middle name after my grandma, Winnie.

[ARbaby]

I'm not sure what to do about this name. I would love to use it as a middle name for my baby if it's a girl. We've only mentioned it to a couple of people and had some not very nice responses. MIL said 'as long as it's just the middle name!' in a not very nice tone of voice. A bloke from work who my DP mentioned it to said 'The child has to go to school you know'. I don't want to mention it to my mum yet as I'm sure she'll get upset about her mum if I say I'm thinking of using it. I don't want to get her hopes up incase we don't. It's obviously short for Winefred which I think is still far too old fashioned to use. Is it really that bad? Maybe we'll have a boy so I don't have the dilemma.

It's not a bad name at all! Very nice in fact, and it's always a lovely idea to use a grandparents' name as a middle name.

Thanks belgo. You don't think people will think she's named after the bear do you?

I think it's very sweet and, with the right first name, would be lovely. As ever, if you know what you want then I would suggest not telling people beforehand. There will always be those whose reaction puts you off. I'm sure your mum will be very touched.

I agree with the not telling people Prinpo, it's my other half who cannot keep a secret, but now he has told people, and they've responded, it's put that seed of doubt in my mind which is why I thought I'd see if MNer's disliked it too.

Did she have a middle name you could use?

Don't tell anymore people!!

I think this name is on the verge of a revival - Winnie in itself is very pretty.

I think it would be lovely to use it, and I'm sure your Mum would be very touched.

Think it's lovely and sweet. Agree don't tell anyone else though!

I like it, DD1 was almost Arwyn nn Winnie but DH said she looked more like our other choice

and agree completely, stop discussing it with people till after she's here and you can just TELL them her name

I think it's pretty and surely quite fashionable.
I also like a middle name that has a meaning and is ususual. Makes it worth having a middle name in the first place.

It's the name of Fern Britton & Phil Vickery's daughter.

Thanks everyone, will keep mouth zipped.

I think of Winnie Mandela, and she wasn't that great.

ooh it was the name of the girlfriend o the little boy in the wonder years.

i like it

it's a lovely name.

dd has an old lady middle name. her two grandmas are called joan. so she has it too! i get a lot of when i tell people, but it means a lot to us

My dd2 has middle name Jessie, after my Gran, and I put Winnie in the same category (perhaps cos the other lady who worked in my Gran's shop when I was little was called Winnie!!!)

Its old fashioned I know. But nice too - there is a rule (that I made up) that old fashioned Gran names are fine!!!

My Gran died when dd2 was 3 (dd2 also has Dh's Gran's name (Rachel) as her first name) and it makes me smile when I think that she has that name. She has recently insisted on writing her name "Rachel Jessie Surname" on all school things and it makes me happy that my Gran's name is important to her, and that she likes it even though it is old fashioned.

Gran was Jessie, not Jessica or any variation, so we went with it, and I am overwhelmingly glad I did!!