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Baby names

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

Original poster

Hecate for a baby girl?

153 replies

BuddingBaker · 11/01/2020 10:43

Hecate (pronounced hek-ah-tee). In Greek mythology Hecate was a goddess associated with witchcraft, crossroads, tombs, demons and the underworld.

Bit of an unusual name but my partner really likes it and I think it sounds nice. What do you think?

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Astronica · 13/01/2020 02:31

No to Hecate

Andromeda
Calliope/Kalliope
Arrietty - not Greek but if you like Hecate sounds...also
Hesper
Hester
Hermione

Canklesforankles · 12/01/2020 22:06

Hester

Doubleraspberry · 12/01/2020 21:56

There’s a fairly enormous set of names between ‘not top 50’ and Hecate. None of my kids’ names are in the top 50 but they can all be pronounced and spelt by people (even if one of them is frequently called by a different name that is a combination of their own and a sibling’s - so there’s really no way of stopping people playing silly buggers with names!).

I’m not appalled by Hecate, just feel the endless explanation of the name would be wearying for her. You might find she becomes Kate after a few years.

TatianaLarina · 12/01/2020 21:50

If you like Greek names what about Calypso, Leto, Artemis, Selene (Phoebe wouldn’t work with your surname).

sel2223 · 12/01/2020 20:38

I'm sorry OP but I just don't like it, especially not with the surname.
Not for any other reason than I just think it sounds really harsh and, dare I say, ugly. Sorry!

Arnoldthecat · 12/01/2020 20:04

no

avocadoze · 12/01/2020 20:00

In a minority, obviously, having read the thread, but I think it’s a kickass name. I do prefer the names that aren’t in the top 50 so perhaps I’m biased...

mathanxiety · 12/01/2020 19:55

Rhymes with 'feck it' if mispronounced and feck-a-tee if pronounced properly.

Clytemnestra isn't great - the temptation to mispronounce it Clit for short might be too much for teens.

Suggestions:
Crisanta / Crisanti
Apollonia
Calista / Calixta
Drusilla
Kerenza

Tillygetsit · 11/01/2020 23:41

It's a nice sound to my ears. Pleasing to say and there's nowt wrong with witches but it's the combination with your surname that's a bit much. I had the same problem with DH1's surname. Couldn't use my maiden name as that was worse! I love the sound of Phaedra too. Sad story though.

Nillynally · 11/01/2020 23:26

She's not a nice goddess by all accounts and then there's the Macbeth thing...

Whoops75 · 11/01/2020 23:17

I never heard of it, awful name, Cate is lovely on it’s own.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 11/01/2020 23:12

I used to have a boat called Hecate, not sure it would be my first choice as a people name...

olivertwistwantsmore · 11/01/2020 23:02

@Morgan12 - Why do you want to give a name that no-one will be able to pronounce until told?

If people know anything about Greek mythology? they will know how to pronounce the
name. That's not the problem. It's the meaning of the name...

olivertwistwantsmore · 11/01/2020 22:58

@madcatlady - Also good luck with Hecate taking your child over - as Terry Pratchett would say, May you have interesting times". She will not be your daughter for very long

Wtf??????

jamburglar · 11/01/2020 20:21

I'm so sorry op but all I can think of since seeing the surname an old fed up northern man sighing and saying "ooooh heckaty bees" instead of swearing.

carly2803 · 11/01/2020 20:10

awful, ugly name!

Fink · 11/01/2020 20:08

Bear in mind how the name will come across in university applications (there was research done a few years back, can't find the link, showing that the names that had the best chance of getting in to Oxford - weighted for the popularity of the names - were 'classic' unexceptional names like Eleanor, Anna, Catherine etc.).

Do you like actual Greek names, as in ones that Greek children are called nowadays, or just ones from mythology?

Mythological names I like are Clio, the muse of history, Altheia, and Selene.

Popular modern Greek names are Eleni, Angeliki, Dimitra, Konstandina, Paraskevi.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest any of these unless you're actually Greek. But just saying.

Isthepopea · 11/01/2020 19:56

Awful.

If you like gloomy names, how about Phaedra?

misspiggy19 · 11/01/2020 19:55

Your daughter will forever be correcting people.

Don’t do it

jakinaboxx · 11/01/2020 19:51

Sounds like a Harry Potter character

beela · 11/01/2020 19:37

Clytemnestra Beese is a fabulous name.

TrophyCat · 11/01/2020 19:37

Clytemnestra would potentially be abbreviated to clyt.Hmm.... What about her daughters names? Iphigenia or Electra...

Or if you want a kickass (anti)heroine how about Medea? (She was married to Jason of the Argonauts and helped him get the golden fleece - but she did end up being the ultimate scorned woman when he decided to marry a younger lass) she was also a witch

Circe - she was a witchy witch if you're looking for that type of pagan connotation. And Cassandra has the whole seeing the future thing going for her.

Canklesforankles · 11/01/2020 19:32

Ariadne

DPotter · 11/01/2020 19:30

Not a good first name and very bad combo with your surname.
Pls re-think

Doubleraspberry · 11/01/2020 19:25

I am genuinely thrilled at the possibility of Clytemnestra Beese existing.

OP, I would avoid Hecate myself because of the pronunciation issue (we didn’t go for Helena because we realised the two of us pronounced it differently to each other, which felt like a bad start) but there are so many lovely Greek names on this thread. And I like Corisande too.