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Baby names

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

Original poster

I've just clicked on a couple of random threads and...

35 replies

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 06/07/2011 21:35

they've mostly been discussing the name Romilly.

I have one and I know of about 8 others (directly, and through various acquaintances). Up until now, we've always received mixed reactions (people either like it, or pull a Hmm face).

Should I brace myself for loads more and break the news to my DD that she might, after all, be able to buy a pen with her name on in a gift shop one day soon Grin?

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Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 08/07/2011 20:46

Thank you for your theory. I shall bear it in mind.

OP posts:
DodgyTodger · 08/07/2011 19:14

Please yourself - you are the one who is saying that people have a problem with the name. You said

"I can't fathom why people have such a hard time spelling it, either - I mean, it's spelled as it sounds."

I was merely offering a theory why these people clearly don't think "it's spelled as it sounds."

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 08/07/2011 18:17

I don't think the double L suggests stress on the 'milly' part at all.

Surely, according to English pronunciation rules - Emily shouldn't be pronounced like it is at all (a vowel sound followed by a single consonant makes the vowel sound long - in the absence of better examples I'm thinking scaly/scally, holy/holly etc.).

I guess we'll have to disagree on that one.

OP posts:
chocoroo · 08/07/2011 14:49

I love Maggie but just can't get the Thatcher connotations out of my mind.

thereisalight I agree re: mispronunciation. If you can pronounce Milly then you can't struggle with Romilly.

DodgyTodger · 08/07/2011 11:59

Why would a double L mislead people? If people don't have a problem pronouncing Milly, I can't understand why they make such a meal of Romilly

Because the double L suggests that the stress is on the 'milly' part, ie Ro-MILLY. For ROM-illy it would be clearer if it was spelled with one L, as in Emily. Romily.

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 08/07/2011 10:00

I love that - Magda is such a cute diminutive.

OP posts:
madeindevon2 · 08/07/2011 09:09

this was my girls name 4 years ago but we had a boy!
Seems more popular now? Not sure if will stick with it if new one is girl. ATM I like magdalena! (maggie/magda/Lena )

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 08/07/2011 07:17

Why would a double L mislead people? If people don't have a problem pronouncing Milly, I can't understand why they make such a meal of Romilly.

OP posts:
DodgyTodger · 07/07/2011 19:34

Cheers. In that case it's the double L that probably misleads people.

chocoroo · 07/07/2011 19:31

In our house it's Rom-illy.

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 19:31

Well - it's has the same pronunciation as Emily except that it starts with a 'Rom' not and 'Em'.

OP posts:
DodgyTodger · 07/07/2011 18:58

(not the place in France, I know how that's pn) :)

DodgyTodger · 07/07/2011 18:57

How is it pronounced then? Is it Ro-milly or Rom-illy, because if the second I would expect the spelling to be Rommily or Romily (like Emily)

chocoroo · 07/07/2011 18:40

My friend did send me a picture of the Romilly Street sign when she was in Soho the other day.

I'm more keen to make a trip to Romilly sur Seine in France which is apparently very close to the champagne region :)

Most commonly we get people spelling it with just one l, although we get a lot of mishearings too - mainly Romany.

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 18:22

Ha ha, yes - DD was very nearly born in Sheffield and we got some funny looks there, too!

OP posts:
Panzee · 07/07/2011 18:20

I always think of this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romiley

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 18:19

Actually, since posting this, I've found it as a suggestion on another thread.

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Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 18:17

Yeah - I can't fathom why people have such a hard time spelling it, either - I mean, it's spelled as it sounds. We do get all sorts of variations though - Romany, Bromley, Romney amonst the mis-hearings and mis-spellings.

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chocoroo · 07/07/2011 17:39

I've got one and she's almost 5 months. I've noticed a lot more people suggesting it on here recently and I'd also been wondering if one day we'd be able to get a pen with her name on :)

We've had nothing but good reactions to it, with a couple of people telling us she'll never be able to spell it at school (a bit like all the Elizabeth's and Alexandra's eh?!). We assumed she'd become Romy or Milly over time but so far people are sticking with the full version.

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 16:30

It's a bit of a marmite name, I think squeak! When we first told family (DH's I might add) we definitely got the face (actually there isn't an emoticon to do it justice!) and FIL got out a baby book, licked his fingers, turned a page and said, 'Alright, how about 'Ruperta'?... 'Richenda'?...' (Mind you he did the same with DS2 (DC4) when he was 5 days old because he didn't like what we'd picked.) - I supoose that's why it's surprised me to find 3 threads with it on a shortlist/being discussed.

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squeak2392 · 07/07/2011 13:13

I don't know any, and didn't know of the name until I found this site.
Gotta admit, I don't really like it, but it's nothing I would pull a face about (now that I know it - when I first read about it I was very much 'What?!' Hmm

CrapolaDeVille · 07/07/2011 12:31

I know two.

Original poster
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 07/07/2011 12:30

It is me Fimbo! But I think there are one or two other MNers, too.

MsChanandlerBong my friend's sister is in her mid 30s -I wonder if it's the same person? You're not from Suffolk are you?

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MsChanandlerBong · 07/07/2011 12:09

I used to work with a Romilly a few years ago (she would now be mid-thirties) and have loved the name ever since, hence it is on my shortlist!
I am Grin at a collection of people called Romilly being 'Romillies'!!

Fimbo · 07/07/2011 11:45

*an

Isn't there a Romilly Weeks who reads the news?