Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Would the meaning of the name Mallory steer you away?

82 replies

iruma77 · 15/09/2026 12:57

I’ve been obsessed with the name for years and years, but mentioned it in passing to someone and they were shocked we even considered it. It’s such a beautiful name & I haven’t cared about the meaning of anyones name before!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
iruma77 · 27/09/2026 18:39

This reply has been hidden

This reply has been hidden until the MNHQ team can have a look at it.

Jojoanna · 17/09/2026 09:12

Say what now ? Amelia ,, birth defect ? I would not have known that. I always wanted to be called Penelope,, mind you I avoided calling my daughter
Beth , oh and Justin but that’s probably it

Calliopespa · 17/09/2026 08:43

What about Valerie, Melanie or Meredith?

Calliopespa · 17/09/2026 08:40

AlwaysExtraHot · 15/09/2026 13:40

You hardly ever hear that word/birth defect though. The name also means vigour/effort/industrious.

Show quote history

Also the name existed before the defect was named. There are all sorts of syndromes and diseases named after the person who discovered them.

cariadlet · 17/09/2026 06:48

I didn't know the meaning but would avoid it because I dislike surnames being used as first names - Cooper, Parker, Archer etc

RaraRachael · 17/09/2026 06:35

Shloopie · 16/09/2026 23:59

Nope. The meaning wouldn't bother me a jot. People defy their names all the time. I know two women called Joy who could curdle milk at a glance.

Yes. I know a woman called Peace who is a complete dinraiser!

VistorHelp · 17/09/2026 01:17

HoldMyWine · 15/09/2026 13:10

Mallory Towers?

It’s only got one l — Malory Towers

Rituelec · 17/09/2026 00:05

I thought Sarah meant Princess!

Rituelec · 17/09/2026 00:01

Purplecatshopaholic · 15/09/2026 13:32

Amelia is a birth defect but a surprisingly common name, doesn’t seem to put people off.

Yeah. That puts me right of Amelia.

Shloopie · 16/09/2026 23:59

Nope. The meaning wouldn't bother me a jot. People defy their names all the time. I know two women called Joy who could curdle milk at a glance.

Uricon2 · 16/09/2026 16:36

The meaning(s) of Jocasta are beautiful, all about shining moons, purity and violets. The Greek classical tragedy associations, not so much.

Unless people are deliberately setting out to find something controversial and offensive, most names are going to have potentially positive and negative connotations.

(And yes, I have known a couple of little Jocastas)

FringedAnd · 16/09/2026 16:16

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 14:18

But none of those are the associations that it has for me. The first one is the one that stayed with me. Forever. f I had called DD Penelope, I'd always have a flashback to a sad/pissed off ancient Greek woman! As I do whenever I think 'oh, what a shame I didn't name her that... Ah, never mind!'

And that is the thing with personal associations as opposed to objective meanings.

Also, I didn't grow up in the UK so your widespread associations obviously won't match mine.

Show quote history

I didn't grow up in the UK either.

RedToothBrush · 16/09/2026 16:03

I love the name and would absolutely have considered it - but for the meaning.

AppropriateAdult · 16/09/2026 16:01

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 08:13

It's the second time I read the word 'superstitious' in this thread. I don't follow. What do irrational beliefs have to do with disliking the meaning of a name?

Why would anyone choose a name with a a negative (to you) meaning on purpose?

It's a bit like saying you don't care that a particular food tastes horrible, you're going to order it anyway.

Show quote history

That’s a strange analogy. Eating a horrible-tasting food is an unpleasant sensory experience. Simply being aware that a name originally had a meaning that had a negative connotation is… not that.

AlwaysExtraHot · 16/09/2026 14:23

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 14:22

Thanks for the recommendation, will check it out.

I know she wasn't exactly a doormat, but I'm afraid my original childhood association os the sad/angry woman has stayed with me forever!

Show quote history

Give them a go; they might challenge your associations. And they're both just very good reads too!

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 14:22

AlwaysExtraHot · 16/09/2026 11:51

Penelope for me will always be the lonely woman that Ulysses left to be bullied by everyone and his mother while he went off gallivanting. Beautiful name, wrong association.

The Penelopiad or the Songs of Penelope trilogy give a fresh and very interesting perspective on her.

Show quote history

Thanks for the recommendation, will check it out.

I know she wasn't exactly a doormat, but I'm afraid my original childhood association os the sad/angry woman has stayed with me forever!

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 14:18

FringedAnd · 16/09/2026 12:54

But that's your unusually narrow view of Penelope, though. It's inside the top 50 names for England and Wales. Plus most people, even if they didn't know many Penelopes themselves, would be aware of lots of famous people and characters of that name -- Penelope Cruz, Penelope Keith, Penelope Wilton, Penelope Lively, Penelope Leach, Penelope the Bridgerton character, Penelope Pitstop, Penelope Parker from the Spiderman universe, Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds etc etc.

Show quote history

But none of those are the associations that it has for me. The first one is the one that stayed with me. Forever. f I had called DD Penelope, I'd always have a flashback to a sad/pissed off ancient Greek woman! As I do whenever I think 'oh, what a shame I didn't name her that... Ah, never mind!'

And that is the thing with personal associations as opposed to objective meanings.

Also, I didn't grow up in the UK so your widespread associations obviously won't match mine.

ToadRage · 16/09/2026 13:31

I don't like it. It reminds me of the Mallory Towers books i read as a child.

FringedAnd · 16/09/2026 13:28

MsSmartShoes · 16/09/2026 13:06

I love the sound of it, but the meaning would rule it out for me.
Mabli is a Welsh name meaning “lovable”. That is similar and much nicer meaning.

It's a lovely name, but the non-Welsh pronunciation isn't as nice.

MsSmartShoes · 16/09/2026 13:06

I love the sound of it, but the meaning would rule it out for me.
Mabli is a Welsh name meaning “lovable”. That is similar and much nicer meaning.

stargirl27 · 16/09/2026 12:58

no, i think it's a pretty name, name meanings do not determine a child's future

FringedAnd · 16/09/2026 12:54

stickygotstuck · 16/09/2026 10:36

I can assure you that my reaction to a bad flavour is entirely comparable to that of a bad meaning. I don't like it, so I avoid it. No misunderstanding there.

Sarah is sufficiently popular and common to have other association's than the 'original' biblical Sarah. Thats is not the case with, say, Penelope. Penelope for me will always be the lonely woman that Ulysses left to be bullied by everyone and his mother while he went off gallivanting. Beautiful name, wrong association.

The attitude to names is obviously in the eye of the beholder, as we've seen in this thread. Which I find fascinating, because I'd have thought it was the actual taste in names that was subjective. But it turns out it's also the importance attached to their meaning that is subjective too. Whereas I assumed it was a universal thing.

Every day is a school day!

OP, sorry for the derail. Have you made up your mind about Mallory yet?

But that's your unusually narrow view of Penelope, though. It's inside the top 50 names for England and Wales. Plus most people, even if they didn't know many Penelopes themselves, would be aware of lots of famous people and characters of that name -- Penelope Cruz, Penelope Keith, Penelope Wilton, Penelope Lively, Penelope Leach, Penelope the Bridgerton character, Penelope Pitstop, Penelope Parker from the Spiderman universe, Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds etc etc.

RaraRachael · 16/09/2026 12:19

I had no idea what it means. I didn't find out what my kids' names meant. I just gave them names I like.
My friend's daughter is called Leah which apparently means a cow - nobody cares.

WaitingForMojo · 16/09/2026 12:08

I wouldn’t use it.

Ellery / Ellory means cheerful, or lively, if that helps!

TidyDancer · 16/09/2026 12:04

It makes me think of Mallory Knox of Mickey and Mallory fame which you’d think would put me off but I still quite like it!