Thoughts on Bertha

[Godwits]

nickname Bertie, Thea, Bess?

@OVienna

Wasn't it a girl???.

It was a boy. I remember being stunned when I realised it wasn’t a girl!

@Godwits

I love some older names like Beryl and even Ethel or Enid have grown on me since i named my teenagers

You like Ethel and Beryl but think Bertha is awful? How does that work?

It works because BERTHA IS A FUGLY NAME I am of the same opinion re: diminutives as the given name but.... in this case ANYTHING would be better than Bertha

@JanglyBeads

First thing too come to my mind was Bathilda Bagshot in Harry Potter. OK a memory mix up, but no.

Weirdly,me too. I don’t understand people desperately trying to think of an “underused but heard of name” and suggesting names such as Bertha and Agnes to try and be unique when these names are unusual because they are ugly whereas more popular names are commonly used because they sound nice. Surely you’d rather be called Charlotte or Katherine or some other “boring”name than be called Bertha. The name Boudica reminds me a bit of Bertha but is marginally better.

Is this a wee joke? BERTHA?

Alberta? Similar nns?

Bertha is a hard no. Obviously she will be big Bertha. Irrespective of her actual size.

Personally I don't like the sound of it either but that is just my opinion.

Bedpost

Boudica?

Haven't read whole thread don't know if this your suggestion or someone else's.

You can't call a little girl boudica!

I mean talk about baggage.

Oh lol just seen the third generation vegan thing.

One branch of my family have '3rd generation vegans'.

I can't imagine any of them calling themselves that. And they all have pleasant names!

Please don't call your child Bertha, if you like the name so much change yours to Bertha and pick something else for your DD.

Years ago where I come from women called Sarah sometimes would have got the nn Sadie which I quite like. Also Agnes and Agatha got Aggie. Also girls would have got their mothers surname as a middle name. Growing up I knew a number of women called Fanny for Frances plus I actually knew a Bertha who was a lovely woman.

@Godwits

What about if I insist people pronounce it the germanic way: Berta?

She would just be English Bertha unless you spelled the German pronunciation phonetically - Bearta or Bairta.

If you like that what about Béatrice pronounced the French way - same pronunciation, different ending.

I actually knew a Bertha who was a lovely woman

Yay!

If she doesn't like Bertha she can call herself Beatie or Bea or Bez or Earth or Sophie. At least she won't be one of a dozen Evies in the school. Or anywhere on earth ...

@LoislovesStewie

Perhaps we need a law which states, First child will be called First Child (Surname) Second child, Second Child (Surname) etc. Or the Latin equivalent Primus, Secundas, etc. When each child reaches adulthood they can then decide on their own first name, that why they are inflicting the name only on themselves.

tbf if this happened I would have called myself either Sage or Paige as soon as i hit 18. [vom]

Sorry OP Berta is awful.

if you like that sort of sound though what about Bethia? It is an actual name from the bible and is prettier, IMO

Which would be the easiest name to bear out of Bertha, Beryl and Blodwyn?

We used to have a duck called Blodwyn (Welsh Harlequin breed).
She was huuuge.
Beryl is quite a pretty green stone, IIRC. So that one's not too bad.

Ha! No - it's the Gertrude or Mildred of names, never going to make a "comeback"/ sound great today ( and probably even less likely than those names since obvious nn's Gertie/Trudy and Millie are quite cute). Plus the Big Bertha thing is so well known it's a risk even if she's not overweight imo.

Ada and Edith are different - Ada came back as people were looking for the "new" Ava, similarly Edith came back so people could use nn Edie (as the "new" Evie). People seem to want their kids not to have a really popular name, but like soundalikes/very similar retro/vintage ones are now commonplace. Plus Ada and Edith were on popular tv drama's which helps.

I'm sure I'm repeating pp, but if you want Bertie, use Roberta. If you want lovely Bess use classic Elizabeth, Thea- Dorothea (or Theodora).

Ida.
Ava.
Both awful but popular for some unfathomable reason as they sound so harsh

Bertha will be the new Evie. Or Olivia.
Trust me. It'll be huge.

Please no!

I must be really in the minority but I don’t mind Bertha 😂 can certainly see why you like it OP

It's a zombie ☠️

I don’t believe this is real. The OP is so unnecessarily arrogant that I think they’re just trying to get a reaction!

Bertha nn Berth...

It's an awful name, sorry.

@elenacampana

I don’t believe this is real. The OP is so unnecessarily arrogant that I think they’re just trying to get a reaction!

They stopped trying to get a reaction of any kind in 2021.

Bet is too short and will end up as Betty. If that's what you want call her Elizabeth. Bertha is awful, either modest or grotesque.

Then spell is Berta
But otherwise no