Myra

[JasonsJohn]

My partner and I are expecting a baby girl and we both like the name Myra. She would be named after my grandmother. My mother also used to listen to Myra Hess.

However, will the name cause some negative comments by older folk because of Myra Hindley who with her partner Ian Brady carried out the Moors Murders in the 1960s?

Myra was a common name in the UK years ago, but after 1966 when Hindley was convicted the popularity of it rapidly declined.

“In the early hours of the morning, Nellie gave birth to a healthy daughter whom she called Myra, a name that had been popular since the mid nineteenth century. A hundred years after it came into common usage, ‘Myra’ fell into sharp obscurity, a phenomenon entirely due to the deeds of the girl born that stifling night in the red-brick Victorian building in north Manchester.”

Carol Ann Lee, One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley

Mumsnet was mentioned in another book about the name Myra.

“A telling example of the vehemence and longevity public hatred of Myra Hindley is the following: the girl’s name “Myra,” relatively common in England prior to 1966, declined sharply in popularity thereafter. Such is the continuing infamy associated with the case that in 2008, on the well-known website for parents www.mumsnet.com, a thread was devoted to the topic: “I love the name Myra but does it have too many negative connotations?” The majority of the 75 responses said that the name was still too intimately linked to Hindley to be an appropriate choice for a new baby.”

Lisa Downing, The Subject of Murder: Gender, Exceptionality, and the Modern Killer, page 217.

There are few other lesser known Myras. Samantha Fox’s former partner was named Myra, Gok Wan’s mother is named Myra, etc. There’s also a Myra in Hollyoaks.

Although Myra was a common name prior to the 1960s, because there weren’t many famous people with the name, after Hindley gained press attention and was convicted, the name became associated with her which is why fewer babies were named Myra after the 1960s.

But it’s now the 2020s and we both love the sound of the name and it’s a name that has a family connection.

What does everyone think?

There's loads of little Freds and Roses but funnily I'd never think West if a child had the name but would instantly think Hindley with Myra.

Sorry.

I'm not even in the UK and Hindley is my first thought. I'm mid-40s. Wouldn't do it.

V sorry my immediate thought is myra hindley as well.

My first thought was Hindley.

I’m in my 30s

The first thing I think of is Hindley. (I'm in my 40s though). But I don't think it's as unusable as, say, Adolf. I think it's actually quite a nice name and probably is due a revival but I do think it will be met by a sharp intake of breath by most people. I know a couple of Meera and Mira but they aren't as nice sounding.

I thought Hindley too. Sorry OP. How about Myla or Lyra instead?

I would never even consider this, she was abhorrent and that not what I want people thinking when they see my baby.

Absolutely not (especially if you're from the north of England!). Rose, Fred, Ian etc are all much more common than Myra meaning that I just don't think it'll ever be useable again

Please don't call your child this.

What about Myla? Similar and not related to a murder!

I’m in my twenties and immediately thought of her too, even though she has been dead for the majority of my life. I would perhaps not say this to you if you introduced a baby Myra to me, but I’d be thinking it and I would think many others would be as well. Like some one else said, the rise of true crime podcasts and documentary’s mean it will be a long time before people begin to forget.

This thread is currently listed in Trending so I didn't know the topic it was posted under. I opened it expecting it to be about Myra Hindley...

Another one who immediately thinks of Hindley, sorry. I’m early 30s, even my younger siblings in their 20s would immediately think of Hindley too.

Im afraid I'm another person who is much too young to remember the murders (30) but still thought 'Hindley' before I even opened the thread.

Interesting point from a previous poster about Fred and Rose not having the same reaction. It seems that neither of those names suffered the same immediate drop off in usage (maybe because they were always more common/popular anyway?) so perhaps there have always been enough Freds and Roses around so aren't so tied to one specific person in most peoples minds?

Myra is so uncommon that for most people the only place they will have heard the name is in relation to Hindley so it's an instant connection.

That said, if you did go with Myra I'm sure people would soon associate the name with your little girl and lose the Hindley connection, even if it was their first thought.

I presumed this thread was about a new documentary about Myra Hindley tbh.

I think because she's female and so few people who commit atrocities are female it's a name that will be tarred for a long, long time.

I agree it’s a nice name, but unless you want to see shock on people’s faces nearly every time you introduce your child, followed by polite, insincere compliments, I can’t see why you’d do this.

We’re still a few generations away from it being a name that can be used without the murderer association.

What surname is going with it?
A 3+ syllable name or a 1 syllable name is going to work better than a 2 syllable name as 2 will have the same rhythm as hindley.
Also hyphenated with another name could help but would have to look like you weren't trying too hard.
Myra-Jo Stephenson isn't going to be as bad as Myra Huntley for example.

Yeah I only think Hindley, sadly.

I think the connotations are still too fresh unfortunately. I agree with previous poster that you could consider Moira? As in the lovely Moira Stewart

I really like the name but no way would I call a child it

I think because it's quite an unusual name people's first thoughts tend to be Hindley