Mary

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What do you think of Mary? I love this name but i often see it described negatively. To me, Mary is in the same sort of category as Eliza, Nell, Edith - old but strong baby girl names. Do you like it? I really like Mary for a little girl but don't want to saddle her with a name that everyone will hate.

I like it and it’s a family name. I’m not sure if I prefer Marie and Maria though. Also like variations like Miriam.

I really dislike it and can’t put my finger on why as I really like names like Nell, Nancy etc
It’s not an offensive name so if you love it you should use it!

I love it, and it's a lot less overused than some of the other 'old lady' names.

It’s a classic and I don’t think you can go wrong with it. It isn’t on my list of favourite names but it strikes me as pretty uncontroversial. I wouldn’t hesitate.,

I really like it, it's a true classic.
It's feminine without the 'girliness' of a lot of names ending in Y.

I like it, and I don't know why it doesn't seem to be having a revival. I much prefer it to Elsie, Florence, Edith etc and I think it's more classic.

Perhaps it's an over-correction as in the first half of the 20th century I believe every other girl was named Mary! Or something like that.

We've got a Mary. It was also my Mother's name.
Called Mo by family & friends.

I work with a very cool teenage Mary. It’s unusual nowadays, but well known, easy to spell. I also like Marie and Maria. Underused and so much prettier than Ethel or Flo.

I love it, brilliant name. However, around here a lot of people call their vulva their Mary so......

Love it. And Miriam.

Lovely. Definitely deserves a comeback.

Love it! If I'd have had a girl she'd have been a Mary.

I think it's definitely due a comeback.
Go for it OP, you may start a trend.

I like it, classic, due a come back

And lots of nns if she wants (Maisie, Molly, Polly, May, Mo etc)

I like it a lot.

İ love the name Mary, its sort of like my dream name for a girl.

It's one of my absolute favourites. Lovely classic name

I love it. Elegant, ‘creamy’ (I don’t know why it makes me think this but it does!).

Lovely on a child, wonderful on a teen, grown up on an adult. It would have been top of my list if I’d had children.

I don't hate it, in fact I want to LOVE it because there are so many awesome namesakes (I instantly think of Feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter the amazing writer Mary Shelley but I'm sure there are lots of others - Mary, Queen of Scots and Nurse Mary Seacole also come to mind).

Mary also has lovely nn options - May, Mamie, Molly and Polly are all pretty cool. But I just don't know that I'd want the name myself (so I don't know whether I could justify giving it to a daughter). I think it's the sound of Mary - it just feels a bit dull or "blah". But maybe if more people were using it again I wouldn't feel this way!

Lovely, feels quite fresh now. Because it’s been so popular it doesn’t feel tied to any particular person.

Hmm I've never known anyone called Mary but I feel like it's an old lady name.
How does polly come from Mary?

Love it.

It's a classic name like Jane or Elizabeth.

I quite like it - would consider it for a middle name - but am not sure it would go with our surname.

I agree with PP who said there was an overcorrection because it was SO popular in first half of 20th century. I have met older Marys (in their 70s now) but only ever two my age (30s). One was Irish.

How does polly come from Mary?

Mary to Molly to Polly (Mary was so popular for so long they had to invent loads of nn's for it, as there could be several women named Mary in a family).

I like it as a middle name. It's a nice name but I would not like it to be my name so I would not choose it as a first name for a baby. I think it was so common in the past maybe it needs another generation before it makes a comeback. It comes across to me as a very virtuous name.