Agatha?

[Rabbit600]

What do people think of this name?

It's my favourite name ever, yet it's so underrated. I love, love, love the name Agatha! And Aggie is an adorable nickname!

I'm kind of scared to tell people how much I love this name, because hardly anyone names their baby Agatha anymore.

I was talking to a friend about baby names the other day and after she told me her favourite name (which is Tigerlily, which I hate. I simply smiled at her and nodded politely), then I told her about my secret love for Agatha - AND SHE PULLED A FACE!

Needless to say, I was slightly disheartened. Especially after I kept a straight face when she told me her favourite name. We all have different opinions, I get that. But she could have at least pretended to like it.

I think literature and films have given it a bad name. Like Agatha Trunchbull! Oh, and I think there might be an evil Agatha in The Worst Witch too.

I still love it though. I actually means 'good', so I have no idea where the evil stereotype came from.

What do you all think of the name? Tigerlily or Agatha?

Awful, sorry, really ugly and frumpy.

Agatha is a great name - strong, easy to pronounce, easy to spell, marvellous associations with Dame Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers in the world. Agnes is also a great name.

Tigerlily is far too cutesy and twee for my taste. I like flower names in principle but not that one. It's not a name I can imagine on an older woman, and in my view you do have to consider you're naming a child for life, and for most of her/his life you won't be there correcting people's pronunciation/spelling/explaining why it's a wonderful name - it's your child who will have to do all of that.

Your friend was rude, OP. However, if I've learned one thing from these boards, it's what a good idea it is to keep your name choices to yourself and your partner until the baby is safely named.

I love retro names, I really do, but there’s something so harsh sounding about Agatha. It sounds really inelegant to my ear, like a hacking cough

I know a toddler called Agatha, being completely honest when she was born and I heard the name I did (only internally of course!) pull that same face your friend did as I’d never really heard it used in modern day and I did think of it as a bit frumpy.
BUT, saying that, she’s been known as Aggie since day dot and it definitely suits her so I’ve warmed to it (not that my opinion matters but you know what I mean!).
I still wouldn’t consider using it for my own child but I do like the uniqueness of it now.
If you like it and you think your child will like it throughout childhood to adulthood then go for it, who cares what your friend thinks!

I like Agatha. I taught a wonderful girl called Agathe, with a hard ‘t’ sound like in French so have positive associations. My favourite girls name would be Agnes, so seems to be that fans of one, like the other too!

I’ve come across two little Agathas in recent years. At first I was honestly horrified but it’s grown on me and now I really like it.

I actually like the name Agatha. Recent series of books called Agatha Oddly which has brought the name back to modern I think (long after Agatha Christie books).

Of course your friend didn't like it; she likes frilly, fanciful silly names like Tigerlily. ignore her.

Love it but I am a fan of grannie-chic names. I probably slightly prefer Agnes though.

I’m afraid Agatha is at the top of my list of disliked names but there you go. If your daughter turns out to be adorable the name may win more converts, if not it will remain very marmite.

I like it, but it needs to be on a kid who can carry it. It's a robust kinda name.

I wonder did you ever use Agatha?!? Rabbit600

I called my daughter Agatha, she is 3 now, I get mixed reactions but she pronounces it with such force that it makes me proud,I think she will be a force to be reckoned with :)

I Love Agatha! Tigerlily however....really teen pregnancy sounding

It will forever be the name of Bertie Wooster’s monstrous aunt. Mine you his nice aunt was called Dahlia.

Agatha is top of my list of disliked names— can’t bear it. And Aggie is even worse — I think of a toothless old woman.
Tigerlily is beyond crass. A name Ifeel is chosen by “ hey, look how cool we are” parents.

I adore Agatha. It’s so sweet, but elegant. The fact that she pulled a face would encourage me to use it, purely because she loves a name you hate I.e Tigerlily (which is awful) That kind of reinforces you and her have different tastes.

For example if Kerry Katona hated my baby name choice it would make me think I’m on the right track if she doesn’t like it. That’s my way of thinking anyhoo.

Tbh Agatha does make me think of Miss Trunchbull rather than Agatha Christie, and I find it quite a harsh name... Agatha, Agnes and Aggie all remind me of a witch or a hag, because of the 'ag' sound, sorry! But I agree with previous posters that you should disregard the opinion of someone who would choose Tigerlily for a baby. I suppose objectively speaking Agatha isn't too different to Tabitha!

I think Agatha is a lovely name!

Even Maggie is better as the soft m sound offsets the ugly ag

Perfectly reasonable name but not to my taste. Go for it.

Love Agatha! Not a fan of Tigerlily at all

At her chreshe there's Martha, Josie & Daisy so least she's not completely on her own with the old names lol

Love it, was almost one of my DDs names. Far better than Tigerlilly. I also don’t think it’s marmite, it’s a lovely old name and Aggie is super cute.

Im a big Agatha Christie fan too and think naming a child after one of the worlds most talented and famous women is an extra bonus.

A definite no to Agatha. It's terrible. I really don't understand the appeal of such a harsh ugly name.

I'm afraid I don't like Agatha at all. It sounds like someone quite cross and shouty to me, I'm not sure why. I feel the same way about Maggie - is there something about the "ag" sound? Subconscious associations with aggro or agony? If it's any comfort, I don't like Tigerlily either, at least not as a name for a human baby. It's a nice flower but a bit too "rock star's daughter" for my liking as a name. I realise it has literally been given to a rock star's daughter, but I think I would have had that sort of associations with it even before then.

Tigerlily is awful.
Agatha is terrible.