Is Poppy too cutesy a name?

[Rubaloo]

DD2 is 3 weeks old and we have yet to decide on a name.

We almost called DD1 Poppy but were worried that although it’s a lovely name for a little girl, it wasn’t ‘grown up’ enough for an adult and was too cutesy.

I still love the name so had planned to call DD2 Poppy (especially as her due date was Remembrance Sunday) but now she’s here I have the same fear and can’t picture an older Poppy.

My dithering has put DH off it a bit now and he prefers Jessica nn Jess. I don’t mind this but I didn’t like the only Jess I knew at school and I keep thinking Jessica Fletcher, especially as our surname starts with an F. It also seems very common where we are.

DD1 is called Elizabeth which I love as its timeless but not that common and lends itself to various nicknames if she doesn’t want to use her full name.

Am I over thinking it too much? Should I just go with what I like or will a cutesy name stop her being taken seriously when she’s an adult?

TIA. I know we’re on the clock!!

Poppy looks and sounds like a cute nickname, like Poppet. It's cute but I wouldn't want that as my proper name personally.

Onatreebyariver*
It’s hard to imagine a stout 50 year old called Poppy
Blimey, I think you need to try a bit harder, it's not difficult but the question is why wouldn't you need to imagine that anyway?

Very odd.

KERALA you don't have to like cute names but you are part of the problem for women and girls if you think a string of letters makes someone less capable of their job, I hope you don't have a son that hears you comment how ridiculous it is that a person reading the news is called Daisy. It's great you've given your daughters serious names to help them get on, but wouldn't it be wonderful if people thought Poppy could be clever and rational enough to be a judge or doctor?

How do people get Poppy as a nn from Penelope?

I'd think Penny is a more natural shortening for Penelope!

Elizabeth and Jessica were the twins from Sweet Valley High/ Sweet Valley Twins - I don't think I could name sisters Elizabeth and Jessica for this reason (although I like both names individually). My friends were all obsessed with these books in the 90s although I suppose a younger generation won't have this association.

I really like Poppy although I agree that it's not the same style of name as Elizabeth.

Having a toddlers name is not an advantage in the adult world. HOw is that a controversial opinion?

It’s “controversial” KERALA because there are many people that don’t agree with you - as this and other threads demonstrate.

Even the majority of people that don’t like the name, don’t suggest that it will actually hold anyone back. Where is your evidence to back up this opinion? Or to back up your view that the names you have given your DDs will prove an advantage?

You have decided that there is a category of “toddlers names” and decided that Poppy and Daisy are in that category despite knowing that they are names that have been used for generations. You put Poppy and Daisy in a list that includes “Cutie” and “Ditsy” which are of course not even names ….

Your strength of feeling about the subject is really quite odd. And to say that you “cringe” because a professional newscaster is called Daisy is bizarre and offensive.

It is entirely possible and, I think highly desirable, to have strong women with every ‘type’ of name out there.

I agree with rootsandbranches, that reactions like yours, actually contribute to negative attitudes towards women. Women should be encouraged to bring their own strengths to the world, which can take different forms to traditional ‘male’ characteristics of strength and don’t need to be signposted by a ‘strong’ name.

I'd also be Team No To Cutesy, I think it's ridiculous to choose something because it sounds cute when they're a baby. Think of the adult first, not the kid.

Poppy isn't that bad, I could picture it on an adult. I don't think it travels all that well though and it's a bit weak as names go, so it'd be a no from me. It is a bit cutesy but the other reasons would be the main ones putting me off it.

I also think Poppy and Elizabeth are a strange sounding pair. I don't really care about having to have matching name pairs, but I agree that it sounds like the older one must be sensible and the younger carefree. If the older one was using a nickname like Libby or Beth I think they would pair a lot better.

The plural of poppy is not poppy’s, ffs.

Sorry OP, I also find Poppy and similar a little twee for an adult. It also sounds very different in style to Elizabeth - does she go by a nickname?

Maybe I'm showing my age, but I find Jessica dated and couldn't have an Elizabeth and a Jessica after growing up reading Sweet Valley High!

Jessica is much nicer!! I'm not keen on Poppy at all...

It makes me think breaking wind...sorry

Suggest another beautiful, classic name to go with your DD Elizabeth (such as Alice, Josephine or similar). Poppy doesn’t complement your other choice. Personally don’t like the name at any age as find it a bit trite. Poppy, like pop music or pop culture, as in a bit annoying & lightweight...but Jessica doesn’t go with Elizabeth either & brings up bad memories of Frank Spencer!!

I've got a poppy - she's 7.

I loved it when I found out I was having a girl and couldn't imagine calling her anything else now.

I call her pop or pops a lot.
Name your child whatever you want. I had a "grown up name" when I was a child and it's been fine.
Can't see why poppy wouldn't be fine for an adult?

I know a Poppy in her 20s. People take her seriously.

Oh dear I have properly pissed off the mothers of Poppys and Daisys!

I barely express this opinion in real life I don't really give a stuff what you call your kids but if asked it is my opinion - and one shared by many others it seems. I jolly well hope a name would never hold anyone back but personally think adult professional women with toddler names seems weird and I would certainly not use one for any daughter of mine. There are lots of non cutesy names available.

Think you'll find you've pissed off evenbetter more by your incorrect use of plurals

DryIce I hadn’t thought about the Sweet Valley High connotation - not something I was into at the time but now I remember!

With us, Izzy has evolved as a nickname for DD1 but she prefers being called Elizabeth, which she is at school.

DH is veering away from Poppy now in favour of Jessica but I’m not convinced. We’d like another classic name but can’t find one we both agree on. We like Charlotte but dislike someone with that name which has put us off it as a choice. Not as keen on Penelope. DH does not like Josephine. We like Alexandra but although it has the same number of letters and syllables as Elizabeth it just sounds like more of a mouthful, although I guess it would inevitably be shortened.

I think we’ve overthought it too much now!

Kerala1 - i don't understand, surely all toddlers have 'toddler names', then all school age children have 'school aged names' etc.

I literally know several adult, professional (I'm a medic) women called Daisy, and one called Poppy. All well respected and rocking their lovely names. Don't know any called Penelope.

Often Kerala's sort of attitude comes from good old fashioned misogyny, where any feminine name that isn't the name of someones 50 year old MIL is seen as 'non professional'. I'd ignore them OP, those sorts of opinions are thankfully dying out now, as people realise that women can be whatever the fuck they like.

I like Poppy and Jessica.
I'm surprised pp would be put off Jessica by fictional Jessica Fletcher and Jessica Spencer.

(If you want something different, I met a Genevieve the other day. To me that goes well with Elizabeth).

Yes thats right Im a total misogynist for not liking cutesy names

You can not like them all you like, but implying they wont be professional or taken seriously for having a standard feminine name is very suspect.

HTH