Are these too tongue-twister-ish?

[independentgroupie]

Our surname is McAllister. We've narrowed our choice of name for dd down to 'Tabitha' and 'Madeleine'.

We've been fishing for opinions among a few family and friends and several have commented that both 'Tabitha McAllister' and 'Madeleine McAllister' are quite a mouthful.

Are they too much? Is one better than the other?

Madeleine McAllister sounds good, so does Maddie McAllister

How about Matilda

I love Madeleine and I think it's fine with McAllister.

As pp, Madeline goes lovely with your surname
Tabitha does not.
Melissa would go well with your surname.

Madeleine goes lovely with your surname.

I work with an adult Madeleine and know another - they are who I think of when I hear or read the name Madeleine.

I think Madeline sounds great with your surname. It's still a popular name despite Madeline McCann.

How about Miranda or Miriam or Matilda?

It's still a popular name despite Madeline McCann

What a dreadful thing to say.

If you go for MM make sure the middle name doesn't begin with N.

Madeline is a lovely name but I agree with a Mc surname it just seems too close.

Sorry, me too with Madeleine. I can’t hear it without thinking of Madeleine McCann and seeing her little face. With McAllister it’s going to come up time after time. People SHOULD be too polite to say anything, but they’ll be thinking it.

Tabitha doesn’t go with your surname, it’s definitely to ‘mouthy’.

Try saying a name like "Ruby McAllister", where the first name has two syllables. It sounds much better.

My daughter is Madeleine and I did worry about the McCann connection but I loved the name. Now it never occurs to me until I read it somewhere like this. The children your baby grows up with will not even know who Madeleine McCann is.

In fact, the bigger issue is that everyone spells it Madeline.

Sorry but I also think of the sad connection and I think a lot of people in the UK will feel the same.
Also, i think it is quite brave to choose a long first name with a long surname. It will take her a long time to learn to write her name although I guess when she can she will have mastered most of the alphabet! Madeleine and Tabatha are quite different names just imo, were there any other on your list? Having said all this at the end of the day you do just have to go with what feels right for you at the time.

*Sorry Tabitha

I only spelt it wrong due to blooming autocorrect!! I don't say it the way Madeleine McCann was always pronounced in the media either, I had a friend with the name she always pronounced it a clear line sound at the end, not lin. Lovely name.

Melissa would go well with your surname

Melissa McAllister

Yes. It goes SO well it’s like one name

🤣

Madeline works best to my ear. Tabitha Mc just brings to mind Tabby MacTat

SleeplessWB. My daughter is Madeleine and I did worry about the McCann connection but I loved the name. Now it never occurs to me until I read it somewhere like this. The children your baby grows up with will not even know who Madeleine McCann is

You might not think about Madeleine McCann now because you use the name 100x a day. Not everyone does. Others will still have the same connection you did before you chose to use it.

The children will know who Madeleine McCann is & obviously their parents will.

But surely every name has a connotation? Wouldn't it be a sad legacy for that little girl if no-one used her beautiful name again?

Yes it would but not everyone's surname begins with Mc

I also think McCann immediately. I really wouldn't do it, I'm afraid. It's still a very sad and negative association for many.

I like Tabitha much better and think it works fine. Both have three syllables, after all. And I'm not mad on alliterative names anyway.

So for me, it's Tabitha!

Fair point flapjackfairy

I wouldn’t use it but why is someone saying it’s still a popular name despite the tragic association a ‘dreadful thing to say’.... eh????

Some names have stronger associations than others & it depends how you feel about them. If you name a baby Corbyn today it’s going to have strong political associations whether you like it or not. Jesus is going to have religious associations, Adolf has extremism etc.

You might get used to little Corbyn Jesus and Adolf running around & think nothing of calling their names in the park - doesn’t mean people meeting them the first time won’t make a connection instantly no matter how unintentional.

I don’t think a baby now would have Madeleine McCann associations with their peers & it’s not as strongly linked as the examples I just gave - I think it would be ok to use I just think with the surname on top it sounds almost like a deliberate namesake.