How frumpy is Margaret?

[javotte]

My father is English so all our children have an English middle name. I am thinking of Margaret for DD2 but I am afraid it is too old-ladyish. It ticks all the right boxes (DS is William, DD1 is Eleanor, so I wanted to keep the "royal" theme, and it is loosely related to a gemstone), but I don't love it. Please give me your honest opinions!

It's horrid.Ugly and harsh sounding.

I love it. Go for it.

I am not personally a fan of frilly, sweet names, which seems to be lots of people's preference at the moment (lots of lly and a endings and loads of vowels). I like a strong sounding name, and Margaret is strong sounding.

I really think that Margaret Thatcher can be left behind by our children's generation. As others have pointed out, it was very popular in that era so a more likely link to our children will be a grandmother/great aunt, etc.

Its horrible.

What about Matilda? She was an amazing woman. Or Victoria?

Adelaide
Charlotte
Elizabeth
Sophia
Philippa

So frumpy it's cool, i'd say. It's at about 555 in the 2011 list (happened to notice as near to dd's name). Lot's of good nicknames, though not so relevant for a middle name. Very grandparent-ish, which means approaching cool again, unlike names of the 60s and 70s which will take longer to come back.

I don't like it, its quite harsh sounding. It doesn't help that I have an Auntie Margaret who's as mad as a box of frogs. I don't think it's ready for a come back yet.

Thumbs up from me.

Thatcher

Don't like it but love Maggie.

I had a friend at school (in the late 80s/early 90s) whose middle name was Margaret and she hated it and kept it a secret! I'm not totally sure personally that it's due a comeback...

If you like Maggie, what about Megan/Meggie, which is very similar?

If you'd like to stick to the royal theme what about one of the names Queen Victoria used for her daughters:

Victoria Adelaide Mary
Alice Maud Mary
Helena Augusta Victoria
Louise Caroline Alberta
Beatrice Mary Victoria

I like all of its nick names but I don't like Margaret itself.

Thanks for the suggestions. The problem is, apart from Mary (which I am not keen on), all those names are the same in French. Perhaps Victoria would still be OK because most French people know Queen Victoria. I like Matilda, but isn't it too close to Mathilde?
In France, Megan is very chavvy (the British equivalent would be Chantelle).

A bit old-fashioned but Meg is nice. I personally quite like Maggie.

My Mum is a Margaret and is known as Marnie (but then there is a Hitchcock film called Marnie and she's a psychopath).

Very classic, and unusual these days. Nice.

My mum is Margaret
I am Sarah Margaret
My dd is Mollie Margaret
I had it as tradition but kind of like it.

Well my dd is Margaret so thanks everyone who thinks it is dreadful

Taking names from Queen Victoria's children you have Helena which would very definitely be the English spelling or an obvious royal one is Elizabeth since the French would normally use an "s".

I like your names :) mine are all mostly English but with a French connection.

Not keen on Margaret, it does feel very old-fashioned/middle-aged to me, seems to belong more to my mother's generation than mine or my children's.

Sarah, Alexandra, Diana?

To me Margaret is someone who would wear socks with their crocs so to answer your op - very frumpy. However, if you like it as a middle name and it 'flows' with the first name then go for it.

My mum is Margaret, shortened since a kid to marnie, which I love as a name in itself, and I note becoming a bit popular on mn..
I like the other shortenings too - margo, Peggy, maggie...

I think it's actually rather pretty. Good on you indith!
Maybe it's on the cusp of being über trendy op
I remember Amelie and Ava being unusual names 3 years ago when I had first dc - now they're dead popular..
Be ahead of the crowd?

Oh yes squeaver - meg is a lovely nn of margaret too
It's a no brainer op - I am expecting a girl, might join you in short listing Margaret

Love it.

Frumpy exactly describes the name Margaret. It's beige too.

I like the name, but I just couldn't, given the associations with Mrs T...

The more English version of Matilda/Mathilda (I have a Mathilda!) is Maud - the Empress Maud was known by both. A possibility if you don't want the 'Norman' version because it's too close to Mathilde?

Alexandra
Henrietta