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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Eleanor, Natasha, Marnie, Deborah or Christabel?

50 replies

bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 14:56

Just wondering what people think of these names, what if anything they associate with them.

Have a list of the top 2000 UK girls' names of 2008 or 2009 and they are ranked as follows:

Eleanor - 50
Natasha - 109
Deborah - 430
Marnie - 593
Christabel - not in top 2000

So bit of a variation in (recent) popularity!

Like everybody else I'd like my child to have a fairly unique name but when I read some of the 'unique' names on this page I cringe - they seem so pretentious.

Thoughts?

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ChippingInNeedsSleep · 03/12/2011 15:00

but when I read some of the 'unique' names on this page I cringe - they seem so pretentious

Was that really necessary?

I could make a rude comment about how your names appear to me, but I wont, because it would be rude & unnecessary.

Original poster
bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 15:05

Hey, I didn't name names! The very fact that there is a page on Mumsnet to discuss baby names suggests that naming your child is not a straightforward thing and mistakes can be made. If you can't say some name choices are bonkers are here where can you say it?

OP posts:
Original poster
bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 15:05

Sorry, on here.

OP posts:
frutilla · 03/12/2011 15:05

I prefer Marnie and Christabel...not keen on the others.

HoldTouchEngage · 03/12/2011 15:13

Marnie is not a name i've ever heard and i think i love it! Grin

I completely understand your comment on cringeworthy names, as you've said you've not named which ones Wink

TBH i think you should just go with what you love!

I love Eleanor but couldn't bear Ellie as an nn, nn's often put me off an otherwise 'perfect' name. For me i have to like the nn's as much as i love the 'preferred' name. A reason i couldn't (personally) have Deborah, as i wouldn't like Debbie or Debs for short! or Tasha (Natasha) however i like Christable and the nn's...

HoldTouchEngage · 03/12/2011 15:14

apologies Christabel

Original poster
bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 15:22

Love the name Jessica and it's a family name, but when it's no. 6 in the charts and your DP's surname is Smith...

OP posts:
darlingdds2 · 03/12/2011 15:29

Natasha, Deborah and Christabel are lovely names. All have nice associations for me.

darlingdds2 · 03/12/2011 15:31

Eleanor doesn't have a good association, but then if it does for you it doesn't matter.

mathanxiety · 03/12/2011 16:59

Marnie is one name I can't see the attraction of, for the life of me.

Natasha and Christabel are lovely imo, and Deborah would be quite unusual (but would you be ok with the NN Debbie?)

Eleanor is really popular and there are Ellies everywhere thanks to Eloise, Elise, Elizabeth...

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/12/2011 17:07

Love Elinor (with this spelling not your one) and Christabel. Hate Marnie and Natasha. Deborah is okay.

Original poster
bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 17:51

Please say what it is you like/dislike. Marnie, though not that popular, fits in with the trend for names/NNs ending in that 'ie' sound - Ellie, Izzy, Daisy, Mollie etc. I think that sound is easy on the ears and tend to like those names.

Have never met a Marnie in RL (part of its appeal) but have come across two on telly recently - one, the wife of Dominic West's character in The Hour and two, the pregnant girl who Nathan got together with in Misfits. Not heroines but not unpleasant characters either. The characters of people in literature and in RL make a difference to how you feel about a name, right? I quite like the name Daisy but I used to know a real slutty Daisy and just can't shake the association.

OP posts:
AnotherMincepie · 03/12/2011 17:58

Deborah and Natasha due a comeback IMHO :)

JustifiedAncientOfMuMu · 03/12/2011 18:04

I like Marnie best.

Agree with Holdtouchengage about the shortened forms of the other names.

dreamingofsun · 03/12/2011 18:05

love the 1st 3, hate the last 2. thought marnie was short for margaret? surprised eleanor is so low down the list as thought it was quite popular. of course you might do like we did and study the ranking and go to lots of effort to find an original name and have godparents copy you. key thing is you like it...but you have 3 here that are nice

SarahFim · 03/12/2011 18:05

Inevitably long names get shortened, if not by you, then by schoolfriends, so

Eleanor, classic but depends if you like Ellie or Nellie
Natasha, lovely, but depends if you like Tasha or Tash (moustache?!)
Deborah, love this name but Debs/Debbie have a very different feel, IMO
Marnie, not keen, sounds "dark" to me, not sure why, also "moanie"
Christabel my fav, gorgeous but do you like Chris, Chrissie, Bel?

Yama · 03/12/2011 18:19

Right, you want reasons?

Eleanor - really dislike. Sounds harsh. Nicknames sound weak to my ears.

Natasha - love. Strong, striking.

Deborah - it would be pronounced 'Debra' by most which I dislike. Deborah, if pronounced as such is rather nice.

Marnie - Quite a nice name. Have only ever met one. Don't dislike. Sounds a bit clunky though.

Christabel - Years ago I would have said 'no, no, just no' but now I like it. Think I prefer Christina with the nickname option of Chrissie.

dreamingofsun · 03/12/2011 18:23

deborah and christabel are old people's names. i have an old person's name ...its really cruel to do this to a child

Waswondering · 03/12/2011 18:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Beamur · 03/12/2011 18:28

Eleanor reminds me of a girl at school who really should have used deodorant.
Natasha reminds me of another girl who was a bit of a cow...but I love the name,
Deborah - not a name for a child now, I think it needs another generation to pass before it can be cool again. I know several Debs/Debbies and have no issues with the name but it is of my generation.
Marnie is cute and fresh - I know of one little girl with this name and I think it's a delight.
Christabel - bit 'posh'? for me.

Original poster
bridgingtheabyss · 03/12/2011 18:37

If I did go for Christabel (or Christabella) I would shorten it to Christy, which I love. Makes me think of Christy Turlington in the video for Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl'.

The fact that all the Debbies I know are middle-aged women, pretty as the name is, is a bit concerning, think you might be right about Deborah needing another generation in the cooler Beamur.

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PastGrace · 03/12/2011 18:40

Eleanor - I love. There was one at school who was a "Nellie" which I didn't like, but I like Nell or Nella. Alternatively what about Leonora? It's similar and I think it's beautiful.

Natasha - I love it, but it always seems to be the name given to the bitchy posh pretty women in films which puts me off it.

Deborah - Haven't heard that in ages. I love Debbie

Marnie - just makes me think of the fashion label Marni, sorry. It sounds sweet though - nothing offensive or any aspect of it that I dislike, it just doesn't sound like a person to me.

Christabel - Not a fan, sorry. I don't mind Christina and I don't mind Annabelle but I think it sounds like a name you use if you can't decide on two and so you put them together. I'm also not a huge fan of Christie. I like Belle though, as a nn

Yama · 03/12/2011 19:24

Actually Bridging, Christy is a great name.

ThePoorMansBeckySharp · 03/12/2011 19:30

Natasha is lovely. The rest are horrible.

ThePoorMansBeckySharp · 03/12/2011 19:31

Also, it's Christie Brinkley in Uptown Girl Grin

As you were.