Is this a terribly boring girls name?

[BarbieLovesKen]

As I've mentioned on here before, we are definate on Kate if this LO is a girl.

We've started on middle names and for a while were going to go with Kate Gabrielle/a (as Gabrielle/a was a close second), which I think is beautiful.

DH has now suggested that we use my mother's name as a middle name. This really is very ..well fitting I suppose, as my mother is a massive part of our lives - we are both very close to her. She has no other DC other than myself and my dad and her divorced when I was very young and its just been us two ever since.

Our DC and her have an unusually close relationship. She adores them and vice versa. She is extremely helpful and supportive and although she drives us crazy at times, we both dont know what we'd do without her.

I know that if we told her we were naming this baby after her it would really mean the absolute world to her and so, for these reasons everything points to using her name over Gabrielle/a.

Thing is, Kate - albeit beautiful imo, is very plain and simple imo and my mothers name is Anne.

Kate Anne. Both one syllable names, both lovely but is not very, very boring and... meh???

Would love to hear any thoughts

I'd talk to your mum about it, possibly discuss using names with Anne in it like:

Annora, Annabel, Annette, Brianne (kinda mix of the two names), Orianne, Rosanne, Vivianne.

I think Kate Anne sounds fine, but it depends on your naming style (I typically prefer long names - the more syllables to shout, the more satisfying )

I agree with others that having all three would also be nice, even with a fourth confirmation name. I come from a family where two middle names is traditional, and mine also have Hebrew names on top of that and they've never had a problem having 4-5 names as they never really use all of them. My eldest actually likes having so many names and announces tham proudly.

kate is a boring name imo, Gabriella is much much nicer

Personally I would use all three but I understand why you are reluctant.

Kate Anne is very classic but if you are worried about the abruptness, perhaps you could lengthen one of the names?

Katie/Katy Anne
Kate Annie

I love Katie Anne together. Perhaps with Kate as nn.

Thanks everyone for the replies - finding them very helpful and taking all on board. I love Gabrielle/a but also love Kate. DH isnt crazy about Gabrielle but loves Kate so that was the decider and I think its fair plus its much more suited to our other dc's names imo.

I really was beginning to sway towards Kate Gabriella Anne for a minute there as some of you had suggested as it really is lovely but am now also taking the point that she'll be known as Kate. Anne/ Gabriella just isnt going to be used on a day to day basis so it really doesnt matter.

Glittershoes, although we are definate on Kate for birth cert we were intending on using Katie while shes little - do people think that sounds better?

oops X posts shouldnotbehere thank you you kind of answered that!!

Depends if you like Katie better than Kate! Which I don't. But I still think you should have Katharine on the birth certificate, even if you never ever use it, cos that's the actual name!

Another vote for using all 3 names. Kate Gabriella Anne. I love the name Gabrielle/a and it is on my list for DD1 (3 days overdue now!) Lovely idea to include your Mums name too. I bet she will be thrilled. :)

Id personally go for kathryn as the full name and call her Kate. I'm not keen on nn as full names.

I really like Kathryn Anne as a name.

I think Kate Anne is very pretty, but why no use all three names? All my family have 2 MN :)
I just started a similar thread, re my mum,aren't Mums great! :)

I think that Kate Anne is boring & dioesn´t flow.

Rather Catherine Anne

Or Anna or Hannah as a first name after your mum.

Anna Kate?

Hannah Kate?

I don't think Kate Anne flows very well but if you are intending on giving her a confirmation name anyway I don't think it's that much of an issue.....just don't use another 1 syllable name.

I really like the suggestion of Katherine/Catherine Anne nn Kate.

Also, how about a longer version on Anne to balance the name out? I particularly like Kate Anneliese and Kate Annabel.

What were you thinking for a confirmation name?

I agree Kate Gabriella Anne is lovely. I'm Katherine but always been known as Kate - Katherine Anne would be good option?

Thanks all... more food for thought.

Valinor If this is a she, her confirmation wont be until shes about 12 and generally she will choose the name herself

why don't you use a variant of anne? I think Hannah is a variant?

My mil is ann so we named dd1 Ainslie (from ann's meadow).

Fwiw though i like all options but would either use katherine anne or kate gabrielle anne.

We had decided on DD's first and middle names months before she was born. On the way to register her I asked DH if he'd mind if I added my mother's name as well. So she has three names and my mother's name (which is also my middle name) is the third one. Sound lovely together except I have the opposite problem in that all her names are long, three syllable names :)

I don't think Kate Gabrille/a is great anyway.

Kate Anne is fine, simple but elegant, and because of the sentimental value of it, it is priceless. I think sticking the Gabrielle/a in first before the 'Anne' will actually reduce the 'value' of using your Mum's name (third place!).

I actually love Anne (with an 'e') on its own, and if it was my Mum's name and I was close to her, I would go for it, to be honest.

Katherine with a 'k' is lovely.

Again, thank you all so much for your thoughts.

To be honest, although I see the sense behind using Katherine etc as "full name" and Kate as a nickname, I dont really like the name Katherine at all and wouldnt be keen on this. We have really fallen with "Kate".

I was really veering towards using the 3 names Kate Gabriella Anne as per some suggestions on here as to me it really does sound beautiful but I thik MerryMarigold has put it exactly how I wanted to (but couldnt) - I feel that "Gabrielle/a in first before the 'Anne' will actually reduce the 'value' of using your Mum's name (third place!)." sums it up completely.

Hmmm tis a toughie. I think the sentiment behind Anne really means we will/ should use it over Gabrielle/a as although the latter sounds nicer, Anne means so much more and as wisely pointed out - shes not going to use Gabriella or Anne day to day anyway...

Bah - sorry for rambling...

Kate Gabrielle Anne is lovely. I don't see how using Anne last diminishes its significance - it adds a ring to the entire name.

However, how about Kate Anna Gabrielle? - Anna and Anne are basically the same name (Anna being 'Anne' in lots of European languages) but Anna's extra syllable makes it flow better.

You never use your confirmation name. It doesn't get added to any official documents - it's just for ornament. You don't even use it to sign the wedding register in the church.

I don't think it's boring, I think it's strong and classic.
You could go for Katharine (I love this spelling of it) on the birth cert. and never use it, it gives her more options when she's older.
I do like Gabrielle too but I'm not sure it goes with Kate really.

Although I am actually named Katherine I have never used it, as have always been Kate, but I do like having it as my 'formal name'.

Does your Mum have a middle name you could consider instead of Anne?

I'm not one for nicknames as full, first names, but Kate is a good, strong name in its own right. Beautiful name - the only K name I like!

I would choose Kate Anne hands down. Forget Gabriella. What it will mean to your Mum is, as MerryMarigold says, priceless.

It's a no-brainer for me. :)

Very nice indeed. And I do like a family connection.