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Baby names

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Original poster

Wilhelmina?

31 replies

stinkypinky · 27/03/2010 10:48

Not sure of gender - due in 3 weeks.
Was originally thinking of Willow, but thinking Wilhelmina has more options for nicknames, more 'grown up' etc...
Honest opinions please.

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thesecondcoming · 29/03/2010 09:28

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LadyCressida · 28/03/2010 21:50

I like it in theory. It's the name of the heroine in Dracula which is one of my fave books and she's called Mina.

Unfortunatley I think it's a bit of a difficult name to pull off in reality though - and no one would be able to spell it easily.

gmtbst · 28/03/2010 16:45

Or you could shorten it to Mina.

Guadalupe · 28/03/2010 13:39

I know a Willow and a Willa

I think some people will shorten it it to willie

telsa · 28/03/2010 13:30

Minnie is one nn for Wilhelmina - which is very cute.

piscesmoon · 28/03/2010 12:53

My first thought was that she would get called Willy, you can try and shorten it to Willow but you have no control.

ShadeofViolet · 28/03/2010 11:56

She will get called willy at school.

Please dont do it to her.

Original poster
stinkypinky · 28/03/2010 11:53

Shineoncrazydiamond - DH loves it, and I chose DDs name(he accepted it)I would not 'use it in full' much, as it sounds a bit posh, and DD has a two syllable name. We are not posh.

nbee84 I think Willie would be great!

DD wants to call her Susan.

Thank you all for your comments

OP posts:
nbee84 · 28/03/2010 11:44

I only know one Wilhelmina - and she's referred to as Willie. Every time I hear it I cringe inside!

RumourOfAHurricane · 28/03/2010 11:26

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thesecondcoming · 28/03/2010 11:21

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gmtbst · 28/03/2010 10:47

I like Willow

nooka · 28/03/2010 02:34

I think it's great for nicknames (Mina being my favourite), but not a very nice name in itself. It's definitely more flexible than Willow.

mathanxiety · 28/03/2010 00:18

Billie is nice -- I like it more than Billy. Willa (like Willa Cather) is another possibility.

AliGrylls · 27/03/2010 19:14

Or it could be abbreviated to Wilma - I love the name but that is because I had a great aunt who was lovely and was called Wilma. I would not do it as a first name. Maybe as a middle.

DorotheaPlenticlew · 27/03/2010 19:11

Loads of these in my family tree (all had the NN Mina, apparently) -- it was very popular in Scotland in the late 19th century and very early 20th. I therefore think of it as old-fashioned, not that there's anything wrong with that.

I do like Mina as a nn, but not so keen on Billy tbh (regardless of gender).

Original poster
stinkypinky · 27/03/2010 18:58

Daddy has just confessed to why he likes it so much (big Dracula fan)
Thank you Schroedingersdodo!

He is adament that he wants Wilhelmina (nn Billy)

Willow is one of many 'officially recognised' shortenings of the name.

Surname is fine with it as quite simple.

Glad a couple of you guys like it at least

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 27/03/2010 17:40

Hate it!

schroedingersdodo · 27/03/2010 17:22

I like it and it reminds me of Dracula (the heroine, Mina, is Wilhelmina). It's in my list of names that I think are very nice but probably wouldn't dare to use

mathanxiety · 27/03/2010 17:10

I love it. But I also love Hilda and Hildegard and even started warming to Brunhilda after seeing it on a thread (and meeting a little 18 month old one). I like the NN potential of Wilhelmina. It sounds softer and a good deal more feminine than most older Germanic type names. (Sounds a bit like Solomon with all those Ls and Ms too) So I say go for it.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 27/03/2010 15:37

In Malory Towers there was a Wilhelmina and she was called Bill.

Just a thought

bellissima · 27/03/2010 15:37

Sounds like a thunderous Wagnerian name (or okay a Dutch Queen's name). nope. In fact I forsee problems with both Wilhelmina, if she is willowy, and Willow if, well, she aint.

not being very helpful sorry.

dizzydixies · 27/03/2010 15:21

Willow, please just Willow

SpeedyGonzalez · 27/03/2010 15:12

I don't like it. Also makes me think of Wilhelmina Slater (Ugly Betty - utterly brilliant character, but not one to aspire to!) or that woman from Buck Rogers - remember that?

I do like Willow, though, and though it is a bit tree-huggy I think it's in a nice way, unlike Orion or Rainbow. Mina I think is also lovely - I know a little girl with this name.

I've never met/ heard of a RL Willow, wouldn't call it 'popular' at all, but maybe I'm moving in the wrong circles!

But I wouldn't call my daughter Wilhelmina in order to shorten it to Willow; I'd just go straight for Willow. Will it work with your surname?

fliight · 27/03/2010 15:08

It's really nice. I like it