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Baby names

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Original poster

Is Arrietty a daft name?

96 replies

Quasilulu · 05/05/2016 01:06

I've fallen in love with it. Knock some sense into me please!

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StarkyTheDirewolf · 06/05/2016 00:06

*Never occurred to me

StarkyTheDirewolf · 06/05/2016 00:06

I know an Arietty, nn Ari. Grown woman, occurred to me it wasn't a "real" name.

MerryMarigold · 05/05/2016 19:52

Etty is a very cute name for a little girl.

Arietty is not a very nice name for a 40 year old accountant.

1horatio · 05/05/2016 18:25

It could be a cute nn. Maybe for a Harriet, Henriette or even Henrietta?

Pinkangel23 · 05/05/2016 18:16

Ariette maybe? We know one, always thought it was pretty.

Footle · 05/05/2016 18:11

Pod=Bob, Homily=Emily , I've always supposed. There's also Uncle Hendreary and some other good ones.

angstybaby · 05/05/2016 15:44

why not? if you like it, then use it.

I would't think it was Harriet - I thought of Ariella from Tree Fu Tom! I presume it's pronounced - Arri-etty, not Arriet (to rhyme with Harriet) so why would people think of Harriet?! Am I being dense?!

DontKillMyVibe · 05/05/2016 15:40

I like it and it's on my list for DD. I asked for opinions on it on here before and another poster suggested Arletty as an alternative which I also love.

Unfortunately DP hates both Grin

Joinourclub · 05/05/2016 15:39

I love it.

TickleMyTeacakes · 05/05/2016 15:36

The Borrowers always annoyed me. Creepy little people sneaking out at night to steal stuff.

whatevva · 05/05/2016 15:34

There was a very successful Japanese anime film of that name, based loosely on the borrowers story. I expect it is very popular amongst anime lovers.

Somerville · 05/05/2016 15:30

Asking -

Pod's full name is Pod Clock. His character traits and skill set always led me to believe that his name was a mis-hearing of padlock. (He is over-protective of Arietty, and he's the only borrower who knows how to open all the gates between their home and the big house.)

A homily is a lecture/sermon, so Mary Norton came up with her name on a day she was feeling less subtle Grin

Alisvolatpropiis · 05/05/2016 15:24

I wouldn't.

Wendy existed as a name before JM Barry used it for Peter Pan, he possibly introduced the idea of Wendy being a girls first name, but it existed as a surname beforehand.

AskingForAPal · 05/05/2016 15:15

I don't get what Pod and Homily are supposed to be in terms of mishearings of names.

This is reminding me of the hens in The Fox Busters who are named after the names on bits and bobs round the farm. IIRC the cockerel was called Massey Ferguson.

AskingForAPal · 05/05/2016 15:13

I think people are a bit potty for being SO anti naming your child after someone in a book, when the name is nice.

albertcampionscat · 05/05/2016 15:12

Terrible name. Lovely nickname for a Harriet, which is a nice name, and which can also carry Etty as a nickname.

Somerville · 05/05/2016 15:11

Like Sassy said, the Borrowers misheard 'human bean' names. So Mary Norton made it up to sound wrong. Which is why, to me, it sounds wrong!

squoosh · 05/05/2016 15:04

Don't do it.

Original poster
Quasilulu · 05/05/2016 15:02

Wow very mixed opinions! Blight her life? She'll almost certainly hate it?! Think that's a tad over the top! And to the pp who said she's not a puppy the dog next door is called Jonathan 😂 Thanks for the other suggestions. Ariadne makes me think of spiders and Harriet is a bit stuffy. We are "alternative" in a lot of people's eyes ( not ours) so loopy is fine! As I hear myself fiercely defend it I think I really love it. Etty for short.

OP posts:
NewLife4Me · 05/05/2016 14:48

Its definitely daft. borrowers name or not, sorry.

GoldPlatedBacon · 05/05/2016 14:41

My DP likes this and suggested it for our dd. He had never heard of the Borrowers. It's pretty but I didn't want to use it.

TickleMyTeacakes · 05/05/2016 12:39

Arietty sounds like it's being said by someone who drops their Hs.

'Arietty was 'aving an 'orrendous time in 'astings.'

AnnaMarlowe · 05/05/2016 12:36

Actually I think it's fine to use if you like it.

There are plenty of Wendy's out there.
She will have to explain it all her life but that's not necessarily a barrier - I have an unusual name myself and I'm quite happy to tell people where it comes from and spell it.

SecretlyChartreuse · 05/05/2016 12:32

Shakespeare did create Imogen. The medieval name was Innogen.

mountaintoclimb · 05/05/2016 12:26

Don't do it please. You can always use it as a nickname, so that you dc can decide whether she wants to use it permanently once she's old enough to decide.

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