Beryl

[tummytickler]

Can I use Beryl if I already have a Pearl?
Dh and I agree on 4 girls names. I also have two more that I am trying to get him to agree to.
Beryl is my favourite from the 4 we agree on, but we have a dd Pearl already.

She is nearly 6, so at school. Baby and dd will not be at toddler group together or anything like that.

What do you think?

Glad so many are in support of Ursula, as we went with this one for our DD's middle name, after DH suggested it. I was pretty when he first said it, but then he said it means "little bear" and we once had a great shared experience of seeing wild bear in northern Japan, so it had a lovely personal significance. Then we went on to have an Edward - so we now have two little bears in the family !

Now I like a good granny name - my two DDs both have them, but I find Beryl a bit ugly (sorry) and makes me think of fat women a la Beryl Cook or else Beryl Reid.

Susan is nice, especially the nickname Suzie.

Also, Ursula, not exactly to my taste, but Sula as a nickname is very nice.

I like Cyril. I know of someone called Sirrell (but this may have been a 'surname' name). I do think spelling can affect people's perceptions of a name.

Have you gone off Wendy? I love that. Mildred reminds me of George and Mildred and Mildred te Crockle-Bog from Bewilderwood.

Ursula reminds me of Friends. So does Susan come to that.

I just hope the baby is a boy. Then OP can call him Dean

My grandpa was a Cyril, so no, I couldn't call a baby that !
Even he didn't use it !

Dean. Genius :)

My grandpa was a James, what's wrong with naming a boy after his grandpa?

Actually, I think Jane is really out there these days.

Some old names are fine excellentadventure, like James - a classic
Others like Cyril or Beryl possibly remind you more of old people !
I know a lovely Beryl though, and would almost be tempted in her honour, but actually I think it would have to be as a middle name !

I think gem stone names in general are lovely though personally I would go for Ruby rather than Beryl. I think Ruby and Pearl sound good together. Most people probably don't even know Beryl as a gemstone name.

Do it if you like it. Beryl and Pearl aren't as alike as all that.

I'm just surprised at people saying Ursula is a beautiful name! It's usually one people make fun of.

I like Thisbe or Priscilla. The last because I had a doll called Priscilla :o

Beryl was popular once so why can't it be again? I think most people are too dim to realise that Beryl and Pearl are both gemstones. if they were twins it might be a bit too quaint but as they are quite far apart in age it really doesn't matter.

don't stop posting, it is much more interesting to reply to you than loads of other posters.

love jane, underused as a first name, love margaret, consider mary? I like your vein in underused classics rather than ones that are bit too much of a stretch. Also, Jean, Joan for similar reasons.

Maud sounds good with Pearl-how about that?

fwiw although i'm not keen on beryl , i love gladys and would use it if i could persuade dh . it was ,however ,pretty much universely despised on mumsnet . it had much the same response as beryl is now getting . still wish i'd used it though . so if you love it and dh is happy go for it .

good luck

I like Beryl (perhaps because I don't know any old Beryls, having not grown up in the UK) and think it has a pretty sound. Berry is a lovely nickname imo. I agree with previous poster that once the 'old' associations are lost over the next 10-20 years it may well become popular again.

And to answer the OP's actual question I think Pearl and Beryl are fine together, most people won't know that they're both gemstones and even if they do, it's a lovely connection that they'll share .

Ursula, on the other hand, has a very ugly sound to my ears, I really don't like it very much.

But Ruby is so overused has lost some of its 'sparkle' in the process (yes, I don't like names that are very popular ). And Emerald will inevitably get shortened to Emmi, again which is very popular already.

some dear friends have a beryl (they are french, so the pronounciation is more like bear-reelle). didn't like it at first, but it has really grown on me.

I think Ursula is definitely the best one of the bunch. Beryl and Pearl - oh dear! Not good

The only way for such names to lose their 'granny' associations is for more young children to use these names. People will then start to associate these lovely children with these names, especially as the younger generation won't know any old Beryls. Just like what is happening with names like Arthur, Archie, Clementine, Quentin, Margaret etc.

I can't believe this made it to discussion of the day! I also can't believe the stick the OP is getting. Have you seen some of the offerings on the two awful-name threads going at the moment? Dolce and Gabanna? Cortnee?La-sha (Ladasha)? Beryl is a beautiful compared to these!

I must confess I'm not a fan of Beryl either. It sounds dreadfully old-lady-ish to me.

The Pearl makes no difference either way IMO.