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Baby names

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

Agatha?

79 replies

Rabbit600 · 09/08/2020 15:10

What do people think of this name?

It's my favourite name ever, yet it's so underrated. I love, love, love the name Agatha! And Aggie is an adorable nickname!

I'm kind of scared to tell people how much I love this name, because hardly anyone names their baby Agatha anymore.

I was talking to a friend about baby names the other day and after she told me her favourite name (which is Tigerlily, which I hate. I simply smiled at her and nodded politely), then I told her about my secret love for Agatha - AND SHE PULLED A FACE! Angry

Needless to say, I was slightly disheartened. Especially after I kept a straight face when she told me her favourite name. We all have different opinions, I get that. But she could have at least pretended to like it.

I think literature and films have given it a bad name. Like Agatha Trunchbull! Oh, and I think there might be an evil Agatha in The Worst Witch too.

I still love it though. I actually means 'good', so I have no idea where the evil stereotype came from.

What do you all think of the name? Tigerlily or Agatha?

OP posts:
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Piccalily19 · 11/08/2020 20:16

I know a toddler called Agatha, being completely honest when she was born and I heard the name I did (only internally of course!) pull that same face your friend did as I’d never really heard it used in modern day and I did think of it as a bit frumpy.
BUT, saying that, she’s been known as Aggie since day dot and it definitely suits her so I’ve warmed to it (not that my opinion matters but you know what I mean!).
I still wouldn’t consider using it for my own child but I do like the uniqueness of it now.
If you like it and you think your child will like it throughout childhood to adulthood then go for it, who cares what your friend thinks!

Haworthia · 11/08/2020 11:29

I love retro names, I really do, but there’s something so harsh sounding about Agatha. It sounds really inelegant to my ear, like a hacking cough Blush

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 11/08/2020 11:27

Agatha is a great name - strong, easy to pronounce, easy to spell, marvellous associations with Dame Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers in the world. Agnes is also a great name.

Tigerlily is far too cutesy and twee for my taste. I like flower names in principle but not that one. It's not a name I can imagine on an older woman, and in my view you do have to consider you're naming a child for life, and for most of her/his life you won't be there correcting people's pronunciation/spelling/explaining why it's a wonderful name - it's your child who will have to do all of that.

Your friend was rude, OP. However, if I've learned one thing from these boards, it's what a good idea it is to keep your name choices to yourself and your partner until the baby is safely named.

Sunshinelater · 11/08/2020 11:17

Awful, sorry, really ugly and frumpy.

Florrieboo · 11/08/2020 09:46

I love Agatha, it was high on our list for DD.

whattodo2019 · 10/08/2020 23:01

My 14 yr old DD has 3 Agathas in her class of 21!!!

missmouse101 · 10/08/2020 18:18

Very harsh, ugly sounding name. Martha is lovely. Tigerlily is crazy.

bridgetreilly · 10/08/2020 18:17

I love Agatha but can't use it because I am Spanish and the spelling is Agata, gata means cat so yeah I can only imagine the amount of bullying that would involve.

I don't know of any English child who has been bullied for being called Catherine. Many go by the nickname Cat, or Kitty, in fact. So I think you may be overthinking that.

bridgetreilly · 10/08/2020 18:15

LOVE it.

PatchworkElmer · 10/08/2020 13:12

I love it!

aprilfools19 · 10/08/2020 13:06

That of course meant to say Trunchbull

aprilfools19 · 10/08/2020 13:06

Trunchull was my first thought! I can’t see myself ever being able to disassociate

123Dancewithme · 10/08/2020 09:43

I prefer Agnes

stoneysongs · 10/08/2020 00:20

Love Agatha. No more DC for me but next pet will definitely be Aggie

DramaAlpaca · 09/08/2020 23:29

Agatha is totally fabulous, as is Agnes.

I have no polite words for Tigerlily.

VenusClapTrap · 09/08/2020 22:29

I like Agatha.

I loved Tigerlily when I was about 12 and gave the name to a much loved toy cat. I wouldn’t use it as an adult!

HeyAsdaIAintGonBeYourBitch · 09/08/2020 22:10

I love it!

LizzieAnt · 09/08/2020 21:42

Reminds me of Agatha Raisin Smile
I don't like Tigerlily at all.

BeMorePacific · 09/08/2020 21:23

I’m not a fan of Agatha.
I think Tigerlily is a really cute NN, but not sure it would make a great name on the BC xx

Jessabean · 09/08/2020 21:23

I like Agatha - although part of me gets why people don't like it because of the harshness to a sound of it I think it's a classy classic name and agree Aggie is really cute nn. Also a big Agatha Christie fan. I also think there are just as many other more 'popular' current names that sound just as if not more harsh sounding. And Tigerlilly is really not my taste (the kind of name I'd imagine a child picking for a sibling and comes across quite trashy) & I would have been internally cringing but agree outwardly pulling a face is just rude & not done!

midsomermurderess · 09/08/2020 21:18

'Agape', unconditional love. What's ugly about that?

elfran · 09/08/2020 21:18

I really like Agatha, I have a cousin with this name otherwise it might be on our list. We also like Agnes a lot.

I find Tigerlily pretty dreadful, but to each their own!

Thymeout · 09/08/2020 20:14

Sorry - Agatha and Agnes both sound ugly to me. I can't think of any good word that begins with ag. I think of agony and aggression. There's a reason why authors use it for unpleasant characters.

Ginger1982 · 09/08/2020 19:39

I think Agatha sounds quite classy. Personally, Tigerlily doesn't.

AntiHop · 09/08/2020 19:21

I love it.

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