what do you think of the name Valerie?

[Cynthia32]

My friend is considering naming her child this, after her mother. She knows it is quite dated however, and wanted to know your thoughts? Personally, I like it a lot.

love Valerie, hate hate hate Val which it would get shortened to...

Is MILs name and although I do like it she will end up being called Val which is hideous for a child I think.

Plus whenever anyone says Valerie in my family the DCs start singing 'Why don't you come on over?' but then they are nuts.

Valderie Valdera with a knapsack on my back

I do like Vivienne though

I like it.

I love Valerie but don't like Val - would have to sing 'Valleeerrrie' in a Winehouse style everytime i saw her though becuase i am sad like that.

Don't really like it personally, but its up to her at the end of the day. Can totally understand if shes using it in memory of her Mum, what about as a middle name?

don't like it. Really suburban and boring - like Maureen or Pamela.

Don't like it-won't be able to escape Val.

Interesting, thanks for all your opinions. Friend thinks they'd try and make 'Lally' the main nickname.

Just thinking about this this morning while I was listening to a song called Valerie recorded by my brother ten years ago you can hear it here I was wondering if the popularity of the zutons/mark ronson/winehouse track would prompt an upsurge.

for some reason it always makes me think of parma violets.

One of my best friends is Valentina, but she's italian.

We call her Valie, which I think is nice.

Singleton

Not keen. There's a Reel Big Fish song with the line 'Valerie, you made me wish I was dead. Valerie, you're like a knife in the head' Quite dated too imho

I like it. It's genuinely different without being weird or trying to hard. It is a pretty name as well.

I wouldn't call a baby that but my ds has a chicken at school called Valerie so that could be why

I see it as an Auntie sort of name. Probably because I have two Auntie Vals.

I think that she will be relatively unusual , but expect names from that generation to be coming around again in a while (it's more usual to use names from the generation before, which is why we have lots of "old lady" names right now).

Yes, it will seem an odd choice for about five years, then in about 2013 it'll seem like a high fashion choice iyswim, then a normal choice by 2018 (approx!!)

Can't say I like it - it has a very middle aged association to me. Though in a way it is similar to the Coralie, Amelie, Rosalie group of names which are very in at the moment.

Valentina is nice however.

My middle name is Valerie and I have absolutely HATED it throughout the whole of my life!!!! (I'm 35 now) I know this seems a strong response but I feel strongly against it.. I was named after my mum (who died in childbirth) which of course should be a sweet and lovely thing to do but I was teased soooo much about this name throughout my school years,so much so, that as soon as possible, at 20 years of age I ditched the name completely !! hoorahh. I am now officially 'valerie' free.. So my opinion, in case you are left wondering :-), is nooooooooooooo..

I don't like it sorry.