See the results of this poll: Margaret/Maggie or Anne/Annie?
Respondents: 73 (This poll is closed)
- Anne nn Annie: 32 (44%)
- Margaret nn Maggie: 41 (56%)
I like margaret/maggie best
I definitely prefer [name]Margaret[/name].
[name]Anne[/name] is beautiful, although I personally prefer the softer and more melodic [name]Anna[/name]. [name]Anne[/name] seems like a much plainer and more limited name than [name]Margaret[/name], especially since [name]Margaret[/name] has so many options for nicknames! ([name]Maggie[/name], [name]Margot[/name], [name]Greta[/name], [name]Mari[/name], etc.)
Then again, I personally don’t like giving nicknames at all.
I also find one-syllable first names to be very difficult to pair with a middle name. No matter what you use, it always sounds abrupt.
Lastly, [name]Ann[/name]/e is obviously well-known as a “filler” middle name, which lends to an all-around common-place feel.
However, both names are classic, feminine and beautiful, so if your gut is disagreeing with me right now, then go for [name]Anne[/name]!
Good luck to you!
For mns, I’m leaning toward:
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Ellen[/name]
or
[name]Anne[/name] Renfro (Renfro is a family surname)
Well, [name]Margaret[/name] is on my name list because I love [name]Maggie[/name]. Tonight I realized that I really do love the nickname [name]Maggie[/name] - I’ve been on the fence for a bit about it.
I don’t care for [name]Anne[/name] at all. I love [name]Anna[/name]. I love [name]Anna[/name] on its own because it sounds happy and beautiful, but I love it with the [name]Annie[/name] nickname, too, because it sounds casual and sweet. But, if you want [name]Anne[/name], then I definitely choose [name]Margaret[/name].
[name]Lemon[/name] 
[name]Hi[/name]! [name]Anne[/name] is one of my all-time favorite names! I love its simple elegance, and every [name]Anne[/name] I’ve ever known has been cheerful, spunky, kind, and intelligent. I love [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables and the Broadway show [name]Annie[/name] (I loved the movie when I was little), and those cheerful, lovable characters remind me of the real-life Annes I know.
Over the summer, I posted a thread about [name]Anne[/name] as a first name, and thought you may like to read the comments and see the poll results: Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums
I’d love to meet a little [name]Anne[/name]!
Good luck! 
Thanks so much for that link - I just read all 42 responses and voted in the poll! I agree with the “bring back [name]Anne[/name]” sentiment. I really love its simplicity, so I don’t share the problem several respondents did about the name feeling incomplete or “default” or anything.
The only thing that does cause me to hesitate is it’s “old-fashioned” credibility. I love turn-of-the-century names - not just because they’re back in style, but also because I’m a huge American history nut and the names of that time really fit how I imagine my child (if that makes sense).
Anyway, while [name]Margaret[/name] actually was popular at the turn of the century, [name]Anne[/name] didn’t even register in the top 100. [name]Annie[/name] was the much more likely given name choice of the time. But I really want a formal name - even though I like the use of the nn [name]Annie[/name], even as an adult.
So, here’s my question. Is [name]Anne[/name] a legitimately old-fashioned name? That might sound like an odd question, considering its an undisputed classic, but [name]Caroline[/name] is also a classic and doesn’t really have an “old” feel to it. [name]Frances[/name], on the other hand… Get the distinction? Which category is [name]Anne[/name]?
[name]Hi[/name]! I’m a huge American history fan, too, and I completely get what you’re saying about [name]Anne[/name] Vs. [name]Margaret[/name] in terms of having an old-fashioned feel. While [name]Anne[/name] is definitely a very old name, it doesn’t have a “vintage” feel to me like [name]Margaret[/name] or [name]Frances[/name] do.
[name]Anne[/name] reminds me of classic names like [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Anna[/name], [name]Caroline[/name], [name]Catherine[/name], [name]Julia[/name], [name]Claire[/name], [name]Grace[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], and [name]Susannah[/name], all of which feel timeless–but not old-fashioned—to me.
Classic and vintage names that feel “old-fashioned” like [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Frances[/name] to me:
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]/[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Celia[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name]
If you’re looking for an old-fashioned feel, I think that [name]Margaret[/name] is perfect!
(Thanks for voting in the [name]Anne[/name] poll!)
Take care!
You’re killing me [name]Jill[/name]!
After reading through the link you sent, I was getting psyched for [name]Anne[/name]. [name]Just[/name] when I think I’ve come around, you confirm my final concern: that it really isn’t an old-fashioned name. Aargh!
I do love a lot of the names you recommended. Other names I’ve had on my longer list include:
[name]Eleanor[/name] nn [name]Nell[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name] nn [name]Ruthie[/name]
[name]Rose[/name] nn [name]Rosie[/name]
[name]Sally[/name]
[name]Frances[/name] nn [name]Frannie[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name] nn [name]Bea[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Betty[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
([name]Dorothy[/name] nn [name]Dottie[/name] would also make the list, but it’s my niece’s name. Guess the appreciation for old-fashioned names is a family trait.)
As you can tell, I’m a big nickname fan, which is what puts [name]Anne[/name] and [name]Margaret[/name] at the top of the current list. I can’t even think of the names [name]Annie[/name] or [name]Maggie[/name] without smiling.
You’ve given me a lot to think about…
[quote=“dizzy”]
You’re killing me [name]Jill[/name]!
After reading through the link you sent, I was getting psyched for [name]Anne[/name]. [name]Just[/name] when I think I’ve come around, you confirm my final concern: that it really isn’t an old-fashioned name. Aargh!
I do love a lot of the names you recommended. Other names I’ve had on my longer list include:
[name]Eleanor[/name] nn [name]Nell[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name] nn [name]Ruthie[/name]
[name]Rose[/name] nn [name]Rosie[/name]
[name]Sally[/name]
[name]Frances[/name] nn [name]Frannie[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name] nn [name]Bea[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Betty[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
([name]Dorothy[/name] nn [name]Dottie[/name] would also make the list, but it’s my niece’s name. Guess the appreciation for old-fashioned names is a family trait.)
As you can tell, I’m a big nickname fan, which is what puts [name]Anne[/name] and [name]Margaret[/name] at the top of the current list. I can’t even think of the names [name]Annie[/name] or [name]Maggie[/name] without smiling.
You’ve given me a lot to think about…[/quote]
I’m sorry, Dizzy. For what it’s worth, admitting that [name]Anne[/name] doesn’t have an old-fashioned feel to me was painful for me, because I knew it would sway you toward [name]Margaret[/name]. ([name]Anne[/name] probably hates me now.)
[name]Anne[/name] IS an old name, but, yeah, it feels more like [name]Caroline[/name] or [name]Elizabeth[/name] to me, while [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Frances[/name] have the “old fashioned” feel. I still think it’s gorgeous and completely tied in with American history (which is one of the reasons I love it)!
To me, [name]Annie[/name] is the most cheerful nickname in the world! I love saying it and hearing it, and never tire of it. I love [name]Anne[/name] so much, and I think of it as the epitome of a classic name.
I think that [name]Margaret[/name] is a great name, too, and you honestly can’t go wrong either way!
I love [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Sally[/name] so much, by the way! (I love your entire list of alternate names, actually!)
I hope you choose the name that makes you happiest!
Take care!
I really like [name]Anne[/name] Renfro!
P.S. I love the [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables association so I’m not entirely set against the name. I just personally find it to be a little lackluster (probably because it’s my middle name and I always hated it).
My grandmother is [name]Ann[/name] [name]Caroline[/name], which I always thought was a rather lovely combination!
[name]Anne[/name]/[name]Annie[/name] is mounting quite a comeback in the poll… she’s now only down by 2 votes after an early thumpin’ from [name]Margaret[/name]. That [name]Annie[/name] is a scrappy one…
Go [name]Anne[/name]/[name]Annie[/name]!!! You can do it! Woo-hoo!
Go [name]Anne[/name]/[name]Annie[/name]!!! You can do it! Woo-hoo! :-)[/quote]
LOL!
This was difficult for me. First I voted for [name]Margaret[/name] nn [name]Maggie[/name]. Then I read [name]Jill[/name]'s post and switched to [name]Anne[/name]. I think [name]Anne[/name] is a beautiful name (especially with the [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables namesake.) I love [name]Anna[/name] even more. The nickname [name]Annie[/name] is superb. It’s bubbly, light and happy and can work for a young girl as well as an older woman.
[name]Margaret[/name] is beautiful as well. However, I feel like [name]Anne[/name] is an older name than [name]Margaret[/name], which I think is what you’re going for. It might be because I’ve met many younger Margarets and many older Annes the past few years. The nickname [name]Maggie[/name] is popular and so is [name]Molly[/name]. The nickname [name]Annie[/name], however, isn’t as popular among younger people today.
I think a little [name]Anne[/name] would run a much lower chance of having another [name]Anne[/name] in her class than if she were a [name]Margaret[/name]. [name]Anne[/name] is used so much for middle names that it would be lovely to hear it as a first name at last. It’s in the same league as [name]Marie[/name], [name]Rose[/name] and now [name]Grace[/name]: I would love to hear them more as a first name than as a severely used middle name.
I love [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Ellen[/name], by the way. [name]Anne[/name] Renfro doesn’t hold much appeal for me because of the heavy ‘n’ sound in both names. I think [name]Anne[/name] would sound much more elegant with a more stream-lined, longer middle name like [name]Anne[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name].
Names from your list that work with [name]Margaret[/name]:
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Ruth[/name] (though a bit ‘r’ heavy)
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Frances[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] (bit of a mouthful though)
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Eleanor[/name]
I also thought I would recommend, [name]Eloise[/name]. I’m not sure if it was suggested but I love it! [name]Anne[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name] sounds wonderful, from [name]Jill[/name]'s suggestions.
Sorry for the long past and hope I helped!
Good luck
I think [name]Maggie[/name] is a much more hip choice than [name]Annie[/name] at the moment, so I’d go with that. It’s classic and understated. I like [name]Anne[/name], but prefer just [name]Anne[/name] or [name]Anna[/name], not [name]Annie[/name].
What about [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Anne[/name]? That way you could use both.
Thanks for the suggestions. I keep going back and forth as well, so I can definitely appreciate your thought process on this.
I had actually strongly considered [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Frances[/name] before choosing [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Ellen[/name]. I was a little concerned that both [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Frances[/name] can have a slightly stodgy feel to them, and the pairing might be a bit much. [name]Ruth[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] I want to save for possible future first names. [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] is a bit long for me, and [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Eloise[/name] is pretty, but maybe too romantic for my taste.
With [name]Anne[/name], I had considered [name]Anne[/name] [name]Louise[/name] and [name]Anne[/name] [name]Harriet[/name] before leaning toward [name]Anne[/name] Renfro. I wanted a way to work the family name in anyway, and I like the complete distinctiveness of Renfro paired with the couldn’t-be-simpler [name]Anne[/name].
I love [name]Anne[/name]! [name]Margaret[/name] really isn’t my favorite but I do think her nn’s and variations are nice.