Too quaint/old fashioned??

[YummyMummybee]

My husband and I want to name our first girl after my mother Mary, I love both Molly & Maisy which are pet forms of Mary but feel they are too popular at the moment.
I did a bit of research on the web and came accross Marybella or alternativly spelt Maribella and I have to say I love it. To me its very girly, uncommon and quite prim & proper which I love.
Please give me your honest opinion on Marybella! The second name would be Catherine after my nana.
Molly Catherine
Marybella Catherine
Thanks in advance!

I just keep seeing it as Marbella, prob as I lived there for a while! I like molly-may/mae

Polly is also a nickname for Mary, which is cute and fun

Not keen on Marybella - for some reason makes me think of Babybell cheese? :)

Don't like Marybella.

Marie and Mary are two of my all-time faves though.

What about Mary Catherine, nn Molly?

Mary on its own is lovely.

Mary on it's own is just a classic, simple, beautiful name.

Marybella sounds a bit made up and a name a child might like for her dolly.

Liking Marnie though.

Mariah any good to you? Marianne is lovely, Marybella does sound a bit made up.

Mary Bella or Mary Isabella as full names, woth Mary as the first name?

Mary is such a beautiful name.

Marianna?

I do like Maribelle though!

Marybella could be a lovely family nn for a little Mary?

Mary and Marnie are both sweet names.
I've also come across a Marista and what about Mariella (as in Frostrup?) which is classy IMO. And a Mirella - but a bit like the coil though?
Marybella better as Mary Bella I think.

I like Mary. I don't like hardly any of the other suggestions.
Marilyn or Marianne if you must. Maricella is beautiful too, but not really a version of Mary.

Thanks girlies- I love Polly too polkadotfanatic think its very cute & maybe could have a double Mary usage with Polly May or even Polly Mary. So thanks thats another option and it doesn't seem to be as commonly used as Molly??

Lottiegb my husband does like Mariyah but I keep associating it with Mariah Carey...

Beamur Mairella is cute but just loved the bella part. I agree with all the OP who said its better 2 seperate names..
So ok the public has spoken and its a no-no to Marybella but Polly, Molly & Maisy(i think this is a form of Mary) still in the running.

BTW if we were lucky enough to have another DD it will be India or Georgia x

Mary is lovely as it is. I must confess I find Molly, Polly, Maisy too twee. They are not names for grown-ups!

I like Mariana and Marina, both found in Shakespeare.

Marina is actually lovely too.
Being honest I love Mary just as it is too but(PLEASE!!!) don't get the wrong impression of me & hubby but we both move in fairly trendy circles-I work in fashion & h2b works in a fairly upmarket job himself... All our circle have fairly different/trendy names like arabella, jasper etc I am not sure I have the confidence to call our LO Mary? Plus I will add that any Mary I knew from school has gone on to become very successful!
I think we would shock alot of people so would like to give it an edge as mentioned above India & Georgia for future dds but really want to call my first born after my mom & nana. BTW our future DS will be Oscar-love that name so much:)

Isn't Mary Belle / Bella the name of a child murderer?

Could never use anything similar sounding for that reason alone!

Just googled and yes I thought she was.

Mary Bell was a 10 year old girl who murdered other children. :(

I don't like Marybella that much, but I do think that Maribelle is pretty (and apparently means 'wonderful'). I think that you should go for Mary though, it seems a bit daft to reject a name you like just because your social circle has slightly different taste. Personally I think that Mary is rather more interesting than India or Georgia right now, plus it has the potential for plenty of nns, so you can call her a more 'interesting' name when you introduce her to your friends if you feel the need :)

Sure, but Mary Bell was a long time ago and she's only still really remembered in the north-east of England where it happened.

But I would still go for Mary. Lovely name.

In England Mary has not been fashionable for quite some time and would probably be quite trendsetting now! Of course it has always been very popular in Ireland, so I can see how it would be seen as conservative.

Another name derived from Mary is the French/Italian Marielle/Mariella. And there is the Hebrew version Miriam. I have met an Irish Miriam, and a French Myriam.

Sounds like a seaside resort in Spain.

Mary is fine. It's a lovely name.

No to Marybella. It is awfully unwieldy and clunky. Not pretty at all, and certainly no Arabella (if you're into that sort of name, which I'm not, although I can definitely see its appeal if you're that way inclined). Odd that it's not pretty (to me) as Mary and Belle/a are lovely names on their own.

What about Maria, pronounced Mariah? Maria Lucas from Pride and Prejudice was pronounced this way.

Otherwise Marianne is so lovely - elegant and timeless (I promise I'm not some mad Austen devotee ).

If it helps, I think Mary has a similar retro feel to Betty, but has the added bonus of actually being a lovely, timeless name (Betty is not IMO). Can you sell it on its retro credentials to your friends?

Your 20-something Mary will sooo have the edge over her Jasper and Florence peers, when their names will sound ever so dated by then.

I think mary is quite cool , and would be considered quite forward in your circles. Not that that should matter!

I veto Mariah!

Maribel is popular in Spain my cousin is called it

Mary is a lovely name and you should have the courage of your convictions!!! Also, it is classic, and very under-used so your Mary would be the only one around. I would not say we move in trendy circles, but everyone around us have Jagos and Hugos and Olivias and - yes - Arabellas, so when we named our DS a very boring old fashioned and out of fashion name (after my father) everyone kind of grimaced, but we have never come across another one, and he will definitely be the only one in his class!

What about Mariette/Marietta?