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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Mary-Kate

38 replies

PaulaHollywood · 31/10/2016 00:25

I know a lot of people will immediately think "and Ashley" but to be honest that doesn't really bother me. I don't think of the Olsen twins in any negative way and it's not like anyone of DD's generation will know who they are.

So what are some honest opinions? I have a feeling it won't be popular on here! But I've loved it since I was young and it's always sort of stuck in my head. My other 2 favourite names are Emilia and Emma, but part of me thinks that if I chose either of them it would deep down be because I was anxious of what people would think of Mary-Kate and not want the negativity from it.

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EsmesBees · 02/11/2016 06:39

I just finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle and the main character is called Mary-Kate nick named Merricat which I thought was cute (not that she's a character you'd want to name your daughter after...)

NoSunNoMoon · 02/11/2016 05:36

Even with a hyphen most people, including her friends, will call her Mary. I have a hyphenated cousin who was only ever called her full name by her parents. Everyone else used the first name.

AppleJac · 02/11/2016 05:19

I know a few children with a double barrelled first name and they are never called the full name.

Even the parents register them with a Hyphen and straightaway never say the names together

crje · 02/11/2016 04:16

We didn't use a hyphen and you are right, the name didn't stick & she is now known as the first name only.

LucyBabs · 02/11/2016 02:39

Also my dds name is xxx May not Mae.. She is named after my Nana. Where did this Mae come from?

LucyBabs · 02/11/2016 02:36

Mary No! Kate yes
How do you pronounce Emilia? Em a lia? I know an Emmy..quite like it after hearing it a few times..

Sprink · 02/11/2016 02:32

*Yesterday 08:09 TheCatsBiscuits

Mary-Kate Danaher is a character in John Ford's film, The Quiet Man, played by Maureen O'Hara - feisty and beautiful! It was my granda's favourite film, and Mary-Kate was on my list for a girl.*

O'Hara was glorious in that film. So proud. So vulnerable.

Mary-Kate is lovely (and, yes, very Catholic sounding, with her sisters Mary-Pat, Mary-Jo, and Bernadette).

Pemba · 02/11/2016 02:13

Actually that book is called 'Meet Mary Kate'. No hyphen.

www.amazon.co.uk/Meet-Mary-Kate-Puffin-Books/dp/0140302468/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478052590&sr=1-2&keywords=Meet+Mary+Kate

And I think the character is called Mary Kate throughout, not just Mary. It's like, eg, Sally Ann. That's not usually hyphenated.

JudgeJudySheidlin · 01/11/2016 22:35

Your baby so your choice. It's irrelevant what us lot think TBH but as you've asked, I'm not over keen on hyphenated first names. I like Mary & Kate; however Emilia & Emma are prettier names. Unfortunately they're both very popular & that may bother you. I have a DS with an ultra popular name but because I adore the name it really doesn't bother me.

littlepeas · 01/11/2016 22:19

I really like Mary-Kate. I also like Marie-Claire. I don't like hyphens if they are two random names bunged together with a hyphen, but some hyphenated names are quite classic.

user1472334322 · 01/11/2016 22:06

I like the sound of Emilia Kate and Emma Kate also. I don't mind Mary-Kate even with the hyphen but prefer Mary Katherine. Good luck choosing!

hoddtastic · 01/11/2016 19:20

lovely. Mary Ellen is also great.

Clawdy · 01/11/2016 18:39

There is a delightful children's book published some years ago - "Meet Mary-Kate" , by Helen Morgan and with lovely illustrations by Shirley Hughes. That was my first thought when I saw this thread!

NavyandWhite · 01/11/2016 12:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

devilinmyshoes · 01/11/2016 08:31

It's a great name! The French seem to cope just fine with hyphenated names. Like your friend Laura I ended being known by the first part only, even though mine are squished together but that's fine because the whole thing has about a million syllables unlike Mary-Kate which is lovely.

TheCatsBiscuits · 01/11/2016 08:09

Mary-Kate Danaher is a character in John Ford's film, The Quiet Man, played by Maureen O'Hara - feisty and beautiful! It was my granda's favourite film, and Mary-Kate was on my list for a girl.

Original poster

PaulaHollywood · 01/11/2016 08:03

thanks everyone
I'm not usually keen on hyphenated names either. I just worry that if I don't use the hyphen, people will just assume she is Mary. I went to school with a Laura May which was her full first name. When she first joined that is how she introduced herself but since there was no hyphen a lot of people seemed to forget and teachers etc would see her name and assume she was "just" Laura. Since she was new I think she was too shy to keep correcting people. So at school she was always Laura. It wasn't until I was invited to her house one day that I realised that Laura May was actually her full first name!

Some hyphen names don't seem to bother me as much. I know two ladies called Anna-Lisa and I've never really given the hyphen a second though. To be blunt (and sorry if it offends anyone), it's the -Rose, -Mae, -Grace that I'm not keen on.. I think Mary-Kate has a slightly different feel to those names but I'm sure that's my own personal bias.

I definitely have to think about it a bit more! Thanks for all the input :)

OP posts:

Oysterbabe · 31/10/2016 17:07

Mary is nice. Can't stand hyphenated first names.

devilinmyshoes · 31/10/2016 15:24

I've grown to love compound names (like Marie-Claire, Annalisa, Rosangela) maybe because I have one. They offer a bit of versatility at least!

Jojo13 · 31/10/2016 15:18

I massively don't like hyphenated names, so not a fan. Love the name Mary on its own though.
I wouldn't have given the Olsen twins a thought to be honest though which is I think your main reason for asking..

Sophronia · 31/10/2016 13:50

I like it, but I'd use it without the hyphen, or short for Mary Katherine

TrumpsFluffyHair · 31/10/2016 13:10

It's very American Catholic.

roseteapot101 · 31/10/2016 10:56

it could be worst my mother almost called my sister sister mary jane before she realised its a drug nickname .I think its fairly nice but here is the name meaning it means the child you wish for,rebellion and bitter the name kate means to be pure

eyebrowsonfleek · 31/10/2016 10:46

Mary-Kate and Ashley movies are great for sleepovers for 8 ish year olds.

The Olsen connotation is not a problem. They were cute child actors and are now willowy fashion designers like Victoria Beckham. Not a negative vibe at all.

I think that the name is a great combination of unusual and classical. Only avoid if Ashley is a middle name or surname.Otherwise very classy.

badtime · 31/10/2016 10:39

I think people called Mary-Kate would traditionally have been called Mary Katherine/Catherine etc, but called the double name to differentiate them from all the other people called Mary (when it was a very popular name). Would you consider doing that, but call her Mary-Kate?

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