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

What do you think of Hortensia?

26 replies

settingsun · 22/08/2009 13:40

What do you think of Hortensia as a girl's name? It's listed on Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder.

OP posts:
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piscesmoon · 22/08/2009 13:43

I think it would be very difficult to live with and would have lots of possible nicknames-not of which are nice!

perdu · 22/08/2009 13:44

'little' bit pretentious to be honest

Paolosgirl · 22/08/2009 13:45

I think it depends very much on you social standing, iykwim

Also agree with Pisces - Hor is not a nickname I'd like for my dd

wilkos · 22/08/2009 13:46

the obvious diminutive will probably be "Horty" which will become "Horsey".

or "Tense"

unless you can make a prettier shortening or demand people call her by the full version i would advise against, sorry

TheBolter · 22/08/2009 13:51

Yy depends on social standing.

I wouldn't do it personally.

LynetteScavo · 22/08/2009 14:13

If I had to meet someone called Hortensia for the first time, I wouldn't be looking forward to it.

She would probably be the chair of the PTA.

movingnow · 22/08/2009 14:13

no

diddl · 22/08/2009 14:55

No to my taste.
Are you after "H" names?
I always wanted Hebe, but doesn´t go with hubby´s surname.

Tidey · 22/08/2009 14:58

Is your husband's surname Jeebie, diddl?

I'm not keen on Hortensia, tbh. It sounds like the name of a cartoon hippo.

diddl · 22/08/2009 15:00

No,it begins with an "H".

Tidey · 22/08/2009 15:01

Fair do's , no offence meant.

diddl · 22/08/2009 15:04

None taken!

Thunderduck · 22/08/2009 16:52

I think it's an incredibly ugly name.

plonker · 22/08/2009 17:07

Really don't like it I'm afraid.

It sounds snooty and unattractive to me ...

Mumcentreplus · 22/08/2009 17:07

Yikes!

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 22/08/2009 17:11

The French version Hortense sounds gentler on the ear, but I think you can only really pull it off (the name, not the ear) if you are French and/or live in France.

Agree that Hebe is a fab name.

MaggieLeo · 22/08/2009 17:30

ludicrously pretentious... I like a good crisp, crusty blow the cobwebs off kind of name,,,,,, but there's a limit.

Hebe is terrible. Heeby geebies.

Re social standing,,, if kate middleton or zara philips chose this it'd still be 'too posh'.

RustyBear · 22/08/2009 17:36

Well, it's (slightly) better than Hortense, which always reminds me of the old joke:

"Is that Hortense?"

"No, she seems quite relaxed to me..."

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 22/08/2009 17:47

I think Hortense needs to be pronounced Orrrr-tonce, which is why it can only be done in France or French-speaking families. Otherwise it's off the end of the poncetastic scale.

motherbeyond · 22/08/2009 17:50

it's god awful..imagine saddling a cherubic newborn with that! it sounds like one of those names you can make into a vomit noise ..like raaaaaaallph!....

horteeeeeeensiauggghhh!

ahem,sorry..that'll be a no from me

honeydew · 22/08/2009 21:28

well Hortensia is rather posh and not too bad. BUT... and the big but is what it will be shortened to?

There is no way that she will get called Hortensia on an every day basis, so what would you be happy with? Horty? Tensy? Tensia? Hebe?

I do think it's a difficult name to shorten that works well.

My name is Alexandra and everyone call me Alex. I absolutely hate it. Although Alexandra is not unisex- Alex is. Everyone think I'm male until they meet me and is sounds so masculine.

My posh name also now sits very badly with my Irish married name, to the point where I'm actually going to change my Christian name now because it sounds so crap,(I don't want to return to my maiden name though now I have kids).

You need to choose a name that sits well with your surname and any future name she may have.

'Hortensia Williams' or 'Hortensia Elliot' sound fine and quite classically English, but Hortensia O'Leary or plain surnames like Baker, Adams or Rowe just don't go at all.

So I would avoid it even though it's nicer than some and is rather eighteenth century and elegant.

How about something similarly elegant yet easier going and slightly more popular but not common e.g, Clarissa, Georgiana, Henrietta, Julianna, Dorothea, Louisa, etc.

settingsun · 23/08/2009 15:01

These comments are not good. Not one person likes it. I don't like the shortenings and would have used it in full.
thank you

OP posts:
diddl · 23/08/2009 15:25

Honeydew-sorry, but I can´t believe that you think Alexandra is posh!

settingsun
If you´re after "H" names, what about Harriet, Hettie, Hester?

seaturtle · 24/08/2009 00:26

I don't usually comment on names I don't like because I usually think, what does it matter if I don't like it. It's your baby.

Unfortunately I have to agree with most people here. Sorry settingsun!

LaDiDaDi · 24/08/2009 00:27

Awful imo.