If you could choose your own name

[VintageLace]

What would it be?

I love the name Kate. Not Katherine and not Katie. Just Kate. Kate always makes me think of a spunky tom boy. Classic, elegant but cool.

I also love the name Eleanor but can't stand Ellie.

I'm not keen on my name, it's ages me not in a good way! My middle name is Elisabeth, which I like, though not with an 's' as it's such a bore to have to keep correcting it.

If I was a boy I would have been Dylan. A few years ago my mum met a lady who was called Dylan. Thank goodness she didn't meet her before she had me

I hate my name, again, harsh and germanic. My name has been mentioned here, too. I like Eleanor, Amelie or Madelaine.

I like my given name, hatehatehate my middle name - super 70s, rather cheesey, a name you may recognise if I said "Luton airport"

If I changed my name, I'd choose Maribel, I just love it. It was our girl's name had DS been a girl.

I hate my name my stupid parents gave me a long French first name to go with a long German surname. Neither is French I would have preferred a short name or something German, Anna goes well with my surname or Ava. When I was at schooll I wanted to be named Emma or Lauren!

But I also like the sibset Helena and Madeleine. I remember those were the names of the Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep characters in Death Becomes Her, and as they hated each other, they called each other Mad and Hel rather awesome, I thought.

I have always wanted to be called Chloe.

It's sweet & pretty and was not at all common (i.e. popular) when I was younger.

My name is also the name of 50% of women born in 1975 (rough figure obvs ), and I have never liked it.

It seems to be making a comeback now aswell though - unfortunately.

My name is Jennifer (could you guess) and I was born in the early 80's it was so common - there was 13th of us in my year.
I'd like something like Blue, or Max, or River.

I used to want to be a Jessica (thanks Sweet Valley High) and I went through a phase of thinking my name was dull but actually I like my name. There are quite a lot of little girls with this name these days now though, I seem to get shouted at a lot in the supermarket... I also really like my middle name - lucky me - but it's Welsh so I always have to spell it (unless I'm actually in Wales).

Maybe I need to adopt a pen-name, for what purpose I don't know.
Violet - love this, and wanted it for DC3, who was in fact a DS2
Genevieve -don't ask me why, read it in a book when I was little
Polly - maybe not the best inspiration but I do also like the Nirvana song
Romily - another character in a book I read when I was very little

Hmm, probably just as well I didn't have lots of DDs (not that DH would ever have allowed Genevieve or Romily)

DM deliberately chose an "unshortenable" name which actually means a name which can only be shortened in ugly ways - take note. It is often recommended on Baby Names but I don't agree.

DH calls me Kitty. It would have been cool to be Catherine or similar with legitimate diminutives. Friends butcher shorten names to show affection and intimacy.

I was blessed with a very unusual name - so unusual if I posted it people would know it's me! I always wanted to be a Rebecca but not Becky. Or Charlotte. I don't mind my name but I hate the shortened versions. I went for a floaty tv inspired name for DD. No regrets. Dh and I agreed if she had a sister she would be Arya. My mum was named after an actress of her time which dated very much whereas we chose a name from someone not particularly famous - we just loved her name.

Anne or Anna I think.
I definitely l would have disliked anything unusual that would draw attention but would like something pretty.
I think I was a bit cautious with my children's names. I chose my very favourites but they were very widely used at the time.
One of the names has been mentioned a few times on here as one people would like so that makes me feel better.
I tried to go for traditional classless which is what I would like myself.

As a child I wanted to be called Louise.

Now, I quite like Hera (the baby in Battlestar Gallactica).

When I was young I wanted to be called Samantha.

I would love to be called Juliet now!!

I actually have an OK name

I have always liked my name. Not very unusual, but not very common, and it doesn't date me. I don't have to explain it or spell it for anyone or be thought to have mad parents!

I don't like my name, never have. It was popular about 10 years before I was born, it makes me seem older than I am.

Growing up I wanted to be called Charlotte but I don't like it now, hmmm, maybe something pretty like Isobel, I'd have been the only one my age.

I detest my name. Always have. It's an Anglicised spelling of an Irish name and nobody ever gets it right. I wish I'd changed it when I was younger, or when I moved to England when I was 24 (now 34) but I feel like it'd be far too much hassle now.

I don't honestly know what I'd change it to but pretty much anything pretty, easy to spell and pronounce would be preferable. Our top contender girls names at the moment are Clara, Amber, Emma. I'd like any of those. Also like Laura/Lauren, Emily, Dorothy.

I hate my name so much that it really worries me having to choose a name for another human who may also grow up to hate it.

I am one of 3 girls (youngest) and we all got called by our second names rather that first names (don't know why) I don't like my name but I do like the shortened version. My parent's first daughter died at 6 days old, and she had the same name as me. My mom used to say that if she had lived I would have been called Winifred!

Someone I know changed her name from Cynthia to Tina (and changed her last name too) when she was well into her 40's - I found this bizarre and could never call her anything but Cynthia - I found it a bit embarrassing. I have a friend called Gloria which I think is a dreadful name so I have to be thankful I suppose.

Funny I had a primary school teacher whose first name was Gloria, she was a lovely person and when I got to know her years later as an adult she was still wonderful, and I've always liked the name because I associate it with her.

I was chatting to my mum about this earlier, I hate the name Eileen because my mum had a friend by that name who I couldn't stand. Now years later I have a friend called Eileen who is just lovely, but I still dislike the name.

I like my name but if I could have chosen my own I would have picked Holly (I was a Christmas baby).
Fortunately I found out yesterday baby number two (due beginning of dec) is a girl! So I can use the name for her.

KiBe or Violet. My real name was too ridiculously popular. There was another person with my first name and they had my surname as part of their double barrel in my sixth form year! Although not sure I ever met her. I also know a girl with same name. In my class at school of 25/30 there were 3 of us with same first name. I mind it less now but god was it annoying

I love my girl's names, I hope they do too... Guarantee they won't find any others with same name as partners surname is more unusual! Although I will not be unique, one of my ex work colleagues has a close friend with that name....

Kate. Love it.

I like my name and wouldn't change it.

I know someone who changed from Emelia to Rowena and I never could see the point, to me the names are so similar.

Sorry for being thick but what is this really popular name? Is it Sarah? Jennifer? I only know one Jennifer.