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Baby names

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

Original poster

How frumpy is Margaret?

61 replies

javotte · 28/08/2012 09:37

My father is English so all our children have an English middle name. I am thinking of Margaret for DD2 but I am afraid it is too old-ladyish. It ticks all the right boxes (DS is William, DD1 is Eleanor, so I wanted to keep the "royal" theme, and it is loosely related to a gemstone), but I don't love it. Please give me your honest opinions!

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AlexanderSkarsgardOhYes · 28/08/2012 17:55

If you'd like to stick to the royal theme what about one of the names Queen Victoria used for her daughters:

Victoria Adelaide Mary
Alice Maud Mary
Helena Augusta Victoria
Louise Caroline Alberta
Beatrice Mary Victoria

AlexanderSkarsgardOhYes · 28/08/2012 17:50

I had a friend at school (in the late 80s/early 90s) whose middle name was Margaret and she hated it and kept it a secret! I'm not totally sure personally that it's due a comeback...

If you like Maggie, what about Megan/Meggie, which is very similar?

charlottehere · 28/08/2012 14:42

Don't like it but love Maggie.

Badgerina · 28/08/2012 14:40

Thatcher Angry

Arabellasmella · 28/08/2012 14:09

Thumbs up from me.

Thingymajigs · 28/08/2012 13:43

I don't like it, its quite harsh sounding. It doesn't help that I have an Auntie Margaret who's as mad as a box of frogs. I don't think it's ready for a come back yet.

lottiegarbanzo · 28/08/2012 13:29

So frumpy it's cool, i'd say. It's at about 555 in the 2011 list (happened to notice as near to dd's name). Lot's of good nicknames, though not so relevant for a middle name. Very grandparent-ish, which means approaching cool again, unlike names of the 60s and 70s which will take longer to come back.

SirBoobAlot · 28/08/2012 13:28

Adelaide
Charlotte
Elizabeth
Sophia
Philippa

SirBoobAlot · 28/08/2012 13:24

Its horrible.

What about Matilda? She was an amazing woman. Or Victoria?

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 28/08/2012 13:20

I love it. Go for it.

I am not personally a fan of frilly, sweet names, which seems to be lots of people's preference at the moment (lots of lly and a endings and loads of vowels). I like a strong sounding name, and Margaret is strong sounding.

I really think that Margaret Thatcher can be left behind by our children's generation. As others have pointed out, it was very popular in that era so a more likely link to our children will be a grandmother/great aunt, etc.

WithACherryOnTop · 28/08/2012 12:34

It's horrid.Ugly and harsh sounding.

BaronessBomburst · 28/08/2012 12:32

Mathilda? She was an English queen, although never crowned. I like Margaret though and would have used it as a middle name for DS had he been a DD.

Wowserz129 · 28/08/2012 12:30

I think it's very old fashioned, I would use it as a middle name but not a first

GnocchiNineDoors · 28/08/2012 12:29

I would be happy to use Margaret as a MN as tbh, how often is a MN used other than on docs?

I would have like Maggie as dds FN but it is my DMs name, so we went with Meg. She does get Peggy every now and then too.

What about
Rebecca
Mary
Helen

GlitterPinkRubberDucky · 28/08/2012 12:26

Really not keen at all. Feels very old fashioned and frumpy to me. Sorry.

Whatdoiknowanyway · 28/08/2012 11:56

We have a saying in our circle that everyone has an Auntie Margaret and for my generation that does appear to be true.

I always see Margaret as a dignified sort of name. Someone you'd look up to. I like it.

IceCubes · 28/08/2012 11:45

More recent royal names: Beatrice, Eugenie, Sophie, Louise, Zara.

Older names: Victoria, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, Alice.

Maybe look at a Royal family tree for ideas?

MrsJohnDeere · 28/08/2012 10:32

Loathe it. My (toxic) mothers name. Am a bit biased because of that.

If its a middle name that is never going to be used it would be ok, I reckon. Pretty sure my Dcs friends have no idea what their middle names are.

DaisyBD · 28/08/2012 10:20

Camilla??

Margaret is my middle name and I loathe it. It's after my grandmother, but she was always Peg or Peggy anyway, so there's no real association. In a way, I think it's better as a first name, because you can always choose a cute nn. I quite like Meg - and Daisy is also a nn (from marguerite daisies). I'm called Daisy irl but it's a nn, nothing to do with my real first name.

So no, not a fan of Margaret itself, I think it's awful (and has associations with M Thatcher). I also think there's a tendency for other children to take the piss at school over middle names more than first names.

Ham69 · 28/08/2012 10:16

Just read OP again. Sorry, didn't realise you meant for a middle name. Go for it!

Original poster
javotte · 28/08/2012 10:15

Thanks ham69, but Catherine, Alice and Beatrice have exactly the same spelling in French, so wouldn't stand out as "English" names to French people.

OP posts:
Ham69 · 28/08/2012 10:12

William and Eleanor are lovely names. Don't mind Margaret, but other English Royal names that I think would go beautifully with your DCs are;
Kitty (could have Catherine on BC!)
Alice (one of Princess Anne's middle names!)
Beatrice

Original poster
javotte · 28/08/2012 10:08

That's the problem serendipity, I'm not sure I really like it, but at the same time I tell myself that it's "only" a middle name. If you know prettier "royal" names that are not spelt the same way in French, please tell me!

OP posts:
serendipity16 · 28/08/2012 09:55

I'm in my 30s & its my name & i hate it.
I do not like any of the other names, mags, maggie, pegs, peggy etc.
To me its such an old womans name, i wish i had a nicer, prettier name.
However everyone to their own, if you like it then use it.

FelicitywasSarca · 28/08/2012 09:53

It's my mums name also, and she hates it. I don't love it... But I think it is probably (almost) due a revival, so depends if you want to set trends or not!