[TheGruffalo]

We're naming baby no. 3, a girl after two boys, and, as usual, we're not finding much common ground.

Middle name will most likely be Elizabeth or May (family names) and it all needs to work with a long surname. Our boys have classic, strong, reasonably old fashioned names that I LOVE because they are not uncommon or hard to spell, but they aren't top ten popular either. They also have the option of great nicknames.

Currently suggestions (a combo of DH's and mine) include:

Lucy
Hannah
Amelia (Milly)
Juliet (DH's favourite - but I"m not keen on the possible nicknames)
Isabel (DH's next favourite, but possibly a bit too popular for my liking, plus I'm not mad about Izzy)

To give you an idea, DH has recently rejected heaps of names that I love, eg, Adelaide, Beatrice, Jemima, Clementine for various reasons (too old fashioned, too "play school", too crazy (Clementine), etc). He is Hard Work, my DH!

Is Lucy really common these days? Amelia...top ten? Or can you suggest new names in a similar style that I could add to the list?

[~THE~MAGICIAN~]

I love 4/5 of those. Any form of Isobel/Isabella I don't like. It's my middle name and I hate it.

I don't know any Lucy's or Amelias but both fantastic names.

Juliet is my most favourite from there!

I don't like any from the list you DH boo'd

I also love:

Felicity
Estelle
Celeste
Annabel
Ruby
Zara

[Magnus]

Amelia is nice. It is really common, though, and I think it is the top name this year in some states.

Lucy and Hannah are both in the top 100 (I think, for NSW) but I don't think they're in the top 20. I think these are both great classic names. They're both pretty, but not frilly or over-the-top (although I can like a frilly name as well as the next person).

[jezebeljoygirl]

I also vote for Celeste!
Lucinda
Gemma
Clarissa
Harriet

This post has been edited by jezebeljoygirl: 31/01/2013, 10:18 PM

[becstar101]

I think Amelia is becoming quite popular, and Hannah and Lucy are on their way up, too. Juliet is lovely, but i don't like jules as nickname. I know far too many Isabelle/Isabellas to suggest naming another one!

I think I have similar tastes, and other names I love and considered are:

Alice
Josephine
Cassandra
Clara
Miranda
Katherine
Edwina
Eliza
Edith
Maeve
Mabel

Good luck!

This post has been edited by becstar101: 31/01/2013, 10:25 PM

[antigone_]

I can never go past Juliet - it's the standout for me. I have never known Juliet to be shortened.

[TheGruffalo]

Pretty but not too frilly is perfect! Am going to keep pushing those two with DH. I also loved Lucia (with Lucy as nn) but worried it might be perceived to be a bit, erm, poncy?

Celeste is really lovely...but I strongly suspect DH won't be keen. Love Harriet but as I wanted one of our boys to be Henry, nn Harry, I want to steer clear of this for our little girl.

[chickendrumstick]

I love Juliet and I think it is the sort of name that you can avoid nicknames altogether with.

[Pooks*potters]

Firstly, I love these names.

Secondly, Hannah Elizabeth is and I am a little off Amelia purely for popularity reasons, but depending where you are it might not be common at all. Amelia Elizabeth has a ring to it.

Since your boys have classic, strong names I would probably go Hannah.

I find it strange when you hear "Fred, Richard, Frank and Seraphina Isadorabella" IYKWIM

[TheGruffalo]

Becstar, we have very similar taste, some lovely names there. I adore Alice, but it's another one DH rejected as being too "old". Seriously. I'm going to try him out on Maeve though, gorgeous name.

Would love to use Josephine but can't as it's already in use in the family.

Must admit I've come around to liking Juliet a lot, but in my circle of family and friends nicknames are common and I really don't know that I could bear to see such a pretty name shorted to Jules.