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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Please help! DD is 1 week old and no name.

87 replies

vik123b · 09/01/2014 14:05

Have a shortlist for girls names. The two names we cant decide on are Hermione and Betsy. Just interested to hear peoples views.

I love Hermione but DH prefers Betsey. Few things do put me off Hermione though - will it be a nightmare for her to learn to spell? people can't pronounce it (Hermy-won) and obviously Harry Potter (will she be teased and compared to Hermione Granger? Our surname also begins with a hard G). Love Betsey but worry is too cutsey and she may hate it when she gets older and don't want it shortened to Bet (she wouldnt be Elizabeth as my daughters middle name is Elizabeth so don't want to use again). We have quite kooky style so think either suit us as a family. Need to make a choice!

We like both names so whatever we choose for first name the other can be the middle name. We like Bluebell also for middle name (my other 2 children have two middle names) so would be either:

Hermione Betsey Bluebell

Betsey Bluebell Hermione

Also, if we chose Hermione do you think we could use Hetty as a nickname? DH lost his Nan yesterday whose name was Stella, not keen on Stella and doesn't fit with our names but Hetty has same meaning (Star) or could you think of some way to incorporate it into the name?

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Original poster

vik123b · 09/01/2014 16:58

Good point Anjou about how they grow up not necessarily being as we imagine. I'm not sure aged 12-16 I would have carried the name Betsy off, maybe more as i have got older when I have found my own identity I would but its a very good point. Think Hermione might be easier to carry off.

We have thought about shortened versions of Hermione and puts hubby off that there arent obvious nicknames but could have Mione (my-o-nee or my-nee) or Minie (cute while she is little, (i cant have Maya or Mia as one of my friends daughters is called Maya), Hermy is also growing on me, but tbh I like it just as Hermione but think it will inevitably get shortened so we might as well choose then leave to her friends.

OP posts:

Original poster

vik123b · 09/01/2014 16:47

Saminthemiddle, I'm not cutesy or girly really. Baby does look like a Betsey but don't all babies look cute so can carry off cute names, i am thinking more longer term whereas think hubby just thinks more baby/toddler. When I have mentioned to friends my two choices most prefer Betsey and say just suits me and my hubby, not many prefer Hermione which amazes me when I just think it is so lovely, wonder what it is that people don't like but suppose just boils down to each individuals preference. Our other choice (which I probably shouldn't mention as have discounted it and everyone will like it best and I'll be back to square one) was Elodie.

OP posts:

Anjou · 09/01/2014 16:42

Congratulations on your little DS, OP. I agree with the poster who says to hang fire - choosing a name is so important. It shouldn't be rushed.

My feeling is that Hermione and Betsey (I appreciate this may be a variant spelling, but it just looks misspelled to me) are really very different names. Hermione, as you say, is a real classic and very elegant. Not sure what nn you could use, not that you need to have one i guess.

Betsey/Betsy is cute for a little girl and can be cool for the right kind of teen or adult. I would class myself as kooky/alternative etc and I like to think I might be able to carry it off, but most people I've known through work or education aren't and couldn't. I'm just saying this to illustrate that it will only suit a handful of teenage, full grown woman and that our kids don't necessarily grow up the way we anticipated. If going for Betsey/Betsy, I'd try to choose a longer name. Bettina? Bethany? Just so that she'll have some choices.

kelda · 09/01/2014 16:38

Congratulations!

If you are worried about spelling, then I really wouldn't go for Betsey.

Love the names Stella/Estelle.

Thingymajigs · 09/01/2014 16:36

Hermione is such a beautiful name. Go for it.

WhereMyMilk · 09/01/2014 16:35

Betsy or whatever spelling is too cutesy and once she is past the age of 7 it will not suit her-better a name she can grow into.

Love Hermione and if its a name you've loved for a long time then go with it.

Lottiedoubtie · 09/01/2014 16:32

Hermione is the best name by a long long way.

Betsy will be hard work for an adult to pull off.

Saminthemiddle · 09/01/2014 16:28

Definitely Hermione, it is a safer choice imo, Betsy suits a very girly girl, feminine, not tom-boyish so if you have cutesy delicate genes go for Betsy.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 09/01/2014 16:27

A friend of mine recently had a baby called Edith (( Edie for short )) I love it, it's a classic and both names work well.

Tbh tho op you should go with the name you both like so long as it isn't Betsy

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 09/01/2014 16:24

I'm not keen on Hermione either tbh.......as it happens we have a Betsy too (( nn for Beth ))

vik123b · 09/01/2014 16:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 09/01/2014 15:49

And Betsey is a crap name for an adult, seriously, don't lumber her with it.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 09/01/2014 15:48

Elizabeth with Betsey as nn.

bakingtins · 09/01/2014 15:43

I think tiny babies often take a while to grow into a "grown up" name, but she'll be a grown up for much longer than she'll be a baby. If Hermione is the name you've loved for a long time use that and call her "sausage" until she has the gravitas to carry it off!

Original poster

vik123b · 09/01/2014 15:27

Thank you all for your suggestions. I have loved Hermione for a few years and was on my girls list when DS was born. It was the only name we had on the list when we went into hospital to have baby girl and we were both agreed it was the name but we made the mistake of taking the baby names book in with us and opening it . DH then decided she looked like a Betsey and I really liked that too but worry how it will wear in a few years whereas Hermione to me is classic and beautiful although I know is not everyone's taste and the Harry Potter thing nags at me although I agree that Hermione is a pretty cool, kind and feisty character and there arent going to be any more films/books so although it will remain pop culture there wont be as much publicity surrounding it in the future. I think if I had the choice I would rather be called Hermione than Betsey but DH says I'm not picking a name for me.

Really like Starla so may be an option for middle name instead of Betsey if choose H as first name - Hermione Bluebell Starla? Also liked Clementine before thought of Bluebell as a middle name - Hermione Clementine Starla/Stella. Bluebell does suit our family though.

Its so difficult. Feeling the pressure though as I am being bombarded with text/facebook messages asking if we have a name yet and starting to feel awful. My DS has named her Sausage Roll (he is 3) so she will probably be known as that anyways in our house now! We even got a card addressed to Sausage Roll!

OP posts:

Artandco · 09/01/2014 15:19

I would spell betsy without the second e

Betsy bluebell estelle would be my favourite

squoosh · 09/01/2014 15:11

I really don't like Hermione. At all.

Betsey is a bit too cutesy for my tastes but it's preferable to Hermione.

CarlaVeloso · 09/01/2014 14:46

Can I just suggest you take your time and don't be rushed into a decision? A week is nothing. I know several people who took the full six weeks to officially name their baby - it's far better to hang fire and get it right, you are still full of hormones and if you are uncertain and wavering you need to wait till you are thinking more clearly to name her.

MrsT2007 · 09/01/2014 14:43

Well we called our DD Lois but we put it on the list well before the latest superman film.

And who cares if it has character name associations? Hermione Grainger is a great character, strong, feisty, clever.

sanschocolat · 09/01/2014 14:40

How about Hester?
I think that means star too...

DitsyDonkey · 09/01/2014 14:38

Betsey Blubell Hermione would be my pick.....lovely....swoon!

GwendolineMaryLacey · 09/01/2014 14:34

Oh just seen you're not keen on it. Shame, it's lovely.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 09/01/2014 14:33

Hermione by a country mile. Yes you've got the Harry potter phenomenon but that also means that people will know how to pronounce it. Although I've always wondered why they didn't anyway. It's pretty obvious. Anyhow, Hermione definitely better and you could get away with Hetty.

What's wrong with Stella? I know a little Stella and it's v cute.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 09/01/2014 14:27

x post darned keyboard.

Hermione is lovely btw and surely not a mystery to spell since Harry Potter.

MrsBungle · 09/01/2014 14:27

Out of those two I prefer Betsy. I do think it's cutesy but I prefer it to hermione.

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