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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Harriet... Too many of them?

52 replies

pinsanon · 18/12/2008 23:31

Have a 10 day old daughter at home - still without a name! I'm a dad by the way, so hope I'm allowed on here. Both the wife and I have shortlists just there's not the same names on either. I like old school names like Charlotte, Violet and Harriet. Violet has been ruled out (sadly as I love it), maybe I can persuade the good lady to have Charlotte or Harriet. Middle name will be Suzanne after the wife's mum (dec'd).

I like Harriet but is it becoming really popular? If you've got kids at school, are there Harriets in your son/daughter's classes/years? (Son is called Samuel Leonard - Sam)

Many thanks

Nick

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Sidge · 19/12/2008 21:52

I know 2 Harriets - both known as Hattie. One is in her 40s, the other is 10.

I like it.

On a similar theme what about Esther, Susannah (or does Suzanne have to be the middle name and spelt exactly like that?) and Francesca?

seeker · 19/12/2008 22:39

I do like Harriet - if I said I didn't anywhere then i must have been sleep-typing - sorry! And I don't know any, so I think it's still not a common name.

I've just remembered a name in my family to chuck into the mix - I had an Italian great aunt called Rosaria. Bet there won't be another one of those!

Original poster
pinsanon · 19/12/2008 23:13

Too many choices

There's so many lovely names and many we rule out on daft things (neighbours/friends names etc). Esther is a good friend of the wife. Suzanne was the wife's mum and she wants it as the middle name - which I'm happy with (after all I got Leonard as our son's middle name!).

Some names we have both liked but after a couple of days aren't as keen. Maybe a good thing we haven't rushed the decision. On the other hand our Christmas cards are all from "...and baby" and our son's registration for nursery included "too be confirmed" as his sister's name!

I like names which are 'classic' (in my interpretation) but not too common - not that there's anything wrong with common. My name's Nick after all, and our son is Sam(uel).

She's got a girlie night tonight and I've been kicked out down to my workshop, maybe there'll be a whole new list by the time I get home.

Great forum/group/thing this even if a mate just took the micky for me being on MUMSnet!!!

OP posts:
hester · 19/12/2008 23:21

I like Hester too

Also Violet.... I know one Harriet, not mad keen on it, though Hattie not bad.

But you know... the important thing is that you and your dp love the name. Congratulations by the way!

christmaxbear · 20/12/2008 01:47

I have a wonderful Harriet who is almost 4, since she has been born have come accross another who is her age and another a year older, far fewer than many names I come accross. Also I'm a midwife and I haven't come accross any other Harriets since I had my own. She is abbreviated to Hattie and it suits her so well. Certainly in 2004 it was the 77th most popular girls name, don't know what it has been since then, might have to go and look it up!

ketal · 20/12/2008 11:09

Love Harriet / Hattie. Do not know of any young harriets. I have a five year old and a two year old.

An alternative is Suzannah as the first name? A lovely name, gives the child a name in her own right, but is even more of a tribute to your DW's mother than just a middle name, which is never used anyway!
HTH

SnowballsintheSky · 20/12/2008 11:18

I have an 11 month old Harriet. Haven't come across another one yet, everyone who asks her name comments on how rarely you hear it these days.

FWIW, her middle names are Caroline Catherine. Wanted those names for a reason and it's not like she's going to be writing them on her exercise book at school. Once the registrar puts them on the birth certificate you can pretty much forget they're there so make them as long as you like.

deckchair · 20/12/2008 15:19

My dd goes to preschool with a Harriette and a Hattie.
Dont know if the Hattie is a shortened version as I know another Hattie who was christened Hattie and was never meant to be a Harriet if that makes sense!

eandh · 20/12/2008 15:41

My dd2 is Hattie (and registered as Hattie not HArriet) I have never met another Hattie but it does seem to be picking up in popularity, her name suits her so much I really cannot imagine her being any other name (pics on profile if you want to see her!!)

eandh · 20/12/2008 15:44

oh and my Hattie's middle name is Alice, named after dh Nan (we knew dd2 would be the last great grandchild for her) she sadly passed away last week and at her funeral yesterday it was mentioned how proud she was that we used her name

twitteringbirds · 20/12/2008 15:49

Good thing Ella was vetoed if you already have a Sam...

Can you use Suzanne as a first name? Or Susannah? Susannah Violet's pretty.

tattycoram · 20/12/2008 16:01

I don't think it's that popular, my DS is nearly two and I haven't come across any since he was born. I love it.

pamelat · 20/12/2008 19:59

Nice name, its on our top 5 list. I wonder whether its quite private school and straw hat, but whats wrong with that!!

pamelat · 20/12/2008 20:01

Violet was also in our top 5.

Others were

Florence
Imogen
Eve
Isabella/e (Before it became the most popular name in the world)

and the one we used, Ella.

pamelat · 20/12/2008 20:02

know thats more than 5, but the order moved around a lot.

Florence is my very favourite one.

janeite · 20/12/2008 20:04

I think harriet is a lovely name. I wanted it for dd2, inspired by "Tom's Midnight Garden" but dp was less fond. I only know of one I think.

Ronaldinhio · 20/12/2008 20:12

never too many Harriets
never

Original poster
pinsanon · 31/12/2008 18:23

Harriet is still the only name we both kinda like, we just can't quite decide - poor thing will be 4 weeks on Sunday and no name still!

OP posts:
IllegallyBrunette · 31/12/2008 18:28

I know one Harriet at school, and also one of my cousins twin dd's is Harriet.

IllegallyBrunette · 31/12/2008 18:31

The other twin is Georgette, just to throw that into your mix.

bossykate · 31/12/2008 18:35

your child is nearly four weeks old and not named yet?? did you used to be indecisive but now you're not so sure? fhs you are totally overthinking it.

fwiw, here are my 2c. harriet is "fashionable" in a way that, e.g., isabella isn't even though there are more isabellas right now than harriets - in that isabella never went away completely but harriet would have been thought of as a very ugly and old fashioned name until fairly recently. however, if it's the one you both like go for it. imvho you're on a hiding to nothing trying for an "unusual name". look at the top 10 for 2008!

Cathpot · 31/12/2008 18:37

pamelat my two children have 3 of the names on your list!

bossykate · 31/12/2008 18:37

"we haven't rushed the decision" sorry but pmsl!

better watch out if you leave it much longer fashions will have changed again!

janeite · 31/12/2008 18:38

Harriet is lovely. Just give the poor child a name!

bossykate · 31/12/2008 18:39

gosh my first post sounds really harsh! sorry

i am genuinely rather gobsmacked that you are still dithering deliberating at this late stage!

good luck with it

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