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Is pippa a no no for an adult?

31 replies

ThreeGuesses · 17/03/2010 13:27

Really like this name, as does DH.

Put off by reading that it's seen as a child's name and neither of us like Philippa as a full name.

Also what are your impressions of Pippa?

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bellissima · 17/03/2010 13:31

I do know an adult Pippa. No idea whether her formal name is Philippa. Having said that, I do think that there is a possibility that a 'Pippa' could grow up and think that she has a bit of a 'little girl' or maybe 'nickname' name. Agree with you that Pippa is much nicer though - 'Philippa' to me is a 'fat' name - just the sound of it.

On the other hand I like Pamela and hate Pam...

MrsvWoolf · 17/03/2010 13:38

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purpleturtle · 17/03/2010 13:41

I have a lovely friend called Pippa (short for Philippa), and I don't consider it a 'child's name' at all.

EvilTwins · 17/03/2010 13:41

I know a Philippa who has only become Pippa as an adult. As a child she was various other things - Phil, Philly, etc. I think it's fine.

IWillNotNeverEatATomato · 17/03/2010 13:44

I love love love Pippa (DS2 would have been Pippa Frances is he had been a she)
however i really dislike Phllippa so this was never a choice for us.

I would never think of it as a child's name only, and know of two adult Pippa's who are not Phillipa's. and they have never haad any problems with people taking them seriously

MrsZuko · 17/03/2010 14:01

I know an adult Pippa and have never thought of her as having a child's name. I also know an adult Philly.

LadyMetroland · 17/03/2010 14:31

we chose Pippa as our girl's name before dd was born (would have christened her Philippa though) - in fact we were so decided on that name that we didn't have any other girl's names lined up at all. But when she came out, she just didn't fit the name. It felt too insubstantial in a way ... so she spent 3 weeks as 'baby girl' before we plumped for something COMPLETELY different (not telling you what)! Funny how things turn out cos we were both dead set on Pippa beforehand

Tobermory · 17/03/2010 14:57

I like Pippa very much, much more than Philippa which I see as a bit 'horsey'.
We can't use it with our surname but would have loved to.

blogpage · 17/03/2010 15:30

Pippa is a nice name and I think it suits any age.

HelenDoula · 17/03/2010 19:35

Pippa is fab ! nice to hear it again, I went to school with 2 Pippa's (they are both still Pippa's - on facebook and are nearly 40!)

jumpyjan · 17/03/2010 19:42

Pippa is a lovely name and short for Philippa which is also lovely - if you go with Philippa she will have a choice when she is older.

Jux · 17/03/2010 19:48

DH has two friends with dws called Pippa. I would just warn you that dh thinks they're both thorough bitches.

I don't know them, and admit dh is often biased about this sort of thing. They're probably both really nice; one of them is a professor of physics so dh probably couldn't dominate the conversation like he usually does. I suspect this is why he doesn't like her.

mojomama · 17/03/2010 19:51

um, only adding this as I heard it yesterday from a Swedish friend who was in hysterics about the name Pippa; apparently it means f**k in Swedish. not helpful I'm sure.

I, however, think it's sweet, and also really like Phil as a girls nickname.

sparklyrainbow · 17/03/2010 22:38

I have a Pippa in my form. She's 14- it suits teenagers too. She is Philippa but hates it!

shockers · 17/03/2010 22:54

Fat and horsey...?

LovelyDear · 17/03/2010 23:00

Consider Piper?

helenwombat · 18/03/2010 04:21

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mathanxiety · 18/03/2010 17:26

Pippa would have to be very slim and willowy. I see it as a pretty but insubstantial name. Philippa would be a lot nicer for an adult. Phil or Philly are nice adult nns too.

hophophippidtyhop · 18/03/2010 17:28

I know an adult Pippa who is not only a lovely person but a very astute owner of her own business!

JeremyVile · 18/03/2010 17:29

I think Pippa is foerever 42.

MrsC2010 · 19/03/2010 12:54

My sister is a Pippa, I think it's a lovely name. Teachers at school used to try to call her Philippa but were quickly put right, she was Pippa on birth cert etc. It would be on my list if it wasn't already taken!

AllieW · 25/03/2010 21:07

The only Pippas I know are adults - aged between 30 and 65 generally. I think it's reasonably pretty but would tend to err on the side of Philippa on the birth certificate just in case.

LunaticFringe · 25/03/2010 21:10

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GrimmaTheNome · 25/03/2010 21:16

The only adult Pippa I can think of is the gardener, Pippa Greenwood. It really suits her - sweet, bubbly but with a deadly edge if you happen to be a slug

twolittlemonkeys · 25/03/2010 21:23

I know an adult Pippa (Phillippa) who is lovely. Very posh and mad about horses though!