Anne

[17caterpillars1mouse]

What are your thoughts on Anne? Not Anna, Annabel, Anneliese etc just Anne, possibly nn Annie.

Also any suggestion for other similar type of 'plain names' like Anne, Jane etc

@Serpenta
plain and sensible......exactly....dull. And very unfair to say to someone called Anne when your name is Marilla! I'm sure she'd have been quite happy with that!

Nice

It’s a tad bland

lovely name, prefer Ann though

It is beautiful, classic, elegant. And unusual these days. It's so beautiful. Prefer Anne to Annie.

Prefer Annie

If I ever had a girl it would be used, just as a middle name (family tradition).

It's too plain for me as a first name.

I love it

My Granny's name was Anne. I love it.
She lucked out as her sister was called Hectorena

I love it , it feels bang on trend . It is a family name for us so I am a bit biased. I might be tempted to go the whole hog and spell it Ann.
Nns to consider , if you are people who don't leave that to natural development are Nan and Nancy .

I'm distressed* at people expressing a preference for the Ann spelling. I wouldn't be able to trust their judgement on any matter.

*slight exaggeration

@Serpenta

'Unromantic fiddlesticks' said the unsympathetic Marilla. 'Anne is a real good plain sensible name. You've no need to be ashamed of it'.

I love Anne Shirley and anytime I see the name Ann written down I mentally add the E. As she would.

I don't think I love the name (neither did Anne) but it's a classis that's for sure. Other names in a similar vein not already mentioned might be Barbara, Judy, Joan, Ruth and Jill.

I do that too! Anne with an e - it's a lovely name :)

It's my name and I hate it. If you are shy (as I was) no-one hears you say it, so I deliberately chose two syllable names for my children. It's boring, dull and it may be a classic but I wish my parents had chosen a nicer classic name!!

I love it, with an 'e'! I planned to have four girls called Jane, Anne, Mary and Elizabeth when I was in my teenage Austen phase. I had three girls and those are not their first names but include their middle names.

A little Anne would be a refreshing change at nursery and unlikely to be duplicated.

You wanted to name a child after Mary Bennet! Doesn't happen often. Good old (annoying) Mary

Was recently watching Gentleman Jack (takes place in the 1840s and the two main characters are Anne and Ann) and wondering why the name is so (relatively) rare now. Jane and Mary/Maria, too.

I disagree that people won't accept Annie as a natural nickname/diminutive for Anne. A nickname or diminutive doesn't have to be an "abbreviation" - in many cultures a diminutive is longer than the original name. I think Annie is a very obvious and in fact default diminutive of Ann(e). If you have an Ann(e) that you do NOT want to be called Annie, you might have more trouble with that than with an Ann(e) happily nickname Annie. And I'd rather be an Ann(e) called Annie all my life than an Annie who has to explain that I'd rather be called Ann(e).

I have had relatives called Ann. They were either Annie or Nancy. I know Anns and Annes roughly my age and they are Ann/Anne.

Not a fan, BUT if I had to use it, I would spell it Ann.

Not keen on Anne or Jane, I find them both extremely dull. Classic names I do like-

Alice
Lucy
Kate
Beth
Eloise

I'd say that Kate, Beth and Eloise are not classics.
Catherine/Katharine and Elizabeth are. Louise is too - I know it's not the same as Eloise.

I like Ann and Jane because they are short . I really don't like Jayne. I like Jill but not Gillian.

It’s a Timeless Classic, it was my Childhood GPs name, and l used in in her honour after she she cared for me and delivered my first three DDs.

DD3 is now known as Annie.

Maybe I am bias because I have an Anne, but I don’t think of it as a full name. Just a solid, strong name. I don’t think an Anne would stand for any nonsense.

Its my name

It stands out at the moment because no one expects me to be my age, I can see most people expect someone older.

Plus most non-native English speakers seem to pronounce it Annie!

But it’s probably a good name...

Boring as heck, and very dated.

Plus, I personally only know one Anne (in her late 30s), and she's a singularly unpleasant AND boring woman! So... the name is rather spoilt for me.

Couldn't be duller