Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Polly or Pauline?

80 replies

MommaAddie · 25/12/2024 21:21

Really struggling because meaning is important to me and Pauline means humble whereas Polly traditionally is a nickname for Mary which means bitter. I will call her Polly anyway but I love both so much can't decide.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
HonestCrab · 26/12/2024 15:22

Pauline is very of an era as another person commented and not an attractive name. Paula is marginally better but makes me think of Paula Yates. The only young-ish (20s) Paula I know goes by a nickname unrelated to the name. Polly is very much a nick name to me. It's acceptable but leaves her without options if she dislikes it. I would look for other names with meanings you like.

BugsyMaroon · 26/12/2024 12:29

IMO Pauline is an awful name.

Paulina is slightly better, but not by much.

janfebmar87 · 26/12/2024 12:27

My friend Pauline but goes by Pauly. It's a lovely name

hattie43 · 26/12/2024 12:07

Pauline is a horrible name , Polly is so much nicer .

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 26/12/2024 12:06

Polly

Emanwenym · 26/12/2024 11:59

It's a nickname for Mary, @skipandwhistle .
So you could choose any Margaret type name eg Margaret, Margaux, Margot, and use Polly. Would be much nicer than Pauline and also give your child a beautiful "real" name to choose/use if she wished when older. Polly is an established name in its own right, so why do this, especially when Margot/Margaux are Margaret nicknames?

skipandwhistle · 26/12/2024 11:48

Polly is actually traditionally a nickname of Margaret not Mary. So you could choose any Margaret type name eg Margaret, Margaux, Margot, and use Polly. Would be much nicer than Pauline and also give your child a beautiful "real" name to choose/use if she wished when older.

Drivingoverlemons · 26/12/2024 11:43

I think you are overthinking this.

Mamasperspective · 26/12/2024 11:37

I'd go Poppy or Polly ... sorry but I agree with others, Pauline is hideous!

Emanwenym · 26/12/2024 11:35

Pollyanna is awful.

AspirationalTallskinnylatte · 26/12/2024 09:35

I love Polly - reminds me of the nursary rhyme

MaybeItWasMe · 26/12/2024 09:33

Baby Pauline! 😂😂😂

user83652 · 26/12/2024 09:31

They will say in the playground

user83652 · 26/12/2024 09:31

Polly wants a cracker?

Gem359 · 26/12/2024 09:22

Pauline is hideously dated. Polly is a parrot. Paola, Pia or Portia are much nicer P names IMO.

NameChanger407 · 26/12/2024 09:19

toastofthetown · 25/12/2024 21:39

Polly by a significant margin. Pauline is such an ugly sounding name. If name meanings are important to you then it might be worth noting that Mary’s etymology is uncertain - indeed many names have etymological roots which aren’t accurately represented by the simple one or two word ‘meanings’ in baby name books, even if the etymology is certain. Behind the Name, which is one of the more reliable online resources has Mary’s definition as most likely stemming from ‘beloved’.

Yes I agree. Pauline is just not a nice name. Definetly go for Polly

Minihero · 26/12/2024 09:19

I don't like either but Pauline is really bad. And the meaning isn't great either - humble?!

HyggeTygge · 26/12/2024 09:18

Sorry but Pauline will always conjure up 'okey cokey, pig in a pokey' for me. It's actually quite a pretty name but the connotations are too strong!

temperance81 · 26/12/2024 09:13

Pauline is dreadful!! Of the billions of pretty names, your choices are questionable.....

Mandarinaduck · 26/12/2024 08:41

I think I marginally prefer Pauline over Polly.
Polly is more current but a bit cutesy.

reallyalurker · 26/12/2024 08:37

Both are lovely (as is Pollyanna). Are you thinking that Polly will be what everyone calls her? If so, I'd go with that. Agree that the original meaning of Mary is not known. It looks like the original meaning of Paulus may have been more "small" than "humble".

Hobbesmanc · 26/12/2024 08:33

Pauline, Maureen, Doreen. They just feel like an older generation who like a gossip and whilst at heart quite kind would probably vote for Nigel Farage. But obviously this is just my personal opinion lol

Polly is cute. We had a cat called Polly.

Paulette maybe is prettier?

MistyF · 26/12/2024 08:06

MommaAddie · 25/12/2024 21:21

Really struggling because meaning is important to me and Pauline means humble whereas Polly traditionally is a nickname for Mary which means bitter. I will call her Polly anyway but I love both so much can't decide.

I like Polly the best. What about Polina or Paola?

wandawaves · 26/12/2024 03:29

Both are awful.

TaggieO · 26/12/2024 03:24

Pauline is really, truly awful. Please don’t!

There are plenty of prettier names that have lovely meanings.

Or if you really want Polly as the nn just call her Polly!

Names with a P you might like:
Paloma (means Dove)
Poppy (like the flower)
Phoebe (means shining bright)