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Baby names

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

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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Mrswellyboot · 04/04/2014 17:20

Miranda

Is nice and soft sounding. I do like Miriam though

Mrswellyboot · 04/04/2014 17:22

Have you ten dc op. Flowers that's amazing

Lovely though

ivykaty44 · 04/04/2014 17:22

Miriam, easy to say, pretty name, unusual but not weird and easy to spell.

The other two I can't spell hermonie and I'm not keen on names beginning with h

Miranda is a great TV person but that's who I imagine in my mind

DiamondsAndRust · 04/04/2014 17:24

Miranda for me too. I like the lyrical sound, the meaning ('admirable') and the Shakespeare connection. Miriam would be second. Not a fan of Hermione.

IPokedABadgerWithASpoon · 04/04/2014 17:24

Miriam by far, Miranda and Hermione are too linked to popular culture (the comedian and Harry Potter) for me plus its a great name! Congratulations on your little girl

SirChenjin · 04/04/2014 17:26

Miriam - just because the other 2 are linked to very famous characters and I tend to shy away from names like that . All 3 are lovely though - makes a nice change from the Puddle-Ambroses and Hephaestuses you tend to get on MN Smile

AntoinetteCosway · 04/04/2014 17:26

Merewen was our choice for if this baby were a girl! But from your list, Miriam. Beautiful.

CretaKano · 04/04/2014 17:29

I really like Merewen but from your shortlist I'd have to go with Miriam. I think Hermione is too Harry Potter and I just don't like the sound of Miranda

boobyooby · 04/04/2014 17:32

I prefer Miriam too, I like how it sounds when you say it and probably also slightly biased as I know a Miriam who is lovely and a Miranda who is a miserable bag ..... don't like Hermione, too Harry Potter for me too.

Raxacoricofallapatorius · 04/04/2014 17:33

I love Miriam. It's beautiful. Merewen is lovely too.

wiltingfast · 04/04/2014 17:34

Miriam here too!

I like mirry as a nn.

Hermione reminds me of jilly cooper books and miranda too sitc. I think both of those names are quite formal too. Miriam is much warmer.

dementedma · 04/04/2014 17:35

Another vote for Miriam

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 04/04/2014 17:37

i really love the name miranda but the miranda harte connectionis the one thing about the name that concerns me but ms harte won't be around forever .
i love Merewen but dh likes but is not completely convinced .he feels it rhymes with heroin /heroine which is putting him off .
Hermione is gorgeous but again it is the harry potter connection that worries me . although harry potter is around much less than it was 10 years ago and hermione was a good role model in the books any way.
Miriam is a name that we only started to consider a few weeks ago but i've grown to really like it

OP posts:
TheGrassIsSinging · 04/04/2014 17:39

I like Miriam. Its loveky, classic, feminine but strong, not common but not weird. A great name.

Miranda is a bit hard to my ears.

Hermione = Harry Potter. And a bit poncy / wet.

MrsBungle · 04/04/2014 17:43

I love merewen and I like Miriam. I don't really like hermione or Miranda. I just find them dull.

Mama1980 · 04/04/2014 17:43

Miriam here too. It's soft and pretty
Hermione just make me think Harry potter.
Miranda makes me think of the name for the genocide planet in firefly (scifi geek!BlushGrin) plus I just find it quite a harsh sounding name.

PreciousPeach · 04/04/2014 17:45

Love Hermione

UriGeller · 04/04/2014 17:48

I love Hermione too. It was second to what we chose in the end for dd. its just so beautiful.

Lovecat · 04/04/2014 17:49

Merewen is lovely.

Hermione will be linked to Harry Potter forever, even though it was 10 years ago with the books.

Miranda is lovely too, makes me think of The Tempest rather than the so-called funny person (and I'm biased because a Finnish friend has a little girl called Miranda and she is cuter than a cute thing fluttering its eyelashes at you from a pool of kittens)

Miriam... I'm old, so I immediately think of Miriam Karlin from The Rag Trade bellowing "Everybody Out!" with a fag stuck in the corner of her mouth. Plus unless you have Jewish heritage, be prepared for some funny looks. DD's middle name is Rebecca and the number of people who have asked about our Jewishness - including our parish priest when he baptised her! - was ridiculous.

VelvetStrider · 04/04/2014 17:50

I'd go for Miriam too, for the same reasons above.

A few similar names I've heard that you might like to consider...
Mirella
Miriele
Mayim
Mila
Maria
Amira

ShatnersBassoon · 04/04/2014 17:51

Miriam, definitely.

OwlCapone · 04/04/2014 17:53

Miriam. I think all the reasons have been given already :)

Viviennemary · 04/04/2014 17:53

I quite like Miriam out of your list. Possibly because there aren't very many. Or at least I don't know any. I did know one once years ago.

Original poster
oldbutnotpastit · 04/04/2014 18:49

looks like miriam is the front runner . confirming what i think i already
feel . It's only two possible negatives are that people may perceive it as jewish which i think i can handle and the fact that one of it's meanings maybe living with bitterness but the alternative meaning of wished for child is lovely .
now we just have to think of two mns

OP posts:
Seminyak · 04/04/2014 19:45

Love the nn Miri :)