Tell me your thoughts on Margaret

[Lauraloop1516]

So I am just off the phone with my grandma, who is in a care home and I obviously have been unable to see for a long time. Her dementia has really advanced and it was heartbreaking to have to natter away nonsense to fill the silence (she struggles to speak).

Anyway, I'm 13 weeks pregnant and we don't know the sex yet. I came off the phone and felt it would be perfect to call a girl 'Margaret' nn 'Maggie' after my granny. I'm not sure she'll get to meet them (we live a few hours away and obviously no one knows what restrictions will be like later in the year) and it would at least be a small way to remember her everyday.

So... what do you think? I had always thought it was an old lady name - EVERY old lady seems to be called Margaret - yet I'm suddenly overcome by this feeling. Do you know many little Margarets? Is it going to spike in popularity or do you think it will remain niche?

DS would have been Margaret if he'd been a girl for the same reason, my grandmother was Margaret. I think it's a fab name, comparable to Elizabeth or Catherine. Classy and classic with lots of good nicknames. I think ultimately the Thatcher connection will make it more popular because of being the first female PM. Emmeline Pankhurst wasn't perfect but people now like the name because of the connection with her.

I really like it.

I read a lot of history and for me Margaret is a name used down the centuries with a whole variety of associations.

I have a Maggie so obviously I love it.

I’m mid 30s and we considered it for DS (if he’d been a girl) but ruled it out - the association with Thatcher is still too strong for us. But it probably depends on your family / background!

I think this thread has just persuaded me to add it to my list. If I disassociate it from the old lady links and just focus on the sound of look of the name itself, it’s lovely. Feminine but strong. Gorgeous :-)

I would think about the first name vs middle name thing. It is a lovely honour, and I was moved by the story behind it. But you’ve got plenty of time to sit on the idea for a while to make sure you love the name for itself as well as for the lovely family tribute. It’s something you’ll be singing and saying every day, so you want to make sure it’s both ♥️

Love the nicknames. Dislike the full name but possibly loves the nicknames enough to use the full name just to get the nicknames 🤔

The more I think about it, I sort of want to add it to my lists.

It's like Winifred to me. The long name is old fashioned and harsh sounding to my (grew up in the 90s with a bunch of Sophies, Lucys, Emilys, Amys, Katies) ears, but actually thinking about it now as an adult, it might just be strong rather than ugly. And with such lovely nicknames to soften it. Different nicknames so the child could choose one which suited them. I imagine a gentle Maggie or a cool, sassy Peggy, or a cute, girly Daisy.

The more I think about it, the more I think it might be a great name.

Love it.

It's a beautiful, classic name, and the NNs are lovely too.

My wonderful grandmother was a Margaret, so I associate it very positively with her. Her friends called her Margo. I love that it's such a versatile name with lots of choice of diminutives.

I love it.

Beautiful elegant name. Absolutely love it.

I’m not massively keen on Margaret but I love Maggie and I love the connection you have to the name

Margaret is a classic name, I think of it same as Elizabeth and the likes. So, I don't think you can go wrong with it. Love the nn by the way.

Lovely way to honor your grandma and Maggie/Meg are darling nns!

I really like it , Maggie sounds cute , can’t see how Daisy comes into play though?

Meg and Greta are my favourite nicknames.

For those asking, Daisy is a nickname from Margaret because a marguerite is a type of daisy.

I know a margaret and she is known as Mags. I think it’s lovely :)

I think it's an awful name.
Also 'Daisy' is a name in it's own right, not a nickname for Margaret.

My best friend is called Margaret but known as Maggie, it was an old fashioned name then (she is 56 now) but the name became her, lovely, fun and interesting, I also have and Aunty Margaret who is close to 90 but my immediate thoughts when you said Margaret was my lovely friend. I would use the name, it has a personal connection for you too

Is Peggy short for Margaret or am I imagining things?

I've worked with a few Maggie's in nursery. I think it suited them better than Margaret.

It’s a lovely name but not something I would have used because of politics (I’m Northern and family has a mining history). If there are no such links in your family then go for it.

@Jenasaurus

Is Peggy short for Margaret or am I imagining things?

Yes it is :)

Margaret has LOADS of nicknames you could choose from. Look at this list www.familyeducation.com/25-creative-nicknames-for-margaret

It's my daughter's middle name-named after my late grandma. I love it. She's got a modern-ish first name and it sits really well with it. My son also has a very old fashioned middle name, again named after my grandpa. I just love that my grandparents are remembered in that way and still a big part of my children's lives.