Mercia?

[BaffledMummy]

Just watching BBC breakfast and saw the story about the elderly sisters...the youngest at 98 was called Mercia and it just struck me as a beautiful name that I haven't heard before. A bit of googling shows is English origin and very rare. It's now on the shortlist I think! Any views?

I have a Marcie.

Ridiculous.

It's one of the old Saxon kingdoms, no sorry.

This is the first time ive heard of it as a name. I really like it! More class than marcie ( too charlie brown), less middle aged than marcia. Yep, its nice.

Another one who's first thought was "sound". and yes, I do eat batches rather than bread rolls or barms or breadcakes

I think Mercia is a lovely name.

Mother crone - yes, my first thought, one of the Saxon kingdoms. I don't know when it was first used as a name, though. Not then! I like it not.

I used to live in Coventry so yes, it reminds of local radio and the Mercia Constabulary.

It makes me think of West Mercia police too. I prefer Mercy.

Mercia Doughty is a woman who maternity ( I think wards) are named after in Notts.

She was the mother of a football chairman. But she was originally Spanish so I imagine it was pronounced Mer - theea

I know a Mercia born in the late 60s. I always thought it was lovely

It's the name of the new secondary school they're building round here!

Murcia isn't pronounced Mur-fia! It's Mur-thia. Unless the Spanish have suddenly caught that thing that lots of English people do where they pronounce "th" as "f", like "free" for three.

It reminds me of studying the Mercian dialect of Old English at university, but beyond that connotation I think it's a lovely name.

I'm not a fan. Love the name Marcy, with a y.

It sounds really nice(nicer than Mercy, imo).
But I do prefer Marcia. Marcella nn Marcia? :)

It's 100% West Mercia Police, Mercia Radio etc etc for me too I'm afraid. If she never lives in the south west Midlands I'm sure that won't be a problem though!

Despite the varying connotations, none are particularly bad. Fundamentally i think it's a nice name

Probably being thick but is it pronounced like Marcia but with an E, Mer-sha? or Mer-see-ah? If the 2nd then I think its lovely!

I thought the name was Merica. Like America. I prefer Marcia.

Firefries that was my first thought. Having once shared a flat with 4 American guys, the first thing I heard when I read the title was 'MERICA!!

I think it's very nice. Lived in the Midlands so aware of The police force but it is still a nice name.