Ethel

[tummytickler]

What do you think of Ethel?
I am loving it more and more at the moment - dh is besotted by it (and Morag!). Would love some opinions, as we will not be talking to people in rl about our name making choices!
I am loving Ettie as a nn (and Raggy for Morag!). We would probably use Ethel most of the time and not a nn though.
Middle names will be two from Denise, Violet, Mary, Jean, Eileen, Angela (all family).
Is it going to become huge like Edith/Elsie/Esme?
This is dc5, and my 2dd's have old names and ds's Hebrew (so very old!)

Thanks

Is Ethel popular?!I have only ever known my great aunt.

I hate Morag too! There are so many pretty names around to choose from.

Well, I rather like it. But it sounds like you and I are in a very small minority

Go for Edith - it's much safer.

I like it. it's prettier than some of the names which have come back, such as Iris for example. Ethel is a nice sound

really don't like Edna though. Or Mavis.

... that quote alone would put you off the name, surely?

Displayuntil - eh?

I rarely post on baby names but for some reason I saw this on active convos and felt compelled to say that i really like Ethel. I think it's far nicer than a lot of the 'old lady' names that are popular right now.

I'm not so keen on morag though. It's the name of the monster that lives in loch morar.

Well, I had (still do) loved Aphra, but dh is going off it now, it was going to be 'the one' - it is so hard - i will have to make a huge list i think! He is also loving Beryl, but I have posted about that before!

Maybe I should continue a hippyish thing, rather than old lady - dd's are Iris and Pearl so maybe another name along those lines?

Ethel will stay on the list though!

I know a Mavis - she absolutely hates it.

Edna will forever be 'Evil Edna' in Willow the Wisp.

There's a reason these names aren't popular.

Absolutely not. It's hideous! I'm trying to picture a baby Ethel and all I can see is a miniature Nora Batty.

And no it's not going to become huge unless there's a mass outbreak of insanity.

MadBad - nothing cryptic, just that you referred to it as an "old lady name" and I thought it was funny because if someone referred to one of my babyname options as an "old lady name", it would probably make me think twice about liking it!

Have you considered Mabel? A little bit of Morag, a little bit of Ethel, but without any of the drawbacks of Morag or Ethel; some old lady names and some ethnic names are unpopular for good reasons.

I would talk to some of these old ladies first before you inflict dreadful names. They all tend to hate them and have since childhood! Beryl is another dire example!

mabel is much more obviously pretty imo. But if Hazel and Thea are pretty then I suppose Ethel must be too?

I don't know though, if you can take as gospel the experience of a woman of 92 who is called Ethel. Did she hate it because it was so popular? Not the case now. Or because it was kind of frumpy and she was 'too young' to be an Ethel.

I like Meryl and Beryl though. I honestly do! I think they are lovely sounds and could be Merry/Berry for short.

Not keen, really. Etta is lovely. though.

Don't do it and definitely not if your last name is Austin!. As others have said there are much prettier "old lady names".

Sorry to hear about your mcs tummytickler. Good luck with ttc again and in the meantime I will enjoy your name threads .

"Ethel is a nice sound"

You think? To me, it sounds like someone (with a lisp) trying to dislodge an insect from their throat.

And as for Morag - apologies in advance to any, but out of all the beautiful girls' names in the world, just why would you? Why??

Mabel will always be old lady to me. Plump and jovial old lady, but old lady nonetheless.

I like Meryl, Beryl, Hazel and Thea too, but Ethel just doesn't have the charms of those names somehow. I get a mental image of an elephant when I hear the name. Also think of ethyl this and that on ingredient lists.

And you absolutely cannot call a girl Raggy or anything to do with rags.

Just no - on both counts Morag or Ethel both are IMO ugly sounding and I usually like non top 10 names.

Maybe you are at that stage in the pregnancy that you are deluded into thinking bonkers names are actually quite nice. Thats fair enough but your DH really shouldnt be encouraging you.

not nice