To have a double first name or have as a middle name?

[GAW19]

We have fallen in love with a name but unsure if to double-barrel it or not.

Maisie-Ray

The more we say it, the more we love it all as one first name. She will have a 2 syllable surname beginning with W.

Thanks everyone

I think you have to be a real purist to say Maisie should be Margaret - and that's coming from a massive pedant!

Well I was just looking for something more constructive to say that “Please don’t give the poor child an underclass- marker disaster of a name, half of it with a male spelling”.

Than^

Darcey Bussell 's real name is Maisie.

Her real name is Marnie. But a similar derivation from Margaret.

if you like the name, use it! bugger what anyone says about it being ‘chavvy’ or ‘downmarket.’ mumsnet is so snobby sometimes! judging by top baby name lists, in twenty years time when this generation of kids start working there will be lots of adults with so called ‘cutesy’ names. a maisie will hardly stand out from the crowd!

You are right @daisypond.

Maisie-Ray makes me think of Macy Grey.

It's cute for a baby but not really a name for an adult.

As posters have have she'll drop the second bit anyway. Especially as there are so may Ellie Mays and Lexie Raes etc etc about it won't sound original etc.

I think Maisie is a bit twee on its own as a real name? Could you think of something that Maisie could be a nn for, and maybe leave Rae as a middle name.

Sorry to sound negative, but she won't always be a baby.

I don't think it's bad at all. Plus if she wants to drop the Rae, she can. I know loads of doubled barrelled named people who dropped the second part once going into secondary school.

Perhaps Maisie could be short for Marisa as well as Margaret? Marisa is very pretty imo, and Marisa Rachel (nickname Maisie-Rae) sounds nice to me - it gives her more options as adult.

I really think hyphens are a pain and don't look that appealing, obviously this is only my thoughts 😁.
Much prefer the option to give two middles instead
I often call mine by a combination of their first and shortened middle..

Very chavvy I'm afraid. Won't look at all good on CVs.

Can you imagine a high court judge called Maisie-Rae?
I’m sorry, but it really does sound like a cheap porn star type name to me.

It’s really chavvy, sorry. Plus it’s usually spelled Rae for a girl, Ray is the male spelling.

I like the name Maisie. I wasn't so aware that it was seen as "chavy" to use hyphens. Though thinking about it I can see why as quite often they do sound a bit OTT.

The only person I personally know with a hyphenated first name isn't like that and they're called by their full name though the second name is "Anne" so it flows better than some others.

Names are very personal so you will get a mixed response.
I prefer a second name and not a double barrel first.

More important is the overall effect with the surname.....eg maisie-rae Raymond nit good.... Ray rae ...spelling will always figure

I love it OP. Such a lovely name and you should use it if you love it. Names are only ever seen chavvy by people who think they are higher class than everyone else.

If your DD wanted to shorten it as she got older she could but it's a lovely name!

Definitely a middle name. Double barrelled names are cumbersome.

I agree with others. Every single person I know with a double barrelled first name drops the second part.

(Double barrel is for surnames, first names are not double barrelled, but hyphenated)
Yeah, OP, go for a classier name than that. It’s the same league as ‘Lexi-Lou/Gracii-Mai/Ruby-Rose/Beau-Teddy’ type of thing.

Maisie is lovely but -Ray/Rae has become really common recently and it seems a little... Chavvy? (Sorry. I know that is an awful word, but I cant think of any other way to say it.) I would lose Ray, it isn't very nice. And I would avoid having an double/hyphenated first name. A first name and a middle name is much nicer.

OP get yourself onto the baby name threads!!

Tbh until you're there in the schoolyard you just don't realise what the trends are, what names may have been nice at one time but now sound so hideously overused, etc.

@daisypond

Darcey Bussell 's real name is Maisie.

Her real name is Marnie. But a similar derivation from Margaret.

Marnie is much nicer than Maisie, really underused I don’t think I’ve ever met someone called Marnie

It's quite old fashioned. I was at school with several Ann-Marie, Mary-Anne, Julie-Ann

Hoe down 🤣 can't stop laughing, so true though I'm afraid. Sounds like the baby girl of a hillbilly dynasty.

Sorry but it's the kind of name that I roll my eyes at when I hear...

Don't double barrel it, it's unlikely she will keep that going when she's older. And no one needs two first names.

Maisie Rae ..... works as a name (although not my taste)

Maisie-Ray ..... looks like you couldn't be bothered.