Kitty or Ada?

[Myu5ername]

I am having my second girl soon and trying to decide on a name. We both love Ada but everyone hates it - not that I often care of negative opinions but this time round it's making me think twice. Kitty was always a favourite name but I now know a couple of kitty's which is no bad thing but would probably prefer a name that I don't directly know someone with already.

What are your thoughts?

Ada. I agree with Glittermud that Ada Lovelace is a great namesake!

I also like Kitty as a short form of Katherine or one of its variants (prefer it to Kate/Katie) but not as a standalone name, for reasons already mentioned by others.

I said I didn't think (my opinion, others obviously disagree) it could be said in a business meeting because it sounds cutesy (as others have said). That's not to say that people named Kitty couldn't make great business people or whatever job they want to do, but I am thinking about first impressions and being taken seriously in the workplace. With a full name of Katherine/Kathleen, for example, you could easily shorten it to Kitty for family/friends but keep the long name for work.

I love both.

Agree with pps that I prefer Kitty as a diminutive of Katherine. It also gives her options - she could then call herself Katherine, Katie or Kate if she preferred. Makes me think of Kitty Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

My friend has a beautiful, headstrong Ada.

Ada is ok but I think will date badly.

That's interesting, why do you think that? Bearing in mind that it's pretty uncommon and was last popular about one hundred years ago.

Funny how trends change. Five plus years ago on MN, Ada used to get an absolute roasting for being an ugly old lady type of name. Now it's pretty well received!

Love Kitty; Ada is just OK.

Kitty would surely only work as a nickname, while she was little, for Catherine? Not as a given name in my view. It's just not grown up. If you went with Catherine, you could use Kitty when she was small plus have other options.

I like Ada.

I really like Ada, prefer it over Kitty.

Ada is a nice name. I really dislike kitty, it just doesn't sound like a proper name to me.

I'm not keen on Ada, although it has a long lustrous pedigree (Ada Lovelace mathematician and world's first computer programmer - probably). Kitty is OK, but I think shortened names cut off future options. If you use Kathleen or Catherine, you're leaving a wider range of options for your daughter down the line. My name is either 'little' girl or stuck up victorian, neither of which suit me - I don't think.

Chick

I know an Ada who matches that description, she's lovely. Could be the same one, it's not a common name.

Definitely Kitty! Heard it called out in a playground recently and it sounded so cute.

Thanks for all the input.
Ada would be pronounced as in Ava ... Ayda funnily enough is meant to be pronounced Ida but I know that's not always the case.

If we go with Kitty that will be her name rather than Katherine etc. Many adults have carried the name past and present with no problems although I agree it could sound too 'frilly' especially when paired with my first daughters name which has a girliness to it and an 'ie' ending.

Kitty is a diminutive of Catherine so call the child Catherine.

Ada for me is "grannie" sans chic.

I love old fashioned names like these. Personally I'd go for Ada. Ada Katherine would be lovely and you could still use Kitty as a nn. As much as I like Kitty I agree with other posters that it would be better to keep it as Katherine officially so that she has options when she's older.

Kitty is lovely. FWIW I have a nicknamey name that is not to be taken seriously at all, far more frivolous than Kitty. I still managed to get a degree or two and jobs - it really makes no difference.

Sorry but if it's spelt a.d.a it's pronounced Ayda. If you want to hear people calling your daughter A-va, then spell it a.v.a. Otherwise you will be 'correcting' people through gritted teeth faster than you can possibly imagine.
Maybe some adults have carried off Kitty, but why close options down with Kitty, when you could give your DD so many more with Katherine ?

Op means it to rhyme with Ava, not spelled like Ava but pronounced Ada, I'm pretty sure. She was just pointing out that writing Ayda actually gives a pronunciation of 'Ida' rather than 'Aida.'

Why does anyone need an option about what they are called? I've never overthought myself to the point that I've noticed I didn't have any!

I know an Ada who is 5. Love it as a name. I also love Kitty though, so not much help.

When I wrote Ayda, I was trying to write it phonetically to get my meaning across.

Lol yes I meant to rhyme with Ava ... I'm not sure how I could ever get away with using d as a v

Ada

Kitty. Love it.

Ada too old granny for my liking.

Yes you were understood bingthing, was responding to dpotter who thought she wanted to pronounce it Ava. I was delving further into the murky waters of phonetics to try and clear it up

Interesting that Ada is back in favour again. It was my mum's name: she was born in 1923, and her mother changed her mind about calling her Enid at the font!

Mum HATED it so much that though her best friend had the same name they always called each other Mrs X and Mrs Y rather use it.

She'd be turning in her grave if she knew it was being used again.

Ada is lovely