Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Amelia or Temperance?

143 replies

TransatlanticCityGirl · 10/12/2010 16:47

Hello!

I'm having a bit of an internal debate about two girl names I quite like...

I have always loved the name Amelia. I found it in my family tree many years ago before it became popular again.. one of the earliest female ancestors I could trace (back in the 1600s!) was called Amelia and I immediately fell in love with the name. I also like it because it makes me think of Amelia Earhart and I think it would be cool for my daughter to share a name with such an amazing woman. The husband loves this name too, so it sounds like a winner... except that in the last couple of years, it has become very popular in the UK, and I am not keen to give my child a name that will be very common. (How dare those other parents choose this name!! LOL)

The other name I like is Temperance. I came across it in the tv show 'Bones', where the lead character is called that, or Tempy for short. It's quite unusual / unique (a fairly important driver for me), and I think it sounds sweet. I also like it because then my daughter would share the same initials as me (as no matter which name we choose, her middle name will be Catherine, which is also my middle name).

So what would you go for?

Amelia
or
Temperance (Tempy for short)
???

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
ddeemummy · 13/03/2016 19:17

Neither sorry Temperance is not my cup of tea and im fed up of hearing Amelia as pretty as it is. I like Imogen though

VinceNoirLovesHowardMoon · 13/03/2016 18:24

I really can't believe anyone called their child Temperance Beer ConfusedGrin

WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup · 12/03/2016 12:08

You lot would hate my children!s names! Confused

Blu · 05/03/2016 19:50

Yes, the child from this thread is probably at school, with her little sister Chardonnay.

I do wonder why anyone would give a child a name like Temperance that would get them subjected to endless tedious jokes every time they had so much as a half of shandy.

Unless they don't actually know what Temperance means?

OhShutUpThomas · 05/03/2016 19:46

I thought Temperance was the worst name I'd ever heard.

Then you said Tempy.

AgentCooper · 05/03/2016 19:44

Temperance makes me think of AA, I'm afraid.

kavvLar · 05/03/2016 19:43

Ffs fucking zombies

kavvLar · 05/03/2016 19:43

I know someone who had a Temperance and an Indigo. Any good?

juniperdingleberries · 05/03/2016 19:41

Is the OP still active? Maybe she will come back and let us know what she chose.

originalmavis · 05/03/2016 18:55

There's an idea. I like the Temperance Movement (the band, not the, er 'movement').

squoosh · 05/03/2016 18:52

I'd rather be called Zombie than Temperance.

iklboo · 05/03/2016 16:38

ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT!!!!

Burgatroyd · 05/03/2016 16:33

How about Tuppence or Antonia?

Wardrobespierre · 05/03/2016 13:27

They show on my phone but don't they disappear a couple of posts after resurrection?

iklboo · 05/03/2016 13:02

Oh bloody hell. The Walking Thread! Zombie alerts don't seem to show on phones.

Wardrobespierre · 05/03/2016 11:23

I like Temperance and so does my dd Gratuity Tightwad.

Run from the zombie thread. Run!

iklboo · 05/03/2016 11:16

The kids will probably morph 'Tempy' into 'Tampax'.

Pegaroo · 05/03/2016 11:13

I really like Temperance, but it is a big name to live up to. I desperately wanted a Loveday, but husband said only as a middle name.

Go with what you really love and if you are a bit unsure and the name is a little out there then pop it as a middle.

WeatherwaxOrOgg · 05/03/2016 09:43

Haha yes Lizard. I only realised afterwards lol. I'd love to know what the parents chose eventually!

waxweasel · 05/03/2016 08:31

Hahahaha I hadn't clocked it was a zombie thread! You're right, it's probably the same child!

Alisvolatpropiis · 05/03/2016 01:21

Zombie thread?! The op of this thread is probably the proud mum of a 5 going on 6 year old.

Temperance is hideous though.

RJnomore1 · 05/03/2016 00:43

I bet waxweasels dds friend is this baby 😁

Beecraft · 05/03/2016 00:29

Amelia, 100%

WeatherwaxOrOgg · 05/03/2016 00:15

Temperance is lovely! I love unusual names and to be fair, kids can pick on any name and make a joke out of it really. I wouldn't let the fact that once in a while someone will say temper Temperance put you off because once it's her name and people know it and her it won't be an issue.

Lots of names are unusual these days and although Amelia is lovely it's becoming incredibly popular.

I have a daughter with an unusual name and I was given all the negative about it, but now she's 19 she says she loves her name and the fact that virtually no-one has it. Also ... she was called by a short version for years (not by family but by friends) but has decided she prefers the full name now and so uses that.

You could call her Temperance Amelia (dependent on your surname for initials sake) and if it becomes a problem she can use Amelia. Maybe give her 3 names - mine have 3. It won't hurt to change - my daughters short version is entirely different from the 4 syllable full version and she's made a smooth transition from short to long.

It's a beautiful name and better than any everyday name. IMO they're depressingly uncreative.

FourThingsAndALizard · 04/03/2016 23:09

You do realise this child was actually named over five years ago? She'll be at school by now...

Swipe left for the next trending thread