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Baby names

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

Original poster

Miranda, Angharad, Bernadine? Any other suggestions?

32 replies

AngelaOxford · 09/09/2013 19:05

So after some major rows with my husband, and a lot of childish behaviour from my mother, I have agreed to drop the option of naming my daughter, Mary, after my mother-in-law.

Here we are, 2 weeks prior to the due date, with no name for our daughter and with a mother who keeps calling me because she wants to "hang out"... I am furious and trying to decide on a name for our little girl.

We both like Miranda, Angharad and Bernadine. My husband also likes Gwendolen and Phoebe, and I like Sophie, Genevieve and Gillian.

Which names do you like? Do you have any other suggestions?

I am so incredibly frustrated and irritated with the situation, because instead of enjoying this time before we have our second child, our life has just turned into a big fight between ourselves, and between my mother and I.

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BettyBi0 · 25/09/2013 09:58

Love Bernadine. Not sure about Angharad. Am I being thick but how do you pronounce it? As in anger?

BrunoMarsBar · 15/09/2013 01:59

Marianne Gwendolen Sophie Surname

Flowers

If you do go for Mary why not Mairi with the squiggle thing over the a.
Alternatively Maura.

All the best xx

ToffeeCaramel · 15/09/2013 01:09

I like Mary, Marianne and Miranda.

Mutteroo · 15/09/2013 00:16

I vote for Mary!

I discovered my DD's name 10 days before she was born, told my mum the name to which she replied "I hate it". Made me completely fall in love with it & when DH came up with the same name, we had to choose it. Call your baby girl whatever you want. Your mother is being childish & will get over it.

whippetwoman · 14/09/2013 22:06

Rosamund Mary is lovely, as is Miranda. I rather like Bernadine, it's unusual, maybe a bit kitsch but in a good way :)

thegreylady · 14/09/2013 17:18

What a shame-Mary is such a beautiful name.
Of your list I love Miranda and Phoebe and like mst of the rest the exception is Bernardine which I think is awful [sorry].
Your mum is being unfair but aI'd accept the apology and the flowers and move on.I'd have Mary in there though!

diddl · 14/09/2013 12:40

I love Angharad & Miranda.

With Mary as a middle name?

SelectAUserName · 14/09/2013 06:05

Genevieve and Miranda are two of my favourite names so they'd be my choice.

I'd go with Genevieve Mary. Your mother has apologised and sent flowers. This could either be as an acknowledgement she was in the wrong, in which case she should now accept your baby's name is your and your DP's choice so there is no reason not to use your chosen name as a MN at least; or she thinks she has "won" and can afford to make a magnanimous - but ultimately meaningless - gesture of contrition she doesn't really feel. Whichever it is, in your shoes there'd be a "Mary" on my DD's birth certificate somewhere.

Herisson · 13/09/2013 19:55

Bernadine is my mother's middle name. She is nearly seventy and has hated it all her life.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 13/09/2013 19:42

Marianne is great. I like Genevieve

Also I 'd suggest:

Christina
Joanna
Margaret
Maria

ZolaBuddleia · 13/09/2013 19:40

Ooh, love Miranda, not at all keen on Bernadine, but then I hate both Bernard and Bernadette.

How stressful, your mother kicking off at this point in your pregnancy.

burcham12 · 13/09/2013 13:33

Miranda Mary? They work well together and might keep everyone happy!

ScornedWoman · 10/09/2013 00:31

I really really like Angharad.

EnjoyEverySandwich · 09/09/2013 21:41

Bernadine is nice and unusual. I wouldn't spell it with an R any more than I would put an R in Bernadette.

Just another suggestion as you seem to like names beginning with a soft G:
Geraldine

teatimesthree · 09/09/2013 21:13

YY to Marianne.

LickleLemon · 09/09/2013 21:09

How awful for you to have to put up with such horrid behaviour from your mum.

I would go for Mary as I would worry resenting mum for ever more.

Angharad and Sophie are my favourites from your list.

Bernadine - not that keen sorry.

CordeliaRose · 09/09/2013 20:59

Yes you can have either Bernadine or Bernardine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadine

I prefer Bernadine too - more feminine.

Marianne, Louisa and Rosamund are lovely too - Marianne is a variant of Mary, which would let you honour your mother-in-law (just don't tell your Mum Grin)

Original poster
AngelaOxford · 09/09/2013 20:36

Seaweedy I've seen it both as 'Bernardine' and 'Bernadine' and I prefer the latter, because I think it has a better sound to it. What do you think? The thing is we have some Scottish relatives that we see very frequently and if we opt for the former spelling of the name should we give her this name, I think our daughter will grow up to hate us!! :D

OP posts:
Seaweedy · 09/09/2013 20:29

Also voting for Mary. But like Angharad and Miranda, too. Not Gillian, which feels too seventies to me, though I'm sure it will be fashionable again soon. Gwendolen is also nice. I prefer that spelling to Gwendoline.

I thought it was 'Bernardine', rather than Bernadine...?

NadiaWadia · 09/09/2013 20:20

Mary was really nice, too.

NadiaWadia · 09/09/2013 20:19

I love Miranda and Angharad and Sophie. Not sure about Bernadine, not really come across it before, it just sounds like a female Bernard. Gillian is a bit old fashioned.

Snazzyenjoyingsummer · 09/09/2013 20:10

I love Mary and I wouldn't want to give it up. So do think about that carefully. Middle name perhaps?

But you have some other great names on your list. I love Miranda and Phoebe and also like Gwendoline and Genevieve.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 09/09/2013 20:06

I would go with Mary, otherwise your mother will think she has won (and she will have) and it will annoy you forever more that you didn't stand your ground.

Original poster
AngelaOxford · 09/09/2013 20:01

Thank you all for your suggestions so far!!

We like Marianne and Louisa and also Rosamund!

Helena and Georgiana are lovely names too, but are unfortunately out of the question since they are both already being used by my nieces.

No votes for Bernadine, I see. My husband quite likes it and I don't mind using it for our girl! I think it sounds sweet, my sister thinks it's a name for a 70-year-old. I suspect most of you agree with my sister! ahahah

OP posts:
Habbibu · 09/09/2013 19:55

What about a variant of Mary? There are loads of nice ones, and you can tell MIL quietly that it's after here. Big list on Wikipedia here: list. I like Miriam, Marja a d Marietta.