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Baby names

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

Original poster

Thoughts on Hebe?

62 replies

Pinkjellyfish · 09/03/2019 00:19

This has been my favourite girls’ name for a while but would love to hear your opinions! I’m hesitant because I suspect a lot of my family and friends wouldn’t be huge fans. I originally read it in a novel but it’s apparently the name of the Greek goddess of youth (and a shrub Grin)

Would people confuse it with Phoebe?

Does anyone know a Hebe?

Any similar names I might like?

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Sessy19 · 09/03/2019 06:32

And my sister is good friends with a Hebe, who’s a little fox! 😊

Sessy19 · 09/03/2019 06:31

I love Hebe!!

It’s so much more sophisticated and interesting than Phoebe....which I’ve always though a bit ‘peewee, weewee’!! But that’s actually because I know one who frequently pisses her pants!! 😂😂😂

BrizzleMint · 09/03/2019 06:07

I know a Hebe in her twenties, it's a good name.

Popskipiekin · 09/03/2019 06:00

I like it! What about Hesper or Xanthe to add to your list?

palomapear · 09/03/2019 05:34

We ha e one here

@hebemumsnet

I think it's a lovely name

UrsulaPandress · 09/03/2019 05:04

Love it and loved the Mary Wesley book. Always loved Calypso too.

17caterpillars1mouse · 09/03/2019 04:47

Love it

I've never met one but do know a Heba

PBobs · 09/03/2019 03:15

Sorry I don't like it. This is one of those examples of someone translating a Greek name into the Latin alphabet and totally changing it so it sounds weird to me. But then I watched half of the first Harry Potter film wondering who Hermione was as written down I read it as the Greek name - not the Latin translation. Again, totally different.

Mind you, works both ways. Part of my name has been written in the Greek alphabet and is a comedic mess as a result.

dreichuplands · 09/03/2019 03:15

I like it. Persephone was next on my dd list.

Dreamzcancometrue · 09/03/2019 03:07

I personally dont like it.

Susannach · 09/03/2019 02:57

I know a Hebe and I’ve never known her to have any problems with it (don’t know her that well, though).

I want to like it, but I’m afraid it reminds me of the heebie jeebies too.

WarpedGalaxy · 09/03/2019 02:03

I do like Hebe, so you get a vote from me. I like a lot of Greek mythology names, Thisbe and Calliope were both on my girls’ name list but I had boys so never got to use them.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 09/03/2019 01:58

It makes me think of hebephile, sorry, been on the Michael Jackson threads again.

Thebe is interesting (daughter of Prometheus). but people will think you cannot spell Phoebe

Original poster
Pinkjellyfish · 09/03/2019 01:39

Thanks Rumer, I really love Greek mythological names in particular!

Those are things to think about Saffrona

OP posts:
Saffrona · 09/03/2019 01:31

My thoughts are:

  1. I’ve met one girl of middle eastern descent called heba ( not hebe)
  2. I’ve see this name frequent birth announcements and it gives me higher class vibes.

However, I dislike the sound and I think it’s a bit too unusual that it will cause issues down the line with: pronounciation, spelling and constantly asking where she’s originally from.

RumerGodden · 09/03/2019 01:31

Also, we are terrible nick-namers, so Hebe lends itself v well to nicknames...

RumerGodden · 09/03/2019 01:30

Pink, we had Athene/Athena...which I loved, but it's quite severe, and she was definitely a daddy's girl, having sprung from his forehead! we could have got away with it, as we live in an area with lots of greeks, so had an Athene down the road from us...but she arrived and just felt like a Hebe.
Also had Freya on the list...I liked the stronger names, wanted a mythological one....but they seem to make the choice when you meet them, Athene didn't seem to fit..

Original poster
Pinkjellyfish · 09/03/2019 01:27

RumerGodden It’s good to hear from a Hebe mum! Actually I’ve read that in Greek mythology Hebe was particularly dedicated to her mother Grin Can I ask what other names you had on your list?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinkjellyfish · 09/03/2019 01:22

LostInTheColonies That’s lovely to say, thank you! I’ve seen it linked to Veronica in my research although I’m really not a fan either!

OP posts:
RumerGodden · 09/03/2019 01:10

And yes, we get the odd bit of confusion with Phoebe...

RumerGodden · 09/03/2019 01:10

Hebe is the goddess of youth...she used to serve at the table of the gods, but she had a nip-slip, so got demoted to harnessing peacocks to her mum's chariot (hera)...hence the name of the book...Harnessing Peacocks...I always thought Hebe in that was fabulous.....I loved that she was good at cooking and fucking so that's what she did for a living! And they made a charming movie out of it too...
It's also a hardy seaside botanical - usually purple or white flower....

and yes, pronounced like "Heebie Jeebies" - except in the middle east, where it is also pronounced "He-be with short e sound (like a shortened Hair buh...stress on first syllable.

My DD is Hebe so I might be biased!

LostInTheColonies · 09/03/2019 01:08

I suggested just this name on a board recently where the OP wasn't sure about Veronica (botanically linked but I'm not a botanist & don't know the details - same genus I think but botanically controversial or something). The name was not greeted with any enthusiasm... but you evidently have much better taste Wink . It's lovely, and classy IMHO.

chiarazuri · 09/03/2019 01:07

I think it's a nice and unique name as long as it's pronounced properly!

TheLuckDragon · 09/03/2019 01:00

There's a child called Hebe at the school I work at and my first thought when I heard her name was "heebie jeebies"

nocluenoidea · 09/03/2019 00:58

I know a boy called Hebe, and to be honest I've always thought it sounds like a disease 🙈

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