I say Madeleine, you think...

[sunnyawry]

Honest opinions needed.

She has a brother zach and a 3 syllable surname.

I don't know the sex but we seem to have a good few boys names we can agree on.

"Madam", must be a right little "Madam" is what I think. Coz the words sound so similar.
It's an elegant name that I think doesn't suit a child a very well.

I think a child born now as she grows up won't be affected too much by the Madeleine McCann connection. Read somewhere today that it's been eight years. The case and that poor girl are going to slowly fade from the national memory. I really wouldn't worry about the connection.

I think of my DD but I know people still think McCann when they hear DD's name. My Madeleine is a similar age to Madeleine McCann. The association has died off a bit in other people's minds but still get it though I'm amazed anyone thinks it's a sensible thing to incorporate in any conversation about DD.

Another annoying things are it's constantly misspelt - even by teachers. Now DD has adopted Maddy as a nickname her name is often assumed to be Madison.

I'm a Madeleine, known as Maddy!

I thought of Madeleine McCann too sorry.

Proust and then a nagging anxiety about whether to pronounce in this instance as Mad-e-'lyn' or a Mad-e-'line''?

Worse is when you know which way to pronounce it but aren't sure whether to spell it Madeleine, Madelaine, Madeline, Madalyn, or something else.

I don't think McCann when I meet a Madeleine in real life. I do on MN because I already know that's what everyone is going to post.

It's a lovely name and you should use it if you like it.

I don't get this constant reference to McCann. I know lots of children called Madeleine and a few with the surname McCann (not both, though I imagine there are some). I imagine most people do. Surely people don't go around in real life thinking of Madeleine McCann every time they meet another?

I have a Jessica. Never occurred to me not to use it. I also haven't noticed any avoidance of Holly, Sarah, April or Tia (why are the only murdered children I can think of little girls??)

I think it's a gorgeous name, DD had a lovely friend called Madeleine who's since moved back to the USA.

Yeah, people don't seem to have a problem using names like Milly, Jessica, Holly, James, Sarah etc but people only seem to single Madeleine out. So are we going to stop using names that belong to murdered/kidnapped children?!

Honestly, if you like a name go for it, don't let the bad connotations top you.

I'm not sure that the association will fade away soon sadly. The name Myra (which I actually like as a name) only conjures up one image in my mind and she was in prison for a decade before I was born.

There are a lot more Madeleines than Myras, though.

Its like you never see a baby Adolf, but nobody thinks of Stalin when introduced to baby Joseph. Godwin's Law, sorry.

Cakes and Proust.

If you loved the name as much as your dh I would say go for it but you seem pretty hesitant, so maybe go back to the drawing board and find one which at least you love and your dh finds ok, rather than one he loves and you are unsure of?

Also babies own generation will probably know nothing about madeline McCann. My children who are older may have discussed it once but would have no recall of it or her name. My own generation have a multiple of reference points for the name Madeleine. At the end of the day you're DD will own/become her own name and other social references for the name will become less.

Gorgeous name but for me too it conjures up the McCann connection first and foremost.

The McCann connection wouldn't put me off at all if Madeleine was the name I loved. There have been many thousands of Madeleines in the past, there are thousands alive today. It's not a name steeped in tragedy for me.

If it was a unique name like Reeva for example, that would put me off though.

My Madeleine was born pre-McCann. She is Maddy after Maddy Pryor one of my dad's fav singers - I love the name it is melodic and we use Maddy or Mads it suits dd and I have no regrets. Use a name you like op and don't stress about what anyone else thinks - I found second opinions about name choices were unhelpful and I did not ask for any with dc 2 and 3 after we had MIL diss our pfb's name [grrr]

So by that logic feel free to dismiss my opinion

I'm not even sure why the McCann connection is a negative one... The poor girl didn't do anything wrong!

I know a Maddy and to start with thought McCann but now it's just her name.

I think highly of your Dad's taste, BigMouth.

I thought of cakes first. That made me think of holidays and having breakfast on a balcony.

I thought of Madeleine the little French girl in the books and cartoons.

My DD's friend is a Maddie, short for Madeleine, I have never once thought McCann. Both lovely names. I thought of Madeleine the ragdoll when I read your thread title.

What about Madalaina?