg
Dot - no but I like Lottie
Dolly/Dorothy - like Thea and Polly but not Dolly/Dorothy

Hector- like it. the boy's Edie. I'd go for Victor
Ted - ok, as a nn for Edward, you can't go wrong
Wilfred. no.
Percy - no
Rex - i love this one! latin for King. I love it.
Ernest - no really creepy
Frank - I like it!
Laurie - also like this one.

my faves are Nina, Edie or Mirabelle
or Hector, Rex, Frank and Laurie

Keep:

Clover
Nina
Maude
Clementine
Mirabelle
Dorothy

Hector
Wilfred
Ernest
Frank

Girls:
Decca - record label
Clover - the cow
Edie - too old ladyish
Nina - lovely, french
Betty/Betsy - would use Elizabeth and nn Betty
Maude - too old ladyish
Clementine - like it but reminds me of the song too much
Mirabelle - not keen, sounds a bit Disney princess
Peggy - Noooo
Dot,Dolly/Dorothy - would use Dorothy, very sweet

Boys:
Hector - farmer
Ted - would use Edward
Wilfred - old man
Percy - posh but sweet
Rex - dog's name or T-Rex
Ernest - LOVE this
Frank - nice, Frankie for when little, proper mans name for an adult. Good all-rounder.
Laurie - very nice.

Decca - could be a nn, but not a real name
Clover - NO
Edie - great
Nina - great, classy
Betty etc - Elizabeth, with nn of your choice - excellent choice
Maude - NO
clementine - nice, not my fave
Mirabelle - sounds like a sanitary towel
Peggy - no, BUT - MARGARET, nn Peggy, Maggie - excellent
DDorothy - no

Hector - depends where you live whether you could get away with it
Ted - Edward nn Ted
Wilfred - like it
Percy - posh and a bit "weak"
Rex - no - dog
Ernest - like it
Frank - nn Frankie - my favourite
Laurie - Laurence nn Laurie - nice

Decca - the record co
Clover - Daisy is a 'cow' name too and very popular. Why not this?
Edie - yes
Nina - dated and old fashioned. I know two in their late 30s
Betty/Betsy - Betty on its own is ok
Maude - maudlin or mould
Clementine - yes on my list too, underused
Mirabelle - Cartoon elephant, Mirabelle plums and poncy. No.
Peggy - yes
Dot,Dolly/Dorothy - I like them all. Dorothy for me

Boys:
Hector - something you do not a name
Ted - Edward
Wilfred - old old name. I can't stand wilf either
Percy - slang for the male member
Rex - ok Tyrannosaurus
Ernest - no
Frank - yes, ok
Laurie - girly on its own, Laurence