Barbara

[bixley]

WDYT? Is it ok or laughable? What nns, (not Babs or Barbie!)

Although, no, you are too young to be a Barbara in your mid forties.... older sister? Mum? maybe it hit the USa first!

I like it too.
Mabel is ugly, though, I can't get past that prejudice.

Hmm - I'm a Vivienne and I didn't realise until now that it was considered to be middle aged chic.

I'm only flippin 33!

Hated my name when I was a child - I wanted a normal name like everyone else in my class - Sarah, Clare, Jane or Louise. But by the time I was 15 I loved it as it looks pretty written down and is unusual without being weird.

Only thing is every calls me Viv (apart from my close family)

May-Belle ugly?!

I see that as being very conventionally pretty and I can't understand why it's not way more popular. Why has Isabel taken off with wings and Mabel hasn't ?! BAFFLING to me.

I like it - retro! Makes me think of the Beach Boys and Barbara Ann

You could always use Bee or BB for short if you wanted.

I can add a cool Barbera to the list - Barbera Hepworth - sculptor!

Good grief no.
It's awful. It may come back into fashion, but it isn't now and it's a horrible name that will have your DD sniggered at a lot.
Don't do it

I think don't.

Again...if your child is nerdy as you put it...not confidant ....cool...bright..people oriented...No Name is going to make them that way...I am the Barbara (yes, I'm older than most of you here) who has been successful...(no, not a hairdresser as someone suggested although there is no shame in any career aspiration)...in a thirty one year marriage with a handsome man by most women's standards...Now, my daughter Olivia carried her name during a time when not one other child throughout her entire educational experience shared it with her...Despite the fact that she was not a Katie or Jennifer or Laura (very popular back then)...Olivia was very popular..a cool kid if you will...smart, talented and loved people and life..I suppose being a beautiful child didn't hurt...but her name was not "considered" one of the cool names...She herself only started to like it in High School when she liked having a unique name...And as I mentioned before, the schools are so full of Olivias these days its almost laughable...Names are combinations of sounds...that's all...I'm not saying that if you think a name such as mine is outdated that you should give that name to your child if it makes you feel uncomfortable...but do watch out for trendy names unless you want your child to be one of twelve "Madisons" (for example) out of twenty in a class...I've raised four children...with pretty average names...none were the most popular and two were just plain boys names: William (Bill) and John, Johanna and Olivia....Plain John and unpopularly named Olivia had the personalities that made them standouts among peers..they are just people persons....Bill and Johanna were a little more introverted...with less sparkling personalities...the name is not the biggest issue...if you like the sound or have a loved one whom you'd like to honor...go for it!!! If you want your child to be confidant, begin by not placing so much stock in other people's opinions.It's amazing to me that anyone would discourage someone from giving their child a name based on what's popular...Either YOU like it or YOU don't..... Only small minded people will judge your child on the name....My advice is to give your child a name that goes well with you family name...and focus on raising your child to be a happy, healthy, human being...who is secure in his own skin... naming a child should always be a matter of personal preference...If you can be talked out of a name you love...or if you talk someone else out of a name based on trends... (as many tried to do with me when my Olivia..named for my mother in law...was born) you may someday wonder why your own child always looks to others for answers..IMHO...

Again...if your child is nerdy as you put it...not confidant ....cool...bright..people oriented...No Name is going to make him/her that way...I am the Barbara (yes, I'm older than most of you here) who has been successful in my career as a talent scout in the music industry ...(no, not a hairdresser as someone suggested as the career choice one would attribute to someone named 'Barbara') although there is no shame in any career choice..IMHO...In a thirty one year long marriage with a handsome and successful man by most women's standards..

Now, my daughter Olivia carried her name during a time when not one other child throughout her entire educational experience shared it with her...Despite the fact that she was not a Katie or Jennifer or Laura (very popular back then)...Olivia was very popular..a cool kid if you will...smart, talented and loved people and life..I suppose being a beautiful child didn't hurt...but her name was definitely not considered one of the cool names...She herself only started to like it in High School when she liked having a unique name...And as I mentioned before, the schools are so full of Olivias these days its absurd...

Names are combinations of sounds...that's all...I'm not saying that if you think a name such as mine is outdated, that you should give that name to your child if it makes you feel uncomfortable...but do watch out for trendy names (just for the sake of their popularity) unless you want your child to be one of twelve "Madisons" (for example) out of twenty in a class..

.I've raised four children...with pretty average names...none were the most popular for that time and two were just plain boys names: William (Bill) and John, Johanna and Olivia..all named after grandparents I wished to honor, as well as liking the sound of each name...

Plain John and unpopularly named Olivia had the personalities that made them standouts among peers..they are just people persons....Bill and Johanna were a little more introverted...with less sparkling personalities..more sensitive, more artistic types..all different in their own ways...

...if you like the sound or have a loved one whom you'd like to honor...go for it!!! If you want your child to be confidant, begin by not placing so much stock in other people's opinions. Because they do imitate us.

.It's amazing to me that anyone would discourage someone from giving their child a name based solely on what's popular, or because it is "outdated"..Either YOU like it or YOU don't.. Only small minded people will judge your child on a name..and from personal experience it's THE KID and whether or not he or she embraces the world or withdraws from it that matters most..

..My advice is to give your child a name that goes well with you surname...and focus on raising your child to be a happy, healthy, human being...one who is secure in his own skin...

Naming a child should always be a matter of personal preference...If you can be talked out of a name you love...or if you try to talk someone else out of a name that is in your opinion, just not cool enough..... (as many tried to do with me when my Olivia..named for my mother in law...was born) you may someday wonder why your own child always looks to others for answers. lacking confidence in his own ideas and preferences.......they mimic us you see...IMHO...