What’s wrong with Tabitha???

[Rjd13]

So I’ve learned the hard way that sharing your names with family and friends doesn’t always give the reaction you expect. If I’m having a girl I love Tabitha and so does my other half. I’m due in early October so think it suits the season too.

Everyone I’ve told hates it. HATES. IT.

I really don’t understand why it’s so contentious and it’s really upset me. I get a lot of ‘that’s a cats name’ yet I know of pets called jasper, molly, tess etc and there doesn’t seem to be the same concern. So even if it is associated with cats - why is that so bad?

My mum and nan have joked about using the middle name instead and other people have laughed or even gone as far to say it’s cruel. Am I mad? I don’t like anything else half as much 😩

I love Tabitha but have had similar comments.
DS would have been Tabitha and if we have a girl in the future she would be Tabitha.

IIRC, in the Bible Dorcas/ Tabitha is a woman whose good works like housekeeping and crafting won her a place in heaven or resurrection, not sure which. On a par with Lazarus but not as well known.

Hence Tabitha Tittlemouse in Beatrix Potter is annoyingly fussy and housework obsessed.
Not great associations, OP.

I love it! On our list if we have a girl :)

Not great associations, OP.

I agree but I feel like this goes for so many biblical girl's names...

Tabitha / Dorcas was a wealthy widow who was deeply respected in her community for her charitable work. She was resurrected by Peter.

It's cute! Especially because you can use Thea for short which is just gorgeous!

My DP was like this about the name Felix which I love, all because of the cat food.

Aside from your OH, don’t mention names to anyone. I found this out the hard way when I was having DC1 and everyone and his dog had an opinion. I didn’t tell anyone with DC2&3 and it was so much better. You don’t find anyone putting the name down once you’ve already called them that or at least I didn’t.

I’ve got a Tabitha nn Tabi so I obviously think it’s great. Witchy associations are a bonus for me but honestly I think people saying it’s a cat’s name is a bit strange given that I’ve never heard of a cat actually called the name and the term Tabby cat isn’t at all related to it but just got tangled up in the entomology hundreds of years ago like Tybalt or something.

Hence Tabitha Tittlemouse in Beatrix Potter is annoyingly fussy and housework obsessed.
Not great associations, OP.

I don’t think this is right - isn’t it just Mrs Tittlemouse? Can’t remember her name being mentioned but I might be wrong. There’s Tabitha Twitchet but she’s a completely different character.

Absolutely nothing wrong with Tabitha (Tabby). I have one and it's a great name, never share potential names though! Go with what you love and ignore others

It's a cat name. But I still like it. It's like the female equivalent of felix.

Thea isn’t a nickname for Tabitha. It’s a totally different name in its own right. It would be like using Sue as a nickname for Stephanie.

A good friend has a now teenage dd called Tabitha. She's known to everyone as "Tabs" - she is a really sporty, athletic girl and a bit of a tomboy, I think it suits her perfectly.

Go with your gut

I can't believe how divisive Tabitha is! Look at some of the names on the current thread "A sister for Wilhelmina" - nobody seems to be batting an eyelid

Only OK if it's after Tabitha Campbell-Black/Lovell/Rannaldini...

Joking aside, I think it's a lovely name and anyone who bitches at you is jealous of your good taste and not your friend (inappropriate )

I love it too. Was going to call my dd this but was convinced she was a ds so didn't give it loads of thought. When she arrived I asked a few family members their favourite from a shortlist we had. Nobody said Tabitha so I crossed it off. Feel a pang of jealousy when I hear other children called it.

Tabitha is the archetypal posh name where I live so if I hear it I just think red trousers/joules. This absolutely shouldn’t put you off - it’s simply what my association with it is. If it was witch that’d be much more positive wiggles nose

Lovely name.
‘Tibs’ for short?

Mrs Tittlemouse is called Thomasina. It's Tabitha Twitchit.

Tabitha is a lovely name. There's nothing wrong with it. Except lots of people associate it with cats. Also it's quite a fancy name.
It's totally useable though, and I think if you told people that's what baby was called (once baby is here) they'd have no choice but to accept it, and would probably grow to like it.
This is why me and my Husband have decided not to announce babies name or sex until birth, I don't want other people's negativity to bring us down.

It's my first choice girl name OP , I like that it is feminine but not too girly or floral, it works for an adult and in all professions (ie no stripper type connotations), it's classic and not commonly heard, but not out there and too whimsical either. We find out the sex Wednesday, I'm really struggling with boy names, but do keep having a recurring dream about a tabby cat, so here's hoping!

It's posh

Are you posh? If so; no worries

Also a bit twee

I don’t agree that it is ‘posh’. It’s a very old traditional English biblical name. 17c farmers’ wives would be called Tabitha.

But even if it were why can’t you use it if you’re not posh?

Oh you can use it. Of course you can. I just don't like it. It sounds wet. We all have different associations with names and mine is wet and posh

The only reason I don’t like it is because I once worked with someone with the name and she wasn’t a very nice person. I associate it with ‘Bewitched’, rather than a cat though. My old beautician had a daughter called Tabitha and I did warm to it, as she was lovely so it sort of reversed my previous thoughts!