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Baby names

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

Original poster

A name like Maureen

108 replies

Donnaj28 · 25/11/2020 16:01

heyy, in my last post i asked June Maureen or April Maureen. The first names will stay my favorite bit you all said in combination with Maureen it sounds to old. But i really want to honor my moms name. So do you know a name almost the same as Maureen, with the same letters and it looks a lot alike? Please help. A name that fits with June or maybe April

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Viviennemary · 25/11/2020 17:37

I'm not keen on the name Maureen but use it as a middle name. I really like April and June is nice too. Not keen on Moira.

HardlyEver · 25/11/2020 17:36

@Apileofballyhoo

Maureen just means little Mary. I think in Ireland it would have been usual to have had Mary or Máire (Maura roughly, just the Irish version of Mary) on the birth cert, but to be known as Maureen at home. I wonder what was on your Mum's birth cert, OP?
This is what I was going to say -- I come from a family of Bredas, Bríds, and Bridies, all of whom are Bridget or Brigid on their birth certs.

Mary might be nice? I was also going to suggest Muireann, which I like.

Original poster
Donnaj28 · 25/11/2020 17:34

@Scumble what would you like as a 2th middle name? June ..... Maureen

OP posts:
Scumble · 25/11/2020 17:31

Keep Maureen - middle names hardly get used, and as PP say, names like your mum's aren't actually your mum's name.

I quite like the two middle name suggestion above.

mathanxiety · 25/11/2020 17:27

I would keep Maureen. I love the Irish spelling though. ILoveStickers posted it upthread. (Sorry, can't do the accents on my phone).

(Fwiw, I prefer June Maureen/ Mairin).

MerchantOfVenom · 25/11/2020 17:23

Please just go with Maureen.

Who cares if it’s ‘old’? It’s a middle name, and it’s honouring your Mum.

loutypips · 25/11/2020 17:22

My dd thought that her auntie Maureen was called auntie Moron. I didn't want to correct her.

Reenie or Maura could be compromises?

SlippersForFlippers · 25/11/2020 17:22

The Maureen I knew went be Reni (Reeny)

Newuser991 · 25/11/2020 17:21

If you want to honour your mum then you have to go with Maureen. It is her name. Nothing else is.

I think April is nice. It is a nice young sounding name.

June sounds quite old.

Id just go with April Maureen

orangenasturtium · 25/11/2020 17:20

Personally, I would keep the name Maureen to honour your DM, especially as it is your middle name too. June Maureen is lovely.

If you want an alternative, you could use another name that has the same origin and meaning eg Mary, Maria, Marie, Maire, Mairin, Miriam, Maryam, Miri, Mira, Stella Maris, Marian, Marion, Marianne, Marianna.

Here you go, 107 names derived from Mary!

nameberry.com/list/63/Marys-International-Variations

RuthW · 25/11/2020 17:18

Go with it. So what if it sounds old.

24 years ago my GP missed a consultants letter regarding my daughter as he took no notice as he thought it was about an old lady with a hernia.

That name is now in the top 15 for babies.

Apileofballyhoo · 25/11/2020 17:16

Maureen just means little Mary. I think in Ireland it would have been usual to have had Mary or Máire (Maura roughly, just the Irish version of Mary) on the birth cert, but to be known as Maureen at home. I wonder what was on your Mum's birth cert, OP?

derekthe1adyhamster · 25/11/2020 17:13

keep Maureen, my boys both have middle names which are sentimental to us. DS1's is a little more out there as we used a scottish tradition. He knows why he has it and he's never mentioned hating it (he's 20)

MadCatLady71 · 25/11/2020 17:09

If Maureen is a special name to you, use it. That matters far more than whether it is currently in fashion - and as a middle name it won’t have any bearing on your daughter’s day to day life.

Gremlinpoop · 25/11/2020 17:07

I would keep Maureen as it's your mum's name.
To be honest nobody ever uses middle names anyway, but you could add a second middle name if you wanted to add a more modern feel ( whatever that means.
June Clara Maureen etc .
Please don't not use your mum's name because it's old fashioned , fashions change and in the middle name slot it will be fine X

Original poster
Donnaj28 · 25/11/2020 17:05

@MillieEpple no my mother didnt have a middle name. My middle name is Maureen to (also after her) so i thought it was beautiful to keep that tradition

OP posts:
Original poster
Donnaj28 · 25/11/2020 17:03

@DuchessMinnie me to! But everyone says it sounds to old June Maureen

OP posts:
notacooldad · 25/11/2020 17:02

I would stick with Maureen
This may sound like a daft question but was Maureen your mum's real name or was it a family name?
I know a few Maureen's over the years that were officially called 'Mary' but known as Maureen.
They were/are all Irish Catholics.
My aunty said it was because it was good practice to name a child after a saint and then a derivative of that name was often used - I don't know how true that is but it made sense at the time I was told!!

Haskell · 25/11/2020 17:02

Doreen?

Seriously, I work in a school and loads of girls have their granny's names as their middle names- it's a very normal thing to do. People don't use their middle names day-to-day so it won't cause any issues.

Stuff like Emily Sheila Mary or Katy Joyce Norma etc. It's a really nice way to honour people.

Vanitysizingvictim · 25/11/2020 17:00

I love Maureen.

I love the Irish spelling even more, I agree with a PP that it looks younger somehow. But, if you're not Irish it might not be an option. It is a lovely tribute to your mum though using it.

Moya is another variation on Maire/Maura/Mary?

thecakebadge · 25/11/2020 16:57

Have you thought about adding another middle name which is more modern/popular at the moment to balance it out?

E.g. April Olivia Maureen
April Maureen Ava
June Maureen Isabelle

Or something similar? Or you could even pick something a bit more hippy/edgy to distinguish it from the older generation e.g.
June Maureen Winter or
April Maureen Juno (incorporates the 'June' too!) or

Maura is another option although I'm not convinced it's much 'younger'

lljkk · 25/11/2020 16:56

Maureen is fine, though I like Muriel better, due a comeback.
Then there's Mavourneen.

Schmoozer · 25/11/2020 16:52

Maud

S111n20 · 25/11/2020 16:49

@BriocheBriocheBrioche

Maura? Reena?

I do love Maureen though, it’s my grandmothers name too.

^^ agree
TwentyViginti · 25/11/2020 16:47

Morna?

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