Let’s talk about Ann…

[KAM4]

Just for context I’m not pregnant but did have a baby this year so often think about baby names still. My middle name is Ann (I know it’s a common middle name for a certain generation) and I have aunts on both sides (one Anne & one Ann).
I find it funny to think of both my grandmothers choosing such a simple, one syllable name for their new baby girls when we give names such time and thought now, to choose something so simple (& at the time, common, seems so odd). It makes me wonder if Ann as a name is dead?
I do occasionally hear of names like Mary, Catherine, Margaret (Maggie) for babies but never of Ann.
I think of glamorous actresses like Ann Margaret and think it sounds classic & cool double-barrelled but am I wrong to think it’s just too simple to make a modern comeback on its own?
PS: I know Annie and Anna are still popular but they have that extra syllable so are different to me.
PPS: no offence to any Ann/Annes out there, it’s my middle name also so I feel it’s partly my name too!

I think Julie is a lovely name.
Julie Ann is lovely too.

I really like "Anne" but I agree with pp who say "Ann" looks a bit unfinished to me.

Anne and Jane are both very regal names to me and I think they should come back! Jane makes me think of the very glam Jane Seymour and Jane Asher in their youth.

Quite possibly a bit outing but I don't think I do enough on here to worry... I'm an Ann and my older brother is Andrew.
I don't mind my name but feel I got shortchanged getting half of his name, and no imagination whatsoever there....

I go through phases with Ann, liking then disliking it. I understood that Anne with an E came from the French, whereas Ann was the older spelling in Britain before that.

If you think Ann is too short, it was often spelt just An in some parts of Scotland, possibly one of the shortest names ever!

I can see it making a comeback, possibly not on its own but with another a name attached.

I understood that Anne with an E came from the French

In France, Anne with an e was sometimes a bloke - Anne de Montmorency was Constable of France in the 16th century, for example.

Rude poster.

Agree. I just find it so boring.

@PurpleChrayn

How rude.

What's your name?

Prefer Annie

Anne is nice.

Ann seems quite harsh written down.

as much as I like the name I’d hate to be “Anne with an e” though thinking about it it’s a similar issue with my own name and it’s not something that actively bothers me

on a similar vibe I think Margaret is just fab though. I know a youngish one and she suits it so well. Susan is due a comeback I reckon, so pretty.

@Luvvies

Andrew & Ann

does seem like an odd choice by your parents

I can see why you'd feel short changed!

@KAM4

you said

I find it funny to think of both my grandmothers choosing such a simple, one syllable name for their new baby girls when we give names such time and thought now

ingerring they didn't give time & thought to it.

TBH ,Ann or Anne don’t actually register with me ,both names sound the same 🤦‍♀️

They are the same. Just different spellings

I like it.

That’s funny, to me they feel completely different.

Like Catherine and Katherine. Totally different feel because of the letters.

I thought Anne was popular due to the Queen choosing it for her daughter. Royal names are popular.

I think it's unusual that the name Diana never became popular despite the popularity of Princess Diana.

Anne is one of my middle names. With all due respect to my dear grandmother (I'm named after both grandmothers), it's not the most exciting name in the world. I much prefer Hannah or Anna to Ann/Anne. I'm glad at least mine is spelled with an E at the end. It sort of adds the faintest spark to a rather dull name.

I like all of the Henry VIII wife names. Anne isn't fashionable now, but when it was popular people would have chosen it because they thought it sounded nice/pretty. They wouldn't have thought "I'll pick a plain and boring name"

Time and thought is not the same as care and effort. Honestly my grandmothers probably had more important things taking up their time anyway, neither one had baby name books or forums to pour over and likely were very busy with their day to day lives. People get so easily offended, it’s simply meant to be a fun discussion but I’m called arrogant and have my every word dissected.
Anyway I haven’t responded to the other replies but I’ve read them all and found them really interesting.Thanks for the discussion, aside from one or two comments, it was fun & enlightening.

True. Maybe because she was so famous? Like Elvis or Madonna for example

As long as your surname is not Summers :-)

I'm an Anne. I was born in the 60s and I think it's very much of that era. I don't like it, I think it's dull and dated. Funnily enough, I like Anna and Hannah and wish I'd been called one of them.

🤣🤣🤣