Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Names for baby girl

37 replies

Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 14:17

What do you think of the name Penelope Mae for a girl with penny-mae for when LO is young love the middle name mae

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
DramaAlpaca · 06/03/2021 03:05

Penelope is gorgeous.

Penny is OK but I much prefer Nell.

Mae is (so sorry) downmarket, and hyphenated with Penny... just no.

May is a much better spelling, but absolutely not hyphenated with anything.

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 06/03/2021 03:02

Honestly I MUCH prefer Penny to Penny-May as I agree with a PP that double barrelled first names are a bit downmarket, but as its just intended as a childhood nickname it's maybe less of an issue, unless you want everyone to call her Penny-May. Also agree with a PP that you cant force a childhood nickname. I chose one ahead of tjme for my 2nd and it absolutely didn't stick and didn't even seem right to me when I saw her! So Penny-May might just end up as Penny or even Nell or even something absolutely unrelated to her name, depending on who she is as a person! When she's born you'll know what nickname suits her.

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 06/03/2021 02:58

Penelope Mabel is lovely! 'May/Mae' is very overdone as a middle name and does make a lovely namr seem a little chavvy, especially with the 'Mae' spelling, sorry OP. But Penny May is very cute for a little child and having Mabel as the middle name makes it much classier but you can still have the cute childhood nickname you want.

daisypond · 05/03/2021 22:41

Penelope is nice. May is much better than Mae.

thisismadness77 · 05/03/2021 22:31

It’s lovely.

Whatsyourflava · 05/03/2021 22:27

I love the name Penelope
Never met one

Standrewsschool · 05/03/2021 22:13

Penelope Mae is lovely.

I would avoid Mavis/Mabel for two reasons. Firstly, there’s the family association, and secondly, mil was the one who chose it. Both potential reasons for family fall-outs. Why should one grandparent get to chose a name, and not the other?

Penelope Cara?
Penelope Carrie?
Penelope Coral?
Penelope Cali?
Penelope Carla?

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 05/03/2021 21:14

I'm personally not keen on Penelope - weirdly I don't mind the Penny or Nell nn's but I think it's the strong -pee sound at the end of the name that I really dislike (because I like the similar Persephone). I prefer Helena or Eleanor nn Nell or Leni, they sound more elegant to me.

I absoultely adore May/Mae though, but it's dime a dozen as a middle name. If it's a family name for you, have you considered using it in the first name spot instead? May is so classic and very pretty (and less trendy as a first name than Mabel or dated like Mavis). Or an alternative could be the lovely Maeve?

Starsandglitter · 05/03/2021 19:26

Penelope is number 41 for baby girls born in uk and popularity has risen steeply so it’s worth being aware if you’re trying to avoid a popular name. It’s not my favourite name personally but I’ve known adult pennys and think it works fine. I think you’d find people would tend to drop the Mae, it seems to feel more of a mouthful to say than some 3 syllable names?

Carolina24 · 05/03/2021 18:53

Penelope is a lovely name. Personally I loathe ‘Mae’ tacked on to the end of names. You see it everywhere now and in my opinion it cheapens nice names in an attempt to make them more unique (even though it’s not unique, every other baby is an Ivy-Mae or Sophie-Mae or Ellie-Mae!).

I would stick with Penelope, which is beautiful, and leave off the Mae.

aloeha · 05/03/2021 18:43

I really like it :)

KirstenBlest · 05/03/2021 18:32

Penelope is fine. I know a few Pennys and a Pennie who isn't Penelope and they are all nice.

Sorry I don't like May much and Mae not at all, but I'm not alone, but you probably might not like my DC's names.

Don't use Mabel or Mavis if you really want Mae.

Call her Penelope Mae and use Penny Mae as a nn when she's little.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/03/2021 17:17

Call her Penelope Mae if you love that name. Let a nickname happen naturally.

I have found that both my daughters get called by their first name and second name as a nickname by family members. It wasn’t planned though.

zxy12 · 05/03/2021 17:14

Love Penelope Mae.

Sorry to be honest, but double barrelled first names sound a bit downmarket to me so I'm not a big fan of Penny-Mae. Particularly given you end up abbreviating the first name to then make it longer again.

Original poster
Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 17:13

@ChilliChaos

I think Penelope Mabel is gorgeous, and Penny-Mae still works as a nickname
True it is pretty I am just worried about family fall out if we use a family name - we did discuss 2 middle name ( I have 3) but we could not decide.
OP posts:
Original poster
Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 17:06

@whereispaul

Its really a lovely name I only wonder as it seems to be mentioned a lot lately and I've never met a Penelope before but I know two born this year. Perhaps kardashian influence?
Oh I don't really do celebrities so if it is I may just not tell DH i would have no idea othewose but it took us so long to settle on Penelope like months!
OP posts:
whereispaul · 05/03/2021 17:05

Well congratulations and good luck. It may be popular but its lovely so don't let it put you off

whereispaul · 05/03/2021 17:05

Its really a lovely name I only wonder as it seems to be mentioned a lot lately and I've never met a Penelope before but I know two born this year. Perhaps kardashian influence?

Original poster
Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 17:04

@whereispaul

Carole is beautiful with a charming meaning
Yeah I love the menaing but DH thinks it sounds old and TBF i understand and we argreed the next one would be a varation ( i know the next ha!)
OP posts:
ChilliChaos · 05/03/2021 17:04

I think Penelope Mabel is gorgeous, and Penny-Mae still works as a nickname

whereispaul · 05/03/2021 17:03

Carole is beautiful with a charming meaning

Original poster
Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 17:02

@whereispaul

Prefer Penelope May.

I know of 2 Penelopes born this year! Is it quite trendy atm?

I did not think so we both love penny for a girl and penelope is such a good adult name not to cute for when she is an adult but I hope not we tried so hard to avoid the "popular name list"
OP posts:
whereispaul · 05/03/2021 17:02

Penelope May/Mae
Elodie Ray
Pennilyn
Peggy Leigh
Petunia

Original poster
Edakanarii · 05/03/2021 17:00

MIL has recommended Mabel OR Mavis as a middle name instead of may or may as it is DH grandmother's name. DH Hates mavis but quite likes Mabel as it is his grandmother's name, we both LOVE Penelope.

The problem is we both argreed no family names as we both have large families and I am worried about introducing a family name as 1. it can cause so much infighting and upset and 2. we also have have a family name i wanted to use orginally as my grandmother( who rasied me and has sadly passed) was called carole and my mum is a variation of that and my middle name is also a variation.

We debdated family names (a variation of carole would be nice) but non seem to go with penelope so we agreed none.

OP posts:
whereispaul · 05/03/2021 16:58

Penelope is a lovely name.