Margaret...

[Sybiltrelawney]

Expecting dd3 and starting to think about names. Dds 1 and 2 are Susanna (Susie) and Eleanor.

I love the name Margaret - it was the name of a lovely elderly Welsh lady who lived next door to my family when I was growing up. She was pretty much a surrogate grandparent, and I would love to give a child of mine her name.

I realise that it's not a popular name, and that many people will think it's dated/ugly, but to me it's classic and beautiful. I also love the nickname Maggie.

I actually wanted to call dd1 or dd2 Margaret, but chickened out both times - I'm worried I'll regret it if I don't use it this time round, given that this is definitely our final dc!

However, I don't want to saddle a child with a name that will lead to teasing or that she will dislike. And I know she'll almost certainly be the only Margaret in a class full of Lily's, Eva's, Ava's, Evie's etc.

I'm therefore wondering if it would be better as a middle name?

Other names we like are:
Beatrice
Josephine (Josie)
Tabitha
Eugenie

If we go with Margaret as a first name, then the middle name would probably be either Eugenie or Josephine.

I like Margaret. Was on my list if this bump was a girl.

GreatDuckCookery and I don’t always agree but she’s spot on.

Margaret shows no sign of revival for good reason - it’s dour, solemn and rather grim. Not attractive, evocative, stylish.

Old-fashioned names that have resurged were always attractive, they just fell out of fashion - Violet, Phoebe, Iris, Lily, Nancy, Matilda, Margot, Flora, Beatrice etc.

Alice, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Beatrice, Eleanor, Harriet, Lucy are all classics that have remained very popular throughout.

Margaret hasn't and that's because imo it's not liked as much as the above.

Why give a child a name like that anyway

The natural response to the above question is to ask why give a child a name like Scarlett, Suvannagh, indigo????

The natural response is to go from one extreme to the other?

I can’t understand all the hatred towards this name. It’s an underused classic and sure it might be quite hard sounding but not everyone needs to be an Isabella. Every Margaret, granted all old ladies I’ve met has been incredibly strong and almost powerful with my favourite being one I met on work experience at a nursing home (oops now I’m just supporting everyone against it ) who would tell me about her driving around the ranch in Australia while being shouted at and told she was incapable. She clearly had a lasting impact on me and I remember choosing to talk to her after hearing a name like Margaret that sounded powerful. Sorry for going off on a tangent but I just wanted to say that the name is harsh sounding but what’s wrong with having a harder name?

The trend for old lady and classic names has probably peaked. Margaret didn't make it did it?

As a PP poster said, the current 'old lady names' weren't old lady when they were given the previous generation as babies.

Ellie, Lily, Ava, Evie, Olivia and all the other current popular names will be 'old lady names' in another 70 years.

And the 'trend for classic names has probably peaked' - what does this mean?

We're all going be naming our kids Moon Unit and Fifi-Trixibelle from now on...?

The current trend for girls names is quite frilly and feminine (names ending in 'a' and 'ie/y') - but that's just a trend.

I can definitely see people moving away from this, towards a different sound of name, of which Margaret is an example. And which is why I said upthread that the OP would be ahead of the curve.

How on earth are names like Mabel, Violet, Scarlett, Florence, Hilda and according to Duck Julie and Debbie evocative and stylish 😀 Every one of them (other than Debbie and Julie) are names that had a sudden resurgence. Julie and Debbie might well have one too but the point is all these names can and will be dated to a particular generation.

Margaret, Anne, Elizabeth, Eleanor along with boy’s names like John and William have always been around and always will be around.

I don't think any of those names are stylish.

Oh apart from Florence, I like that. The others are popular now or likely to come back round in fashion imo.

A friend's daughter has recently had a daughter and called her Margaret Hazel.

How on earth are names like Mabel, Violet, Scarlett, Florence, Hilda and according to Duck Julie and Debbie evocative and stylish

Those weren’t the names on my list where they?

Only Violet - attractive flower, striking colour, gorgeous perfume. Evocative of grand Edwardian drawing rooms, Violet Bonham Carter, Violet Trefusis...

Not keen on Florence but it’s comparably evocative of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and languid Victorians...

were not where^^

Florence is very much a ‘fashionable’ name nowadays. It was also in fashion as a boy’s name at one point. Phoebe is popular probably from Friends etc.

There is no doubt in my mind that if the UK's Prime Minister from 1979-1990 had been called Charlotte or Olivia those names would never have been revived. I expect Theresa May is having a similar effect right now on her own name. But nobody under the age of 40 will now remember Mrs T as PM, so that association is on its way out.

I know a couple of young Maggie's

I love the name! If you the sound and something exotic what about Marguerite?

Au contraire @TigerDrankAllTheWaterInTheTap I'm 30s and Mrs T was PM at the time I was born and until I left primary.

I'm also from an area which will never forgive never forget were she's concerned

This has been bugging me all day, I’ve figured it out.

I mentioned the name to my teen boys, they laughed and started shouting it to each other (in the stupid ways boys do), but wouldn’t tell what was so funny. The more I asked the more they done it. Ds14then went on the Xbox and done it to his friend and they are all still calling each other the name.

It’s Moody Margaret from Horrid Henry!

I adore Josephine from your list.
I really like Margaret too as it's so versatile and classic. Yes it's an 'old' name but plenty of old names are becoming popular. I think it's timeless and very elegant as is Josephine.
You've got good taste in names OP!! You can't go wrong with whatever you choose

I taught a girl whose official name was Frinee but all her friends called her Margaret (lots of my African heritage students have an African and English name). She was pretty much the coolest girl in school so to me it's now a cool name. Lots of good nickname potential too: Maggie, Meg and Pearl are all lovely.

Margaret is perfect. Classic and would be lovely on a young woman. Maggie is also a great nickname. Also kind of hip and ahead of the curve as pp have said! Do it!

I know a couple of under 5 Margarets. I think it's becoming more popular like Ivy, did a year or so ago. I've also come across a few Dorothys and A Mavis which is the same era. Go for it I love it.

Margaret is lovely. Much better than the French version Margot.