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Baby names

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

Original poster

Juliet or Penelope?

43 replies

KAM4 · 17/01/2024 21:44

Would so appreciate some baby name help! I’m living in the US and they have very different taste in names here so I’m struggling to get opinions (don’t want to ask my family/friends at home in case they hate both)
I’m due the day before Valentine’s Day and trying to decide this baby’s name, have narrowed it down to Juliet or Penelope. For context her brother is George. My husband prefers Penelope but seeing as I’ve done all the hard work and he is giving his surname I’m the decider.
Thanks in advance for the advice!

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Onelife2024 · 26/02/2024 23:03

Congratulations! Beautiful name choice!

SkaneTos · 26/02/2024 22:55

Thank you for the update, and congratulations!
Penelope is a lovely name, and Poppy is a really cute nickname.

Original poster
KAM4 · 26/02/2024 22:52

Our little Penelope arrived last weekend, thank you all for your advice and name opinions!
I still love Juliet (so maybe we’ll have an excuse to try again someday!) but when I saw her it just didn’t fit. She’s Poppy for now as Penelope is quite a big name for a baby but I’m sure she’ll grow into it.
Thanks again to you all x

OP posts:
Original poster
KAM4 · 28/01/2024 03:08

That’s a good point! And I’m not even a Bridgerton watcher (although I did love that actress in Derry Girls!) but I can imagine, for example, anyone who had an Elsa before Frozen must have been pretty devastated!
I don’t mind too much how the name sounds with George although of course I don’t want anything that’s radically different in style, but I don’t think either of these are.

OP posts:
Daisybuttercup12345 · 28/01/2024 01:01

Juliet is lovely 😍

savethatkitty · 27/01/2024 21:11

Juliet.

dreamersdown · 27/01/2024 21:09

Don’t forget that the new series of Bridgerton will be out in Spring this year and Penelope is the lead for this season - not sure if it’s as big in the US as in the UK.

bigfatcarrotcruncher · 27/01/2024 20:56

Both a bit fussy but I guess Juliet because of the whole Kardashian thing

LinoPrintofMotherMary · 27/01/2024 16:14

Would you consider Juliope? Joo-lie-o-pee

KirstenBlest · 27/01/2024 16:05

@kraysee, I'm a Penelope, as is my DD, DM, GM, and several of my friends are Penelope or Penny. Not a single one of us has ever been called Pen.

(Only joking. I thought I'd give a typical MN reply I'd getSmile. I really only know 4 Penelope/Penny/Pennies and I've not personally heard them being called Pen, but it probably does happen)

edited to correct a typo

kraysee · 27/01/2024 13:10

My name is Penelope. I've gone through life with everyone calling me Pen. I hate it

oldnorsesaga · 27/01/2024 10:47

I prefer Juliet

KirstenBlest · 27/01/2024 10:29

George and Juliet is fine.

cordelia16 · 27/01/2024 10:13

I love the name Juliet, but I don't think it sounds that great with George because of the same initial soft J sound. (If it were Gregory, for example, I'd choose Juliet because they sound different).

I like Penelope, as well, though, and think it sounds better with George than Juliet does. Penelope has lots of nicknames (Nell, Nellie, Poppy, Polly, Penny).

Daffyyellow · 21/01/2024 15:07

Penelope, love Nell, could also do Penny.
Juliet is OK, but doesn’t flow with George.

Original poster
KAM4 · 21/01/2024 14:53

Thank you for all the responses!
if anything it’s definitely helped me with a) spellings (I don’t really mind Juliet misspelled as I think the French spelling looks nice too) and b) to think about the nicknames (especially for a longer name like Penelope, I’d considered ‘P’ but hadn’t thought of Nell).
The baby is due around Valentines Day which pushes me a little towards the more romantic Juliet but I’m going to wait and see when she arrives.
To get these outside opinions is so helpful though, vs family and friends who are a little too opinionated at times! 😂

OP posts:
carpingdeum · 19/01/2024 12:15

Juliet. Hate the name Penny

KirstenBlest · 19/01/2024 12:07

Of 25 replies so far, 3 have spelt Juliet as Juliette.

Newbeginningsandhappy · 19/01/2024 11:13

Love them both but slight preference for Penelope.

TheCave · 19/01/2024 11:12

As someone with a Juliet I don't find that people often misspell her name. A few people sure, but I also have a child with a more straightforwardly spelt name and still get errors with her name too. Not a major issue in my experience.

DramaAlpaca · 19/01/2024 05:13

I really don't like Penny, even though I love Penelope. I like Nell very much, but Nellie is hideous. I'd have to avoid Penelope for that reason, I think.

Juliet is gorgeous, as long as it's pronounced correctly. It's not the same as Juliette. It's JOOL-yet, with the emphasis firmly on the first syllable, as in Romeo and...

Juliette is a French name which has the stress on the last syllable. It has quite a different vibe, much more frilly.

Also it could cause confusion with spelling. Even though OP has specified Juliet in her post, people are replying with the spelling Juliette.

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 19/01/2024 02:09

Juliette is beautiful

Tuelanak · 19/01/2024 00:33

Juliet is so beautiful

Bbq1 · 19/01/2024 00:24

Penelope/Penny isn't a pretty name name and getting really common nowadays. Growing up, i had a friend who had an older sister called Penelope. I didn't like the name then but she was the only one i ever knew. Now, i hear babies being named Penny regularly. Tuppence is an actual name which I think is v cute. Juliet/Juliette is a lovely name. If you want old names why not consider Kitty, Victoria, Sissy, Clarissa, Ariadne, Clara, Lucy, Sylvie/Sylvia, Joanie, Jeanie, Estelle/Stella, Audrey, Dolores, Dorothy, Margaret, Mary, Susannah...

NameChangePlease4 · 18/01/2024 23:28

Both lovely! Perhaps a tiny preference for Penelope when paired with George