Katie is expecting her second child -- gender unknown -- who will be a sibling for big brother Wilfred Arthur.
Katie writes: "We are looking for a wearable name that is not very common (we prefer to stay out of the top 100). We like names with some English heritage but that is not essential. We avoid nicknames as first names, surnames as first names, "fashionable" or new/made-up names. We like names that can be shortened but that's not essential. That said nicknames are quite important to us. Lydia is a name I'm put off because of the nickname Lyds, Clementine because of the nickname Clem/Clemmy (which sounds too close to clammy for us) and Henry is a name Husband likes but we don't want to use because of the likely nickname Henners.
Names that we like but cannot use: Frederick (because Wilf's name ends with Fred-we feel this is too close in sound, otherwise this would be our boy name), Pearl and Bruce.
Husband likes: Edward, Max, Rex, Astrid, Rose, Thea, Dora (I don't mind Rose and Thea but I really can't stand Dora and I'm not a fan of Astrid as I think it sounds harsh and I'm not sure what it would be shortened too).
I like: Ranulph (my absolute favourite), Auden, Odette, Ottilie, Freya, Belle, Imogen (Husband doesn't mind Auden as a middle name, thinks Freya has had its day and isn't a fan of the others).
Names we like but aren't 100% about: Oscar, Hector, Barnaby, Rose.
Had Wilf been a girl his name would have been Rose-Husband has always loved this more than me, hence us still considering other girls' names.
I think I'd describe my taste as traditional with an eclectic edge, whereas Husband's taste is traditional with a modern edge/Classic with a twist. I think we tend to veer towards quite feminine female names. We tend to steer away from names that evoke a strong religious or pop culture reference. We don't tend to like very long names."
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Ada – Sweet like Belle with the strong snappy vowel sounds of Thea and Dora. Its heyday in the late 19th century / early 20th century matches Wilfred's.
April – Feminine and quirky which is strong like Astrid but with a softer feel.
Athena – A beautiful and powerful goddess name that takes Thea to the next level.
Beatrice – A sweet princess name with a sweet nickname of Bea. Lots of parents choosing this name consciously adopt the honeybee as a childhood motif.
Edith – Like Wilfred, Edith is an Anglo-Saxon staple, revived by the Victorians, which has the lovely nickname Edie.
Elodie – Similar in style to Odette and Ottilie, Elodie is a chic French choice that can be shortened to Ella or Edie.
Emmeline – A versatile Victorian gem that is "feminine with a backbone".
Iona – A beautiful Scottish island name that came into use by the Victorians.
Mabel – From the Latin amabilis "lovable", Mabel was a medieval favourite which is now stylish again. Belle could be used as a nickname.
Olive – A softer alternative to Astrid with the O of Odette and Ottilie.
Opal – Another strong O name that is the name of a lovely gemstone, adopted by the Victorians.
Primrose – A lovely Rose name that lends itself to being a longer form for Rose. Prim, Posy, Rose or Rosie could all be used as nicknames.
Rosalie – Another beautiful elaboration of Rose that has the same cadence as Ottilie.
Sylvie / Sylvia – Both variants of the Ancient Roman name Silvia are chic and stylish but not too common.
Albert – Princely like Frederick but quirky like Oscar and Barnaby, Albert not only boasts a rich history but can also be shortened to either Albie or Bertie.
Bertram – Like Wilfred, Bertram is an early medieval name with a dithematic meaning. In Bertram's case, it means "bright raven".
Franklin – Another early medieval name, Franklin means "a free man" but has earlier connotations with the Franks whose name derives from "a lance".
Magnus – Half Max-half Hector, Magnus is a stately Roman name meaning "great, mighty, important." It has been used by royalty since the Middle Ages.
Myles / Miles – Miles was brought to Britain by the Normans -- their form of the Germanic Milo meaning "mild; good, generous" Miles is also the Latin for "soldier, knight".
Nathaniel – A Biblical name that has a laid-back style and cool nickname Nate.
Otto – The masculine equivalent to Ottilie and Odette that is as punchy as Rex.
Rafe – Similar in style to Rex, Rafe is great on its own, but could also be a short-form for Ranulph. Classic-with-a-twist Raphael is also a possible longer form.
Robin – A medieval version of classic Robert which is also linked to the sweet British bird. There is also a cool link between literary medieval hero Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe and medieval legend Robin Hood.
Sidney – Like Wilfred, Sidney's roots lie with the Anglo-Saxons. They are also both names that were revived and popularised by the Victorians giving both a vintage feel.
Theodore – As Thea and Edward are on your husband's list, I wonder whether Theodore would appeal. It has the same elegant style as Frederick and Edward and can also have Theo or Teddy as a nickname.
Tobias – A Biblical name that was used in the Middle Ages, developing the English form Toby.
Vincent – A Roman-heritage name meaning "winning", Vincent has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages and has the same adorable Old-man charm that Wilfred has.
I hope this has been of use. Best wishes for finding the perfect name.
UPDATE: Welcome, Beatrice Rose!
