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Baby names

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

Original poster

DH really wants to use his late mum's name...

133 replies

rosielea · 05/05/2014 10:10

Hello, I'm pregnant with DC3 at the moment, don't know if it's a boy or girl, we have 2 DDs already. My Dh's mum passed away 6 years ago, she was a lovely woman who he was very close with, I only knew her for a short time but I liked her very much.
He didn't suggest her name for our 2 DDs I think because he was still very sad about her death but this time he would really like to use her name. Her name was Maisie, well Mary but known only as Maisie. I think it's fine as a name, not ever what I would choose myself but I don't hate it.
I feel a bit sad that if I agree then all the fun of name choosing is over! And that I wouldn't get to use any of my preferred names but I can't decide if I'm just being petty and should agree as it means alot to him? What would you do?x

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expatinscotland · 05/05/2014 15:29

We have a lovely hamster called Frances.

expatinscotland · 05/05/2014 15:29

Mary is miles better than Frances. Sorry, I think,the middle name thing is a cop out. I really do.

Mrsindecision · 05/05/2014 15:23

Frances Mary
Alice Mary

Both lovely options IMO.

janie2 · 05/05/2014 15:20

I think Moira is a varient of Mary, would that be an option?

I like Alice Mary and really like the idea of having a middle name in honour of someone.

squoosh · 05/05/2014 15:14

Frances is gorgeous.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/05/2014 15:11

Frances Elizabeth is also lovely - but replacing Elizabeth with Maisie makes little difference and will make your dh happy, so if there's no massive emotional attachment to Elizabeth I'd go with Maisie without question, personally. Or use all three name if Elizabeth matters - tbh middle names are so rarely referred to that it won't matter a bit.

insancerre · 05/05/2014 15:08

I would use Mary as a middle name
Alice Mary sounds good

Original poster
rosielea · 05/05/2014 15:03

I'm not 100% on Robyn either Remus, thought I had it sorted with Frances Elizabeth!

OP posts:
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 05/05/2014 14:55

Frances Maisie is lovely.
Alice Maisie nice too.
Not fond of Robyn, but love Robin for a boy.

brokenhearted55a · 05/05/2014 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Heifer · 05/05/2014 13:33

As much as I love DH I would never have agreed to use a name as a 1st name unless I loved it too.. Middle name ok happy to compromise but definitely not 1st name.....

pilates · 05/05/2014 13:30

Alice Maisie sounds perfect to me.

MummyBeerest · 05/05/2014 13:19

Why not use Mary?

It still honours his mum (since it was her 'real' name) and is certainly more classic than cutesy.

VenusDeWillendorf · 05/05/2014 13:16

If Maisie is too cute to fit in to your other girls names it could cause resentment among the other girls later that they have 'straighter' names and then there's little Maisie.

I think GP and family names are better as middle names and new names should be chosen for new individuals.

There can be a lot of relict feeling that is tough to load on a child if their name reminds family members of people who are dead.

Also as its cute amid more adult sounding family names, it could infantilise your youngest, and that would be bad for her as she grows up.

I like Frances. Have fun picking your new babes name and use Maisie as a middle name.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 05/05/2014 13:15

PS I'd go for Maisie Robyn.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 05/05/2014 13:14

You don't know what gender DC3 is yet.

You could say he can have Maisie and you're picking the middle name but if it's a boy this time you will have first pick of his name and he can choose the middle name. So you get some fun.

alita7 · 05/05/2014 13:09

I think I would use Mary to avoid associating her completely with your MIL, but pick a middle name and you can call her by her middle name too if you like- some people use both interchangably, some people end up being called their middle name, my granny wasn't aware that she had been called by her middle name all of her life until she got married and saw her birth certificate!

saffronwblue · 05/05/2014 13:00

Frances Mary
Alice Maisy
Maisie Robyn

Lovely names!

schlafenfreude · 05/05/2014 12:56

I wouldn't tbh because I think names belong to the person who has/had them IYSWIM. But middle names in memory or after someone important are nice and certainly not an afterthought. Both our DC have middle names that mean a lot and we took as much care choosing them as we did their first names.

squoosh · 05/05/2014 12:53

'doing the right thing'.

I don't see it like that.

Original poster
rosielea · 05/05/2014 12:52

Thanks for all your replies! You've pretty much covered all the pro's and con's that I've thought of. It's just a tricky one, DH certainly isn't forcing the issue,I just know he'd really like to. My other daughter's names are a lot less 'cute', not that cute is bad, just not what we have gone for. Names I've been thinking of for this DC have been Frances, Alice, Robyn. Maybe Alice Maisie would be good.

OP posts:
HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 05/05/2014 12:50

Maisie is fine but it is all over the place now. Über popular.

I dare you to name her Maisie Daisy. Go on. Grin

wizzler · 05/05/2014 12:49

If it means so much to your DH, then I think you should call her Maisie.. its a lovely name, and as everyone has said, you can choose the middle name.

Then come on here an moan to use about the names you would have chosen, while doing the right thing at home

You can still have fun choosing a boys name, if you have DS

My DD has a middle name Joy, after my DM who is Joyce. DD loves the fact that they have the connection.( DM is still with us by the way Smile)

saffronwblue · 05/05/2014 12:49

I would use either Maisie or Mary as her first name. It will become DD's name with an extra layer on from her grandmother. It will be part of her own story and you will love it as your DD's name.

AlpacaYourThings · 05/05/2014 12:44

Not keen on Maisie. I agree with PP's, suggest Maisie/Mary is used as a middle name.

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