Which name to pick: The longstanding favourite or the newcomer?

[TheBirdintheCave]

TLDR: Would you choose Hero or Marcella?

Currently, finally, expecting our second child after three miscarriages including a failed IVF round. I'm 27 weeks now and my husband and I have tentatively started talking about names again as it seems like this baby will be sticking around 😅Sex is unknown as we've decided we'd like a surprise this time.

Baby's older brother is Gilbert John Joseph and our surname is one syllable and rhymes with disc. We like unusual but recognisable classics. Shakespearean and old English/Germanic names tend to be a hit with us.

We think we're settled on our boy name of Conrad Richard Anthony as it ticks all of our boxes but are torn between two for our girl name.

Option 1:

Hero Jane Rose: This is the longstanding favourite, the name we've had picked for a girl forever. It's me who's wavering on it. I just don't feel like it goes with Gilbert plus then baby will have four one syllable names in a row and I can't get over how strange that sounds.

Option 2:

Marcella Jane Rose: This is the newcomer which has outstripped Hero for me over the past year or so. Marcella is an old family name on my dad's side. I feel like it goes so well with Gilbert and my husband is warming to it. In his words 'It's growing on me more and more.' She'd likely be known as Marcie or just Marcella and we'd use the English/French pronunciation over the Italian.

Which would you pick from the two?

Middle names are non negotiable by the way. I know how much everyone here despises Rose as a middle name BUT if baby is a girl she would be the sixth generation Rose* so it's very, very special to me. It's my middle name and my nanna's first name, her mum's first name and her gran's first name etc etc.

Jane is after my husband's mother who died of cancer a few years before husband and I met.

*As an anecdote, it did skip once as my great, great granny was called Elizabeth Doolittle. Yes, really 😅

Definitely Marcella over Hero. I'd automatically assume Hero was a boy and a very out there name even for a boy! It'll be so annoying for her I think. Sorry!

@Givemepickles I see where you’re coming from but any Shakespeare fan would recognise Hero as a girl’s name. I did and I believe Marlene Klass’s daughter is called Hero.

I think they’re both lovely but Marcella goes better with Gilbert. Hero and Gilbert somehow have different vibes. I can’t put my finger on why but they do. As for the middle names of Jane and Rose, they’re solid and your reasoning is sound. So either choice is fine but Marcella edges it.

@Givemepickles We know it from the play Much Ado About Nothing and it's an old Greek name. But I take your point that lots of people probably haven't heard it before so would assume something else :)

Marcella. Beautiful name and goes really well with Gilbert.

I too, would assume Hero was a boy.

@Feliciacat Yes, exactly. I really want Gilbert and Hero to go together but they just sound so opposing to me. I feel like we really snookered ourselves with Gil's name 😂

I wouldn't say Hero is one syllable name - I would say HEE-ro - two syllable no?

I like Hero Jane Rose Disc more than Marcella Jane Rose Disc - just because Marcella feels it sticks like sore thumb, while Hero is working with Jane Rose middles.

Hmm, I love Hero but Marcella does go better with Gilbert. Honestly though I'd wait til baby is here then is you have a girl see which fits her better. We did this with our dc & it worked for us.

Marcella is elegant, pretty, quite unusual, but equally everyone will know how to spell it. Hero I’m not keen on at all. I’d assume Hero was a boys name.

Oh I'm so stupid, you're right I meant four names with four letters 😂

Pretend to introduce your kids to a new neighbour… This is Gilbert and….

to me Marcella and Gilbert sound like siblings … Hero doesn’t fit and even though my daughter is a Shakespeare name I would assume Hero is a boy

I much prefer Marcella. I think Hero is too out there.

Oh seems we both edited our posts and now my reply makes no sense 😂

Hero in Much Ado is the worst. A pathetic bystander in her own story. If you’re a Shakespeare fan I’d avoid. Marcella is really nice, go with that!

Marcella Detroit is a really cool talented lady....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcella_Detroit

Just sayin'

Sorry I didn’t see your update until I’d already posted, that’s why I edited the last bit.

And Hero is practically mute in Much Ado. Bloody annoying.

Marcie is a really cute nickname - congratulations on your pregnancy :)

She is a very wet character, agreed but it's the name we like, not the character so I've never saw it as us naming a daughter AFTER her if you see what I mean. Still, good to be aware that that's something people might assume!

Marcella fits with Gilbert nicely. I’m not keen on Hero it seems more like a name for a pet to me.

Thank you. 22 months of anguish was worth it in the end :)

Love Marcella with Gilbert. Marcie is a great short version that works well for all ages.

Not at all keen on Hero - it sounds like a boy’s name to me and is also a lot to live up to!

I like Marcella best.

if you change her middle name to Heroes you can have both Hero and Rose 😂😂 (I am obviously not being serious here)

😂I can imagine my nanna coming back to haunt me if I messed with her name 😂

I love Marcella, and it sounds good with Gilbert. Shame not to use your longstanding favourite though, although I do think it would make a great pet name for any future pets? (And that’s not meant as a diss to Hero, I can just really picture it on a cat!)

Hero is growing on me although I don't like Shakespeare and would initially have assumed a boy

Marcella however is beautiful. Strong, classy and not common. Also the name of a good friend who goes by Marcie which is also lovely. She's the only Marcella I've ever met and is a very cool person.

Marcella also goes SO much better with Gilbert IMO.