Margaret or Margot?

[Nme8961]

Margaret is a family name that I would like to use somehow, it sounds quite old fashioned and a bit harsh to me for a baby so would definitely use a nn, my favourite is Margot. Do we go with Margaret as her formal name and just call her Margot...or do we just put Margot on the birth certificate?

My concern with Margot is that it is becoming very popular around me and I'm worried that by the time she starts school there will be loads of others in her class, so calling her Margaret gives her a choice to use other nns if Margot explodes.

But if we don't actually ever intend to call her Margaret, is it silly to make that her formal name? Will she hate having to constantly correct teachers and feel awkward because her proper name is a bit of an old lady name?

My name is a 2 syllable name that doesn't lend at all to nns so I feel like I've no insight into this...

I love Margaret, actually. I think it could well come back, after The Crown. It's been consistently well-used in America for generations too, so there are younger Margarets in US media - heard of a new film today with a teenage Margaret.

Agree that Margot is super trendy, yet lovely, so Margaret nicknamed Margot is perfect to give her extra flexibility and timelessness.

If you like Margot, and dislike Margaret and never intend to use it, put Margot on the BC. Margot feels like a stand alone name to me, not a nickname, as do most Margaret nicknames these days.

You can’t plan nicknames from birth anyway I’ve found - they have a way of evolving! And an unusual name is no guarantee of not having another on the class. My son has a name well outside the top 100 and had another in his class all through school. His friend James was the only one. 🤷🏼‍♀️

My son is always called by his shortened name but has a longer less popular version on his birth certificate. Just occasionally he chooses to use it so it has proven useful.

I completely dislike the frumpy name Margot. It looks like Maggot too. Margaret is a much nicer name.

I wanted to remember my DGM who died just as I found out that I was pregnant with DD2. Her middle name was Margaret so we called DD2 Maggie.

I'd go with Margaret and then she can choose her nickname later. You can call her Margot day to day, but then if she decides she likes Maggie or whatever, then she has that option.

FWIW, I love both Margaret and Margot (and Maggie).

Margaret is a horrible frumpy name, the first person I think of is Thatcher.

Margot is trendy, yes, but more glamorous and classic.

I like Margaret much more

Neither

Margot

Margot is cute!!!
When I think of someone called Margot, I think sassy queenie!
Margaret is a old frumpy lumpy name IMO 😂

I hardly think Princess Margaret is someone that people will be naming their babies after. She was reportedly an awful person.

Sorry that was to bourbonne.

My DM is Margaret, she hates it. When asked about her name she says ‘where on earth did they get that from?’.

Neither

Of the 2 I'd definitely use Margaret on the BC- it may seem quite dated now but I think it will eventually make a comeback. As well as family relevance for you, it also has such a long history and I think names with less vowel sounds/stronger consonants will become popular again in time.

Margot is very trendy now - in the reverse of Margaret, I can see in 20/30 years it could sound dated (unless you have French heritage, where I think it is considered a more classic name).

The full Margaret also does seem to allow for more obvious nn choices if she ever wants something different to Margot- Greta, Maggie, Maisie, Meg, Mae, Daisy, even retro Peggy.

I really like Margot

@Pemba

I hardly think Princess Margaret is someone that people will be naming their babies after. She was reportedly an awful person.

That's not how fashion works, though. The name Margaret has now been seen on a young, beautiful, glamorous woman (Vanessa Kirby's portrayal). It makes it possible to really imagine it on someone young, in love, growing up. Rather than your MIL or grandma or old headmistress, or Margaret Thatcher.

People don't really name babies after people*. They are inspired by fresh new ideas and perspectives (unaware that everyone else is subject to the same influences and having the same idea). As Princess Margaret was not a mass murderer, the fact of her having been a bit difficult is not going to put anyone off the name.

• Even if they want to. How many threads do we get along the lines of "how can I honour my grandma Doreen without actually naming my daughter Doreen? Is Delilah close enough?"

I like both, but Margot more I think. I also like the spelling Margaux, and have seen that around more. Maggie is nice nickname too.

Marguerite is pretty, as is Magdalene.

I like Maggie and also Peggy? Isn't that a shortened version of margeret?

Call her Margaret nn Margot, then as you say she has options.

I think Margaret is going to revive soon anyways - v elegant name actually.

I much prefer Margaret or the french version Marguerite to Margot.

I think it's well due a revival and as pp's have said, with Margaret you have far more options with shorter versions.

I’ve always liked Margaret. I’d go with that and see which nicknames emerge
(I like Margot and Meg best)

I think Margot as a given name is lovely.
Margaret gives more scope for nicknames but I always think it's a bit odd to choose a name to grow into.

So will you call her Madge, Maggie, Marg, Daisy, Meg, Meggie and so on when she's little. As long as you don't actually dislike the full moniker that's fine?

So will you take a leaf out of my husbands book, take the name that is insanely difficult to shorten and elongate it as a pet name.

If you prefer Margot, call her that. My children had 3x and 4x their names in nursery. Now, not a single other child in their year group (we did move admittedly but not due to that) . Don't obsess over whether it's popular right now, you will spend the rest of your life with your child, pick your favourite!

My brother has just christened his son with the same name as his nephew. diff spelling, slightly different intonation. A few raised eyebrows but my sister could hardly say "it's our name". Half the country was called John 40 years ago!