Help me narrow down some choices

[starcrossed.livejournal.com]

I have my final list of six per gender and need some help narrowing down some choices. Last name is a double L sound if that's relevant. I also come from a really big family (my mom has 40 cousins) so a lot of names are 'taken' (I don't want anyone to think I'm 'stealing' or 'encroaching' on their name.


My favorite name for a boy is George and for a girl it's Georgia. I'm likely to only have one child but if I had two I obviously won't be naming them George and Georgia! So I really need to pick just one.

George is pretty much a go as I have no-one else in my family called George, however my family think George is too stuffy/boring/old-fashioned (and what they think means a lot to me.) Plus, every middle name I can think of that goes with George definitely makes it sound stuffy (considering George Henry, George Tobias, George Harry and George Noah.)

We have two other Georgia's in my family, both of whom are tearaways/black sheep so I feel my immediate family would not approve by association. Considering the middle names Penelope, Charlotte, Gwendoline (my Nan's name) or Kaylee to go with this. Could I instead go for Georgina and could it be acceptable to shorten it to Georgia if I/we wanted to? I like Georgina paired with Violet, Phoebe, Grace or Hannah.

We have some fairly solid traditions in our family. Until the last generation the oldest boy from my Grandfather's family was named James but I have a cousin called this. I quite like James William (William was the name of two of my great-grandfathers) so I think this could work. I also like James paired with Edward, Mason and Ryan. For girls, a lot are named Selena but again, one of my cousins is called Selena. Also the oldest girl of the generation gets the middle name Rose but I don't want people to think I just picked Rose because it was a filler nickname.

Other names I like but they are 'taken' by friends and family are Jack (middle names Ethan or Miles,) Aidan (middle name Caleb,) Oliver (middle name Barnaby, Theodore, Nicholas, Frasier or Owen) and Thomas (I can't find a middle name I like yet.)

Names I like that I don't know anyone named are Eleanor (my family approve and say it's pretty! middle names Kate, Quinn, Scarlett, Mae or Lucy,) Poppy (unsure of middle name,) Amelia Abigail and Rosie Louisa.

Any and all opinions/comments/criticism very welcome!