Diana for a girl.

[sallyareme]

What's your opinions on Diana?

[Verypissedoffwife]

I think it's quite old fashioned but I like it.

[DickDewy]

I think it is still a reminder of Princess Di - never a good thing imo.

[Verypissedoffwife]

Yes I did immediately think of Princess Di too

[MyNewBearTotoro]

The nickname 'Di' is (uni) horrific and makes me think of the Princess.

The full name Diana is nice enough but I can only think of the song, 'Dirty Diana.' Although the MJ reference may be long out of date by the time your DD is old enough for it to be an issue.

[jeee]

I think the 'for a girl' in the title is a tad redundant. If it had read 'Diana for a boy', otoh....

I'm with the previous posters - I'd automatically think of Princess Di. But if you can get past that, it's actually a nice name.

[scatterthenuns]

I love it as a name, but wouldn't use it because of Princess Di. It is near impossible for people to separate.

[reuset]

Republican here, wouldn't touch it with a barge pole 'Di' is so old fashioned too.

[JakeyBurd]

Sorry, I've never liked Diana as a name, (or Diane, or Di) and I never liked Diana Spencer whom it is still so strongly associated with, so if you were my best mate I'd be doing my best to deter you from using it!

[AnemonesCloser]

Love it. Good grown up name, nothing babyish about Diana.

Grace Kelly had a similar life to Diana and Grace is an uber popular name right now. So I bet once enough time has lapsed since Princess Diana's death that her name will make a comeback too.

[AnemonesCloser]

Or Grace Grimaldi should I say!

[reuset]

Grace isn't a good example. The name was already independently very popular. The same can't be said of Diana.

[scatterthenuns]

Was going to say the same thing about the Grace example too.

[AnemonesCloser]

Not sure what you mean. Diana wasn't a widely used name before Diana Spencer was born?

[AnemonesCloser]

I know two elderly Dianas and one in her mid 40s. It's hardly obscure.

[scatterthenuns]

No, nobody was saying that Grace was popular and that Diana was obscure.

I (and I think reuset) was trying to say that whilst there have been many famous/well known Grace's, there are comparatively fewer Diana's of such prominence.

Ergo, when the one big famous Diana died in such a tragic way, it tarnished the perceptions of the name. This didn't happen in the case of Grace Kelly, because there were umpteen others also occupying the famous-Grace-name-association space.

HTH!

[momtothree]

Its my name .... and I hate it! Everyone says Di ... i hear DIE ... cringe ... please dont!

[AnemonesCloser]

Okay. I disagree though.

Grace Kelly and Grace Jones are the only famous Graces springing immediately to my mind. I certainly can't think of umpteen.

[reuset]

Not sure what you mean. Diana wasn't a widely used name before Diana Spencer was born?

Grace has always been a more popular name (and used far longer), and especially of late. It's also a very popular middle name. And Grace hasn't been out of the top 50 in over 20 years (and number one name for a time as anybody not living under a rock will know). Diana hasn't been anywhere near the top 100 since the 1950s. We no longer automatically think 'oh, like Grace Kelly' because we know half a dozen girls named Grace.

And please don't compare Di to Grace Kelly, as was

[AnemonesCloser]

I see them as being very similar (Grace was clearly more stylish though). They certainly had similar personal lives. But Grace benefited from living in a time when the paparazzi weren't quite a force. A more deferential time press wise.

So within 20 years time I'm certain that the name Diana will make a strong comeback. Princess Diana will of course still be a famous figure but her fame will have receded somewhat. She'll be someone who died before these 2035 parents were even born and they'll just roll their eyes at grandparents saying 'Oooh but what about Princess Diana'.

[IsadoraQuagmire]

I certainly wouldn't think of Princess Diana, I know practically nothing about her.

I think of the Roman goddess (Roman equilvalent of the Greek goddess Artemis) and also Diana Rigg. Oh, and Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables.

And of course, the Paul Anka song which is lovely, and made Diana a very popular name in 1957.

[IsadoraQuagmire]

*equivalent!

[Verypissedoffwife]

And Diana Dors

[Verypissedoffwife]

Diana Ross

[reuset]

I certainly wouldn't think of Princess Diana, I know practically nothing about her.

I'm guessing you have at least heard of her, though... Even I have and I wasn't in the UK before and around the time of her death. She featured on the covers of several red top newspapers long after her death too I think.

[reuset]

Diana Ross, Rigg and Dors just add weight to the datedness of the name