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Baby names

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Original poster

What do you think of Briar for a girl?

112 replies

Maeven1302 · 04/02/2023 23:16

Share your opinions!

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Wagsandclaws · 05/02/2023 08:13

Dornroschen ( sorry I can't work out how to do
The umlaut above the 'o' ) was a prettified version by the brothers Grimm of an Italian fairytale called 'sun, moon and Talia' by Giambattista Basile in the 16th century.

The Italian original version was as the pp has said but it isn't the story that the Grimm brothers re-wrote.

I think Briar - Rose is beautiful fwiw, Briar on its own sounds like a nature name ( Rowan, Juniper etc ) and I think it's quite pretty too.

The connotations of being grumpy from Ireland won't be made so much here ( unless you are Irish ) so use it if it makes you happy.

mynameisnotkate · 05/02/2023 06:54

Maeven1302 · 04/02/2023 23:44

Holly is also a thorny plant but it's a hugely popular name

Show quote history

Yes but Holly, although spiky, is also beautiful, brings colour into the drab winter days and has lovely berries.

Briars are not spiked leaves but tangled thickets of spikes without any real redeeming features. The connotations are not good, and the sound of the word is quite harsh.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 05/02/2023 06:46

Might as well name her Cactus

SilentNightDancer · 05/02/2023 06:39

I quite like it. I think it fits the trend for nature names quite well.

stclair · 05/02/2023 05:17

I know an old lady Briar. I really like it.

OnlyTheWeedsGrow · 05/02/2023 05:10

My immediate thought was the story of Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch….

Roseyposeypudding · 05/02/2023 05:10

I love it! To me it got a bohemian vibe. It’s the name of Rachel Bilson’s daughter and she’s cool.

OnlyTheWeedsGrow · 05/02/2023 05:07

JaneJeffer · 05/02/2023 00:30

It's a thorny issue

Imagine how many times they would hear this in their life!

uncomfortablydumb53 · 05/02/2023 04:16

I love it

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 05/02/2023 04:12

Repeating what's been already said but in Ireland it's shorthand for a cranky pain in the arse.

VenturaMabel · 05/02/2023 00:33

Makes me think of barbed wire

JaneJeffer · 05/02/2023 00:30

It's a thorny issue

FriedasCarLoad · 05/02/2023 00:29

Lovely name. I knew a Briar when I was a child.

coralgeo · 05/02/2023 00:29

How about Nettle?

MumOf2workOptions · 05/02/2023 00:24

I don't like it but Briony is ok
But if you like it it doesn't matter what others think

betweenfor · 05/02/2023 00:22

Briony is pretty.
Rose is nice.
Briar… not so much. And resembles Brian.

MrsMullerBecameABaby · 05/02/2023 00:22

Divebar2021 · 04/02/2023 23:48

I think of this …. Back when Ladybird books had good illustrations. I quite like Briar Rose but am less keen on Briar on its own.

Briar Rose is a literal translation of Dornröschen which is the original German title of the fairytale. However the original version actually involves the rape of a comatose woman (not a chaste kiss) who wakes when the twins conceived during the rape try to breastfeed...

So it's debatable whether Dornröschen is a baby name to emulate...

MrsMullerBecameABaby · 05/02/2023 00:17

Anoisagusaris · 04/02/2023 23:21

‘She’s like a briar’ is a way of saying someone is in a bad mood/is crabby/narky here (Ireland).

This. That's what it means - outside Ireland too... A briar is a thorn.

Testng123 · 05/02/2023 00:09

Sounds thorny. What about Bree or Brianna?

lottiegarbanzo · 05/02/2023 00:09

Bryher is one of the Scilly Isles. Bryony is lovely. Or Bree?

Mousetail · 05/02/2023 00:04

I'm Irish, and like a poster above, 'you're a briar today' - cranky, short tempered. It's not gendered, a young boy who hasn't slept will also be a briar.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/02/2023 00:02

Maeven1302 · 04/02/2023 23:44

Holly is also a thorny plant but it's a hugely popular name

Show quote history

Holly /Hollie is a very old name though .

My DD is a Holly , not a Christmas baby .

I used to tell her she was spikey Grin when I could run away !

JamSandle · 05/02/2023 00:01

I actually really love it.

HelloBunny · 04/02/2023 23:59

I’m just seeing Brian.

Emsb2022 · 04/02/2023 23:57

To get a feel for a name, I always try to imagine shouting the name out in a street ' eg Briar, come here please!'
Sounds a bit like Brian I feel...