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Baby names

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

Original poster

Mary?

42 replies

akorda · 03/06/2015 19:35

Such a lovely, classic, soft-sounding name? Why has this not had a revival?

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FatSwan · 10/06/2015 02:43

I love the name Mary.

Because, as above, nearly everyone in my family is named it. Except me Sad

looki · 10/06/2015 01:25

I like it, it is a sweet, pretty, classic , solid and timeless name. I think people tend to like these sort of named (Mary/Jane/Elizabeth/Kate etc) or they don't.

NotAQueef · 09/06/2015 18:08

It's my mum's name and my middle name. Have never liked it. I think the meaning of it is "bitter" which isn't particularly nice

minandensommerhus · 08/06/2015 14:47

I don't think there are many Irish Marys under......fifty? I know one and she's 45. That's the youngest Mary I know.

owlborn · 08/06/2015 08:54

It's mine and DH's first choice for a daughter. We're not Irish, so maybe that's why we can go for it.

Buttwing · 05/06/2015 22:36

My daughters middle name and there are quite a few a dds (catholic) school. I love it.

HuftysTrain · 05/06/2015 19:02

It's one of those names...if I met a baby Mary, I would smile Smile

wesH · 05/06/2015 10:47

Mary is a fine name that I think could suit any girl of any age

reuset · 05/06/2015 10:45

It hasn't needed a revival I'd say because it hasn't ever disappeared into obscurity. Quick checking now it's in the 200s in the name charts, and that's pretty low for Mary

Love the name of course

Christelle2207 · 05/06/2015 08:07

I love it and it's due a revival I reckon. A baby I know born recently was named Mary.

ginzillas · 05/06/2015 07:20

It is a pretty name which is probably due a revival but does seem quite religious so maybe that's putting people off.

I have a Marianne and she's often called Maryann by accident which annoys me a bit as I see them as very different names.

Bue · 04/06/2015 21:40

It's the runner up on our girl list. I absolutely love it.

Bellebella · 04/06/2015 17:47

I do really like the name Mary, but it is an old name. Both my nan and my partner's nan are called Mary. My nan was called Mary because her Irish grandmother was called Mary and the whole family is Irish. My mum, sister and neice also have Mary as a middle name so the family is full of Mary's so I dount I will ever use it.

mapmyface · 04/06/2015 17:47

I regretted it as soon as we got home from registering her birth. She gets called mare a lot, I think I was worried her middle name was becoming popular so didn't choose it but it hasn't

Timetoask · 04/06/2015 17:45

I love Mary Rose.

squoosh · 04/06/2015 17:44

What's made you regret it map?

Cosmonautarian · 04/06/2015 17:43

Beautiful name.

mapmyface · 04/06/2015 17:43

I have a 5yr old Mary.
I regret calling her this and wish I'd agreed to her middle name as her first name like dh wanted

minandensommerhus · 04/06/2015 17:39

Mary Queen of Scots! My Grandmother was not named after the virgin Mary, she was born in about 1898 and she was named for Mary Queen of Scotland.

I agree, names like Anna and Jane and Mary are refreshing again. So many Lucias and Amelias and Isabellas and Sophias, and they are beautiful names of course but Jane and Mary are 'stand out' names now. Well, to me they are. I also like Ruth. Not to everybody's taste but I like it.

minandensommerhus · 04/06/2015 17:03

I really like it. My Grandmother was a Mary and a few people suggested Molly to me. No offence to others who feel differently but I dislike the wishwashy feel of Molly and I like the substance (both regal, and Christian) to Mary.

CakeRattleandRoll · 04/06/2015 17:00

Love it and would have chosen it for DD, but was too sing-song with our surname. Also love Miriam but DH vetoed.

momb · 04/06/2015 14:00

One of my DDs is named Mary. In a school year of Molly, Phoebe, Milly etc it was resonantly similar, easy to spell, but unusual (English) so ticked all our boxes.
I did think that it sounds like the name the girl with the headband from the test-card would have...DD is definitely not like that!

makesomenoise · 04/06/2015 13:56

Round here it's a term used for your fanjo.

squoosh · 04/06/2015 11:09

Yep, it's my middle name and the middle name of 90% of my female Irish friends. I've just looked it up though and apparently it was the 81st most popular girls name in Ireland in 2013.

I'm surprised at that.

Evanna13 · 04/06/2015 11:05

It is a nice name, plain and simple like Ann or Jane.

In Ireland almost half of women over 50 are called Mary and everyone has an auntie Mary so I think many people associate it as a name for an older person. It is my middle name and I think a lot of people in my generation have it as a middle name.

The religious background to the name is likely to turn a lot of people off also.

I think it is a lovely sounding name, but personally for the reasons above and also because there are so many names I prefer I would not choose it as a first name if I had a daughter. Perhaps as a middle name...

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