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Baby names

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

Original poster

Marina or Sophie?

108 replies

Leopardspot · 22/05/2022 22:48

Would love your thoughts on Marina or Sophie as a sibling for Alice and Henry. Thank you!

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WimpoleHat · 23/05/2022 13:51

Yes! She’s the mother of the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent. I think Princess Alexandra’s daughter is called Marina, after her grandmother.

RosieRoww · 23/05/2022 13:50

What about Marianna instead if Marina?

FAQs · 23/05/2022 13:46

One of my first bosses was called Marina, I couldn’t tell you any of the other bosses names, I remember it because I thought it was such a lovely name.

MadameDragon · 23/05/2022 13:41

I also find Marnie a great match for the sibling names, whereas Marina doesn’t fit. Marina seems quite dated to me, the ones I know are aged 45–65.

DuchesOfSausage · 23/05/2022 13:33

Princess Marina or Princess Sophie were my thoughts too
(or Morris Marina and Sophie Webster)

Snowiscold · 23/05/2022 13:31

Flutterbybutterfly2 · 23/05/2022 12:19

I agree with the combination on the two Marnie is nice 👍🏻

Marnie is nothing like Marina or Sophie. It’s at the other end of the spectrum. I can’t imagine anyone who likes Marina and Sophie even considering Marnie.

LaBellina · 23/05/2022 13:07

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Marina_of_Greece_and_Denmark

Not so long ago there was a Princess Marina in the British royal family

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 23/05/2022 12:20

Marina is beautiful.

Flutterbybutterfly2 · 23/05/2022 12:19

I agree with the combination on the two Marnie is nice 👍🏻

ATadConfused · 23/05/2022 12:15

BundtCake · 22/05/2022 23:33

Marina is unique, classy and beautiful. Sophie is so common in comparison.

@BundtCake

i don't think you quite understand the meaning of 'unique'

@Leopardspot I dislike Marina & I do like Sophie. But she's your baby!

seensome · 23/05/2022 12:12

Sophie sounds a much kinder, gentle name , Sophia sounds a bit more sophisticated. Not keen on Marina

LaBellina · 23/05/2022 12:07

Sophie is nice but it’s very popular and a bit overused. Marina is a beautiful classic name and I absolutely love it.

pinklavenders · 23/05/2022 12:01

You aren't going to run into a Marina at every park, every baby group, every sports club, have two in every class, then have three Marinas in your team when you join work.Especially compared with Sophie

That all speaks in favour of Marina!

Snowiscold · 23/05/2022 11:52

Marina has such a lovely sound and is a very traditional and classic name, but with some zing to it. I know several Marinas; most are foreign- Russian, Spanish, Greek etc. I think there’s a royal Marina or two as well. It adds to the air of international sophistication and glamour to me. Sophie is nice and classic but very middle of the road.

toastofthetown · 23/05/2022 11:16

DuchesOfSausage · 23/05/2022 10:29

names.darkgreener.com/#sophie
names.darkgreener.com/#marina

Marina isn't that unusual. 51 of them registered in England and Wales 2020

It's not an incredibly rare name, but less than one per county in E&W makes it unusual by my standards. You aren't going to run into a Marina at every park, every baby group, every sports club, have two in every class, then have three Marinas in your team when you join work.Especially compared with Sophie which has been in the top hundred since 1984 and was the number one name in 1996, it's comparatively unusual.

ahwobabob · 23/05/2022 10:49

Sophie. Marina was a really aggressive Russian woman I knew.

Bakedpotatoesfortea · 23/05/2022 10:34

A marina is a car park for boats

I love the name Sophie xx

MangoMaddie · 23/05/2022 10:32

Absolutely love Marina- makes me think of the brilliant Marina Warner.

DuchesOfSausage · 23/05/2022 10:29

names.darkgreener.com/#sophie
names.darkgreener.com/#marina

Marina isn't that unusual. 51 of them registered in England and Wales 2020

cottagegardenflower · 23/05/2022 10:20

Sophie very overdone

cottagegardenflower · 23/05/2022 10:19

Marina is a noun and doesn't sound nice as a name

coconuthead · 23/05/2022 10:02

@Leopardspot she's Marina at school but at home we call her Mina quite a lot because when she was little she used to call herself Mina. And to the pp who said she will get bullied, my daughter is only 6 but she has never had anyone remark on her name in a negative way, there are so many names in schools these days it's a total non issue imo. It just comes down to personal choice, maybe when she's born you could decide which name she fits best?

midsomermurderess · 23/05/2022 10:01

Marina is a bit Home Counties, aspirational mama.

Original poster
Leopardspot · 23/05/2022 09:56

@coconuthead good choice! does your Marina have a nickname or does get it ever get shortened?

OP posts:
Bananarama21 · 23/05/2022 09:55

Sophie is a beautiful name classic and timeless. Marina is awful sorry.