Madeleine?

[CruCru]

What do you think?

[Gomez]

I have a Madeline. Or Maddie the Baddie when appropriate .

[TotesAmazeGoats]

I love the name. It was first choice for DD, (who at the last minute was named to honour a family member after a sudden loss). I would definitely use it for a future DD2 should she come along. I used to worry about the McCann connection, but others didn't and at the end of the day, that little girl did nothing wrong. I agree with thurlow, people wouldn't look twice at a little Fred or Rose now!

Go for it OP, I just picture a lovely little French girl (think petite filous advert!)

[sonnieboo]

I really don't like the short form Maddie - sounds like Mad and quite harsh. The full name, Madeleine, is pretty though, especially with a French pronuncation (emphasis on the -eine).

[NotTreadingGrapes]

I really don't get the whole "couldn't use it because of McCann" unless you happen to be Kate McCann's best friend or relative or something.

Smacks of whackjob grief haggery to me. Not even Kate and Gerry themselves would have an issue with someone using the name Madeleine I bet.

It's a lovely name, OP, classy and timeless.

[bigbluebump]

I like Madeleine but agree that Maddie isn't the most elegant nickname and is open to Mad jokes. But I agree that the McCann connection shouldn't put you off if you love the name.

[CruCru]

I like it a lot and it is one of the few names I've come up with that DH hasn't hated.

[evamummy]

I too think Madeleine McCann.... hadn't really thought about the Mad in Maddie but do now!

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

We seriously considered it for dd2 and I asked the same question here. Consensus was lovely name, use it. Which it is. Rather sorry we didn't sometimes.

[isitsnowingyet]

Love it

[Elkieb]

Apologies if you think I am a fuckwit but asking a large group of people what they think and then getting upset about it is an act of fuckwittedness all in its own right. Do get over yourself.

[flakjacket]

Great name. I have one too! Funnily enough she's nearly exactly the same age as Madeleine McCann and whilst it was a bit freaky (I felt like a kidnapper) calling her in public (she too is blond and had a similar haircut!) for a while, that has long since worn off. Nobody I know has ever said they associate the name.

[suebfg]

"But to oppose to a name because a child with that name disappeared is just plain stupid"

I'm not opposed to the name but I personally wouldn't choose that name for my child because the first thing I think of is what happened to Madeleine McCann. So why choose a name with connotations when I could choose a name that has no connotations at all.

[lljkk]

I know several (at least 3) under 10, it's just an ordinary name to me. No more tainted than Jessica, Holly, Ian, Mary, James, Thomas or Robert.

[MyTushTingles]

Just what suebfg said. I think calling people fuckwits about this is totally unnecessary.

[Still18atheart]

I really like it.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

My little sister (age 9) is a Madeleine. I do like it. She gets Mads a bit, but not exclusively. Spelling is a bit of a pest but no more so than a lot of names.

Maidlin/Maidlyn
Magdalen/e

[CheeseStrawWars]

My first association is with the cakes! But I think it is a lovely name.

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

Cakes! do you know I'd forgotten those.

My DD has a name I honestly thought was straightforward to spell - sorry won't out her - but nope, she does get some howlers, hey ho.

I wasn't keen on Mads as a nn until I saw Mads Mikkelsen Danish actor on tv now really not an issue for me .