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Baby names

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Original poster

three names left on our shortlist . which do you prefer and why ? .

75 replies

oldbutnotpastit · 04/04/2014 17:19

dd6 (dc 10) due in 3 months .
after much discussion we have a shortlist of 3 which we both agree on .
they are
miranda
hermione
miriam

we also both love the names
Winifred and Merewen but don't think they are quite right so have taken the off the shortlist but have left them as back up names .

so which do you prefer and why ?

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Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 21:18

i think of miranda and hemione i prefer Miranda
i prefer it's meaning , i think the shakespearen Miranda is a more endearing character than shakespeare's hermione imvho

OP posts:
hoobypickypicky · 05/04/2014 20:41

Miranda, definitely.

It's a beautiful, classical name. I think of The Tempest, not of a comedienne when I hear it.

Hermione is not a name I like and becoming too popular and Miriam reminds me of an aged Jewish aunt.

everlong · 05/04/2014 20:40

This reply has been deleted

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Alisvolatpropiis · 05/04/2014 20:32

Hermione and Miranda are both Shakespearean names to me, despite being of the Harry Potter generation and being vaguely aware of Miranda Hart (wilfully ignore her existence).

Alisvolatpropiis · 05/04/2014 20:31

Hermi

everlong · 05/04/2014 20:26

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Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 19:51

dh has said i can make the final decision but i'm getting no where .

do i go with my heart which is winifred despite the fact that my head says it's old fashioned and clunky etc
or
do i go for
hermione or miranda which despite the harry potter and miranda harte associations are beautiful sounding names
or do go for dh's favourite which is
Miriam

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 05/04/2014 16:23

Hermione. I think it sounds beautiful.

Kingsfold · 05/04/2014 11:00

Miranda, thanks to Shakespeare. I know a Miriam, and she's foul!

HahaHarrie · 05/04/2014 10:55

I love Hermione! Darn that Harry Potter...

Congratulations.

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 10:44

i really like winifred but not sure whether it's cute or clunky . it's certainly really different to the other 3 names but maybe the fact i can't dismiss it is telling me something .

OP posts:
Chewbecca · 05/04/2014 10:17

Can we pop back to the Winifred possibility? It's so cute!

8isalotoflegsDavid · 05/04/2014 10:08

Hermione first, Miranda second, don't like Miriam.

Dalaimama · 05/04/2014 10:06

What about Marianne?

Love Martha too

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 10:00

i don't perceive Miriam as exclusively Jewish . i grew up in Ireland and we are not Jewish but knew quite a few Miriams ,I think of Miriam O'Reilly as an example. So i would regard it as obviously having a Jewish history but now like Abraham ,Benjamin or even David being a name that is not just in the ownership of one tradition .
while i love Miranda i do think it may be too similar to Tabitha and Arabella ,not sure whether that is necessarily a bad thing .

OP posts:
nooka · 05/04/2014 05:35

I don't think so, dd had a friend called Miriam (Mimi) and they were very Christian. Rebecca is way too popular to be considered 'just' a Jewish name (70s popular rather than current, I know loads of Beckies and Beccas).

I like Miranda a little bit more than Miriam, but I think it's a little too similar to Arabella and Tabitha, so would choose Miriam in your position.

I don't really like Hermione.

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 05/04/2014 00:31

Funny, my niece is Rebecca, NN Becky, she's 33 and has never been asked if she's Jewish. I know many Rachaels and Sarahs that aren't Jewish, either. Is Miriam truly, exclusively Jewish?

RiverTam · 05/04/2014 00:20

Miranda - I must say I didn't think of the comedian, more Shakespeare! Hermione is lovely but a bit too closely linked to HP, of course.

Miriam to me is an old-school Jewish name - I guess I would always assume a Miriam was Jewish or had Jewish parents - are you?

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 00:16

i think the 2 front runners are miriam or miranda .
i prefer miranda dh prefers miriam . hermione would be the compromise name that we both like alot but it is not a favourite with either of us .

OP posts:
Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 05/04/2014 00:10

daleybum i don't really post on any other topics except baby names . i certainly don't post anything that i wouldn't want known in rl . So i'm not overly concerned about being identifiable and i've yet to meet anyone in my close circle of friends whose a mumsnetter .

OP posts:
Twooter · 05/04/2014 00:06

Miranda for me. Just think its much prettier than the others .

DaleyBum · 04/04/2014 23:58

Just wanted to say you'll be quite identifiable with that last post OP. Good luck finding a name :)

RabbitPies · 04/04/2014 23:55

Definitely Miriam. It's beautiful but strong.

Hermione is ugly IMHO.

Miranda is very nice,but not quite so lovely as Miriam.

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 04/04/2014 23:54

other dcs' names are
Bethany ,Blake ,Lydia ,Tudor ,Leighton , Tabitha ,Phoebe ,Gabriel ,Arabella

i'm not sure whether might influence anyone's opinion on which name suits /fits best or would work best
from the list you can see we're not averse to using a biblical name but we are happy not to . another issue with Miranda is if we use it would we have too many girls names ending in a . it's not something that would prevent me using it but certainly something i'm mindful of .

OP posts:
Allalonenow · 04/04/2014 23:35

Miranda is lovely, classic and beautiful, a pretty name for a child and elegant for a woman, I also like the Shakespeare link. By the time she is of school age, the link with the comedy show will have been forgotten.

I quite like Miriam, though I don't think it is as charming as Miranda, it is more a workaday useful ordinary name. Not too keen on Hermione.

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