Margaret or Lavinia

[Summer8summer8]

Hi which name is better for daughter: Margaret or Lavinia?

Margaret

Lovely name, so glad it is coming back into fashion.

I think Margaret is a great name, and a choice of diminutives - Maggie, Margot, Meg, Daisy (Margaret = Marguerite = Daisy).

I like Margaret better than Lavinia.

Lav /Lavi for short isn't ideal.... Lots of better nn with Margaret.. Or what about Margot?

Not massively keep on Margaret, but there are cute nicknames I guess. It’s far better than Lavinia, that sound like a country. Or it’ll get shortened to lav, like lavatory

Neither, sorry. Lavinia is slightly better- Margaret= cross old posh lady

I like Margaret. particulary Meg. (always a gorgeous character in books)
Margaret is successful and no nonsence confident.
I like the many nicknames and the meaning of Pearl from the sea.
Margaret is relatable in that every one possibly knows a Margaret. Princess Margaret, Margaret Thatcher, Dame Margaret Fonteyn, Anne-Margaret, Margaret Court, Margaret Olley.

Lavinia seems remote, artistic and frilly. Lavy is not a great nick name. Vinni and Livi are cute. The Roman history of the name is interesting. Lavinia is classical. I only know of one real life Lavinia. And there is Lavinia Fontana, artist from the1600s. Lavinia is less common.

A schoolfriend back in the late 60s had a friend called Lavinia and always called her Lav. Not an ideal abbreviated version of the name. 🙁

It depends if planning to give birth to a 64 year old PA, or a low ranking aristocrat in a Barbour jacket and Hunter wellies.

Margaret.
Classic and lots of options for diminutives.

They’re both dreadful.

I can't get past Lavinia in Titus Andronicus, who is raped and then mutilated so that she can't implicate the men who did it.

Hmm - wasn't there a Luscious or Lascivious Lavinia in 4 Weddings & a Funeral?

I prefer Margaret also. So many lovely variants too before you even start on nicknames

I prefer Margaret and would call her Maggie at home I think. Its softer and more gentle to me. Lavinia has something about that V sound, like viviene or veronica that is harsh to me, austere and puts me in mind of a sharp featured upper class woman with a cold countenance

Margaret. A brilliant strong name and, like others say, lots of different ways to use it if you want. I like Mags as a shortening.

Out of the two, Margaret is far better although I don't love it. Maggie/Meg/Peggy all nice shortenings though. I'm really not a fan of Lavinia.

Margaret is lovely with its range of nice nn options (I love Maggie personally).

Lavinia would unfortunately become Lav around here by secondary age.

They are quite different! Are they family names or just ones you like?

I prefer Margaret, nickname Maggie.

One of my Aunts is a Margaret and she can’t stand it. ‘Where did they get that name from’ is her comment about her name . Lavinia is pretty awful.

You can’t saddle a baby with Margaret!

I had Lavinia on my list for DD but didn’t go with it because of “lav” being used as a nickname. But it’s a pretty name and not used much.

I don’t like Margaret at all.

Neither

I really love the name Margaret! It's elegant and classic. I wouldn't abbreviate but Meg is ok. Less keen on Lavinia. Both names are key characters in the book Thursday's Child.

Margaret is a lovely name, but Marguerite is prettier.

I think they're both pretty terrible, I'm afraid.