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Baby names

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Original poster

Girls name-what do they make you think of?

95 replies

Firsttimemother30 · 31/01/2019 18:13

Hello, myself and my husband found out we are having a girl today. We are very excited and have narrowed it down to three names. We will probably wait until we see her but looking for others opinions but reluctant to share with family. The names are:
Hettie
Effie
Pearl
What kind of name would you class each name as? What do they remind you of? We are aware of the Hettie is a hoover and Effie could be made to sound like a swear word type comments, but these aren’t strong enough factors to put us off. Surname begins with L and is fairly commonplace.

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MsMustDoBetter · 02/02/2019 10:52

Hettie is a sweet little girl in boden dresses
Effie reminds me of "effing"
Pearl is a barmaid

DrWhoLovesMe · 02/02/2019 10:58

Hettie - wainthrop investigates
Effie - Eiffel Tower, but only when written, not when spoken.
Pearl - old woman on emmerdale

I actually really like the first two though, and don’t dislike pearl.

daisypond · 02/02/2019 10:59

Hettie and Effie are far too nicknamey for me. Effie is really very bland and forgettable. It's traditionally short for Euphemia, which I'm not really keen on either. But I like Henrietta a lot, so Hettie as short for that is fine.
So that leaves Pearl. Hm, I ought to like it, as it's a very old traditional name - crops up in medieval literature a lot as a symbol. But there's something about it I'm not sure about. But it's by far the best of your suggestions.

daisypond · 02/02/2019 11:04

Oh, just saw that you don't like Henrietta or Euphemia. Hester, or Josephine or Seraphina, then.

Racecardriver · 02/02/2019 11:05

Hettie and Effie don’t sound like proper names to me but don’t carry any associations e Ther.
Pearl makes me think of the whale from spongebob. I still don’t get how a crab can have a whale for a daughter.

Cbeebiesrehab · 02/02/2019 11:27

I have an Effie-she’s Evelyn on her Birth Certificate

MrsBertBibby · 02/02/2019 11:39

Hester
Hestia

For God's sake not Iphigenia. Iphigenia was ritually sacrificed by her father Agamemnon so the Greeks could get a fair wind to Troy to kill a lot more people.

When Agamemnon got home 10 years later, his wife Clytemnestra and her lover murdered him in revenge. Their son Orestes then murdered his mother in revenge, and was driven mad, pursued by the Furies across the world.

Fuck me but those Greeks were dark bastards.

OnTheHop · 02/02/2019 11:48

I really like Hettie, and if Hettie is the name you like, it doesn’t have to have a longer version.

Hettie: sounds cheerful, bright, and round us (S London) is quite a trendy arty middle class name.

Effie: I like it, wasn’t the wife of a pre-raphaelite painter called Effie?

Pearl: personally I am less keen, the ‘uuu’ sound in the middle sounds lacking in liveliness to me, just don’t get on with the way it sounds.

MardyMavis · 02/02/2019 11:49

Mmmmm

Girls name-what do they make you think of?
OnTheHop · 02/02/2019 11:50

“Pearl is a barmaid”

Surely Pearl’s a singer.......

OhTheRoses · 02/02/2019 11:56

Hmm.

Hettie: Hermione, Henrietta, Hesther, Harriet

Effie: Felicity, Francesca, Daphne, Ophelia, Josephine

MrsDrSpencerReid · 02/02/2019 12:10

My grandma is Hettie, short for Hendrika Smile She’s not a regular Grandma though, she’s in her 70’s and gets up at 4am every day to go jogging Grin

Effie is cute but it reminds me of the character in an old show here in Aus called Acropolis Now. Google it Grin

My dd is 12 and there’s a Pearl in her grade. I don’t love it but I think ‘baby pearl’ sounds super sweet Smile

Good luck!

OnTheHop · 02/02/2019 12:56

Hepzibah is a fabulous name.

But Hettie as birth certificate name is fine. I know one.

Pemba · 02/02/2019 16:19

I like Effie, it's really sweet. But probably should be short for something. Euphemia is unattractive and quite pompous sounding. Elizabeth or Elspeth are nicer names that have also been shortened to Effie.

Don't mind Hettie, again it should be short for something, traditionally Henrietta (which I cant' bear, so clunky) or alternatively Harriet, which is nice.

Pearl I also find unattractive, it has a lovely meaning but I just don't like the sound it makes.

moredoll · 02/02/2019 16:24

Sorry, but Hettie and Effie are horrible.
Loads of names out there, choose something else.

moredoll · 02/02/2019 16:25

And yeah, Pearl's a singer. (and a much better name).

Cbeebiesrehab · 02/02/2019 16:41

I’m sure the OP will choose something else on your say so MoreHmm

mumtobabygilrl · 02/02/2019 16:53

I personally don't like shortening names. If what you want to call them day by day isn't a strong or 'good enough' name for the birth cert then I would change my name choice altogether. But that's just me. We did consider Effie when expecting our DD but took it off of our list for the above reasons. However don't let others change your minds if you find a name you love just go for it!

mumtobabygilrl · 02/02/2019 16:55

Oh ps I should have said I do prefer Etta to Effie as it feels less nick namey

Sunshinewithshowers123 · 02/02/2019 16:58

@sleepismysuperpower1
Oh yes Heather for Hettie is lovely

TheDowagerCuntess · 02/02/2019 18:35

In all honesty, all three sound like they would be sweeping out the grate in a stately home.

Fine as nicknames, but not as a name you're lumbered with. It's all well and good if you like the nickname, but what if your daughter doesn't? Nicknames do have a feeling of lacking some substance.

We have a DS who's been known by a nickname since the day he arrived, such that his actual name doesn't really feel like his. But as he gets older, he might not want to be known by the diminutive. At least he has options.

Original poster
Firsttimemother30 · 02/02/2019 18:52

Thank you for all the responses. Lots of ideas for BC name and I feel we are getting closer to making a decision.

You clearly haven’t read all my comments Cuntess or you would have seen we are planning on using a full name on the BC-like you have with your son. And by your logic how would anyone pick a name as there is never a guarantee they will like the name I pick!

And More those are the names we have picked. We are not looking to add any more to the list.

OP posts:
TheWanderlust · 03/02/2019 05:15

We had Effie on our list as it is short for the Greek name Ephimia (possibly wrong spelling) and my OH has a love for Greek names.

nocluenoidea · 04/02/2019 05:50

Really love Effie and would def have used for my DD, however my partner refused it point blank because it said it sounded like F'offz

Hettie- too old lady I think, even though I do love some old lady names

Pearl- just finished reading a book and a teenage Pearl was one of the main characters. I thought it made her sound interesting but I couldn't bring myself to like the name.

I'd choose Effie!

OutPinked · 04/02/2019 17:23

Effie reminds me of the bitch on skins. I believe it’s a diminutive of Elizabeth so I’d be more inclined to go with that.
Hettie is a nice nickname but not full name.
Pearl is an old lady’s name but not in a cool way like other popular names right now. Also pearl necklace has a derogatory meaning.