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Baby names

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Is Molly too similar to Mary?

34 replies

mrsmamaleone · 10/07/2019 11:13

The long and skinny of it, I'm expecting my second daughter and I'm in love, like serious love, with the name Molly. However, my first girl is called Mary Margaret. I wasn't expecting (no pun intended) to ever have a second child because of some health issues but here we are, and we're delighted. Two was what wished, one was what we were pleased with. I had always wanted to name my daughters Mary and Margaret but when it took four years of trying to even conceive our first we went ahead and used both names. So now I've found myself at a loss as for what to call this little lady. We almost never call Mary by her full name, normally only when she's being naughty or we're being silly with her.

So, is Molly too similar to Mary?

OP posts:
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Kokeshi123 · 10/07/2019 13:02

Jane Alice is lovely, although I actually think Molly and Mary is fine, simply because Molly has not been used as a diminutive of Mary for a really long time. I don't think it's at all the same as, say, Kate and Katherine or Rebecca and Becky.

JustTheCrowsAndTheBeef · 10/07/2019 11:55

Jane Alice is lovely. Molly and Mary would be like having Henry and Harry or John and Jack.

mrsmamaleone · 10/07/2019 11:43

We've decided to go with our second favorite combination, Jane Alice. She'll be joining her sister in about two to three weeks.

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diddlediddle · 10/07/2019 11:25

Lovely taste in names! I'm sure you'll pick something just perfect for your miracle arrival Smile

mrsmamaleone · 10/07/2019 11:19

@diddlediddle you're right, so we won't. However, I was also always in love with Mary so she's going to stay Mary. We'll figure something out. We've got kind of a family theme going on; my husband is Richard, I'm Eleanor, we have Mary, so we're looking for a lovely medieval sounding name to go with, like Jane or Katherine or Isabel. We have a list, I'm sure we'll have luck.

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2littleninjas · 10/07/2019 11:18

Maybe Margot? That’s a diminutive if Margaret and you say you don’t use your DD’s full name often. Or Daisy or Pearl?

2littleninjas · 10/07/2019 11:17

As PP has said Molly is a diminutive of Mary. But if that doesn’t bother you then go for it.

diddlediddle · 10/07/2019 11:16

Molly is the common shortening of Mary. It can also be a shortening of Margaret.

So I would say you can't really use it because it's literally the same name as your first daughter - which is probably why you like it.

Your second daughter may feel confused as to why she wasn't given an identity of her own but rather a nickname version of her sister.

Could you not start using Molly as a nn for your first daughter?

Sorry OP but I really think you'll have to go back to the drawing board!

Congrats though!

Missillusioned · 10/07/2019 11:14

I believe Molly is a diminutive of Mary, so yes they're the same name

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