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Baby names

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

Original poster

Ethel

84 replies

tummytickler · 20/01/2010 21:17

What do you think of Ethel?
I am loving it more and more at the moment - dh is besotted by it (and Morag!). Would love some opinions, as we will not be talking to people in rl about our name making choices!
I am loving Ettie as a nn (and Raggy for Morag!). We would probably use Ethel most of the time and not a nn though.
Middle names will be two from Denise, Violet, Mary, Jean, Eileen, Angela (all family).
Is it going to become huge like Edith/Elsie/Esme?
This is dc5, and my 2dd's have old names and ds's Hebrew (so very old!)

Thanks

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matildamum · 26/01/2010 21:15

I love granny names so I can see where you're going with Ethel, already having an Iris and a Pearl (both GORGEOUS names BTW). There's just something about Ethel that's not pretty enough IMO...I much prefer Mabel which was on my shortlist had 2nd DC been a girl. Love Violet for a MN too.
An earlier poster said Ethel reminded them of witches. Wasn't Ethel Hallow the nasty one in the Worst Witch series? Morag also makes me think of witches for some reason, and that nasty old lady character in Neighbours, (or was it Home and Away?!) a few years back.
Good luck with TTC. x

Bonsoir · 26/01/2010 09:28

It's awful, really awful.

Why don't you pick a pretty name? Why give your child an ugly name when there are so many lovely pretty ones out there?

takethatlady · 26/01/2010 09:26

I love Edith the most but I like Ethel! I'm not even ttc yet so I don't know what I'm doing on this thread really (wasting time when I should be working ). But I want to vote for Ethel - I think it is gorgeous.

npg1 · 24/01/2010 20:23

Ethel is ok but like someone said if you know she will be a strong character and carry it off then great but if not then you should choose something else!

How about Nancy? I think that is really nice.

My DD is called Georgina but we call her either Jeanie or Jean most of the time!

ShinyFuckingCurls · 24/01/2010 01:03

I really dislike Morag, it's very harsh sounding name.
My GGM was Ethel, I love it. Her real name was Margaret, but everyone called her Ethel.

I also really like Agnes, Enid and Esther.

randomama · 24/01/2010 00:46

Love love love Aphra (as in Aphra Behn?) and Juniper Jean. Ethel is actually quite a nice name imo but if you're worrying about names sounding dated, I think i'ts more likely to - as part of the noughties 'old lady name' phenomenon - than Aphra or Juniper.

good luck!

audley · 22/01/2010 23:03

Aphra is also beautiful, in fact better than Juniper Jean! I don't like Ethel!

glastochick · 22/01/2010 16:06

I called my hen Ethel

Sorry, not much help am I?

mathanxiety · 22/01/2010 15:22

Now Daphne and Dalia are so nice, and Denise would go well as a mn too.

MistyRuby · 22/01/2010 12:12

If you and your hus like the name Ethel then that is what matters

Personally, I think there are many more attractive sounding older style names out there- tbh Ethel does conjure up images of old ladies in mothball smelling fox fur coats!!

MattSmithIsNotMyLoveSlave · 22/01/2010 11:07

Even the actual old lady Ethels I know have all hated the name, which would give me pause. Morag I can see working.

jellybeans · 22/01/2010 10:59

I don't like any of the old lady names, poor kid would be made fun of.

WeWantYourDoofDoofs · 22/01/2010 10:46

Ah just read this is for an unyet conceived baby. Really wouldn't be worrying too much just now, you'll go off it by the time baby is here (if it's even a girl)

WeWantYourDoofDoofs · 22/01/2010 10:45

I really cannot see either Ethel or Morag making a comeback but if you love it, go for it

Ethel reminds me of Eastenders and Morag of the Katie Morag books. Actually how about Katie Morag? That's not tooooooo bad.

Mabel and Elsie are cuter though

Sunshinemummy · 22/01/2010 10:43

GD my daughter is called Effy (as her name not as a shortened version of something else).

GothDetective · 22/01/2010 09:54

My great aunt was an Ethel and was known as Effie. I like Effie as a name in itself even if it isn't a proper name.

Original poster
tummytickler · 22/01/2010 09:44

Ah - I dont like Denise, but it is my mothers name, and as dd has mil name as a mn, I really ought to do the same for my Mum!

Morag Mary Denise
Ethel Violet Denise

something like that!

Last night we talked about Dalia and Daphna/Daphne. These any better? we prefer the Dalia spelling to Dahlia because it is the Hebrew spelling, so fitting with ds's!

OP posts:
AvengingGerbil · 21/01/2010 23:01

I dislike the old lady names, but Ethel/Ettie is ok. But whatever you do don't use Denise. Ghastly, vile name (and one of my own, so I'm allowed to say so!).

piscesmoon · 21/01/2010 22:49

The different combination in Elizabeth turns it into a pretty, classic name. Iknow someone who had Morag as a second name and she tried to keep it a dark secret!

mathanxiety · 21/01/2010 22:08

And Elizabeth has the same letters in a different combination.

I knew a Morag in school who absolutely hated her name.

mathanxiety · 21/01/2010 22:06

Ruth and Rachel have 'th' and 'el' sounds if that's the general direction you're going in.

Ziggurat · 21/01/2010 21:15

"William Brown's sister in the Just William books was an Ethel, IIRC she was about 19 and very glamourous and grown-up, with bobbed hair (1920s)."

This is very true, but she is the exception that proves the rule.

PollyTechnique · 21/01/2010 21:15

Prefer Estelle.

Good luck ttc.

IWillNotNeverEatATomato · 21/01/2010 20:59

Don't like Ethel, makes me think of witches but I don't really know why.

Prefer Esther

Horton · 21/01/2010 20:56

Ethel is rather sweet but it's so sort of frail sounding. I like Edith a lot better and Edie is a very sweet nickname.

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