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Baby names

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

Perdita

76 replies

CakeandRoses · 27/04/2010 22:19

Just remembered a girl's name I loved when I was expecting DC1 (who turned out to be a boy).

DH initially liked it and then went right off it and I think he must have put me off it then as I've only just remembered what a passion I had for it - and now I like it again!

I also really love Purdy as a nn

Thoughts? Is this a hormonal thing?

OP posts:
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MunchkinsMumof2 · 27/04/2010 22:21

noooooooooooooo, would be mean even for a cat!

CakeandRoses · 27/04/2010 22:22

explain! I can't see why!

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Doodleydoo · 27/04/2010 22:23

But it means "the lost one", quite like it BUT it is quite Jilly Cooper.

Mind you am not going to mention any names in that I like as my dd's name is constantly flamed!

tarantula · 27/04/2010 22:24

It needs X as a middle name tho.

rasputin · 27/04/2010 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MunchkinsMumof2 · 27/04/2010 22:25

It just makes me think of Cat food ads and rhymes with nurdy and turdy neither of which are appealing! It also reminds me of awful upper class names at my posh boarding school. Sorry I was first to reply and am raining on your parade, hopefully some fans will be along soon

MaryBS · 27/04/2010 22:27

I thought 101 Dalmations too. Also that it meant "lost"

jenduff · 27/04/2010 22:28

too jilly for me

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/04/2010 22:30

It is a lovely name in itself, however the meaning would put me off. However I am stickler for nmes having positive meanings.

Euphonically it is a beautiful name I think. I wouldn't care less about the Jilly Cooper/Dalmatians connection tbh.

CakeandRoses · 27/04/2010 23:38

I thought it didn't actually mean 'lost' but just got that rep from the Winter's Tale (Perdita is abandoned but ultimately there's a happy ending). But you may well be right as looking again, it does seem to be from the Latin perditus for lost .

I'm not worried about the Jilly thing - most names I like probably could be accused of that, e.g. even Rupert isn't too Cooperesque for me!

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CakeandRoses · 27/04/2010 23:43

Just thought I'd have a quick look at a list of Jilly C's characters (desperate, moi?) and saw that our sons share the same name - so we really do have the same taste !

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tortoiseonthehalfshell · 28/04/2010 00:13

I love it. And she can always be Dita, like Von Teese.

(Or not)

Bleatblurt · 28/04/2010 00:14

It makes me think of Agnes Nitt. Perdita is her thin girl in a fat girl. Iykwim.

gottasmile · 28/04/2010 00:22

In Italian it means lost and can also mean leak.....

WickedWench · 28/04/2010 00:27

It is a pretty name, and having studied Latin I do like it, but there was a character on Emmerdale called Perdita not so long ago. Wouldn't bother me but I know not everyone likes 'soap' character names.

CakeandRoses · 28/04/2010 09:28

WickedWench - what would you say it means in Latin?

Didn't know about the Emmerdale connection. Is there no name that remains untouched by blooming soaps?!

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5DollarShake · 28/04/2010 10:39

I don't love it, but don't hate it either. Reminds me of Jilly Cooper, too.

I really dislike Purdy as a nickname, though. Makes me think of a little lump of a child - not pretty at all. Dita is far nicer, if you're in the market for nns.

Amapoleon · 28/04/2010 10:43

Makes me think of Joanna Lumley in The new avengers. That's just showing my age

thirtysomething · 28/04/2010 10:44

Have known lots of cats called Purdita/Purdy!

CakeandRoses · 28/04/2010 10:44

Me too re The new Avengers, Amapoleon - and that's no bad thing!

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Rockbird · 28/04/2010 10:51

How do you pronounce it? If it's Perdi-ta rather than Per-dee-ta then no. Actually no anyway, Purdy is not nice either, sorry.

GibberingGinger · 28/04/2010 10:52

I have a friend called this and she gets annoyed at the mispronoucation. She likes it pronounced Purd-ita, but is most commonly pronouned Pur-Deeta.

Horton · 28/04/2010 13:48

I think it's really pretty. But my daughter is called Tabitha so you can see from this that I quite like cats' names.

Tocca · 28/04/2010 14:04

You are the QUEEN of babynames CakeandRoses.

GladioliBuckets · 28/04/2010 14:15

I think it's too sad a meaning, would suit an adoption or more tragic situation.