Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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??

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
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

OP posts:
NarkyNamechanger · 27/07/2013 22:54

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

Swipe left for the next trending thread