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Original poster

Joanne

39 replies

littlejolee · 24/03/2016 10:39

Not expecting but have a DS, was talking to dp about what name we would choose if we ever did have a girl, he suggested Joanne, thoughts?

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Raahh · 25/03/2016 20:18

little- you sound exactly like me - only I started university in 1990ShockGrin

Original poster
littlejolee · 25/03/2016 19:34

Well I certainly wasn't the sporty popular one if that helps! I'm a 90s baby (90) and I was the short specky bookworm with no mates doing maths with the year above (I hated maths, I still do)

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AuntieStella · 25/03/2016 19:14

"For some reason, Joanne was the cool girl at school who always played centre in the netball team and all the boys fancied, and who I never liked"

I had one of those too, and she never liked me either! I think there might have been a Joanne like that in every girlies school in the 1970s.

And it's one of the reasons why I prefer Joanna.

Roussette · 25/03/2016 19:07

Really?! Margot this is why I love MN, you learn something new all the time (promise am not being facetious! Smile)

MamaLazarou · 25/03/2016 18:39

It sounds very dated to my Seventies-born ears!

MargotLovedTom · 25/03/2016 18:09

Ha Rousette I knew who you meant with that one. I don't know whether it was perhaps more of a 'w/c northern' tradition in this country.

TheFace · 25/03/2016 12:11

I'm Joanna, born mid 80s and I second the constant having to tell people it's with an A not an E. It's sounds so silly but Joanne isn't my name. So everyone just calls me Jo, and I go by Joanna in formal situations.

Also, I'm not sure how relevant this would be to where you live, but I am cockney born and Joanna is rhyming slag for a 'Piano'. All though primary and secondary I would get 'Joanna the piano'. I hate pianos now.

Roussette · 25/03/2016 11:07

Did it Margot? Didn't know that, thought that was just in the US with for instance "Thomas Cruise Mapother IV". (Tom Cruise that is. I'm a mine of useless information Smile)

Secondtimeround75 · 25/03/2016 09:23

I really like Joanne

I had a boy Joe first so couldn't use it for dd

I love Jeanne too

MargotLovedTom · 25/03/2016 09:17

X post. My brother is named after my dad, my uncle is named after my grandad, DH's cousin is named after his father. I don't see it as anything unusual bit it is a tradition that seems to by dying out, especially as boys these days have 'grandad' names rather than the Steve, Dave, Graham, Martin etc that their dads are called.

MargotLovedTom · 25/03/2016 09:13

Rousette - used to be quite the norm to name a child after the parent (generally on the male side).

Original poster
littlejolee · 25/03/2016 09:13

I'm glad you've all said no, I wasn't keen on the idea either, DS isn't named after dp. So that's deffo off the list and I can show him this thread to prove its as bad an idea as I thought it was :)(But my cousin is named after my uncle and even as a kid I thought it was a bitHmm)

OP posts:
pilates · 25/03/2016 08:26

Dislike, it has a 70's feel to it.

Roussette · 25/03/2016 08:18

Love Joanna.

But no idea why you would name a child after yourself. Imagine the problems with post. Hard to imagine at this stage I know, but it will be a problem in the future.

crapfatbanana · 25/03/2016 08:04

My best friend from school was (still is) Joanne. She mostly gets called Jo. We are late thirties. My aunt (mid 50s) is also Joanne, sometimes shortened to Jo.

Joanna/Johanna are both lovely, but I like Joanne too.

What about Joan/Joni? Joely/Jolie?

WellErrr · 25/03/2016 08:00

Even worse then!! I've NEVER understood why people name their children after themselves.
It just seems really odd and narcissistic to me. Sorry.

Original poster
littlejolee · 25/03/2016 07:25

Guess it's a no to Joanne then! He only suggested it because it's my name. (I take no offence to everyone saying no BTW, I don't dislike Mt name but I'm not a massive fan) :)

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KnockMeDown · 25/03/2016 06:29

Joanne is the worst name ever Grin

I say that as a Joanna, who was constantly and infuriatingly called Joanne through childhood, until I changed to just Jo when I went to sixth form college, just to avoid the problem.

Now many 30 years later it still grates. Just the other day I was called to an appointment as Joanne, when my notes clearly stated Joanna. I had to correct them through gritted teeth Angry

smartyclogs · 25/03/2016 06:21

I like it, along with Rachael and Emma (which are also 70s/80s names yet seem to be quite popular at the mo)
Never had a problem spelling Joanne.

Narp · 25/03/2016 05:35

I am 46 and Joanne was one of the most common names when I was at school.

I quite like it, but I prefer Joanna

Raahh · 25/03/2016 00:28

I'm a Joanne- I am 44, and at one point there were 5 of us in one language class. I have never liked my my name. And it sounds awful in a nasal Mancunian accent (which is where I'm from)

I've never known anyone spell it wrong.

But, I much prefer to be 'Jo' (I hate Joanna, was plagued by the Scott Walker song as a child).

And I'm really lovely- but knew some really mean Joanna's Grin

nectarini1983 · 24/03/2016 19:38

Prefer Joanna to Joanne but agree that it does sound very 80s.

Jade1212 · 24/03/2016 14:37

The only thing to be wary of is that it will never ever be spelt correctly! Joanne, Joann, Jo-Anne, Jo-Ann, Jo-An, Jo Anne, Jo Ann (I've seen all of these for the Joanne in my life!)

Wafflenose · 24/03/2016 14:33

I know a lovely one who is 12.

mrsschu · 24/03/2016 14:19

Joanne is dreadfully dated and not due a revival IMO! Joanna is marginally better but not much. I was born in the early 80's and went to school with a number of Joanne's/Joanna's, all of them were horrible incidentally.