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Baby names

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

Original poster

Ariadne

59 replies

bigfatbump2009 · 19/02/2009 18:42

Hi there. I'm due quite soon with DD2 and am considering Ariadne which is a name I really love.
We are not Greek but I love classical Greek names. DD1 is Iris.
Is Ariadne too much and too long compared with Iris amd generally too much of a tongue twister??
Surname is also 3 syllables.
What do you think?

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Rosie29 · 20/02/2009 14:40

i have an Ariadne!
But my dh is greek and we live in greece, not sure if that makes a difference or not. it is a beautiful name, i love it!
go for it!

MrsBadger · 20/02/2009 14:22

I was at school with one

Always known as Ari

it is sightly poncey but no worse than other names of its ilk (Penelope, Hermione, Iolanthe)

Phoebe is lovely though. Chloë? Zoë?

Breizhette · 20/02/2009 14:19

Very pretty name.

ruty · 20/02/2009 14:17

i mean be prepared - gah.

ruty · 20/02/2009 14:17

i like it and i have a friend called Ariadne [she is half Greek tho]. Prepare for her to be called Ari though..

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 20/02/2009 14:14

Puppy - you are not the only one, I would not say 'poncey' but I just don't like it.

It sounds like 'Harry Had a Knee'

PuppyMonkey · 20/02/2009 13:56

Sorry, I seem to be the only one but I find it very poncey...

Cies · 20/02/2009 13:52

Very nice name.

FatController · 20/02/2009 13:47

Ariadne is a very pretty name, love it!

rolandbrowning · 20/02/2009 13:35

What a beautiful name!

GetOrfMoiLand · 20/02/2009 13:34

Oh for heavens sake, lol at myself - look what i typed in that last post. Of course all Greek gods wore jumpers!

GetOrfMoiLand · 20/02/2009 13:33

I vaguely remember from a book of Greek myths as a kid (one of my favourite books! that Arachne was a goddess who weaved a jumper for her beloved (a god I think), and was then turned into a spider (I may have got this very wrong)

moondog · 20/02/2009 13:32

Very nice.

GetOrfMoiLand · 20/02/2009 13:32

Ooh it's lovely. If I had another dd I would call her Iris or Ariadne (my dd is called Sophia which is Greek for 'wisdom'). So I commend your choice of names

Arachne is Greek for spider. I like that name as well but is a bit off the wall.

I love Greek names:

Calypso
Elektra
Oenone
Hebe
Artemis
Athene
Hera

I love all of those.

I wouldn't worry too much about prononciation. I thought Sophia was a common enough name and loads ofpeople get it wrong. You get used to it!

BlueChampagne · 20/02/2009 13:26

I'm sure the OP knows this, but Ariadne helped Theseus in the minotaur's labyrinth by giving him a ball of twine so he could find his way out, hence the spider connections.

Other Greek names that might appeal are:

Olga
Irene/Irini (peace)
Helen/Eleni
Leda
Phoebe
Larissa

I can dig my dictionary out later and get on the case again if you like!

mloo · 19/02/2009 19:12

Charlotte is the spider in Charlotte's web, but one of her daughter's might have been Ariadne.
I like Ariadne a lot.

Original poster
bigfatbump2009 · 19/02/2009 19:08

I thought arachnoid was the name for a spider, presumably also from the Greek. Hadn't heard of a spider called Ariadne!

OP posts:
randomname · 19/02/2009 18:58

Ariadne is the spider from charlotte's web (i think!)

mrsdisorganised · 19/02/2009 18:55

Oh btw she also has a 3 syllable middle name and 3 syllable surname and it goes well together!

lucasnorth · 19/02/2009 18:55

I like the name, but wouldn't go for it if you've already got an Iris.

Try saying "Iris and Ariadne" fast three times in a row...

mrsdisorganised · 19/02/2009 18:54

I love it! My sisters DD is called Ariadne, it's beautiful. ...my younger ones called her 'Adne' until the figured it out.

cupofteaplease · 19/02/2009 18:54

I like it, but it reminds me of a spider- is it meant to? Is there a famous spider called Ariadne?

MinkyBorage · 19/02/2009 18:53

Lovely, and unusual, was Ariadne in The Borrowers? Very sweet

jemart · 19/02/2009 18:52

Sounds lovely, both are nice names.
Awkward to abbreviate Ariadne, Iris may be the more elegant choice. Could still keep Ariadne as a middle name perhaps?

JulesJules · 19/02/2009 18:51

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