[name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I can’t decide if we like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] or [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]…we love both names. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are family names (one from each side). [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] definitely wins in the nickname department, but [name_f]Helen[/name_f] alone is so lovely sounding to me. I don’t want to give our daughter an “old lady” name, but I also want to give her a strong classic name that isn’t the usual dime-a-dozen [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. Thoughts?
I would go with [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f]. Like you said, [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has many nicknames and even though it’s a classic, it doesn’t sound too old because of the nickname. I think [name_f]Helen[/name_f] sounds like more of an old lady name but goes great as a middle name and still pays homage to your relative.
Agree! [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] is beautiful 
I’d go for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f].
[name_f]May[/name_f] I ask which [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] nickname you intend to use? I personally love [name_f]Maisie[/name_f].
We like [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] as a nickname.
And I’m going to say [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. I adore [name_f]Helen[/name_f], it’s strong yet elegant and so rare nowadays. I like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and I agree that it has lots of nicknames to choose from, but [name_f]Helen[/name_f] is such a lovely name. Plus, I can totally see [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]/[name_u]Lennie[/name_u] as a nn.
[name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] [name_f]Helena[/name_f] or [name_f]Helena[/name_f] [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] are both nice, and somewhat less grandmotherly.
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]! I don’t think [name_f]Helen[/name_f] is ready yet. It still sounds like a middle-aged-to-older woman to me. [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] is adorable and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a classic.
Definitely [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]!
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Helen[/name_f] has such a lovely flow and I love [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] so much, so that would be my choice Have you read/seen Howards End? When I saw your thread I couldn’t help thinking of it because the Schlegel sisters are called [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Helen[/name_f] (played by [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_m]Thompson[/name_m] and [name_f]Helena[/name_f] Bonham [name_u]Carter[/name_u], respectively, in the film).
Personaly I prefer [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f].
I adore the name [name_f]Helen[/name_f]. [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is gorgeous.