Is Grace mostly used with the religious meaning in mind?

[JessieIsabelle]

What do you think most people have in mind when they name their daughters Grace?

It's on our list and a person commented that it will be difficult to wear if she is not graceful looking. This was interesting to me, because I never thought of it like that, even though I know this meaning exists.

I think of it more like meaning "good will" or sometimes the grace of God, God's favour.

What are your experiences and thoughts?

I very much doubt that most of the very many people who've chosen the name Grace for their daughter in recent years have done so with a religious meaning in mind.

I always think graceful when I hear it. I've never even considered it to mean "God's grace".

Most people aren’t religious so they won’t be thinking that

I don't think of physical grace when I hear the name, more the goodwill and fortitude type of grace. Grace under fire etc.

It's my mother's name. She's 75 and I doubt very much it was chosen with a religious thought uppermost, her parents were not into religion at all as far as i can recall.

FWIW I've never heard her express an opinion on it in terms of comments from other people regarding her being graceful or not. She isn't - we are all quite coordinationally challenged and total clodhoppers!

I have two friends called Grace. I think it’s just a beautiful name, very feminine. I haven’t ever even thought about any religious connotations.

Same for me. Goodwill.

I had Grace of God very much in mind when I gave my daughter Grace as a middle name 25 years ago. I however only didn't go as a first name as I was aware that for some it would mean graceful and I didn't want that to be a concern for her. We used Grace as much as her first name until late teens as we very much liked both names, although didn't address her by both names at the same time just used one or the other at home/ with family. It does bother me when Grace is relentlessly called a filler middle name on mumsnet, it has a lovely meaning to us!

I think of both meanings

All the Graces I’ve ever known have been neither godly or graceful!

I doubt it, when you consider how popular it is as a first and middle name.

It was on our our shortlist with the religious meaning foremost. A friend has a Grace and I've always assumed it had a religious meaning for her.

I've heard of it being used as a middle name for a girl born on a Monday ("Monday's child is full of grace") although perhaps they would have used it as a middle name anyway, but liked the co-incidence when she was born on a Monday.

It’s practically every girl’s middle names to the extent it’s the equivalent of Louise and Jane. It just feels faddy rather than anything.

We have a Grace and religion had nothing to do with it.

No, it’s v popular where I live. No religous connection.

I always think of graceful and usually think it's a risky name because of that. Grace works on someone who is graceful but if they're not it almost emphasises it more

I believe it's Tuesday's child is full of Grace!

I would think of graceful, despite being brought up in a religious household.

I know a lot of people called Grace!

My daughter's middle name is Grace. I didn't even think of anything other than it's a beautiful name that I love and flowed beautifully with her first name. Me and my husband are not in the slightest bit religious but as it turns out she really is a very graceful ballet dancer so it suits her!

I have a Grace and I'm an atheist.

I wouldn't overthink it op

I have a Grace, now in her late 20s. Definitely the religious / spiritual meaning for me -God’s grace. The concept of gracefulness didn’t occur to me. We don’t know any other Graces at all, and nor does she.

The two I know are just because it's a lovely name

I have a Grace. I just liked the way the name sounded tbh. I am not at all religious.

No, I think it’s not generally chosen with religious significance.

Definitely not for me

We have a Grace, and the sense of God’s grace, as well as the concept of behaving with grace, were definitely meaningful to us. It occurred to me that people might associate it with physical grace but that wasn’t what I felt we were naming her after, and I wouldn’t consider it such a beautiful name if that were its primary resonance. All the other Graces I’ve come across, either as first or middle names, have been from very Christian families, several are daughters of vicars etc. I did wonder whether it labelled us too firmly as heavily religious, which we’re actually not at all, we’re very inconsistent church-goers with pretty wobbly faith, though it’s still something that matters to me. Clearly statistically the name’s far too heavily used for that to be the principal association for most, but it’s how it originated as a name and it’s certainly well used in that way.