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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Clementine - honest opinions pls

63 replies

cammybear · 26/08/2015 02:49

We absolutely love Clementine (pronounced "Clementeen") for our DD. But now I am starting to have second thoughts - does it verge just on the wrong side of ridiculous? We are mildly hippy MC types (sorry if the categorising offends people - just trying to give people a good picture) who swing between off the wall names and very trad but unusual ones (the most important thing being not boring). I expect she will be 'Clemmie'.

But does it pass the (probably silly) Prime Minister/CEO test? I know Clementine is growing in popularity now really, especially where we live right now, so that is maybe what's putting me off as well (the logic being if we're going to pick a name that doesn't pass the PM test, then at least it shouldn't be too popular? - or am I just overthinking it now?)

I really would like to know people's thoughts.

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fabuLou · 26/08/2015 16:45

I like it

beardsrock · 26/08/2015 16:51

Really depends on your background I reckon i.e. BitofFun has it, Clementine was Churchhill's wife. I'm sure she (and your little one too if you choose it) rocked it.

SmugairleRoin · 26/08/2015 17:07

Hate it. Sorry.

Like others said it's overly frilly and/or a fruit.

HellKitty · 26/08/2015 17:08

Fruit.

SirChenjin · 26/08/2015 17:13

Love it - despite the song my mum used to sing to me in the 70s . I would say Clementyne though - I think she might spend her life correcting pronunciation.

misscupcakes · 26/08/2015 17:15

I quite like the name (can't get the song out of my head though!), but I dislike the nickname - round here, 'clem' is used to refer to body parts like testicles and breasts.

Original poster

cammybear · 26/08/2015 19:41

Thankyou everybody! I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I realised that's fine as long as it's not something that people think is too too frilly, as you put it BooptheLoop. I suppose I was just waiting for someone to come up with a really obvious objection that I hadn't thought of but should have done (a lady at work today told us one of the names she is considering for her son, which an Australian friend immediately told us was also a famous brand of condoms at home!)

I am still on the fence, but maybe as you say YeOldeTrout, on the basis I'm not calling her Lucifer or Princess or something, I should stick with what I love. And to think this is just the first decision I have to make as a new parent...

OP posts:

PatrickJaneIsRedJohn · 26/08/2015 20:54

It is a seriously frilly name as others have said.

I also agree that round here Clem means balls, so I wouldn't use it on that basis. Especially as someone just mentioned clammy as a nn I spat out a mouthful of water reading that.

rubybloom2 · 27/08/2015 11:04

I love this name and would seriously consider it if it wouldn't seriously clash with my husband's surname. However, I'm not such a fan of the shortened Clemmie...

NoMoreRenting · 27/08/2015 12:22

I like it but dh said no because he didn't want to be firever explaining how to pronounce it. Your 'teen' pronunciation is the usual/correct pronunciation as a name. 'Tyne' is a fruit and the end product of Chinese whispers type singing of the song sung in an Austrslian accent.

SnozzberryPie · 27/08/2015 12:31

I like it, especially with a short middle name and surname eg

Clementine Mary Smith

I don't like the short versions Clem or clemmy though, which would put me off. I would have assumed you pronounced it clememtYne too, although clementEEN is prettier.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 27/08/2015 12:35

It's lovely. I like Clemmie too though I will admit to absolutely adoring the film "The Gathering Storm". Winston was clearly mad about Clemmie and there is a book of their letters to each other which is adorable no-one will be producing a book of my emails to DH

Minty I wouldn't be that keen on.

Lots of names have songs linked to them. Silly reason to discard a name especially one that is a fairly obscure song these days.

Call your bump Clementine between you and your DH for a week or two. It will feel right or it won't. Some of our favourite names on paper bit the dust that way.

WhatsGoingOnEh · 27/08/2015 12:38

Clementine is very sweet. And quite juicy. I imagine she'll be welcome at everyone's table at Christmas.

Sorry! :)

I think it's nice. Definitely not one of the totally and utterly ridiculous names that are used these days. Now, Peach or Banana and we'd have fallen out.

PallasCat · 27/08/2015 13:16

I really like it. I had a good friend at college with the name - from a very regular, non-alternative family - not-hippy-dippy, not posh. She honestly didn't get any comments or jokes about the name. She was mostly known as Clem.

afink · 27/08/2015 14:11

Not keen on it, personally. I think Clementine sounds very 'weak', Clemmy reminds me of 'clammy', and I have a friend whose daughter is called Clementine, and she refers to her as 'Clem', which is a common word where I live for 'bollock' ("yer clems")

EmmaWoodlouse · 27/08/2015 19:44

I think it's a lovely name but prefer the other pronunciation and think more people would expect it to be pronounced that way.

whitershadeofpale · 27/08/2015 19:50

I think it would be mispronounced plus the few I've know have been called Clem which sounds like phlegm to me and is just an ugly sound.

On its own with your pronunciation it's pretty, but in the real world she'll hardly ever be called that.

mrssmith79 · 27/08/2015 19:55

I don't like it - I think, in part, because Clems are slang for testicles round these parts.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Clem

Original poster

cammybear · 28/08/2015 04:53

Thanks everyone! Oh dear, I had no idea about the regional slang! I think the 'tyne' ending is American... I still love it...but starting to reconsider. That's a good idea about calling the bump by a name and seeing if it sticks - thank you!

OP posts:

BitOfFun · 28/08/2015 08:28

I wouldn't let the slang thing put you off unless you live in that area.

reuset · 28/08/2015 09:48

'Correct' pronunciation is clay-mon-teen if you want to be authentic. Tyne is better in the UK, the cle-men-teen prounciation sounds so awful and faux, especially with some regional accents.

SmugairleRoin · 28/08/2015 10:00

The slang thing SHOULD be considered, even if you don't live there. She's not always going to live with mummy and could end up moving there.

Skiingmaniac · 28/08/2015 10:06

Love it - I had a great aunt called Clementina

and I know a lovely 9 year old girl called Clementine (Clemmie)

BriocheBriocheBrioche · 28/08/2015 10:14

It's my top choice for our dd2 due in a few weeks. We are in France though so generally will have less issues with the pronunciation and shortening (nicknames tend to be used less frequently here).

I'm not overly keen on Clemmie as a nickname and will push for people to call her CC (as we've chosen a C middle name too) if we can although i know that's a bit contrived and people will call her what they want

BitOfFun · 28/08/2015 11:08

Yeah but hopefully people will be a bit more mature by then, Smug.

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