Arrietty?

[12ylnon]

For a girl. Too much like a Borrower?

[Mrskbpw]

Wasn't Imogen made up too? Or I think it was meant to be Innogen (in Cymbeline) but in Shakespeare's dodgy handwriting it looked like Imogen.

I really like Harriet as well.

[12ylnon]

I had no idea wendy was made up for Peter Pan!
Harriet is a bit ordinary for us, i think if we do use Arrietty, it will be as a full on-the-birth-certificate name.
Lovely, turns out the GPs aren't as crazy as we thought. Thanks for the replies!

[GrimmaTheNome]

No, apparently Wendy predates Peter Pan but that popularised it.

[OkayHazel]

Don't worry about it being made up! Wasn't Wendy made up in Peter pan?

[Arriettyborrower]

Marvellous name OP

[Greensleeves]

Dominy? Ottilie? Ariadne?

[piprabbit]

I love Arrietty.

Wendy was also invented by an author - and ended up being very popular so don't let that put you off.

[Screaminabdabaubles]

You can always do a "normal" middle name, eg Arrietty Rose Jones. Then if she really hates Arrietty, she can choose to be Rose instead.

[MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill]

I think it is a lovely and very unusual name, it gets my vote! Though maybe if it was me, I might do it as a nickname for Harriet as others have suggested.

[Viviennemary]

It's fine if you're a borrower and live behind a clock.

[BadPoet]

X-post - yes I think so.

[BadPoet]

I love it, why not. And surely the names were borrowed from language, not human names - Pod, like pea pod, Homily, exactly that, and I always thought Arrietty was meant to sound like a French word, weren't there references to it being a bit posh or exotic?

[NiceOneCenturion]

Or were their names borrowed from other things, like their surname was Clock, so Pod=pea pod, Homily=sermon?

[NiceOneCenturion]

Hommily=Emily?

The Borrowers is a classic so always going to turn up I think, whether on school reading lists or film adaptations.

I want to go and dig out my old copy and re-read it now!

[toomuch2young]

Slightly off topic, but in the book it says even their names are borrowed ... I guessed arriety was Harriet and pod was maybe Todd? But what on earth was Hommliy??!!

In answer to original question yes I like the name, but no to bizarre and to much potential for continual jokes.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Are the borrowers still widely read by kids?
well, I read them to my DD. And there's a film too.

[NiceOneCenturion]

Just to add, I have a name that is relatively uncommon but has several very strong associations that were brought up repeatedly, and I mean repeatedly throughout my childhood from the age of four. More well known and more embarrassing associations too possibly, but actually, I love my name. I've always been happy with it and wouldn't have changed it, I liked that it was unusual, despite the jokes getting a bit boring.

As an adult, it tailed off hugely, still get the odd comment but mostly positive. Just something to think about.

[PickledInAPearTree]

Mmmm. I think personally I'd go for Harriet.

Are the borrowers still widely read by kids? I don't think that aspect is a "biggy" do you see what I did there

[Screaminabdabaubles]

She might have to cope, throughout her life, with people saying: "Do you want to borrow something?" Which will wear very thin by the time she is three and a half.

[chipmonkey]

It was made up but I suppose every name had to be made-up at some point in time otherwise or we'd all be called Girl or Boy.

[NiceOneCenturion]

And when all your safety pins go missing won?t you always be a tiny bit suspicious?

It is lovely in its own way, I like it better than Harriet tbh. I don't know in all honesty if I would use it, but part of me thinks someone should!

[GrimmaTheNome]

Or really tall.

Harriet and use Arrietty as a nickname really is best bet.

[NiceOneCenturion]

I quite like it, but what if she's really short?

[ripsishere]

I love it. I suggested it to DH. His face was very similar to