Calling a child Dolly?

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

Someone I know has called their new baby this and I can't stand it. Of course they're entitled to call their children what they like and it's none of my business. Just before someone tells me that.

I don't like it because it sounds babyish and not a real name. It's more like a nickname. It makes me think of an old lady or a Barbie doll, not a person.

I think Dolly is perfect as part of the trend to name children after my grandmother’s generation.
I know 2 Lily’s, an Elsie and an Ivy, all of whom are feisty mighty girls, who I have taken on all sorts of adventures in local parks and woodland.
Amongst my acquaintances there are Girls called Dorothy, Betty, Clara, Mabel, Florence (my grandmother’s name), Gwendolen (great aunt).

Thank you OP for reminding me of my lovely Aunty Doll, who was so kind and loving.

OP obviously you don’t have to like every name you hear but hating Dolly is a little extreme. Dolly Parton is an amazing role model.

How to respond to an unusual name?
Just smile and say, Oh that’s interesting, I haven’t heard Emulsion as a name before?
With a bright smile on your face!

Oh dear. It’s my name.

I love it.

I'm guessing you're not a child. How's it working out for you?

Thank you. I personally love it 😊

Live and let live.

Adore the name Dolly ❤️. It’s a perfectly acceptable name in its own right and it doesn’t need another name on the birth certificate. My son is a Freddie. People suggested putting Frederick on his birth certificate which I find absolutely absurd when we were never in a million years going to refer to him as Frederick.

No thanks, couldn’t stand the falseness of that and it’s also an incredibly lf outdated thing to do. Most people now do not do that.

No, sadly once you’re ‘old’ (about 60 on MN, regardless of whether you’re still working or not!) you become less of an individual, somehow.

I also had an Auntie Dolly who would have been of the same era, probably born around the 1900's.

I really like the name, its due for a come back.

Thank you. I personally love it 😊

From the horses mouth
( no offence @SisterAgatha )

It’s been ok, I cannot compare it to any other experience obviously. People are a bit 🤔 but Dol’ is used these days and that could almost be short for a few things.

I think of it a bit like Daphne. You’d say Daph which isn’t far off Daffy Duck. Or Dorothy, where it would be Dot. I do like a D name! I write my name with such a flourish!

I know someone whose first name is a cute term of endearment. She is a very senior professional. I feel really awkward using the name! I assume it doesn't bothered her or she would adopt a middle name or something, so I fully get that this is my problem not hers.

Dolly has been rising in popularity for a while. Was it Chantelle Houghton who called her kid that when she was a sleb, spawning copies?

It’s been ok, I cannot compare it to any other experience obviously. People are a bit 🤔* but Dol’ is used these days and that could almost be short for a few things.

I think of it a bit like Daphne. You’d say Daph which isn’t far off Daffy Duck. Or Dorothy, where it would be Dot. I do like a D name! I write my name with such a flourish!*

Enjoy!

It’s a traditional nickname. My Great Aunt was always known as Dolly, but her real name was Elizabeth.

I’d have no issue with a child’s nickname being Dolly, but it’s fairer to them to give them a full length proper name which can be shorted. See also: Bobby, Sid etc.

I like it, prefer formal names with cute nicknames but rhere are a lot worse. Know someone called their daughter Cici recently.. Saying that it won't suit a 30 year old, it will be different when they're older as other 30 years old will have similar cute names so it won't stand out.

I know a child called Dolly (or Doll) she’s about 10 now. She was called something else (Amelia maybe 🤔) but as she was a premature baby and so tiny every started calling her Dolly and it stuck. She loves her name.

FWIW it reminds me of a baby, or a middle aged person I don't feel like it suites someone from say 7-40

Ok if it's short for Dorothy but on its own it's not nice. Imagine a 40 year old barrister being introduced as Dolly xyz. There goes her credibility.

I know a few, one has a brother called Sonny. I think alternatives should be given to the child, so if it was my GC I'd prefer if Dorothy was on the BC. I like the names, Dolly, Dotty and Dot.

Don't call your child Dolly, then! We all have names we do/don't like, but nothing to get worked up about.

Dolly is just another 'old-fashioned' name that's been revived in recent decades really. Not long ago, nobody would have called their kid Milly, Molly, Ruby, Daisy etc either, but they're popular too and Dolly is in that category.

And yeah, it's traditionally short for Dorothy. My nan's name was Dorothy and she absolutely refused to be called anything but Dorothy, but I also had a great-aunt who we all called Dolly or Doll.

I hadn't really given it a moment's thought until now but I think I actually quite like it. Which is weird because I don't like Milly or Molly at all.

"Imagine a 40 year old barrister being introduced as Dolly xyz. There goes her credibility"

I'd hope that those involved in law making would have enough intelligence to not just judge on name. There's a lot of sexism within that,which again should be challenged not just avoided.

Imagine a 40 year old barrister being introduced as Dolly xyz. There goes her credibility.

Only with idiots. Anyone with any sense knows she's worked just as hard as any other barrister to get there.

I had an aunty Doll/Dolly, and she had a daughter called Dinky! One of my cats is called Dolly. I wouldn't be surprised to hear a child or young girl/woman being called Dolly. I think it's a lovely diminutive.

I love it. Dolly Parton is lovely :)

Imagine a 40 year old barrister being introduced as Dolly xyz. There goes her credibility.

🙄 And there goes yours.

Dolly for Dorothy ; yes but otherwise it sounds a bit infantile.However ,having read this thread ,I take on board all the DC named Milly, Molly, Maisie etc and see that there isn't much difference.I'm a bit of a fan of Dorothy.