Okay…
PROS: so my hubby has been pushing hard for the name Bonnie if our 2nd baby is a girl. Like very hard lol. I do think the name is cute, I love the meaning, I love how it’s vintage, I love the nicknames and adorable nursery theme we could go with bunny’s. They will be born in Feb and so I think it’s also a very romantic cutesy name that fits her birth month. I’m not worried about the name “not growing well” at every age. I personally don’t think names ending in the -ie sound don’t age well, I think they age fine. I don’t understand when people say that as there are tons of names that end with that sound - and at least Bonnie is an established vintage name. It is also unique here in the US just outside of the top 500 which I find to be a sweet spot! Lastly, it’s a perfect blend of my mom and my MIL names to honor them both at once. Oh also it’s in the top 100 in almost every other English speaking country so I love how it travels and is well known but will be more rare here.
CONS: Bonnie & Clyde. I know this is a super old association so I am not sure it will be a strong one for her generation… But it’s my one hang up about the name!
also I may have already told my mom and MIL we chose this name to honor them and we were 99.9% sure if we had a girl this would be her name… lol
I still love it, but I need some encouragement about the B&C association…
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What a sweet choice!!!
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Don’t worry, you’ve got a [name_m]Marshall[/name_m] in the house just kidding!
I still don’t even really know the full story there but am aware it’s a negative criminal association. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom told me about it when I was growing up but besides that I never hear it mentioned nor would I think it would be very well known in your daughter’s generation but I could be wrong since evil tends to get glamorized throughout time.
I would think that if she grows up in a stable environment with a loving father that she’d be more likely to not be bothered by the association since she’d be her daddy’s [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], not that [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] (so sweet that he picked the name)!
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that was hilarious!!
It is a very old association but has been somewhat glamorized through movies. But as a kid I heard of it very infrequently and I’m hoping when she is a kid it will be even more infrequent as most kids shouldn’t be watching / hearing about movies like that. I think it also helps that I will be homeschooling her and I think the bulk of the trouble she would have would be at school. But ya it’s very sweet that he picked it and I think Bonnie is due for a revival here! Bring back Bonnie!!
@ladyofthetower
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[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is a great name! [name_m]Wonderful[/name_m] vintage appeal, warm and familiar. If anything, [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] & [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] just gives it a fascinating edge. I wouldn’t call the association “negative”. Go for it!
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Thank you for this! I do remember growing up Bonnie was mainly remembered for being a “ride or die” and “fashion icon” rather than the more dark sides of the story!
@somemelodioussonnet
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What am I missing here? I don’t know the story well but thought it was supposed to be a negative one so I’m confused haha!
I think [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] sounds good. !
Another possible option : maybe find another B name and an E or N middle name
I.e. [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] and maybe call her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]
so you are honoring the name of both moms but also doesn’t leave you feeling uneasy or not 100% about the name!
I do associate with [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] but not in a bad way just like for me, majority of the time people are say [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] swift when calling me [name_m]Taylor[/name_m]. It was just a name that had been well known at some point in time
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[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] fell in love with ex con [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] and they became a couple as well as bandits who stole cars and money. they were caught by the law and they were shot at multiple times until declared deceased
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I think like you were saying how crime has been glamorized, Bonnie has been especially so, and the crime spree / murders have been overshadowed by the love story of her and Clyde and her iconic fashion. Also probably that a lot of folks find crime fascinating, I myself am guilt of watching a crime documentary or thriller from time to time it’s very sit on the edge of your seat compelling gets your heart rate going!
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Does it bother you the [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] reference or do you just kinda laugh it off and move on?
Personally my feeling is the [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] & [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] story has been very romanticized and while I dont think the association will ever completely be gone, I dont think everyone will view that association in a negative way. If they are even aware of it.
I grew up with 2 women named [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] neither of them had any issues with the name, especially in relation to [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] & [name_m]Clyde[/name_m]. The only negative thing I remember them saying is how people would make jokes like ‘oh you’ll make a [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] Bride’ or ‘youre my [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] girl’ but that wasnt frequent enough or really negative enough for them to have a negative view of their names.
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It’s good to know that you knew Bonnie’s that did not have an issue with their name in that way! That is very comforting
@LibelluleClaire
I didn’t instantly think of [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] when I saw the name [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] in your post title. They’re kind of a package deal. If you mention one of the names by itself, it doesn’t immediately conjure a gangster image. [name_m]Just[/name_m] don’t name a son [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] and I think you’re safe. There are celebrities named [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] Rait, the wonderful country folk artist and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] [name_m]Hunt[/name_m], the comedic actress. Also the word, [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] means happy. I think it’s a lovely name and that your daughter will be able to make it her own.
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[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is charming - I knew one at school and no one mentioned [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m]. It’s one of those associations may well be known to your daughter’s generation, but won’t be at the forefront of their minds? It’s a fairly popular choice where I am atm, so maybe that skews my perspective slightly but I think it’s a good choice for you
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[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is lovely!
[name_f]My[/name_f] friend’s daughter is [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]. She’s Bonni3 M@y which I think is really sweet (her older sister is N@ncy Fl0rence) she’s had no issues with the name continuous positive feedback and the [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] & [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] association is never brought up. Her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is 13 years old. I think [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is gorgeous I say go for it!!!
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I thought it was something along those lines, though I’ve never researched it in depth, thank you for the clarification
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I get this, I definitely have been very into crime dramas/thrillers/murder mysteries myself. I always loved the way Sherlock Holmes could solve a mystery by intelligent observation and I have been very interested in detective work (at least as it is portrayed in stories).
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I met a little [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] just the other day and she was the sweetest kid with a huge smile. To me, the name just feels sweetly old fashioned and friendly. It’s one of those rare cute names that age well and it sounds like you have a lot of solid reasons for using it.
While I am familiar with [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m], I agree with other berries that the history has been mythologized to the point that those who do think of it often consider it a romantic, exciting association rather than a dark one, for better or worse. There are also a few other pop culture Bonnies (like [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] [name_m]Bennett[/name_m] from Vampire Diaries or [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] Hunt) which makes the name feel less singular. There might be a few [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m] jokes, especially amongst older people, but I doubt it would overpower the name completely. After all, there’s tons of little Juliets running around.
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I knew of [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] & [name_m]Clyde[/name_m], but full disclosure, I thought they were fictional characters. Like, until I saw this post, when I went to google the names and realized they were real people I guess I just never cared to look into them, so clearly the negative association isn’t there for me.
I will say this though, the name [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is a longtime love of mine, & I love it for you for all the pros you listed. when I think of [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], I imagine an incredibly sweet little girl in baby pink and high pigtails, holding her favorite bear by its hand, riding her glittery tricycle with a cheeky smile on her face and a little bit of paint or breakfast on her cheeks of course everyone’s vibe from a name may be different but I do think it has that cutesy yet enduring quality to it, similar to [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Ruby[/name_f], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f], etc.
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I used to find it endearing because I liked her, then hearing it all the time got old and I laughed it off (because no mal intent — people just try to be funny relatable or awkward) and now I’m just like it’s whatever
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You could name her anything and call her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f].
[name_f]My[/name_f] association with “Bonnie” is from the book/movie “Gone with the Wind.” In the movie, the baby is born and has blue eyes, “as blue as the bonnie blue flag.” “That’s what we’ll call her! [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] [name_f]Blue[/name_f] Butler.”
In the sequel (made for movies), her name is shown as [name_f]Eugenia[/name_f] [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] “Bonnie Blue” [name_m]Butler[/name_m].
It can be a term of endearment. So, you could possibly name her a different name (only if you wanted to) and call her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], like [name_f]Sweetie[/name_f] or [name_f]Honey[/name_f] (or [name_m]Chip[/name_m] or [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] or [name_m]Bud[/name_m] for boys). That way, you’re still naming her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and honoring the Grammas, and also not naming her [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] if you decide you like something else more or want something different for the birth certificate.
This is just an option. [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is also certainly a fine name. No other name needed.
[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] was a name before [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_m]Clyde[/name_m].
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