I was just wondering, whenever I ask what someone’s least favourite name is, almost 9 times out of 10 they will say Gertrude.
I don’t particularly like it myself, but I was wondering why nobody seems to like it. Perhaps it is just one of those names people find ugly, with the hard ‘g’ sound at the start.
Thoughts on Gertrude?
[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] is one of those typical “ugly” names, like [name_f]Bernice[/name_f] or [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] (I adore [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] by the way).
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f], although it feels very old fashioned and maybe not ready for a comeback. Naming your child [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] in this day and age would definitely raise a few eyebrows though.
I want to like it, I really do!
It’s got a long history and I am generally a champion of girl names with stronger rather than softer sounds. Think [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], [name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_u]Dagny[/name_u], [name_f]Frida[/name_f], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], Hester… love them all!
Unfortunately the “Gert” sound just doesn’t appeal to me at all. It reminds me of words like hurt, curt, girdle, and just hasn’t got an attractive sound to my ear. I really dislike [name_f]Gertie[/name_f] too.
And then the “rude” part at the end of the name just jumps out at me. I actually quite like [name_f]Trudy[/name_f] as a cute/cool retro nickname, but when I read the full name I end up parsing it as [name_f]Gert[/name_f] + rude. Not ideal!
Agreed with @katinka. gert + rude are very harsh sounding to the modern ear. It even sounds like a bit of a growl at the beginning with grrr and then intrusive at the end with trude. And it’s the total opposite of popular names today that are light and end with ‘a’ - [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f].
All that said, I love [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]. I don’t hear it quite so harshly. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandma used to jokingly call me ‘Gertrude Louise’ - she thought it was funny to call a little girl such an old lady name. 
It was popular for a very long time. I choose to see it in an elegant Edwardian light. 
I love Gertrude! I would use it if it wasn’t so disliked by the general population. I hope it will have it’s comeback and people will begin to see the sweetness of the name! I also really like both Gertie and Trudy as nicknames!
That is so precious 
I don’t hate [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] 
but it’s not my favourite. It’s weird, because i really like [name_f]Trudie[/name_f] and enjoy [name_f]Gertie[/name_f] but putting them together makes me like them less.
I think the Ger sound is harsh. Like someone else pointed out, it’s almost like growling. I like names with a hard G, like [name_f]Greta[/name_f] and [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f], but I think the Gre- sound is much less abrasive than the Ger- sound for some reason.
By far, the criticism this name so commonly and predominantly receives is that it is old. And not the chic, trendy old that ‘vintage’ names like [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] and [name_f]Winifred[/name_f] exhibit, but the old that presents itself to others as being outdated, ungainly, and thoroughly unfashionable. By its very nature it is seen as anathema - its appearance disagreeable; its phonetics cumbersome. In that line of thought, the near unanimous mind-set states that such a choice would be a tragedy for a child to wear; a heavy burden to labour beneath at best. I disagree entirely. I think it’s charming, with a strong history and a powerful meaning. What I also like about it is that you have to move your mouth to say it properly - it’s distinctive and leaves an impression.
I could go on about it forever really but, it is honestly one of my top girl names and I don’t think it deserves its current undesirable reputation.
It’s not my favourite but I don’t think it deserves so much hate. I played [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] in [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] when I was a teenager so I have a special relationship with it.
Love this! It reminds me of this poem:
I think you just made me appreciate Gertrude a little bit more 
I just plain dislike the sound. I don’t think there always has to be convoluted philosophies behind why one likes or dislikes a name — the sound is simply unappealing to me. Gertrude doesn’t evoke beauty in the timeless sense, but I don’t think the name is hard to say. It’s two syllables - “Ger” and “Trude.” For the past several decades in the English-speaking world, time has especially not been kind to these sounds, so I wouldn’t use it even if vintage names are popular right now. It’s not like Elsie or Eleanor, which are also old-fashioned, because those two names have soft, flowing sounds that still adhere to traditional beauty standards in the West.
I think [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] sounds okay in a lot of the other languages, but the [name_f]English[/name_f] pronunciation is very harsh. Some names just weren’t meant to be Anglicised! (Gertrude and [name_f]Bertha[/name_f] come to mind.)
I have nothing positive to say about the name. [name_m]Just[/name_m] very unfortunate sounding.
I know the sounds are harsh to some, but I like it! I always tend to like clunky names, and I especially love this one with the nickname [name_f]Gertie[/name_f]. Its definitely outdated, and I don’t see it coming back for a few years at least, but I still like it! Seeing all these positive comments is making me like it more too!
I just don’t like it. I just don’t see anything appealing from it. It’s definitely not the worst name though.
I have never seen that poem before and I absolutely LOVE it! 
I find the sound unattractive and I have a bad association with the name. I like some of the Gertrude variants though, and Trudy is sweet.
I think the unappealing part of the name is the “ert” part – or maybe just the “err”? I have a hard time pronouncing names that end in this sound (Archer, Casper) and it doesn’t appeal to me.
I thought of this poem after reading @Florimell’s comment too! And @Florimell, did you used to have a short poem in your signature about women’s names along the same lines?
Indeed I did! Here it is!
I don’t like the sound, as others have said (though I have a soft spot for Trudy!). But just as we all consider [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] “clunky” I’m sure people in 60 years will think of [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] as “flighty” or “insubstantial.”
I kind of love when people have a general consensus about a name like this. It proves that names are so deeply reflective of a cultural moment. And very few names are lost to time. I’m sure [name_f]Gertie[/name_f] will shine again someday.
I’m a lover of strong and clunky names, so in theory I should love this, but I don’t. I just don’t find the sounds appealing to my ear. However, I love [name_f]Trudie[/name_f] as a name in its own right. It’s on my list 