Blythe

[brightonlad]

My DW and I were completely settled on Blythe as the name for our 2nd DD until a dinner party at my parents when it got roundly slated by all in attendance. She's two weeks old now and we can't come up with another name we like as much. Before we 'stick it to the man' and go with it we want to try to understand what the haters don't like about it. Any insight?

I think its quite a bohemian name - not chavvy at all.

I thought the word was 'blithe' not 'blythe'...? Isnt 'blythe' just a made up word? Like saying 'lyght' or 'smyle'...?

I think it's lovely, elegant.

I have to admit I thought it was a boys name, and very dated (Forsythe saga spring to mind for some reason). However otherwise I would agree with the advice of those who say announce the name with the child. You are not going to please everyone whatever you choose.

Beautiful name

Blythe is the name of a scary looking japanese doll. I used to have them as posters in my teenage years (i was most definately the freak of nature).

For this reason don't call your child this.

Google image it though... they are quite cute.

Downmarket chav name

I would sod them and go for it. It's not so outlandish or anything.. I don't like it a lot personally but like that it's unusual.. certainly not an unpleasant name.

If you love it, stick with it or you are sure to regret it.

We called our boy Bertie which raised a lot of eyebrows, but now everyone loves it on him. It really suits him and i really do enjoy saying his name every day (corny)

PS i should also add- i really like Blythe too

BTW, it's a really old English name - definitely not 'made up' or 'chavtastic', but rather elegant, classic and with a lovely meaning. The spelling evolved from blithe to blythe a long time ago.

I think because some people simply haven't heard of it before, they are assuming it must be new and invented, but they are mistaken.

Of course we've heard of it before.

I don't assume it is new and invented, because it is a common surname

Use Blithe if you like the meaning.
Otherwise it (Blythe) does look chavvy.

Erm, mimpumpkin, someone earlier described it as made up, hence my earlier post. Good for you that you have heard of it.

(Although you apparently advocate spelling it incorrectly )

Blithe is the original and correct for the meaning (look in any dictionary).I'm sure we can all guess the origins.
Blythe is from Blithe it is the surname.
I only know this as a surname or name for a boy. Hideous.

According to Beyond the Name (all about the etymology of names), it is a rare male Old English name, derived originally from a surname, meaning cheerful.

I'd spell that 'etimology' if I were you, nooka.
Otherwise it just looks chavvy.

etymology is the correct spelling.
Not chav at all

Yes I know that, mimi.

It was a joke.

I was following your rule of thumb of replacing a perfectly correct y with an i because you thought it looked better...

Never mind!

You won't find Blythe in a dictionary with the cheerful meaning, you will find Blithe.

Blithe is the original word from which Blythe is derived.
So because is more correct, original and less surnamey rather than Blythe.

Other posters have said the same. Blythe is a modern version of Blithe.

"Modern coinage, though possibly linked to the transferred use of the surname from the word "blithe" during the Middle Ages".

I quite like it, the first thing I thought of was the child born on the Sabbath Day being bonny and blithe and good and gay (might not actually be that helpful) - certainly NOT "chav", never even crossed my mind but also more surnamey.

If your DD looks like a Blythe and you like it and want it, SOD everyone else and do it! She's your DD, it's unusual but not awful, people will get over it. And frankly, as a girl's name, I think it looks better with the y.

Blithe and Blythe are both awful in my opinion.

Don't think Old English, more modern American.

Um mimi I suspect it depends on your source. But anyway as the root is old it comes from a time when names were mostly aural, not written, so the concept of a "correct" spelling is a bit moot.

However in the modern context it does look a bit "Oldie English", which might be construed as a bit naff.

If I was going to meet a Blythe, my assumption would be that they would be male, and quite possibly American.

Ahem.

It is a VERY nice name.