Mumsnet Talk

I love the name Hermione, I think it both looks and sounds beautiful. The Harry Potter thing doesn't bother me at all as its not a negative association really. What I really want is to get a feel for what people think of the name and how it is perceived? Thanks in advance

I love it! It's just a beautiful name.

It's lovely, really pretty and classless.

It's quite pretty. I know a little girl called Hermione, she's just turned two, and she goes by Minnie or Mione, both of which are beautiful nicknames. I also know an adult called Hermione, so pre-Harry Potter. If I imagined a girl called Hermione, I'd imagine a quieter girl, quite pretty but not much more, it's a really classless and beautiful name. (Off that subject, I know a boy called Draco. Poor kid!)

Love it. Would use it if I have a dd next but dh Hates it. It beautiful

Love it, DD would have been Hermione but DP wasn't keen.

Funny, I completely disagree with posters above that it's 'classless'. To me, it's a posh name: I wouldn't have come across anyone of that name (except in books) until adulthood and so would have had no clue how to pronounce it. The Harry Potter connection has solved that issue, certainly, but 'classless' is about the last thing I'd describe it as. That aside, I do think it's quite a pretty name.

I agree with TheGirl, generally speaking this is a more upper than lower class type name, although HP might have changed that I guess . Personally I am not at all keen on Hermione, I just don't like the way it sounds, it's got a bit of a moany sort of tone in my mind. Not that that should influence you mind

I love it, I wanted Hermione but Dh was certain with his no due to Harry Potter connection

I used to love it before Harry Potter.

Now, not so much.

Love it, really pretty

I really like it.

I love it and considered it for DD but we're not posh enough to carry it off and it didn't go with the surname.

I love it because it's so pretty and substantial and in fact it was my name of choice until I found out I was having a boy. So I am always keen that other people use it because I couldn't!

I definitely agree that it isn't classless but that's no bad thing - I mean, nothing wrong with aspirations. I am not posh at all but my son has quite posh names - for eg when I was in hospital the cleaner came into the room and was all coo-ing over him and asked me what his name was. When I told her, she said "Ooh, he'll have a good job!"

I really like it! So pretty but strong!

Lovely, elegant name. Yes, it is posh but that is only a good thing imo .

Great name. Definitely elegant.
I think it was "posh" but has recently been popularised by Harry Potter.
Cool choice!

I love the name Hermione. Classic and underused. Is 'posh' negative in any way ? I seem to love 'posh' names!

I love it, I went to school with a Hermione and always adored her name.

I don't want to use it for my new DD though due to the HP association. Otherwise I think I would choose it.

I think it is posh in a good way!

I love it, and i loved it before Harry Potter. I never had a girl, but it was always high on my girls list.

I love it. What's wrong with posh? Better than chav!

My daughter's middle name is Hermione. I love it and it means "daughter of Helen" - that's me in case you didn't guess. It's a beautiful name but then I'm biased.

It is definitely not a classless name, in the UK at least. Perhaps the person who said that, meant to say timeless...?

It's a lovely, melodic name - I really like it.

When people insist that it is not a classless name, does this mean that people of, say, working classes can't use it ? I think Hermione is a beautiful name that would suit any girl or woman.

(but then I'm not British and really don't get this class obsession....)

I think they mean that it is highly associated with a particular class and that people may presume a child with that name comes from a particular background

But these associations change over time as names move 'down the ranks' and names that used to be 'posh' no longer are today -this is well explained in Freakonomics.

Personally I love the name Hermione and couldn't care less about 'class'.

I love Freakonomics!

I have a niece called Hermione. I love the name

I love it too. DS fell in love with a Hermione when they met, aged 2 and they are still very close. She is lovely and I plan to be a very good MIL to her in another 20 years or so!

"When people insist that it is not a classless name, does this mean that people of, say, working classes can't use it"

No, there are no laws.

Of course it would - or could - suit anyone. Anyone can - and should -use it. But names - like pretty much everything so many things in British society - are often inextricably associated with class. This is the point being made. Hermione has middle/upper middle class associations. It's not a classless name.

Once you know which supermarket a person shops in, which newspaper they read, where they buy their clothes, what accent they have, what sports the play/follow, what hobbies they indulge in, how they decorate their house, where they holiday - and this is before we even come down to their education, what they do for a living, and how much money/assets they have(!) - you get a pretty good idea of their class. Their name is just one small stand woven into a complex picture. Practically nothing in the UK is classless, when you think about it!

It is especially pronounced in the UK, but the US also has an ingrained class system, and even my small, Antipodean country is riddled with class indicators.

SomersetONeil, if I tell you that I shop both at LIDL (for all the basics) and Waitrose (for a few special treats), wear clothes from both Primark and Designer brands and my hobbies include reading and playing golf, my accent is a mixture of German/American/British (having lived in different countries) and that I went to University - what 'class' do I belong to . I really find this British obession with class fascinating!

Hermione is lovely - go for it !!!

The class issue in the UK gets even more interesting outside of England because not only are there posh names there are posh English sounding names. The two are by no means equally acceptable for some! <grins>

I love it,although its a shame it's been so popularised by HP...if that doesn't bother you,go for it!

Undoubtedly middle, sonniboo.

But wasn't Hermione the daughter of Helen and Meneleus? So Greek not English (although as upper class as it gets).

She was,but it's been in use since Shakespeare's time,she was a character in A Winters Tale.

Loads of "upper class/traditional" names are Greek in origin,but been used to long they no longer seem "foreign"

My car is called Hermione

It's a great name, I love it. Don't think my boys would have liked to be called it though!

Really posh name!

love it.
I have 3 boys though
I have suggested we have a fourth .... so we can try for a girl and call her herminone... I love it that much. DH was not impressed