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Baby names

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

Original poster

Ethel

87 replies

Moonbea · 30/04/2019 18:43

What do you think of the name Ethel?

Is it too old fashioned?

What middle name would go with it?

Opinions and ideas please.

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pearldeodorant · 30/04/2019 22:37

Sorry Ethel Hallow came to mind for me too. I really really wouldn't burden a child with it

ArgusFilchsCat · 30/04/2019 21:59

My gran was came Ethel and she warned me never to caall my DC after her! Grin

LadyGAgain · 30/04/2019 21:14

Awful and terribly ugly.

pasbeaucoupdegendarme · 30/04/2019 20:49

Ethel Hallow in The Worst Witch. Ugh.

(Mind you, I wouldn’t go for Mildred or Maud, either.)

Oly4 · 30/04/2019 20:45

It’s horrible!

BananaDaiquiri · 30/04/2019 20:44

I dislike it. Sorry. I know it's super trendy at the moment, and there are other "old lady" names I like such as Mabel, but Ethel is not for me.

Creatureofthenight · 30/04/2019 20:39

Very old fashioned and I dislike the sound.

PlatypusLeague · 30/04/2019 20:33

I don't mind it, having met a perfectly nice Ethel quite recently (and no, she isn't old).

MissParple · 30/04/2019 20:22

Is Ethel really considered a classic name?

Merename · 30/04/2019 20:21

I ADORE Ethel. DH wouldn’t let me, otherwise I’d have totally used it. Also Edith, both very cute and classic.

MrsSchadenfreude · 30/04/2019 20:21

Ugly, hideous name.

dinosaurtwothreeroar · 30/04/2019 20:18

I absolutely love Ethel and it was on our shortlist. I liked the idea of Ettie as a nickname. I love old man and old lady names though Grin

Peachbubble · 30/04/2019 20:16

No, there are nicer names

PattyCow · 30/04/2019 20:16

She's the baddie in the worst witch. And it's just not nice sounding, so no.

HimalayanPinkSalt · 30/04/2019 20:13

I know an Ethel in her early 20's and she's not a fan. It's very dated.

EdWinchester · 30/04/2019 20:12

God, no. Just awful.

Makes me think of an ugly old lady with curlers in her hair and a housecoat.

MissParple · 30/04/2019 20:10

It's really, really, really awful

Really.

AndItStillSaidFourOfTwo · 30/04/2019 20:09

It's not nice. I don't know why, but it's just not a pleasant sound. There's a reason old lady chic has done a big swerve around it.

I don't usually go in for the far-fetched 'Jane' reminds me of 'Potato' type comments you often find on here, but I can't help feeling taken back to chemistry lessons at school and ethyl and methyl alcohol.

Baloonphobia · 30/04/2019 20:07

As for middle name, anything except Rose or Mae.

Bumblebeesmum · 30/04/2019 20:05

Pretty awful

Timeless means names that aren’t heavily attached to a particular age group - this couldn’t be further from that

lablablab · 30/04/2019 19:59

Horrendous, sorry! I can't think of much else that's worse!

Baloonphobia · 30/04/2019 19:59

OAP name. Sorry.

WhoopImMaking6BucksAnHour · 30/04/2019 19:58

Lily Allan has an Ethel Mary I think. Not a name that sings to me tbh

Yogagirl123 · 30/04/2019 19:57

No, no and no again!

TwitterQueen1 · 30/04/2019 19:56

Moonbea
They used to play it on Stewpot's Family Favourites on Radio 2 - along with Camp Grenada by Allan Sherman. Grin Grin I loved these songs of my childhood....

Hello Muddah, hello Faddah
Here I am at Camp Grenada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining

I went hiking with Joe Spivey
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got Ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner.... [it continues]

I'm not really Sorry for the derail OP, but Ethel? no...