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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Opinions on Madeline please!

37 replies

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 17:28

As the title suggests!

We will go with the above spelling (to honour family member) so not looking to spark a debate on that necessarily. But how about the 'trendiness' of it? Is it very very popular (I don't know many children so impossible for me to gauge).

Do you instantly think 'McCann'? I personally think it would be ridiculous to never call a girl Madeline ever again because of that... But we've had a few people say 'are you sure??'

Basically... Do you like it?

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thecaroline · 22/09/2014 22:59

re: whoever said Americans pronounce it like Caroline

The vast majority of Americans, in my experience, pronounce it like Madelyn. It kind of ruins the name, IMO, but it's hard to make MAD-el-enne work in an American accent.

DessieLou · 22/09/2014 22:02

I have a Madeleine. I love it! I don't know of any others and have only had great comments in RL. She sometimes gets Maddie, mainly from other people which I don't mind, but is usually Madeleine. She has been called Madison a couple times which really wound me up!

Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 22/09/2014 21:06

It's funny how Madeleine's name strikes a chord with people but Sarah, Jamie, Hollie, Jessica, Shannon etc etc (the list is shockingly long ) don't get the same response when discussing those names.

Infact, I've been discussing nanes for a while with F&F asking Madeline, Jessica or Maisie? (BIG mistake!!!) Most people slated Maisie for being too cute, Madeline has provoked quite a few 'it's lovely bit it makes me think McCann' (from people who don't know my family history) but Jessica gets a generally positive response. No one ever mentions Jessica Chapman.

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Madlett · 22/09/2014 20:45

We've got a Madeleine. I was pregnant when Madeleine McCann went missing. It was my favourite name and we really deliberated over still using it. I asked one of my friends and she said its a name surrounded by love. My mum was totally against it but I am so pleased we picked it and she loves it now too.

Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 22/09/2014 20:25

Aw that's lovely, lots of positive first hand experiences of Madeline/Madeleine :)

My name has 2 possible pronunciations. I'm so used to people getting it wrong I hardly notice. Teachers were the worst! Most people ask which way round I say it and I say 'well I pronounce it like this but don't worry, it doesn't matter' (it really doesn't bother me) and then they always get it right after that. About 3 famous people have my name, one of whom is in the media constantly, they all pronounce it my way (mine is spelt the traditional way too)... in fact I've never met a single person who pronounced it the other way... But people still get confused! Again, it's a French origin name so I've had plenty of training and the best thing is not to get shirty about it.

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clairemiss79 · 22/09/2014 16:33

...and we have had no probs at all with spelling pronunciation or nicknames. Everyone has always called her Madeleine even her school friends :)

clairemiss79 · 22/09/2014 16:31

Madeline is a beautiful name. I have a Madeleine who is nearly 5 and i thought about the mccann thing when i named her but only briefly because the child owns the name iyswim. It makes absolutely no difference. Mine doesnt get maddie just Madeleine and we get so many compliments on it. Go for madeline :)

Mitchy1nge · 21/09/2014 22:58

I have a (much older than Madeline McCann) Madeline (pronounced mad-uh-line, as in the north american version or the Ludwig Bemelman stories) and everyone who doesn't know her calls her Madalyn which makes me wince or Madeleine which isn't so bad or just Maddy of course. It's the sort of name that everyone knows has a range of spelling (and pronunciation) options, like Elena and Helena or Jacqueline/Jaclyn so they simply ask. Her middle name accidentally completes her name to that of a Sicilian almost-saint but I can't see her going the same way.

We actually call her by a completely unrelated nickname 98% of the time.

wildernessagogo · 21/09/2014 22:43

Lots of them about but I love it - timeless, works at all ages. Lovely that it has a family importance too.

beavington · 21/09/2014 22:41

I love it and wanted it for my dd but dp didnt like the mccann association. Which i think is silly as millie is such a popular name at the moment. Plus he shares his name with a vile serial killer which he hadnt even registered. For some reason madeline has a bigger impact on people associating it.

I knew that mccann would be on tip of peoples tongues on maybe first visit but it would pass and dc would make it her own. As im sure yours will

Noappointmentnecessary · 21/09/2014 22:38

I love it

Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 22:26

Thankyou for your opinions and experiences with Madeline, I really think I'm sold on it now! And I feel prepared for the potential issues with spelling, pronunciations and nick names!

:) Yay!!

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pebblestack · 21/09/2014 22:17

Lovely name. I wouldn't shorten it, but her friends might

neffi · 21/09/2014 22:13

I have a Madeleine, shortened to Maddie before she had a say in the matter and Maddy when she did. No horrid nicknames from school that I know of, and no McCann references ever.

I love it, obviously, I think it's a strong elegant name. But be prepared for everyone to have a different spelling...

KatieKaye · 21/09/2014 22:06

thank you, bellyrub!
I do think very positively of the name in connection with my late aunt, who totally was a Madeleine. And never shortened to Maddie.

TeaAndALemonTart · 21/09/2014 20:26

All the ones I know get called Maddy which I really don't like.

AndHarry · 21/09/2014 20:25

I think many people will add a mental 'McCann' first time round but afterwards will think of your baby DD. Lovely name. She will constantly have to correct the spelling though.

Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 19:36

I've only it's discovered the books! And he does consistently rhyme her name with 'ine' words! Bit of a shame really... Ah well! Poetic licence!

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Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 19:34

The old Madeline in my family was madde-lyn so I'd never pronounce it any other way. But I've heard of others say 'madde-line' and 'madde-lane'.

I suppose in this case it's madde-lyn like Catherine is Cather-yn not Cather-ine

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Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 19:29

I guess kids will use anything as ammunition for micky taking. If it's not that, it would be something else. (You can't have had very much else for them to take the mick out of!!)

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MollyBdenum · 21/09/2014 19:27

With that spelling, I would assume a pronunciation of to rhyme with shine, like in the picture books. The books are lovely, though, so that isn't a bad thing.

SquattingNeville · 21/09/2014 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KatieKaye · 21/09/2014 19:22

None of those "jokes" were from family but from other people discovering my name at school, at work etc. it was especially bad when I was a kid as other hidden found it a hilarious name and invariably made the "mad" connection. Adults were mostly fine but kids can be brutal. I don't know if my aunt went through the same thing

pilates · 21/09/2014 19:13

Pretty name.

Original poster

Bellyrub1980 · 21/09/2014 19:12

It would never even occur to me to make a joke about 'Mad Madeline'....! But then I (and my friends/family) tend not to make jokes about mental illness full stop. So doubt we would encounter that very often. Especially not from anyone that matters.

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