So out it’s in?

[Scrunchies]

Belinda, nick name Bee?

I want a traditional name that is unusual and not popular - ahead of the ‘come back curve’ so to speak!

Don’t like the very popular ‘granny’ names for the reason that they are too popular.

Barbara very nice too.

God, I thought this was going to be about Gary or Nigel. Belinda is fine — it’s not Karen or Julie at all, it peaked a generation at least before that.

Judith! So you have the same names as Shakespeare’s daughters.

@WTAFihavelosttheferret - Julie, Karen, Lorraine are all way more commonplace in the UK than Belinda, I would hazard a guess there are at least 50 times as many women in the UK with those names than Belinda

Belinda may have first appeared at a similar time in history but that doesn't automatically put the names in same category

You may view of it that way but I honestly don't think most people would

I really like it. I know one who must be almost 60 now and she’s lovely.

I’m not mad about it but it’s fine.

Ignore the PP who commented it was a ‘chav’ name in the 70s - there were never enough of them for it to be an anything name. Wouldn’t worry c the podcast either, no one will remember in a few years. Bee is a nice nn.

Other thoughts - Fernanda, Cassia, Perdita, Fenella, Miranda, Serena, Louisa, Cecilia, Antonia, Cordelia, Francesca, Edwina, Adela

Susan
Esther
Melissa
Meredith
Pamela

Belinda is very cute, could be Bea/Belle!

I would say 'Bee/Bea' was more from Beatrice mind.

I get the not wanting to follow the old lady name trend - we have appeared to have followed it by accident with our girls by using names of relatives - I've jumbled it up but they consist of the following (including middle names):

Rita
Ada
Doris
Esther
May
Lesley

We were also close to using Georgina and Olive.

Call her what you like, but if you like 'Bee' - maybe just call her that, as I'm unsure Belinda would be shortened to 'Bee' naturally x

Don’t mind Melissa ... DH was a big fan of Melissa Joan Heart 🤣

Can’t use some of these suggestions as relatives etc - Judith/Barbara. It’s funny the different connotations names have to different people - to me it’s nothing like Lorraine. Besides I didn’t think we were “allowed” to say the word chav on MN, normally one gets a roasting for that!

Beatrix or Beatrice? But l like Belinda and never knew about the my dad write a porno connection

I always say 'bell-Ender' when I see the name. But that's just me so don't let that put you off

Oh god. Not Belinda.

DH suggested Belinda for our DD. It’s hideous. Like calling a baby Brenda or Beverly.

Imagine if she went on to work in sales for a pots and pans company.

I would definitely think of the (hugely popular) podcast I’m afraid OP!

@happylittlechick I don’t get it 🙈 is it from the podcast?

Belinda is a great name and was the madcap genius artist in Malory Towers.

Oh no please. It's in the same camp as Tracy and Kelly

@WTAFIhavelosttheferret

Belinda is not a traditional name. It is a modern name. It was a total "chav' name in the 1970s.

Bee or Be a is generally short for Beatrice.

There are characters named Belinda in the opera Dido & Aeneas by Henry Purcell (1689), the poem The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope (1712), Belinda by Maria Edgeworth (1801) and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843)

Not that modern then...

OP - it's a very very well known podcast. Most people have heard of Belinda Blinked. Have a read of the synopsis

@happylittlechick

Imagine if she went on to work in sales for a pots and pans company.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyDaddWroteaaPorno

Belinda Blinked! My Dad Wrote a Porno!
I think Marissa has a similar feel without the porno connotations!

"Belinda bent over and pulled the plastic handcuffs over the Duchesses ankles. The Duchess stood up and stretched her cramped body. Her nipples hardened with her feeling and they were now as large as the three inch rivets which had held the hull of the fateful Titanic together.”

Pamela

Not keen on Belinda, but Beatrice is lovely.

I heard about a new baby called Peggy the other day. Hi-De-Hi connotations aside, I thought it was rather a lovely name.