Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Honor or Honora

29 replies

Flutterflybutterby · 11/12/2021 00:52

I adore the name Honor, but it doesn't work at all with my surname which begins with an 'ala' sound and is three syllables long. Sort of runs together.

It's my favourite baby name and the one I'd choose if not for this issue. I love virtue names!

Have recently met a baby Honora, pronounced similarly to Annora but obviously this depends on your accent and pronunciation. This would work with my surname.

Do you like it?

Other virtue names I love are Joy and Mercy, but Mercy seems to be hated on Mumsnet. Sad Hope and Faith are old favourites but maybe too popular now. What do you think of these names?

If relevant, the child will have duel citizenship with Britain, but won't be growing up in Britain - although will have British family and friends so don't want a name that is widely considered awful in Britain for any reason we aren't aware of. I think from the other thread it seemed that Mercy seemed to be disliked due to having un-feminist connotations (it was said a few times that a girl called Mercy implies that she needs to be gentle and forgiving while boys get strong names). But we actually love Mercy from a religious perspective (we are religious and live in a more religious culture, where the name Mercy is more to refer to God's mercy rather than to say anything about the child) so didn't think of this until it was brought up. This kind of issue is what I'm wondering about - any other cultural issues I might have not considered with any of these names?

(I know Joy might be a grumpy little thing, have considered that issue with Joy Grin)

Thank you.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
whatausername · 11/12/2021 01:04

@Flutterflybutterby

Actually, it might be relevant that Mercy is actually my favourite, even above Honor, but I crossed it off the list as it got such a unanimously negative response last time it was posted about on Mumsnet. Are there any other reasons that it is hated other than the one I mentioned in my OP? Or is this the main reason?
You seem to truly love the name Mercy so I'd go for that. It is your child and your choice. She won't be a downtrodden, side-lined, unfeminist woman if she is raised with an enquiring mind and a strong sense of worth. Okay, maybe I am over-simplifying things a bit but my point is the name will not make her less than she is.

Imo, the reasons to avoid a name are ones where you need a "strong personality" to carry them well, where they are too easily a joke or if you don't want to constantly correct spelling or pronunication (this doesn't bother me and many others).

Flutterflybutterby · 11/12/2021 01:03

@whatausername

I think to be able to have and show mercy requires a lot of strength, personally.

I like all your choices bar Honor. Sorry to be crass but it sounds too similar to "on her". I realise she won't be raised in Britain but given her strong ties to the country it is possible you will move back there one day and if that were during her teen years I don't think she'd thank you for the name "Honor". Honora is a good alternative.

Just my opinion of course.

My favourite from your list is Faith.

I really agree with you about mercy! To me, to have mercy is a very positive thing and the opposite to weak or people-pleasing as suggested on the other thread.

Thank you for your opinion. I love Faith and big sister's name is Tabitha - I always thought Faith and Tabitha sounded lovely together!

OP posts:
whatausername · 11/12/2021 00:59

I think to be able to have and show mercy requires a lot of strength, personally.

I like all your choices bar Honor. Sorry to be crass but it sounds too similar to "on her". I realise she won't be raised in Britain but given her strong ties to the country it is possible you will move back there one day and if that were during her teen years I don't think she'd thank you for the name "Honor". Honora is a good alternative.

Just my opinion of course.

My favourite from your list is Faith.

Flutterflybutterby · 11/12/2021 00:55

Actually, it might be relevant that Mercy is actually my favourite, even above Honor, but I crossed it off the list as it got such a unanimously negative response last time it was posted about on Mumsnet. Are there any other reasons that it is hated other than the one I mentioned in my OP? Or is this the main reason?

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread