Ok so Minnie again.. a bit of personal research, can you help?

[mrswee]

So I was horrified when I read on here that Minnie is also a name for ladygarden.... I've never heard of this nor have any or my friends.

I live in Scotland and although not a popular name it is a traditional scottish name and it appears a few times in my family tree so I had concidered it if my next is a DD.. then I saw the horror on here.

What I'd really like to know is how wide spread is this meaning..

So can I ask if you personaly know the word Minnie as a lady garden or not and state what area you are from? ie scotland/north east or west/ wales/ south east or west, midlands ect.

I'll start

Thanks in advance!

Love the name, no thoughts about lady garden here. (South east, Berkshire)

Never heard of that reference...I really like 'Minnie'. Scotland

MInnie is definitely a fanjo here (Herts/London)

Sorry about that!

Minnie, yes lady garden here in north wales.

I would also add a new note of caution, prompted by a friends DS who is called beau

Giving a child a 'descriptive' name is a bit brave in case they grow up and quite fit

Beau is a lovely child but beautiful he ain't. This may change but is unlikely

What if Minnie grows up and is actually Maxi. Would that matter?

I have recently moved from east London and never heard anyone using Minnie for ladygarden there, am now in Newcastle and am yet to come accross anyone using this for fanjo!
Think its a great name.

Good point Number.

There was a girl at my school called Bonnie - she was not at all bonny and got a fair bit of teasing .

But Minnie doesn't mean small, Mini yes, but Minnie no. Minnie is an old name, hence the name of Minnie Mouse. My daughter has never had any comments about lady's bits in relation to her name.

So weird that this thread has popped up now. Have been having this debate tonight with DH.

Our four month old DD was originally Minnie. Partly due to being an old family name but mainly because we just loved it. To us it was feminine, sweet and a bit different.

We announced it to a mixed reaction, received Disney themed comments and gifts....and then I randomly looked it up on mumsnet and sat there open mouthed in horror at the awful threads about it. Talk about mortified.

We opted to put a longer more formal name on the birth certificate - something that Minnie can be short for, at a push. We still call her Minnie as a pet name, as do family and friends. But I am considering trying to phase it out altogether as am so terrified of her being bullied in the future.

The worry of it has driven me a bit insane but I think hormones could be partly to blame. My DH thinks I've gone mad to be so worried but school is hard enough without being picked on for your name. Her formal name is different enough for no one to connect it to Minnie.

So annoying about the euphemism thing though as I still think Minnie is a beautiful name. Why can't people use a sensible name for their nethers...like fou fou for instance?!?

Ho hum.

Sorry to hijack your thread by the way, OP. Just thought I would share our experience as it seemed relevant. We are in London by the way and have lived up north and in Essex. We had obviously never heard of the double meaning but maybe you don't until you have kids...

From the Midlands and we call it a Minnie, but then my friends little girl calls hers a Mary, she is 8 and was mortified when she realised thats her middle name!

Not heard it - NE Scotland
My friend is called Minnie - from london - not heard it!

FROM LONDON now living in Cornwall but have moved around the UK and lived in Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Yorkshire and have Scottish husband and extended family. NONE OF US have EVER HEARD "Minnie" used to describe private bits!!!!!

South west and midlands and I know Minnie as a lady garden name and that damn mouse! Unfortunately for me it's a nn at a push but not a real name

Sorry if that's not helpful

If you like the name why not use it> I know a Minnie and she is adorable. There are Plenty of people out there called Fanny, Willy and John Thomas. They are used to describe private areas and it did not put their parents off! As I have said in my previous post never heard it used

I've never heard of being used for "lady garden" lol....(Originally from Scotland but living in Bournemouth).

I have heard 'minnie' used that way, can't say I've ever used it myself but I would know what someone meant if they said it! In London btw, don't remember it being used when I was growing up in NE England though (then it was always 'fanny').

Even without that association, I would only use it as a nickname. not a very attractive or serious name IMO.

Not here. Devon. I love the name too... go for it!

Have heard - south east
Now live in Bristol and have heard it there too.
Its a cute nickname though - could you use it for short for something?

Yes - London. But a friend has just called her little one Fanny, which is associated with lady garden much more than Minnie!

Nope, never, but I'm American. :) My DS is good friends with a 99 year old lady at the care home where MIL works, and she is called Minnie. Her real name is Wilhelmina but she loathes it. :)

I've heard of it but it's not that used, I don't think it will matter. If you called her fanny then thats different!

Minnie the minx

Yep lady garden - north west just outside Liverpool.

I'm from south Wales and never heard of that meaning.