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Baby names

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

Original poster

Mary

96 replies

Spookypig · 21/10/2022 00:19

I love Mary. Which is weird because as a child I remember reading the Secret Garden and literally shuddering over the name, thinking how awful it was! But it has grown on me over the years and now I love it. I’m also fond of Maria. What do you think - are they lovely and timeless and sounding fresh again after being less popular for years? Or… not?

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maddy68 · 27/10/2022 08:04

Sorry but every Mary I have ever met has been an utter cow. So on that basis I would say no

Plus I don't think it's a very nice name in general. Sorry !

TeenDivided · 27/10/2022 08:02

sorcerersapprentice · 27/10/2022 07:56

Very old fashioned

I also think parents are probably very religious if it's chosen

Not really more old fashioned than Ivy, Freddie, Alfie, etc?

Re religious. Well obviously the mother of Jesus. But also used by queens and fossil collectors too. And in novels such as Secret Garden (that is right isn't it?) And P&P.

I think it has stood the test of time.

sorcerersapprentice · 27/10/2022 07:56

Very old fashioned

I also think parents are probably very religious if it's chosen

RambamThankyouMam · 27/10/2022 07:47

Slang word for vagina.

Kanaloa · 27/10/2022 02:01

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 01:34

Why not make one up? I kind of did for my daughter.

You can if you want, but the vibrations I’d get off that wouldn’t be good. Generally it sounds like you have really different ideas around names than I do though so that might be why we’re disagreeing! Realistically most normal people just meet someone and say hey Mary, nice to meet you. They don’t start thinking ‘hmm Mary, too many vibrations off that name, they must be a typical ordinary person.’

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 01:34

Why not make one up? I kind of did for my daughter.

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 01:30

Kanaloa · 27/10/2022 00:59

There’s no names ‘practically no one else has ever had’ unless you just make one up. And surely a name that’s been used loads would be better because it would have loads of different ‘vibrations’ leading to them all being cancelled out/insignificant.

Like this - if your child is called John then a serial killer is found out and his name is John nobody will say ‘oooohhh like the serial killer?’ Or if you are named Mary - nobody will be constantly saying ‘oooh like Mary from Downton Abbey? Is that who you were named after, the woman from that TV series?’

But if your child is called Hermione or Hannibal or Madonna… those vibrations stick.

Show quote history

Yes, but loads of vibrations mean everyones vibrations and that's what I mean - it's like being called "every girl" or "every boy" or "any girl/any boy because it doesn't matter". I never liked that. Personally I like originality and would like to be seen as interesting rather than "Oh yes met her type before/she seems very typical and ordinary".

Kanaloa · 27/10/2022 00:59

Although for what it’s worth I do also love the name John.

Kanaloa · 27/10/2022 00:59

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 00:49

Tbh I wonder if you would like to call a son John.

Fifty plus years ago, if I had been a boy I would have been called John but being a girl had to be Mary. I think the idea was to attract no attention. Not a good vibration and I think that vibrations linger on. If you give your child a name practically no one else has ever had, it comes with fresh energy and they're not going to be weighed down with other people's - or most people's - stuff.

There’s no names ‘practically no one else has ever had’ unless you just make one up. And surely a name that’s been used loads would be better because it would have loads of different ‘vibrations’ leading to them all being cancelled out/insignificant.

Like this - if your child is called John then a serial killer is found out and his name is John nobody will say ‘oooohhh like the serial killer?’ Or if you are named Mary - nobody will be constantly saying ‘oooh like Mary from Downton Abbey? Is that who you were named after, the woman from that TV series?’

But if your child is called Hermione or Hannibal or Madonna… those vibrations stick.

Kanaloa · 27/10/2022 00:54

I think it’s pretty and feels refreshing nowadays. I also love love love Maria!

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 00:49

Tbh I wonder if you would like to call a son John.

Fifty plus years ago, if I had been a boy I would have been called John but being a girl had to be Mary. I think the idea was to attract no attention. Not a good vibration and I think that vibrations linger on. If you give your child a name practically no one else has ever had, it comes with fresh energy and they're not going to be weighed down with other people's - or most people's - stuff.

avamiah · 27/10/2022 00:31

Mary is a lovely name.

Bigslippers · 27/10/2022 00:22

I love Mary
I also love Jane and Annie

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 27/10/2022 00:21

Prefer Maria to Mary , haven’t heard of a baby Maria ever .

ElvenMoonwings · 27/10/2022 00:19

It's my name abs I've always absolutely hated it, because it's the default female name - John and Mary, you know - and undoubtedably the most used female name ever - which has, made me feel that I'm described as a typical person on the street or another grain of sand on the beach - as having no individuality.

I know it's not been used for a couple generations but I think it has no originality factor. Any time there's an example woman in a book she's Mary, walk into any library and the books will contain millions of them, everyone has heard of it and I think it has that typical girl/woman cache. And worse - it's very religious, in a way not everyone likes. It's boring and ugly. I'm sorry but that's my honest feelings about it. However you might hate a name I love.

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 21/10/2022 10:41

and it's my middle name so I can say that.

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 21/10/2022 10:39

I find it drab.

EmotionalSupportLynel · 21/10/2022 10:35

I like it. My mum is Mary and it's my middle name and my DDs too. Would be nice to see it have a revival.
There's a whole load of what we thought of as old lady names coming back. Ivy, Florence, Edith, Nora etc, so why not Mary?

Lovemelovemydoggie · 21/10/2022 10:32

I love the name Mary.
Possibly because to me it sounds classic but unusual and timeless, I don’t know any Marys.

S25 · 21/10/2022 10:28

I quite like it! I had always thought it was an old lady name when I was growing up but now I can imagine a Mary being quite a cool, chilled out kind of girl and in England, at least, very different from the rest! Standing out in a sea of Olivia’s, Mia’s, Ava’s, Isla’s and Mia’s etc! Go for it xx

Anotherbloodyusername2 · 21/10/2022 10:23

There's a Mary at our nursery (with a very hipster mum 😄). I like it!

ChickpeaPie · 21/10/2022 10:20

LightHousePanda · 21/10/2022 09:51

Where does it mean 'Vagina', out of interest? I've never heard that before.

Home counties
Really old fashioned I think, as I haven’t heard anyone young say that

ReadtheReviews · 21/10/2022 09:56

It is a little bit bookish but the look of the letters and the sound are aesthetically pleasing. I think it's nice actually OP.

LightHousePanda · 21/10/2022 09:51

Where does it mean 'Vagina', out of interest? I've never heard that before.

ChickpeaPie · 21/10/2022 09:49

Its my middle name, I hate it, and it means vagina