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

Shakespearean name - Desdemona?

89 replies

TitusAndromedon234 · 19/07/2018 14:29

We already have a 3 year old Hermione, and are expecting baby number 2, which we've just found out is another girl.

We'd like to use a Shakespearean name for dc2. I love Desdemona, and think the nn Desi is very cute.
However, we're not sure if it's a bit out there - Hermione is now also associated with Harry Potter, which normalises it a bit, but Desdemona doesn't really have any other connotations than the Shakespeare one.

Also on our shortlist are Isabella (but think it's a little too popular), Rosalind and Viola.

I like Imogen and Emilia, but don't think I can use either, as dd1's nickname is Mimi, so Imi/Millie would be too similar.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
AsleepAllDay · 21/07/2018 09:53

Hero & Ariel Thanks

GreenHatHacker · 21/07/2018 09:47

patricia I had 'Desda, Desda, Desdamona!' going through my brain all the way through this thread too!

TheBitchOfTheVicar · 21/07/2018 08:50

Beatrice!

BertrandRussell · 21/07/2018 08:36

Rosalind

SchadenfreudePersonified · 21/07/2018 00:53

Or Regan

PatriciaHolm · 20/07/2018 22:38

Am I the only one who immediately thought of the song from Fame?!

tararabumdeay · 20/07/2018 22:29

Ariel? Played by women and men. A beautiful loyal spirit, much like Puck, but more ethereal and self determined.

FogCutter · 20/07/2018 22:18

Absulove Rosalind and Cordelia

saratustra · 20/07/2018 22:14

My daughter is named Cordelia, and I only know the Shakespearean reference. Strong willed, misunderstood but morally superior :)

I liked Ophelia but I didn't want the suicide reference

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 20/07/2018 22:09

Nobody's mentioned Paulina.

MrsBartlettforthewin · 20/07/2018 22:08

Call her Hero or Beatrice love that play and happy endings all round. Desdemona has too sad an ending for my liking same with Ophelia.

SoftSheen · 20/07/2018 22:07

Desdemona sounds ugly and clunky to my ear.

Isabella and Emilia are lovely, but very popular.

Viola is beautiful and a bit more unusual.

'Hermione and Viola' sounds nice.

Aozora13 · 20/07/2018 22:04

Hmm if I hadn’t heard it before I’d say it was a pretty name, but too much of a tragic association for me. Not Shakespearean but what about Demelza?

SchadenfreudePersonified · 20/07/2018 22:04

Nothing wrong with Titania if you want your daughter to have a nickname more closely associated with "Swallows and Amazons".

Syfychannel · 20/07/2018 22:03

Whats the problem with Titania?

Perdiesmum · 20/07/2018 22:02

I have a Perdita. I love the name, obviously, but reckon it's a bit much to use it when you have a Hermione already (given that H was P's mum in the play).

Olivia, Juliet, Miranda, Beatrice and Hero get my vote.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 20/07/2018 22:00

Beatrice
Viola
Juliet
Portia
Bianca

er . . NOT Titania . . .

raisedbyguineapigs · 20/07/2018 21:53

Is it Portia? Grin I love Portia, but it put me off naming a girl Portia because I thought people would think it was spelt like the car. I still love it though. Its beautiful.
Desdemona is by far the worst Shakesperean girls names- both the name and the unfortunate fate of the character. I think even Mona is asking for decades of being taken the piss out of 'Mona the Moaner'

heateallthebuns · 20/07/2018 20:41

I have one of the Shakespeare names people are suggesting. I know other people think it's a nice name, but I've always been a bit self conscious of it being a bit posh. Also people can't spell or pronounce it, which is annoying.

thethoughtfox · 20/07/2018 20:14

All your other suggestions are better.

daisypond · 20/07/2018 18:52

I don't like it. I think it sounds clunky, the meaning is not good and the character doesn't have a happy time of things. There are better Shakespeare names. Katharina - Taming of the Shrew - has that been mentioned?

RoseMartha · 20/07/2018 08:44

Miranda or Helena or Rosalind

MariaMadita · 20/07/2018 08:27

The literary association isn't the best but that probably wouldn't put me off a name I loved.

But it just isn't a nice name imo.
It actually sound rather demonic...

I like the nn Mona.

AjasLipstick · 20/07/2018 08:18

"Desda" sounds awful!

Marcipex · 20/07/2018 08:06

Desda is a gorgeous nn for Desdemona. It is a tragic story though. Hmmm. Dunno if I would use it or not.

Swipe left for the next trending thread