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Baby names

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

Original poster

Thoughts on Edith?

67 replies

lengoyeko · 26/05/2026 08:52

My dad and my MIL hate it and MIL says she would refuse to call our baby anything other than Edie. We wanted the nickname Edie anyway but is it really that bad!? My husband and I both like it a lot.

Our last name begins with W but having heard from other EW’s we understand it’s rare to actually get picked on for having those initials.

Virginia will almost certainly be the middle name no matter what first name we go with.

The other name we’re considering is Abigail and we’d probably exclusively call her Abby.

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Giraffehaver · 26/05/2026 22:04

Edith Virginia oozes class and charm. Just lovely

LivingTheDreamish · 26/05/2026 21:57

I'd be calling her Edith just on principal now. It wouldn't have been on trend when your dad/MIL were naming their children but they really should keep their beaks out. Edith nn Edie is really lovely. No issues with EW unless your surname is Wharton.

I do also like Abigail but not Abby so much.

Glitterbiscuits · 26/05/2026 21:00

It’s lovey. Classy

clary · 26/05/2026 20:58

doh - Harold Godwinson I mean. He was the son of Godwin. Obviously.

Purplecatshopaholic · 26/05/2026 20:17

If you want to call her Edie, then call her Edie! Don’t saddle her with Edith - terrible name, sorry - if you are going to call her something else!

clary · 26/05/2026 19:51

ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/05/2026 19:17

I think Edith is lovely. Old English too.

yep Edward the Confessor's wife. And the wife of Harold Godwin. And his mistress (Edith Swan-neck as there were so many Ediths)

Comedycook · 26/05/2026 19:35

Personally I find it frumpy but it's your baby so you choose the name. Grandparents had their chance to name their own children and it's outrageous of them to suggest they won't use it

ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/05/2026 19:17

I think Edith is lovely. Old English too.

Calliopespa · 26/05/2026 18:29

StopFeckingSnoring · 26/05/2026 16:18

I love Edith and Edie. So so much prettier and cooler than Daphne, Olive and Ivy.

I think so too. Daphne is heavy and just awful, Olive isn't really pretty - either the sound or the fruit and Ivy is ok.

But Edith/Edie has class!

Daffodilsinthespring · 26/05/2026 18:27

Abigail is really dated. Edith is lovely.

ThemUnsYouseUns · 26/05/2026 18:23

I really don’t like Edith but that’s because I can’t bear the current baby-name trend for old people names (no disrespect to old people, of course!)

But I agree with other posters that it’s best to keep names to yourself for the time being, and absolutely call your daughter what you want!

StopFeckingSnoring · 26/05/2026 16:18

I love Edith and Edie. So so much prettier and cooler than Daphne, Olive and Ivy.

Cocktailsandcheese · 26/05/2026 16:13

I like Edie but hate Edith
Abigail/Abby is nice

EnidVance · 26/05/2026 14:17

I don’t like it personally, there’s something prim and proper about it. I love Edie though.

Edith is fairly popular though, it’s just part of the current trend of vintage names,I see less Abigails (I work with kids), and prefer it to Edith.

Spidey66 · 26/05/2026 13:56

I like Edith and especially Edie!

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 26/05/2026 13:52

I love Edith, and Edie. But (unlike most MNers) I don't see the point in naming your child Edith if you're going to call her Edie all the time.
I also love Abigail.

I have nieces called Abigail and Edie though so am biased.

Firebird83 · 26/05/2026 13:48

Lovely. My DS has an Edith and an Edie in his class.

spiderlight · 26/05/2026 12:50

I love Edie - have adored it since the Cult song back in the 80s.

@WyrdHag - your cat absolutely looks like an Edith. Beautiful!

Raccoonsmacaroons · 26/05/2026 12:50

Seeing as you asked, I like Edie but really don’t like Edith.

But if you do, that’s surely what actually matters!

sprigatito · 26/05/2026 12:50

Whatever one thinks of the name, it’s incredibly rude of your MIL to say she would refuse to use it at all. If you were anti-shortenings, she would bloody well have to, at least until the child was old enough to have an opinion.

I like Edith, it’s pretty and chic.

DreamingOfGeneHunt · 26/05/2026 12:49

I love Edith. I know a very sweet little one.

user293948849167 · 26/05/2026 12:48

I think it’s lovely, I do like Abigail too but not Abby - but prefer Edith of the two names

DramaAlpaca · 26/05/2026 12:45

I never liked Edith when I was younger, but it's really grown on me in recent years and now I absolutely love it. Edie's great too.

I feel the same about Olive, Daphne, Mabel and Ivy; always thought they were awful and now I think they are fabulous names. I'm even coming round to Nora, and I never thought that would happen.

I'm probably your MIL's sort of age, btw.

ReignOfError · 26/05/2026 12:45

It’s a name. You like it. It is absolutely sod all to do with your parents or in-laws. My sister hates the name of one of her grandkids and I am genuinely the only person who knows that, because she respects her son and daughter-in-law and their choice.

Neither does it - or it shouldn’t, anyway - make one iota of difference to your name preferences what people on Mumsnet think.

Edited because I can’t proofread properly

WyrdHag · 26/05/2026 12:32

Calliopespa · 26/05/2026 11:52

She looks a handful!💕

Show quote history

There's a bit of Bengal in there so yes, she has her moments!