Barbara

Again...if your child is nerdy as you put it...not confidant ....cool...bright..people oriented...No Name is going to make him/her that way...I am the Barbara (yes, I'm older than most of you here) who has been successful in my career as a talent scout in the music industry ...(no, not a hairdresser as someone suggested as the career choice one would attribute to someone named 'Barbara') although there is no shame in any career choice..IMHO...In a thirty one year long marriage with a handsome and successful man by most women's standards..

Now, my daughter Olivia carried her name during a time when not one other child throughout her entire educational experience shared it with her...Despite the fact that she was not a Katie or Jennifer or Laura (very popular back then)...Olivia was very popular..a cool kid if you will...smart, talented and loved people and life..I suppose being a beautiful child didn't hurt...but her name was definitely not considered one of the cool names...She herself only started to like it in High School when she liked having a unique name...And as I mentioned before, the schools are so full of Olivias these days its absurd...

Names are combinations of sounds...that's all...I'm not saying that if you think a name such as mine is outdated, that you should give that name to your child if it makes you feel uncomfortable...but do watch out for trendy names (just for the sake of their popularity) unless you want your child to be one of twelve "Madisons" (for example) out of twenty in a class..

.I've raised four children...with pretty average names...none were the most popular for that time and two were just plain boys names: William (Bill) and John, Johanna and Olivia..all named after grandparents I wished to honor, as well as liking the sound of each name...

Plain John and unpopularly named Olivia had the personalities that made them standouts among peers..they are just people persons....Bill and Johanna were a little more introverted...with less sparkling personalities..more sensitive, more artistic types..all different in their own ways...

...if you like the sound or have a loved one whom you'd like to honor...go for it!!! If you want your child to be confidant, begin by not placing so much stock in other people's opinions. Because they do imitate us.

.It's amazing to me that anyone would discourage someone from giving their child a name based solely on what's popular, or because it is "outdated"..Either YOU like it or YOU don't.. Only small minded people will judge your child on a name..and from personal experience it's THE KID and whether or not he or she embraces the world or withdraws from it that matters most..

..My advice is to give your child a name that goes well with you surname...and focus on raising your child to be a happy, healthy, human being...one who is secure in his own skin...

Naming a child should always be a matter of personal preference...If you can be talked out of a name you love...or if you try to talk someone else out of a name that is in your opinion, just not cool enough..... (as many tried to do with me when my Olivia..named for my mother in law...was born) you may someday wonder why your own child always looks to others for answers. lacking confidence in his own ideas and preferences.......they mimic us you see...IMHO...

Again...if your child is nerdy as you put it...not confidant ....cool...bright..people oriented...No Name is going to make them that way...I am the Barbara (yes, I'm older than most of you here) who has been successful...(no, not a hairdresser as someone suggested although there is no shame in any career aspiration)...in a thirty one year marriage with a handsome man by most women's standards...Now, my daughter Olivia carried her name during a time when not one other child throughout her entire educational experience shared it with her...Despite the fact that she was not a Katie or Jennifer or Laura (very popular back then)...Olivia was very popular..a cool kid if you will...smart, talented and loved people and life..I suppose being a beautiful child didn't hurt...but her name was not "considered" one of the cool names...She herself only started to like it in High School when she liked having a unique name...And as I mentioned before, the schools are so full of Olivias these days its almost laughable...Names are combinations of sounds...that's all...I'm not saying that if you think a name such as mine is outdated that you should give that name to your child if it makes you feel uncomfortable...but do watch out for trendy names unless you want your child to be one of twelve "Madisons" (for example) out of twenty in a class...I've raised four children...with pretty average names...none were the most popular and two were just plain boys names: William (Bill) and John, Johanna and Olivia....Plain John and unpopularly named Olivia had the personalities that made them standouts among peers..they are just people persons....Bill and Johanna were a little more introverted...with less sparkling personalities...the name is not the biggest issue...if you like the sound or have a loved one whom you'd like to honor...go for it!!! If you want your child to be confidant, begin by not placing so much stock in other people's opinions.It's amazing to me that anyone would discourage someone from giving their child a name based on what's popular...Either YOU like it or YOU don't..... Only small minded people will judge your child on the name....My advice is to give your child a name that goes well with you family name...and focus on raising your child to be a happy, healthy, human being...who is secure in his own skin... naming a child should always be a matter of personal preference...If you can be talked out of a name you love...or if you talk someone else out of a name based on trends... (as many tried to do with me when my Olivia..named for my mother in law...was born) you may someday wonder why your own child always looks to others for answers..IMHO...

I think don't.

Good grief no.
It's awful. It may come back into fashion, but it isn't now and it's a horrible name that will have your DD sniggered at a lot.
Don't do it

I can add a cool Barbera to the list - Barbera Hepworth - sculptor!

I like it - retro! Makes me think of the Beach Boys and Barbara Ann

You could always use Bee or BB for short if you wanted.

May-Belle ugly?!

I see that as being very conventionally pretty and I can't understand why it's not way more popular. Why has Isabel taken off with wings and Mabel hasn't ?! BAFFLING to me.

Hmm - I'm a Vivienne and I didn't realise until now that it was considered to be middle aged chic.

I'm only flippin 33!

Hated my name when I was a child - I wanted a normal name like everyone else in my class - Sarah, Clare, Jane or Louise. But by the time I was 15 I loved it as it looks pretty written down and is unusual without being weird.

Only thing is every calls me Viv (apart from my close family)

I like it too.
Mabel is ugly, though, I can't get past that prejudice.

Although, no, you are too young to be a Barbara in your mid forties.... older sister? Mum? maybe it hit the USa first!

Is it your real name Kerry?!

No. I love old-lady chic, I love middle-aged chic (Sylvia, Belinda, Vivien, Valerie). I wouldn't use, but could appreciate the appeal of Lois, Donna, Maura, Muriel, Meryl, Beryl..

So. I'm aint the type to look at the top ten for inspiration.

Fab for you that it hasn't been an albatross around your neck though.

I'd prefer to be something like Beth, Anna, Rachel, Sarah, Ellen, something that doesn't date..

My name is Barbara Hawley and I have always loved the name given to me at birth.....especially when I lived in Spain for several years where each syllable is pronounced with a slightly rolled 'r.' I am now 56..look about ten years younger...married to a handsome man, and during my single years,was never at a loss for admirers...Think about it...the name Olivia is very popular and considered beautiful today...My twenty seven year old daughter, Olivia was named after my beautiful mother in law....People were shocked that I would give my baby such a "heavy" and "old fashioned" name in 1982....She was the only one in her high school graduating class of four hundred fifty students with the name..And yet a decade later, you won't find a school that isn't filled with Olivias...

.I love my name...and for all of you who claim to hate it, please tell me your name and I'm sure I could think of a million reasons not to like it...compare it to some silly word...mispronounce it..think of some unattractive or unsavory people who carry the same name...

.Barbara has been a wonderful name...I guess I carry it well...and for the record there are some very beautiful and talented Barbaras as well: Barbara Eden (I dream of Jeannie);Barbara Gordon is a librarian in Gotham City by day, but by night she is Batgirl, .. Barbara Cartland wrote hundreds of romantic novels; Barbara Feldon who played the beautiful, quirky, agent 99 on the series "Get Smart"...(far from boring)..The gorgeous (and young!) Barbara Terry is one of the most sought after auto experts in television and is the owner of her own racing team, "Barbara Terry Racing."..she is absolutely stunning..

,. I think people are so caught up in what other people think..that they can't have a mind of their own when it comes to a name..."Barbara" means "stranger in a foreign land" or exotic...it consists of three letters, three syllables, and when prouncounced correctly, softly bounces off the lips...it trails off with the very feminine "a"..and yet it is strong...confidant....I love my name!

Barbara Ellen (observer jouno) is pretty cool - I reckon your name's what you make it.

What about Linda, also quite 60s, and I've always had a penchant for it.

Mind you, I also think Sharon is a beautiful name and ripe for a revival...

My SIL mother is called Barbara, her sister is called Barbara and her sister's DD (age 7) is called Barbara-Anne. - think The Royle Family living in Liverpool and you get the picture.

Naff as hell but hey, naff is cool!

My Mum also has friends called Nancy and Lois, but they might be young for their names, as those names are already out there.

My Mum is called Beatrice, so I think she is about 30 yrs too young for her name, and weirdly, I am 20 years too young for my name.

I've gone the other direction with my daughter and she will be about 15 yrs older than somebody would expect her to be, guessing purely on her name (further down the line when she is an adult).

There is somebody on this board, can't remember who! but wouldn't out them, who has a Billy and a Susan (Well, the Susan is a bump to be called Susie.)

I think it's cool and refreshing amongst the Ameleeeeyahs and oliveeeeeyahs, and so on.. not criticising those names, they are pretty, but I'm getting tired of that prim victorian prettiness bow. Now I think Vivien for example has a lot more backbone.

Belinda, Vivien, Valerie, these are my Mum's bridge chums!!! I call it bridge lady chic.

I don't like Barbara just because it sounds too much like barber to me.

Babette is cute though a bit too cute for my taste.

PMSL at "coming to a creche near you"

I think you are all being a bit harsh on Barbara

Nantucket, not only do I 100% agree with every word you say, but I also keep thinking of a lovely holiday I had in Nantucket every time I see your screen name. I'm having an identity crisis. Did I write your posts while sleep walking??

I don't think Barbara is ready to come back out yet.