What do you think of Persephone?

[woodysquirrel]

What do you think of Persephone as a girl's name? It's listed on Mumsnet's Baby Name Finder.
Please could you help with this. I'm guessing this is very unusual, am I wrong? How popular is this and what do you think of the name? We're shortening to Sephy or Persy.
Middle names will be Constance Jane.

Think of the small child trying to learn how to spell it too.

I'm sorry but poor girl will never get a date with a name like that.

In her entire life.

Nike=trainers
Athena=old card shop (tennis girl)
Juno=large moon
Venus=brand of razor ?
Demeter=what gas man reads

NO NO NO NO No

Ahh Helen.
..the face that launched a thousand ships. Or Paris though that was a boys name

but "tempus mutamur" etc or whatever as they do in any case. As it were.

PS Penelope gets shortened to 'ploppy'. always.

Helen is indeed a fabulous name, and much under-used

Can you be sure you will privately educate? Because you couldn't release Persephone into the wild you know...

Hmm I really like it, considering it myself.

Helen is a great, underused name. But then I am biased.

isn't there a llama called persephone on the archers?
I think you should check out the greek myth before you commit. Not a well-omened name I would say.

it screams class, doesn't it, Georgimama?

no, very ponceee

Absolutely. Never seen it on a baby name thread on MN. Not once have I seen "shall I call my DD Helen?" Just shows, no taste out there.

Aw, don't. Why would you?

I like Greek names, but - frankly - it's quite hard to find a Greek mythological name for girls which isn't that of a rape victim.

I know Helen was raped, but it is much more "normalised" and less immediately associated with Greek myth; whereas Persephone would be immediately associated with Greek myth, IYSWIM.

Persephone was raped by Hades and stolen from her mother. Not totally happy associations, in my mind.

Sorry cory - am echoing you!

went to school with one and she seemed perfectly nice

Hmm, I prefer ravished myself...

Ok, fair enough, BitOfFun! True - Helen did seem to love Paris, after all!

Beautiful name- that will make you a MIL to be feared in future!

When is she going to be born? Should be a name for a Spring baby.

Although there is a lesser known myth which says that Helen was raped/abducted as a child by Theseus, I think.

Agree strongly with last comment, though obviously a matter of personal taste. But maybe not that fair on a child to have to spell their name to everyone? She'd definitely be Per-Seph-Own-Knee in a Terry Pratchett book, or maybe Per-Stephanie?Maybe review what attracts you to it and how you'd like it if it was your own name? Good luck, though!

Beats being rained on like Danae

Didn't mean last comment! Was comment about ponceometer! Things moved on while I was typing!

I don't know - apparently some people like golden showers...

Aha- after googling, I find that rape -raptio- means abduction rather than the modern meaning of sexual violation. So there you go- I have learned something new!

ROFL at golden showers- ah, I feel very grown up punning in such exhalted terms

Ahhh, well - you see. There is much debate in bearded academic circles about whether the Greeks and Romans meant rape in the sense we understand for the various terms (and there are a lot in Greek and Latin) for rape/abduction/violence, etc.

That there was a lot of sexual violence against women probably goes without saying.