Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Pippa

87 replies

heartoftheocean · 26/01/2019 16:54

Was set on Matilda but its getting quite popular.....
What do you think about the name Pippa?
Its a female diminutive of a name of someone where important to me.
Thanks :-)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
tammytoby · 27/01/2019 19:30

Thank you MumMumMum1 and GrammerlyH. You've been fabulous!

For saying our opinions aren't useful? I've lived abroad and know what the name means in other countries. Not sure why I bothered giving my opinions.

Original poster
heartoftheocean · 27/01/2019 19:36

As I pointed out their are other names with sexual/genital references too.
Also my son I use both his first name and his middle name together about 85% of the time so I could just call her Pippa Rose.
Also I live in the UK...... Not Greece or Italy or wherever else.

OP posts:
SemperIdem · 27/01/2019 19:45

Your child might not live exclusively in the UK though.

I don’t particularly care whether you use the name or not. It’s an alright name. I wouldn’t use it because it travels so poorly. 9/10 people are too polite (regardless of nationality) to pass comment as adults. But that doesn’t mean they don’t cringe using said name.

GrammerlyH · 27/01/2019 19:56

I think the name Pippa is well-known enough globally that even in countries where it doesn’t translate well, people still know it’s a respected name. I was just talking of my experience and my experience is that I have never seen anyone snigger or raise an eyebrow (and, even if people are being polite, you’d still be able to see it in their eyes!).

Of course, I could be entirely wrong. It would be interesting to hear from anyone in Poland or Greece or Italy to hear what their thoughts are on the name and whether they think ‘oh my god I can’t believe you named your child vagina’ - or whether they just think, ‘oh, like Pippa Middleton.’

daisypond · 27/01/2019 20:07

I like its simplicity, but I do find it somewhat incomplete. I think of the poem Pippa Passes, and that was written in the 1840s. It's set in Italy, so I wonder if it's short for an Italian name.

littlebillie · 27/01/2019 20:13

Love it but also love Peta too

Nicecupofcoco · 27/01/2019 20:17

Love love love pippa! Go for it op! Lovely name for baby, child and adult!

GrammerlyH · 27/01/2019 20:23

Thank you MumMumMum1 and GrammerlyH. You've been fabulous!

Pleasure! It’s a lovely name. Good luck.

KarinandtheSeaUrchins · 27/01/2019 20:30

I think it's a lovely name, but it really is quite problematic in several European languages - and more so than the examples you gave (Minnie and Percy). Although the chances are that she'd not have any issues, I wouldn't personally go for it. Matilda or Tilda are lovely!

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 27/01/2019 20:34

Haven't read the thread so apologies if this is has already been said but 2 things spring to mind:

  1. Pippa Middleton
  2. Phillipa - it's like a man's name made into a girl's name like Nigella / Thomasina

If you are fine with the above then it's a nice enough name.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 27/01/2019 20:37

Oh just read the blow job thing too.
Hmmm maybe not OP.

AndromedaPerseus · 27/01/2019 20:46

If you like it go for it. IMO is a lovely stand alone name

banivani · 27/01/2019 21:13

If you were moving to for example Sweden I'd advise against it, because school yard bullying can be a cruel thing. I remember hearing that Pippa was a name as a child and being AGHAST. We were falling over ourselves laughing. But then we grew up. ;) The faPippa Middleton has mainstreamed it anyway. The fact that the world becomes more international and people travel more also means that people understand that names can be different and incidentally happen to have a different meaning in another language. I have friends (here in Sweden) who speak English perfectly well who named their daughter Fanny - it's a very popular name here. And there's plenty of little boys called Alfons even though it apparently is slang for "pimp" in Danish.

KarinandtheSeaUrchins · 27/01/2019 21:17

The news headline 'Pippa to be a mum' did cause quite a fniss amongst my Swedish friends Banivani. But I guess you're right, in reality people aren't so likely to comment on it as adults if they actually meet someone with that name.....

banivani · 27/01/2019 21:22

Ha, that WAS a funny headline Grin!

I remember when Anatolij Chubais was in the news a lot. "Bajs" means poo in Swedish. The news presenter would look into the camera and you could see them working really hard to look neutral as they said his name. Very funny. But they got through it Wink.

BlueWonder · 27/01/2019 21:32

I like Matilda, lots of variation in terms of nickname -Tilda/Tillie/Mattie etc. Pippa is just Pippa or Pip and a bit plain and lacking somehow.....more of a hamster name to me. Just my opinion, you probably wouldn't like my favourites.Smile

Bestia · 27/01/2019 23:56

Another Pippa here.

I’m not mad about the name.

I did have an Italian colleague a few years ago who found it hysterical. I had to get her to call me Philippa because she couldn’t bring herself to call me Pippa Blush

JacksonPillock · 28/01/2019 00:02

These random comments are not going to put me off the name in the slightest! Thanks everyone.

So why did you make this thread then?

Original poster
heartoftheocean · 28/01/2019 18:38

Thank you every one!
There's definitely something about Pippa Rose that makes my heart melt when I hear it. I have kept Matilda Rose in reserve (in case I change my mind). I am sticking with the middle name as Rose is very significant to me.

OP posts:
CloserIAm2Fine · 28/01/2019 19:46

I know a wonderful teenage Pippa (officially Philippa but only ever known as Pippa) so I have good associations for the name

I prefer Matilda personally but I do like pippa

Cbeebiesrehab · 28/01/2019 19:54

I’m one to say go for it! My son’s name means ‘Jew’ in other countries and people told me not to use it for that reason which I thought was ridiculous (and used it anyway!) and I love the name Pippa.
However, I just asked my Polish friend and she properly laughedBlush so now I’m in two minds.

Hunkyd0ry · 28/01/2019 19:59

I have one and love it. Only found out about the nicknames afterwards. It does get me down if I think about it too much but I love her name.
Just going to hope she doesn’t like flying!!

Dizzywizz · 28/01/2019 20:57

I like it, but did work with a Pippa, and another colleague who was Polish did tell everyone else what it meant in Polish, and that she couldn’t take it seriously due to this

PlantPotting · 07/01/2020 15:18

@heartoftheocean

Sorry everyone a zombie thread but OP I was wandering if you stuck with Matilda or decided on another name in the end?

Would love an update, remember you had quite a few threads running a year ago and remember reading them all

Poorolddaddypig · 07/01/2020 15:44

Omg no please don’t. It is slang for several awful things in different parts of the world, like vagina and blowjob. She might want to work abroad or travel or go and live in one of those countries. Just the other day there was a poster called Fanny from a country where this is considered a lovely name, who went on to move to the UK and was really upset that her mum had named her that as it’s slang for vagina in England. Don’t put your daughter in that position