Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Kate- classic or 'meh'?

66 replies

spring1bee · 30/12/2015 23:31

I posted a few weeks ago about the name Mary-Kate which I really love but DH isn't as keen and much prefers Kate on it's own. I do think its lovely but is it a bit bland? I'm not particularly keen on longer versions such as Katherine or Katerina. And how many little Kate's do you know?

Thanks in advance :)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
woollytights · 19/01/2016 20:04

I'd bet 90% of you lot gushing about it are called Kate Wink

It's aright. As an unbiased person, it's very ordinary

ollieplimsoles · 19/01/2016 17:42

I love Kate,

Its says sophistication and femininity to me, a classic for sure

ShelaghTurner · 19/01/2016 17:39

Kate is lovely and classic. And I love Mary Kate,
Or indeed any name Mary X. Mary is beautiful and underused.

Mclaren37 · 17/01/2016 13:47

If you love Cate with a C then definitely go for it. It's a great stand-alone name. (Think Cate Blanchet, a great name-sake!)

Tbh I've always thought of Kate as a bit 'meh' - am in my 30's and there were 11 in my school year and I lived with FOUR Kate's in a house at uni. These days I know so many they are all 'Kate B' and 'Kate M' etc! But I guess it's just a generational/ over-use thing as everyone on here seems to love it, and it is a lovely classic name. Love Cate more though!

Want2bSupermum · 16/01/2016 18:57

Mary Kate in the Ny Metro area is not trailer trash. I know 3 mothers with this name. All have been to Ivy League schools and are highly respected professionals in their fields.

I like Kate but as others have said I prefer using the name as a nn with the full name of Catherine or Katherine.

mrtwitsglasseye · 16/01/2016 18:52

Longer version is a very bad idea. Too much confusion.

mrtwitsglasseye · 16/01/2016 18:51

It's my name. It's ok. So many on my generation.

Mary-Kate is awful.

jezzathebezza · 15/01/2016 11:14

MEH to me, completely, if I heard "OH Kate's coming" and didn't know her, id assume average looking, standard play it safe dress sense, just middle of the road. Its not offensive or chavy at all, but just so standard and middle of the road. I know 10s of Kate's.

maggiethemagpie · 15/01/2016 11:07

Kate= Meh
Catherine is more classic.

Sleepingtom · 14/01/2016 19:22

Cate is lovely (possibly biased Wink). Go for it. The merchandise thing just means less opportunity to be conned into buying tat!

Augustwedding · 04/01/2016 19:47

I love the babe Kate. If we have a girl next she will be Kate Isabelle rose.

PennyHasNoSurname · 04/01/2016 19:46

Kate is perfect. It was on my list for DC2 (DD1 is Meg) but in the end DC2 was a boy. He didnt much look like a Kate.

Ive since found out my best friend is wanting Kate for her DC2 so thats worked out well Grin and will go beautifully with her DD1s name.

Classic.

No need for a longer version.

Original poster
spring1bee · 04/01/2016 19:44

thanks everyone for all the responses :) We have decided she'll definitely be Kate but I really love the Cate spelling- I know though that it will be a pain for her to constantly tell people "Cate with a C" and merchandise will probably always have a Kate but never a Cate which would be annoying

OP posts:
carabos · 02/01/2016 20:21

I like Kate, but not Katie. Kate to me is an adventurous, bold, fearless type of girl - her friend or sister is similar and she's called Tess.

CheerfulYank · 02/01/2016 17:44

I call myself white trash but Senneca is right.

RVPisnomore · 02/01/2016 14:13

Sorry but I don't like either name. However, I dislike many names like Kate/Katy/Katie/Eve/Evie etc.

froggyjump · 02/01/2016 14:02

Kate is great, was our girls name for DC 1 but he ended up being a boy.

AmysTiara · 02/01/2016 13:51

It's pretty bland to me sorry. It's better than Katherine though. That's an awful sounding name.

stopitcaroline · 02/01/2016 13:45

Yeah, I agree. I'm guilty of sometimes using the expression "white trash," but I am self aware enough to hate myself a little afterwards. It's really pretty bad. I should just stick to redneck, which might also be offensive but is at least being reclaimed.

neonrainbow · 02/01/2016 13:05

Why is senneca being accused of being on a high horse? Calling someone trailer trash because of their name is bloody horrible and more people should challenge statements like that on this board in particular cos there's some right nasty snobbery goes on!

bookbook · 02/01/2016 10:46

My 27 year old DD is a Kate - . Her only annoyance is people calling her Katie, which she hates!

MrsLeighHalfpenny · 02/01/2016 10:42

FFS Senneca! Is it cold up there on your high horse?

aoife24 · 02/01/2016 04:50

White trailer-trash, good lord.

CheerfulYank · 02/01/2016 04:31

I did that too Weegie. My DD is Margaret Rose and I think it's nice that she'll be able to choose from a variety of nn if she wants. I thought about Maisie for a bit but she is Maggie for now or, if you ask her, "Maggie Wose". :)

CwtchMeQuick · 01/01/2016 17:39

I'm a kate, short for kathryn. I love my name. I'm in my twenties, everyone called me Katie as a child but I've switched to kate now.
If I wasnt a kate and had a daughter, I love Caitlin nn Cate