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Baby names

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

Original poster

Elizabeth Joan

37 replies

extracrunchy · 27/07/2013 22:52

So it's going to be a girl!

The only name DH and I can agree on is Elizabeth (traditional and easily shortened to something quirkier - any ideas as an aside??) and we'd like to commemorate DF's mother with Joan as a middle name. I was pretty happy till I floated it with my sister who was thoroughly scathing and now I'm having doubts...

What do you think??

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TiggyD · 27/07/2013 23:43

Have you given birth to a 60 year old?

YABU.

ExcuseTypos · 27/07/2013 23:41

I know someone with a year old baby called Elizabeth Joan then another name which I won't reveal as it may out me. I think this really works

Could you add another name to 'soften' the Joan?

NurseRatchet · 27/07/2013 23:36

My mum is called Joan. She is in her late forties and HATES being called Joan. It is awful.

notanyanymore · 27/07/2013 23:34

Love it!! I'd go for Effie as NN
Middle name of Joan is perfect because its a link with her family. Middle names are personal anyway IMO because who ever introduces themselves with their full name anyway? Much nicer to use it for a family connection that means something then go for something 'pretty' but ultimately irrelevant (which middle names kind if are if they don't have any kind of personal significance)

squoosh · 27/07/2013 23:31

Shakespeare mentions her in Love's Labour Lost, 'While greasy Joan doth keel the pot'.

Poor old Joan!

BlueStarsAtNight · 27/07/2013 23:25

It's ok. Quite a placid, staid kind of name. It's not very exciting but not offensive.

MrsOakenshield · 27/07/2013 23:24

Elizabeth is lovely - do you have to shorten it? It's lovely as it is.
Joan - hmmm. Well. Maybe it's so unusual now as to be quite interesting?

GeordieCherry · 27/07/2013 23:21

Joan of Arc, Joan Armatrading. I've always been fond of it. And Elizabeth is a lovely name

squoosh · 27/07/2013 23:16

Joan is not the prettiest of names, no two ways about it, having said that I think honouring your daughter's Granny trumps 'prettiness'. Think of Joan from Mad Men and it doesn't sound too bad!

Besides, it will be a middle name, how often do we think about our middle names?

NarkyNamechanger · 27/07/2013 23:09

Did your mil have a middle name you could use?

Original poster
extracrunchy · 27/07/2013 22:59

That's what I'm thinking... Wish my sis didn't get in my head! I thought initially Joan was an inoffensive middle name along the lines of Jane, and also maybe a bit fashionable nowadays with the vogue for old fashioned names, but am I actually considering embarrassing poor DD for life?! Grin

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NarkyNamechanger · 27/07/2013 22:54

Hmm I like the idea but really not keen on Joan. Sorry!