Name that sounds better vs name that means more?

[BlueberryFiend]

Hi all,

I'm struggling to choose a middle name for my daughter. I'm thinking either:

Maisie Grace Marshall
or
Maisie Teresa Marshall

Grace is my grandmother's name (although we weren't close) and is also my middle name and my niece's middle name. I think it flows better and the initials sound better.

However I'd like to give her my mum's name as a middle - it would mean a lot to her, just not sure if it's a bit of a mouthful and doesn't sound as good?

Just not sure what's going to matter more in the long run. Thoughts?

Thanks :)

I prefer Maisie Teresa

I think you’d get people double barrelling her name to Maisie-Grace as it flows almost too much.

I actually think Maisie Teresa flows better (as Maisie Grace has the "ay" sound twice).

But even if I didn't think that, I prefer names with meaning to them, personally. Names are so rarely read out in full.

What about Terese/Therese ?
It would still honour your mum.

I don't even know what most of my friends' middle names are! They're completely irrelevant to everyday life and better used as a nod to someone or something special.
No one (apart from you) is ever going to address her with her middle name so go for the one you love the meaning of.

Grace is better, flows and does mean something to you as it's your MN too.
With Teresa you'll be explaining why it's there as I get the feeling that deep down you just don't like it.

I think Teresa goes well. They are so rarely used it doesn’t really matter if it flows anyway. Maisie Teresa Grace would also work.

Use your mum's name.

People don't generally use middle names so it doesn't massively matter about the flow (although I think it flows well), but I love that my middle name is after a dear relative and I carry that part of her with me.

My children also have middle names that are "for" people and we talk about them and the meaning - it's an important part of our family links.

Honestly, no one is ever going to use her middle name ever. Maisie Teresa is lovely and it'll make your mother very happy. Every other little girl seems to have Grace as a middle name these days.

I must say I prefer Maisie Grace, but go with your gut I think

I would choose the name with meaning (Teresa)

Grace & Rose are just filler middle names. The equivalent of Louise or Ann in the 1970s. Much better to have a middle name with meaning.

Use both?

If not, I think Maisie Theresa flows better, because it's not overly sing-song

Two middle names? Maisie Teresa Grace flows very nicely.

Teresa seems much more distinctive.

Maisie Teresa Grace Marshall sounds spot pretty! X

Maisie Teresa Grace Marshall Is too much and Grace is such a filler middle name anyway.

Use both! One of my children has Grace as one of their middle names as it was my grandmother’s name. So not filler.

Maisie Teresa goes better. Grace is one of those middle names like Rose, May, Louise etc that is overused and ends up being just a filler.

Another vote for Maisie Theresa Grace. Think it sounds pretty x

Maisie Teresa sounds lovely. Honestly middle names are only for official documents and don't matter at all in day to day life.
If you and your niece already have Grace as a middle name your grandmother has been remembered and honoured already.

In my world middle names are only for honouring people, otherwise I don't really see the point. I have two, one from each side of the family and so do my children. As it goes they all have one 'nice' middle name and one less nice one and I have two that aren't very nice, but the relevant family members are all delighted that the names were used.

I think the meaning is way more important with a middle name, nobody uses them anyway so it's a tribute without it really mattering how it sounds.

Maisie Teresa. I think it sounds lovely but anyway middle names are rarely called out so whether they "flow" hardly matters. We gave middle names to honour family members - dd1 had my mum's name and dd2 has my mil and they were both very touched.

Theresa Grace Marshall and call her Tess/Tessie?

I think Maisie Teresa sounds much better. Every other girl has Grace as a middle name (or Rose or May!)
I really like Maisie Teresa Grace though (but I love two middle names).

I'd use both so she'd be Maisie Grace Theresa; M.T. Marshall gives the potential for it to sound like Empty Marshall if initials are used.

For a middle name I would say go with the name that means more unless it’s really awful or makes an awful combination/initials

So in your case I’d say use Theresa. Maisie Theresa sounds perfectly nice. Also, Grace is a super popular middle name to the point its become a boring filler middle name despite actually being a lovely name.