Mary-Kate

[PaulaHollywood]

I know a lot of people will immediately think "and Ashley" but to be honest that doesn't really bother me. I don't think of the Olsen twins in any negative way and it's not like anyone of DD's generation will know who they are.

So what are some honest opinions? I have a feeling it won't be popular on here! But I've loved it since I was young and it's always sort of stuck in my head. My other 2 favourite names are Emilia and Emma, but part of me thinks that if I chose either of them it would deep down be because I was anxious of what people would think of Mary-Kate and not want the negativity from it.

[evaolli]

I think its really nice!

[icantgetnosleep5]

I really like Emma 😊
Tbh to me, mary-Kate seems like a name ud hear in the play boy mansion!
Especially with the hyphen. Mary as a stand alone name, to me, seems like a name tht would suit all ages much better

[GinIsIn]

I also think of 'The Waltons' - it's a bit "goodnight John-Boy"

[GinIsIn]

Emilia is lovely though

[Dinosaursdontgrowontrees]

Love the names Mary and Kate but not with the hyphen. First name Mary middle name Kate is lovely.

[Pemba]

Agree it is nice, but don't like hyphens. You can still say the whole name together without having to use a hyphen.

[BellesBelles]

I like it. Even with the hyphen.

[Footle]

Your daughter - you give her the name you love !

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

Lovely 😀

[Pluto30]

I think if Mary-Kate and Ashley were going to be forgotten, they would've been now. They're like Paris Hilton: not relevant, but not fading from peoples' memories either.

So, I don't like it. I like Mary with the middle name Kate, however.

[SpunkyMummy]

I prefer Mary Katherine or Mary Kate.

But it's your daughter, so, go for the name you love :)

[bankworker]

Really like t
Traditional sweet and unusual

[avocadosweet]

I like it.

[badtime]

I think people called Mary-Kate would traditionally have been called Mary Katherine/Catherine etc, but called the double name to differentiate them from all the other people called Mary (when it was a very popular name). Would you consider doing that, but call her Mary-Kate?

[eyebrowsonfleek]

Mary-Kate and Ashley movies are great for sleepovers for 8 ish year olds.

The Olsen connotation is not a problem. They were cute child actors and are now willowy fashion designers like Victoria Beckham. Not a negative vibe at all.

I think that the name is a great combination of unusual and classical. Only avoid if Ashley is a middle name or surname.Otherwise very classy.

[roseteapot101]

it could be worst my mother almost called my sister sister mary jane before she realised its a drug nickname .I think its fairly nice but here is the name meaning it means the child you wish for,rebellion and bitter the name kate means to be pure

[TrumpsFluffyHair]

It's very American Catholic.

[Sophronia]

I like it, but I'd use it without the hyphen, or short for Mary Katherine

[Jojo13]

I massively don't like hyphenated names, so not a fan. Love the name Mary on its own though.
I wouldn't have given the Olsen twins a thought to be honest though which is I think your main reason for asking..

[devilinmyshoes]

I've grown to love compound names (like Marie-Claire, Annalisa, Rosangela) maybe because I have one. They offer a bit of versatility at least!

[Oysterbabe]

Mary is nice. Can't stand hyphenated first names.

[PaulaHollywood]

thanks everyone
I'm not usually keen on hyphenated names either. I just worry that if I don't use the hyphen, people will just assume she is Mary. I went to school with a Laura May which was her full first name. When she first joined that is how she introduced herself but since there was no hyphen a lot of people seemed to forget and teachers etc would see her name and assume she was "just" Laura. Since she was new I think she was too shy to keep correcting people. So at school she was always Laura. It wasn't until I was invited to her house one day that I realised that Laura May was actually her full first name!

Some hyphen names don't seem to bother me as much. I know two ladies called Anna-Lisa and I've never really given the hyphen a second though. To be blunt (and sorry if it offends anyone), it's the -Rose, -Mae, -Grace that I'm not keen on.. I think Mary-Kate has a slightly different feel to those names but I'm sure that's my own personal bias.

I definitely have to think about it a bit more! Thanks for all the input :)

[TheCatsBiscuits]

Mary-Kate Danaher is a character in John Ford's film, The Quiet Man, played by Maureen O'Hara - feisty and beautiful! It was my granda's favourite film, and Mary-Kate was on my list for a girl.

[devilinmyshoes]

It's a great name! The French seem to cope just fine with hyphenated names. Like your friend Laura I ended being known by the first part only, even though mine are squished together but that's fine because the whole thing has about a million syllables unlike Mary-Kate which is lovely.