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Baby names

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

Original poster

Jean

36 replies

tummytickler · 29/04/2010 22:53

So, we keep coming back to the name Jean - we love it, but what worries me is it will suddenly shoot up in popularity and become 'trendy' and so date really quickly. I know loads of names will date a child, but I dont want a very decade specific name (such as Isla, Esme, Darcy etc - popular really quickly).
What do you think? It goes beautifully with other dc's, love Jeannie, but don't want a super popular/trendy name and we have lots of others we also like (Miriam, Juniper, Mildred, to name a couple).
Thanks

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MrsSchadenfreude · 29/04/2010 23:01

Jean is horrible - old ladies in their 70s, wearing beige polyester "easy care" "slacks" with an elasticated waist and pastel coloured polyester tops or acrylic jumpers. Jeannie is better. Mildred is just plain cruel. Miriam is lovely. Juniper is just odd.

southeastastra · 29/04/2010 23:03

er it was my mums name

starshaker · 29/04/2010 23:05

jean is my dd's middle name so i love it

whywhywhydelilah · 29/04/2010 23:05

Jean is a lovely name for a girl! Mildred is not so nice, Miriam nice, Juniper unusal and cool I think

TeamEdward · 29/04/2010 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsSchadenfreude · 29/04/2010 23:07

It's my Mum's middle name too. It's also her cousin's name, her best friend's name, the lady who runs the Over 60s Club's name.

I think it is not too "old lady" enough to become too popular.

But please don't listen to me - my DDs have names which are generally thought to be pretentious on MN.

Your name, you love it, you use it. Don't listen to random stranger on line.

KristinaM · 29/04/2010 23:11

its lovely

hellymelly · 29/04/2010 23:19

Lovely name,really gentle and pretty.

kif · 29/04/2010 23:20

It has a gentle sound

LetThereBeRock · 29/04/2010 23:20

Horrid. It's a very ugly name imho.

Marginally better than Mildred though.

I don't like Juniper either but Miriam is lovely.

seeker · 29/04/2010 23:32

If the alternative is Juniper, then go for Jean!

Jane sounds better - to me, anyway.

recireci · 29/04/2010 23:36

Jean is OK, although I prefer Jane or (another old-fashioned name) Joan.

Jeannie is too much like genie.

Really like Miriam, but not keen on Juniper or Mildred.

If you like Jean and Juniper then what about June?

LaDiDaDi · 29/04/2010 23:37

I like it, always love your name threads tt!

My grandmother and her best fried were called Martha and Jane, they were alwaya known as Marty and Jean as these were considered much trendier/cooler when they were young....fast forward 80 years and Jean's greatgranddaughter is Martha Jane !

LaDiDaDi · 29/04/2010 23:39

I think if you go for Juniper then June my be a nn, how do you feel about that?

Really dislike Mildred btw and suspect you might get Millie as a nn which is pretty but also popular.

Original poster
tummytickler · 29/04/2010 23:48

Thnaks all!
Juniper Jean was a combo of ours, probably with June/Junie as a nn, although I like the flow of Juniper Jean - trips off the tongue nicely! and for Mildred we would try and use Dilly as a nn.
Martha Jane is lovely btw!

OP posts:
wigglybeezer · 29/04/2010 23:49

My Granny was Jeannie and my Mum is Jean so I am biased but i like both with Jeannie top of the list (have three boys so didn't get a chance to use it!).

By the way, my Mum has never worn beige slacks in her life!

MoChan · 29/04/2010 23:55

Is Jeannie popular, then? I like it, and was thinking about it if I had another DD. After my mum, really, though her name is Jean (and she wouldn't be seen dead in easy care slacks and pastels).

I was thinking it would be quite unusual, to be honest. Not that I'd mind whether it was or not, I just like it.

SoMuchToBits · 30/04/2010 00:05

Interesting, as I have an Auntie Jean who is 85. She is lovely so I have good associations with that name.

My Mum has recently gone to live in a care home. The names of the other people living on her floor are as follow (most of them would be between about 80 and 90 or so)

Audrey, Kathleen, Marion, Ruby, Molly, Lucy, Sylvia, Evelyn, Greta, Bill (William), Mada.

I would say that out of these, about 4 or 5 would be popular names for babies these days (Wiliam, Ruby, Lucy, Molly and maybe Evelyn).

So some names come round that quickly, and others don't. If you like Jean choose it - it may not be v popular right now, but at least then your dd won't have 3 others in the class with the same name.

Sazisi · 30/04/2010 00:08

I think it's really sweet

I know a Jean and a Jeannie who are both lovely so good associations.

MrsvWoolf · 30/04/2010 01:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

twosofar · 30/04/2010 08:06

Ooh I rather like Juniper Jean...didn't think I would, as Juniper doesn't really feer like a proper name but it sounds really pretty.

Love Juno as a nn as well (ancient Roman goddess, protector of the state and patroness of marriage)

Love all your names

Ivykaty44 · 30/04/2010 08:09

I know a family of girls, Jean Jillian and Jane, all born after 2000 - so not old ladies names at all

MrFibble · 30/04/2010 08:10

I love the name. Always makes me think of Jean Paget heroine of A Town Like Alice. It's a strong, classical name. We would have used it for DD but since we live in a Francophone area we worried everyone would think she was a boy.

BessieBoots · 30/04/2010 08:10

Jean is lovely... My DH calls me this as a nn, it's my gran's name. Not sure about Juniper though...

StealthPolarBear · 30/04/2010 08:13

Oddly enough I was thinking abut this the other day - it's my grandma's name
I love it