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Baby names

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

Original poster

Helga??

29 replies

namechooser · 07/06/2025 09:16

Baby's first name will probably be Maria. We are British living in the UK, but Helga is the name of a much loved Danish relative. Can we use it as a middle name, or is it too out there?

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HiddenInCubeOfCheese · 09/06/2025 14:16

LittleCosette · 07/06/2025 11:59

Makes me think of Helga G Pataki but her peers will have no idea who that is!

Came on to say this!

I thought she was a brilliant character tbf

user1492757084 · 09/06/2025 13:21

Maria Helga is strong and lovely, as is Helga Maria.

ShellieAnn · 08/06/2025 19:05

I think it's fine as a middle name. Usually we don't even know other people's middle names so if it means something to you, go with it. Maria is nice and not very common at the moment. I went to school with lots of Marias but I'm late 30s, you don't hear it much with little kids these days.

GiddyDog · 08/06/2025 18:59

I have an 80's first name and a very old lady middle name which I hated as a child but love as an adult because it's linked to a beloved relative who is no longer with us now.
Think along the lines of Jennifer Mildred or Lauren Agatha.

Maria is lovely as a first name and if the middle name is meaningful she'll grow into it, I would go with Maria Helga.

HeyWiggle · 08/06/2025 01:53

Helga is a great middle name

HeyWiggle · 08/06/2025 01:52

What about Halle

mathanxiety · 08/06/2025 01:19

Helga Maria is gorgeous.

I like Maria Helga too but I think Helga Maria flows better.

Charlottejbt · 08/06/2025 01:12

Paaseitjes · 07/06/2025 11:48

I like it and I it has a nice family and heritage link. In my country, it would be derived from a longer name, probably Helena, if you're less keen on Helga.

According to Wikipedia, Helga is an independent.name and means holy, as in "heilig". It's not as conventionally pretty as Helena but I think it's good that it's a name in its own right.

Like other pps, the name reminds me of Allo Allo, but Helga was a rather glamorous figure, so that's not really off-putting!

Enko · 08/06/2025 01:04

Go for it. Every Helga I have met have been amazing women.

LaLaLaLavaChChChChicken · 08/06/2025 01:02

Only if you want her to spend her life chasing after Herr Flick of the Gestapo.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 07/06/2025 21:02

I have a feeling that Helga is an old lady name in Germany.

You might consider Hilda?

AngryLikeHades · 07/06/2025 18:50

I quite like the name.
Have you thought of 'Hildegard' or is that too Swiss German?

Original poster
namechooser · 07/06/2025 18:48

Thanks all for helpful comments. Lots of love for Helga which is nice - we’re actually now crystallising around Helga Maria as final choice ❤️

OP posts:
BoleynMemories13 · 07/06/2025 16:38

You can use whatever you like as a middle name. They're so rarely used that most people won't know it anyway.

I much prefer using family names or names with meaning rather than just something because it 'goes'.

Leafusbeus · 07/06/2025 15:24

Helga is old-fashioned sounding but not in a particularly pleasant way to my ears anyway ,and with my lack of familiarity with the name
In other words I've never known anyone with the name Helga., which is good if you're looking for a unique name for your DD.
Maria is a lovely name, you can't really go wrong with it.
I get that you'd like to honour a much loved relative, would you consider two middle names such as someone suggested , Maria Elizabeth Helga for example?
Regarding another PPs comment, I would be astounded if " friends and colleagues" would tease your DD about her middle name.
As an adult, colleagues, really?

murasaki · 07/06/2025 12:48

I get Allo Allo vibes.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 07/06/2025 12:43

I find Maria helga hard to say, if you want to use it add something else in the middle. Something like Maria Elizabeth helga or Maria Sophie helga etc is a lot easier to say and in my opinion makes Helga seem a bit softer

rugmuffin · 07/06/2025 12:13

In my experience it is used as an insult. Someone is a “proper Helga” meaning a bit of a battle axe!

LittleCosette · 07/06/2025 11:59

Makes me think of Helga G Pataki but her peers will have no idea who that is!

Olika · 07/06/2025 11:55

it’s a very old fashioned name in my country and I really dislike it.

CreationNat1on · 07/06/2025 11:50

I like it!

Radiatorvalves · 07/06/2025 11:49

My German friends lovely mum is called Helga. Go for it.

DrummingMousWife · 07/06/2025 11:49

Maria is beautiful. Helga is awful. Please don’t saddle your child with this, they will hate it.

Paaseitjes · 07/06/2025 11:48

I like it and I it has a nice family and heritage link. In my country, it would be derived from a longer name, probably Helena, if you're less keen on Helga.

Fangz · 07/06/2025 11:01

It’s a very hard sounding name.

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