Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Ethel

73 replies

ag123 · 09/05/2015 18:08

Firstly, any general opinions on this name?

Would there be any alternatives i.e. to shorten/nickname?

Also, this will be dc2 to older ds Wilf(red)...would this be too weird to have two such old person names??

I'm usually more drawn to 'prettier' names e.g. Ottilie (DH has vetoed :-( ), Hetty, Phoebe etc but quite like the sound of Ethel! Very much in early stages of deciding though!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
nevergooglebrandybutter · 09/05/2015 18:10

I really like it. But I usually like uncommon names. it goes well with wilf too.

rembrandtsrockchick · 09/05/2015 18:11

Ethel is nice. I also really like Edith.

MildDrPepperAddiction · 09/05/2015 18:12

It's lovely. Smile

dannydyerismydad · 09/05/2015 18:12

Daphne would go nicely with Wilf.

TheRealMaryMillington · 09/05/2015 18:17

Was going to suggest Edith but beaten to it. Esther?

Not mad on Ethel.

schopenhauer · 09/05/2015 18:18

I don't like Ethel but like Edith a lot and you have Edie as a nickname whereas I can't really think of one for Ethel...

Alisvolatpropiis · 09/05/2015 18:20

Honestly? I think it is horrendous.

Edith, as suggested by a pp, is far nicer.

PotteringAlong · 09/05/2015 18:20

Love Edith, not keen on Ethel.

vindscreenviper · 09/05/2015 18:20

Makes me think of Just William's sister, she has a bottled-cherry neck Grin

StrawberryMojito · 09/05/2015 18:22

No no no.

Love Pheobe though.

HSMMaCM · 09/05/2015 18:24

Love Ethal

Allthatnonsense · 09/05/2015 18:31

It is unusual, but not pretty at all.

But why does a girls name need to be pretty? We don't just want our daughters to be pretty, we want them to be strong and independent too, so maybe Ethel is a good name for the sort of girl one would want a daughter to be!

TidyDancer · 09/05/2015 18:36

Phoebe is beautiful. Ethel and Enid....not.

LimeFizz · 09/05/2015 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OddBoots · 09/05/2015 18:44

What about Elsie (Sometimes a shortening of Elisabeth)?

BikeRunSki · 09/05/2015 18:44

Ettie as a nn? Although the Ettie I know is an Esther.

PuppyMonkey · 09/05/2015 18:44

You can take this old lady name thing too far IMHO. Having said that, it'll probably be one of those ones that come back - I think it's terrible but hey ho.

Enid also awful.

Edith nice.

Elspeth nice.

Elsie nice.

Esther nice.

PuppyMonkey · 09/05/2015 18:45

You can take this old lady name thing too far IMHO. Having said that, it'll probably be one of those ones that come back - I think it's terrible but hey ho.

Enid also awful.

Edith nice.

Elspeth nice.

Elsie nice.

Esther nice.

IvoryMadonna · 09/05/2015 18:48

I think Ethel is a horrible name. It sounds chemical (Ethel Alcohol, anybody?!) Also sounds tough as a bit of old leather. Just hideous.

DeladionInch · 09/05/2015 18:53

What about Odette? Then you can non Etta if you want

MitzyLeFrouf · 09/05/2015 19:05

Sorry but I think it's a pretty awful name. It's got such a feeble sound to it.

I know old lady names are ultra trendy but some of them should be left firmly in 1930's.

getbusyliving · 09/05/2015 19:06

I don't think Ethel has a nice sound, (ef ful) but that could sound beautiful to another person's earsSmile

Nn Ettie and Etta are lovely though, how about Henrietta, really beautiful underused name

Sophronia · 09/05/2015 19:29

It's unusual, I'd rather see a little Ethel than yet another Lily or Amelia.

ag123 · 09/05/2015 19:30

Wow thank you for replies!

Hmm, I think your reactions may have put me off it a bit already!! It's like, I really like it but there's something not quite right with it.

Yes, Henrietta had been in our top 3...just not sure I like the long form (sounds a bit too wanky?!). Love Hetty though. DH annoyingly keeps changing his mind about what he does and doesn't like and now says he's not sure about the name altogether though.

Whilst trawling through this forum I have come across another (probably old lady) name that I like though- Iris...haven't come across any Irises in North London that I remember either..!

OP posts:
Sophronia · 09/05/2015 19:37

Iris is lovely Smile

Swipe left for the next trending thread