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.

Clive is hardly unique,it's a perfectly normal name.

Dolly 🤣
Thats a nickname
Or a thing you play with

Some parents have lost the plot when it comes to naming their kids. They want a funky cool unusual name and forget that this kid one day will go to school/highschool/find a job etc.

My 20 yr old niece is Kitty and starting University this year. I don't feel like the name is out of the ordinary. The name becomes the person. 🤷‍♀️ And it suits her so much.

@Staters

Dolly 🤣*
Thats a nickname
Or a thing you play with*

Clearly you haven't known any Dollys in RL.

Simple to spell, simple to pronounce, most people have heard of the name.

I think that makes it a good name. But then I hate unique spellings and "it's heaven spelled backwards" names

Rude. Who cares what YOU think?

Its a noun - a kids version of "doll". At best its a nickname. Any child called Dolly is destined for a lifetime of being mocked I think.

Meh… like it ! I know 2 actually and it really suits them … besides after a while any preconceived ideas about a name disappear and the name refers only to the fabulous person they become.

Ridiculous to suggest Dolly is not suitable for a barrister, but what? ok for a cashier? Snobbery there.

To those who say a long name is “fairer” so said child can chose a variation they like… how silly, parents name their child. The child doesn’t name itself. Usually.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

Kitty isn’t that unique at all. My grandmother was a Kitty and my 10 year old daughter knows two with the name. Usually families with Irish heritage.

Do people mock Dolly Parton for her name? I've never been aware of that.

@Staters

See above re: Kitty. Not that unique.

Of course it isn't rude. This is an anonymous forum. It's not as if I have gone up to the person and said I can't stand the child's name, is it? Is it rude to have preferences now? Or is it only rude if you dare to talk about it on a forum like this?

@ImJustMadAboutSaffron

Generally a very rude, sledgehammer type poster. I'd ignore.

Irrelevant fact: dolls (the toys) got their name because Dorothy and its nn Doll was so popular at the time

I know a Dolly. It suits her. It's a lovely name.
I also know a Polly and several Molly's.
I think Dolly is nicer than both of those names.

@Staters , Pearl is a well used name, especially in pre war London. It's the birthstone for June, so was used for June girls, whose parents didn't want to use June. Flossy was a popular nickname, I used it for my first in the 80's. It originally came from Florence. Names like Clive and Alan are still popular in some communities and were once mainstream here. Minx is questionable. But there's only three names that are not commonly used in the UK on your list.

@sunglassesonthetable @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

My reply to a PP

I say “unique” as that was how each parent has referred to it. They wanted them to be unique and stand out instead of the same Archie, Daisy, Scarlett etc
I can can honestly say I’ve only come across these children with these names. Compared to having 3 Scarlett’s in one class.
I'm totally for individuality, but draw a line at whatever Elon Musk called his child X Æ A-Xii Musk

As for Clive, he is the exception to the above. His mum said she called him that cos she thought he was a girl and she had Olive picked out but just rubbed a bit of the O out to make a C 😂

@Staters 👍🏻

I like Dolly. Also like Cairo for a boy that was posted further up. Ultimately don't know why people would really have that much of an opinion on other people's kids names.

Unless it's something like fish and chips (real name given to twins)

Dyson? Minx?

Honestly some parents are off their heads.

@sunglassesonthetable Godfrey is my all time favourite boys' name (apart from DS's name, I suppose...). I would never have been able to persuade DH to go for it, though.

Oh I know a Florence, she’s referred to as Loren. She’s 32. Now that you’ve mentioned that, I didn’t know her when she was little but have a recollection of her mum saying she used to call her Flossy when she was younger.
My Gran was called June but was born in April, she had a sister called May that was born in June. No idea why their mum didn’t use their actual birth months 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

As I said in a PP, it was the parents of these children who referred to their names as unique. But up to now, these children are the only ones I’ve come across with these names so maybe they are just unusual in our area? They have clearly heard of them elsewhere.
I'm also certain when my DD starts school next month she will be the only one with her name also. But I could be wrong as there are more common / English variations of her name.

I don’t like girls names generally that end in ‘y’ or ‘ie’
Dolly , molly, Holly, kitty, flossy, ruby , lily, rosy, posy,
they remind me of small animals and don’t seem strong names.
but each to their own

I think it might have been better to have Dorothy or Dolores on the birth certificate. As a rule of thumb, it;s best to have a name which isn't so formal and stuffy that it would sound odd in a gitl band member or influencer, but not so cutesie that you would feel awkward being introduced in a meeting as a corporate lawyer, finance director, barrister or MP.

@Sunnysideup999 what about the older names ending in Y like from 70’s, 80’s?

Lindsey
Nicky
Becky
Tracey
Stacey
Kelly
Kerry etc…

I’ve met plenty of Molly, Holly, Lily, Ruby, Missy, Daisy, Evie, Ellie, Rosie and Posie’s over the last 10-15 years.