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Baby names

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

Original poster

Hollie Mae

85 replies

HaveIGotPoosForYou · 04/06/2013 19:15

I have already named my daughter as she is 8 weeks old, but just wanted to know what everyone thought as I think it's beautiful. I know not everyone thinks the same but just curious!

FWIW, I'm not boasting or showing off or anything like that, for those MNetters who seem to jump to conclusions.

Also would love to know what names you think would go well with Hollie Mae for when she has a little brother or sister. Wont be for another 2 or 3 years, but want to have some names on my radar or I might have to ask her for ideas and pooface or pandapants is probably the kind of name she'd come up with at 3 and I can't see that going down too well. :)

Partners last name ends in Y, if that helps. :)

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Original poster
HaveIGotPoosForYou · 05/06/2013 23:34

Prolific Actually, I do :)

Agreed, badtime everything is so varied, there are very few unique spellings these days, except the really ridiculous ones.

OP posts:
badtime · 05/06/2013 23:08

OP, the 'K' spelling of [C/K]atherine was the original, as the name is of Greek origin, but there was such diversity of spelling in the middle ages that pretty much every conceivable variant is recorded somewhere. My view is that there is a huge qualitative difference between established variant names (which may be versions from other languages, or older versions from when there was genuinely no such thing as correct spelling, of any words, not just names) and 'yooneek' spellings of more established names.

I think both 'Hollie' and 'Mae' are fairly well established* (particularly the latter), but Mumsnet has a very low tolerance for non-standard spellings, even if they have history or are from another culture.

*I do like them less than the usual spellings, though.

prolificnamechanger · 05/06/2013 20:24

You must be very thick skinned Op!

For what it is worth, I like the Mae spelling. Reminds me of Mae West and that is no bad thing. Old school Hollywood and all that.

Then again, my Dd has the dreaded Rose as her middle name. Oh well, I like it.

Off on a tangent slightly, I know a Gracie Mae but I keep accidentally calling her Macy Gray! Remember her?

Original poster
HaveIGotPoosForYou · 05/06/2013 20:13

Little Fair enough and oh some lovely name suggestions :)

Thanks too, Coffee!

There is no such thing as a right or wrong spelling. You couldn't go to a job interview and be told your name is wrong, whereas you can say you spelt February wrong if you spelt it Febrarary or something like that. You wouldn't tell someone their last name is spelt wrong, so you really shouldn't say someone's first name is spelt wrong.

I mean I know people are entitled to their own opinion but really those it make sense there is a right or a wrong spelling. Every name was new or different and I am pretty sure Catherine was the original spelling, but so many people use Katherine these days. As I have said my name is Stefanie and yes sometimes it is spelt wrong but it's never bugged me. Claire is quite a common spelling. In fact, I see more Claire's than I do Clare's, to be honest.

OP posts:
Original poster
HaveIGotPoosForYou · 05/06/2013 20:06

TheHerring That's what I was thinking. I didn't want people to presume she was a Christmas baby or a May baby, but I like the names.

Is there a set dictionary of names?

What you mean, everlong is that it's not the old, 17th century spelling of the name.

Loolah How lovely. Pretty name for your other daughter as well. Quite right, you name your children something you personally believe in/love.

Nooka Changed it so people wouldn't presume she was a Christmas baby. Also her Dad's last name therefore hers begins with Y so Holly Y would sound pretty weird if you see what I mean. Also it's not so bizarre it's not like Hoylie or something like that. It's just an ie instead of a Y. My name is an F instead of a PH.

Chaos Some MNetters get a bit weird and aggressive about random things, so was just covering my bases. Thank you :)

hello Thanks :)

OP posts:
Original poster
HaveIGotPoosForYou · 05/06/2013 19:56

Sorry, I forgot to mention that:

Hollie is her first name, Mae is her middle name. I do NOT like hythenated names, or at least not as a rule.

Also, I chose the spelling of Hollie for two reasons:

  1. I don't want people to automatically presume she's a Christmas baby, with the spelling like Holly.
  2. Her last name begins with a Y so Y and Y next to eachother would look really weird.
OP posts:
nooka · 05/06/2013 18:02

Alisvolatpropiis I wasn't meaning to suggest that May was more correct than Mae, just that both have a decent heritage / are as legitimate as each other I guess. I also like the Japanese name Mei, but that's a completely different name (we watch lots of anime in our house, and Mei seems common for rather lovely feisty girls).

ipswitch · 05/06/2013 15:26

I like the name Holly, but always think of it as a winter birthday name.

Yonididnaedaethat · 05/06/2013 14:55

It could be worse, I know someone who called their DD Hollye! god knows why she stuck a 'e' on the end.

farmersdaughter · 05/06/2013 14:46

Oh suggestions...

Freya or Lilly

William or Daniel

farmersdaughter · 05/06/2013 14:45

I also do not understand why you posted this thread OP? Confused

Why do you care at this stage, unless you didn't like people commenting / passing judgement of spelling etc. In which case, just tell them politely to get stuffed.

At this stage in her life, you must have better things to be getting on with than wondering what we at MN think?

Enjoy all those newborn cuddles Envy

night1971 · 05/06/2013 14:28

It sounds a bit silly TBH, works on a cute baby/toddler but down the line may look daft on an adult's CV.

gnushoes · 05/06/2013 13:00

Fine if it was spelt correctly.

twinklestar2 · 05/06/2013 11:46

I see I see donkey!

tallulah · 05/06/2013 11:29

I really don't understand why you started this thread OP as you've already named your baby. What did you want people to say?

I have a very common name that can be spelled several different ways. People get it wrong even when they are looking at an email with it written for them. You must know this from your sister Claire. So why would you deliberately spell your DD's name 'wrong'?

itsnothingoriginal · 05/06/2013 11:18

Funnily enough was having the conversation with my DM yesterday about a friend who has named her child Holly when she isn't a Christmas baby. She was genuinely Confused

Not sure what she'd make of Mae when she isn't a May baby either ... Grin

notallytuts · 05/06/2013 11:03

Personally I think Mae is a really ugly spelling.

I like Hollie though

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 05/06/2013 11:00

From OP's own intro, twinklestar2 Wink

Smellyanne · 05/06/2013 10:59

I think its lovely. Prefer the ie spelling too. I usually hate different spellings but Hollie looks much prettier spelt like that .

Jamdoughnutfiend · 05/06/2013 10:30

I don't like it, i know too many hallie-raes, lilly-mays etc...
but as long as you do, it really doesn't matter what I think!

Witt · 05/06/2013 10:21

I don't like the Hollie spelling but I do like Mae spelt that way.

CoffeeandNumbers · 05/06/2013 10:14

lottie I know a Sheiphon .....bigger Hmm face!

Hollie Mae is not my cup of coffee, but each to their own. Congrats.

LottieJenkins · 05/06/2013 10:06

I know of a Shevaughan...........! Hmm

twinklestar2 · 05/06/2013 10:05

Panda pants?!?!

Redblackcar2 · 05/06/2013 09:59

Holly or Hollie (prefer Holly) is a nice completely normal name. May and Mae very popular middle names most people are only called there by there first name so I cant really see the big fuss.