Later on today I’m going to ask my brother’s partner if comments about [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] are too overwhelming and if it happens every time she has to introduce herself.
A lot of the people who read the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] books and watched the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] films will be having kids so I expect the name to gain popularity in the next decade.
I wouldn’t be bothered if [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] were the most popular name because I love the name so much.
I’ve met a 3 year old called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] and live in [name_f]Scotland[/name_f]. It was at a party where a lot of people were meeting each other for the first time and no one brought up the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] connection or questioned the parents about it. I think it’s a beautiful, strong name.
I think responses from folks who live in the UK will be much more helpful to you. I’m from the US and the name is very uncommon here-nearly unheard of- and too associated with [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m].
I think it’s a pretty and interesting name and could be a great choice if the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] association is less where you live.
I think the older generation in the US will be familiar with the name because of [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] Baddeley and [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] Gingold because they both moved to the US and regularly appeared on TV and in films. Although it’s true that at the moment the name has not been in the top 1000 in the US.
It would be ridiculous to deny that there will more than likely always be a reference to [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] because as it has been pointed out, [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] popularised the name, but in some countries like the UK, it was not unheard of before [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] and is seen as a “normal” name. And, the craze over [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] is different now so it would have been different naming your daughter [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] during the craze when the films were being released. [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] is only one reference, but there are so many other references. Mind you, people will probably think of Rowling before [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] when it comes to the literary references.
Also, I was looking on my bookshelves earlier and I remembered that I have a few books by a couple of other well known Hermiones in the UK, the novelist [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_f]Eyre[/name_f] and biographer [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_u]Lee[/name_u].
I don’t care about the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] reference and my boyfriend is fine about the name [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] so nothing is going to stop me from naming my daughter [name_f]Hermione[/name_f].
I’ve met a few Hermiones over the years, ranging from old ladies to babies born within the past few years. I wouldn’t say it’s a common name in the U.K. but it’s not unheard of. I do think that whilst the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] craze isn’t as prominent anymore (due to no new books or films) I would say it is still prominent in U.K. culture (due to the longevity of the books and new releases from J.K Rowling) and most people under 35 are going to associate the name [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] with [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]. But that’s not a bad thing and if you have your heart set on the name and don’t see the connotations of [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] as a bad thing, you’re fine.
Just be aware though, that J K Rowling has been involved in a transphobic dispute recently which has tarnished her reputation. So there may be a few comments about using the name that is famous from her book and people questioning your use over it.
I’m from the US and have never met a [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]. [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] would absolutely come up every single time if I had a [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]. We even had a few people confuse our [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] for [name_f]Bellatrix[/name_f]!
You say you don’t mind the HP connection but keep trying to disprove opinions of posters who live outside the UK. This makes me think that the HP connection does actually bother you somewhat. [name_m]Will[/name_m] it bother you if someone brings it up in real life?
We all know there is a history and usage of the name beyond HP but HP is still the most current and strongest connection people will have with [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]. I would actually recommend watching/reading at least one HP to understand the connection.
I don’t know any [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]’s irl, except for the daughter of someone on another name site I frequent. I think it’s quite normal or at least familiar here (I also live in the UK). The HP character would probably be most people’s first association, however given the history behind it prior to the books, I think it’s pretty easy to explain that you chose the name for different reasons. Personally, I absolutely adore [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], and I’ll admit that’s primarily because of the character. But a @luciaintheskywithdia mentioned, J.K. Rowling has posted transphobic statements. I don’t think it should put you off never having read her books or watched the films though. It is a great name with plenty of history prior to the books.
Never encountered one irl, but my main association is [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] (The [name_u]Winter[/name_u]’s Tale), and then [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]. Neither would really make me bat an eye if I met one. I think popularity is 100% a regional thing though - you personally may have encountered many Hermiones, but someone who lives 10 minutes up the road may have gone their entire life without encountering one. It’s why in the US there’s different popularity lists per state, and in the UK, popularity can be viewed regionally (ie [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]West[/name_u], [name_u]South[/name_u] [name_u]East[/name_u], [name_u]London[/name_u], etc.).
Olivia could be the number one name in [name_f]Alabama[/name_f] but rank at number 27 in [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_m]York[/name_m], and [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] could be the reigning top pick for girls in Liverpool, but in [name_u]London[/name_u], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] could reign supreme.
Hermione may be commonplace where you live, but with only about 70 or so born each year in both the US and UK, there could be entire communities who have never before encountered them.
You have hit the nail on the head about the popularity of names and regions! I have never met anyone with some of the names in the top 10 for both boys and girls.
With all due respect, what Rowling has said which has caused controversy is not going to put me off using a given name that is the name of one of the main characters in the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] series.
I do not! I do associate it with the character but it’s positive associations and it doesn’t feel unwearable. It is also Shakespearean ([name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] in a winter’s tale). I love it!
I saw my brother’s girlfriend earlier today and we had a good chat for about an hour’s time about names. With regards to the name [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] (her name), she told me that when the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] films were being released and were the craze she had people make comments about her name, but the films have also helped a lot of people pronounce her name correctly. She did tell me that many people did pronounce her name correctly before [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] which makes sense considering it’s not really any different from [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] or any other Greek name with a similar ending. She told me that people do still make comments about [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m], but it’s not as often these days. Also, I asked if she knows anyone else called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] and she told me she went to university with one and has met a couple more over the years.
Many names have been influenced by or associated with literature such as [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_m]Luke[/name_m] and so forth. I don’t think the association of [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] with [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] has ruined the name or has made the name unusable. It’s not like the name is a lot to live up to or anything like that since it’s not in the same category as one-name female singers or other celebs. [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is a perfectly “normal” name that has a good literary character reference.
I asked my boyfriend what is his first associate with the name and he told me the actress [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_u]Norris[/name_u].
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is at the top of our girl name list right now. I’ve never met one but I think it’s totally useable, especially since you’re in the UK.
I’m in the US and have never met a [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], in fact the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] books are what taught me how to properly pronounce the name (I pronounced it Her-me-own prior to the 4th book where it was phonetically spelled out). And while I do also know that [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is used by [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m], and is the name of a character on Riverdale, I predominately associate it with HP. If I were to meet someone around my age who named their child [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], I would probably assume they were HP fans in some fashion even if I didn’t say so out loud.
With all that said, it’s a perfectly fine name and the association to [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_m]Granger[/name_m] wouldn’t bother me since she’s a great character.
I love [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]. I have a friend who has a daughter with the name - she is called Mione for short.
But FYI - [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] is very much alive and well. [name_f]My[/name_f] daughter is 9 (10 in Dec) and is [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] obsessed. She has just finished reading all of the books, has watched the movies, and has [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] everything including costumes, bed linen, T-shirts, pyjamas, pens, notepaper, hair clips, apps, other books about [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] and even underwear. She’s not alone - it’s most of her class too.
Hermione will be linked to [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]. But I don’t think it’s a bad association. She’s smart and brave!
I’m sorry, but I disagree with you. I watched all of the [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] films in the 2000s when a lot of people were mad about the HP series, but these days the only people who are still mad about it are the people who like that sort of thing (fantasy). [name_m]Even[/name_m] when HP was very popular, I can’t remember ever seeing anyone wearing a t-shirt or anything like that.
The HP books/films are classics, just like the Game of Thrones, [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of The Rings, etc. People still read the books and watch the films, but the craze for any of them is over. Thus, this begs the question - what is going to be the craze in the 2020s?
I don’t want to call you a “liar”, but I highly doubt most kids in a class are mad about HP. I have two kids, a boy in secondary school and a girl in primary school and I have never heard either of them mention HP. Similarly, none of my nieces and nephews have ever mentioned HP.
Most people have heard of HP, but many people have no interest in reading the books or watching the films.
OP, if you want to name your daughter [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] then go for it. I went to college with a girl called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] in the 1990s and I still see her from time to time, although I was familiar with the name before I went to college because of [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]’s play The [name_u]Winter[/name_u]’s Tale, [name_m]David[/name_m] [name_u]Bowie[/name_u]’s song “Letter to [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]” (one of his ex-girlfriends is called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] and the song is about her) and I studied Greek mythology in school.
The HP is not a bad association so go for it! I think you are worrying over nothing. The bane is by no means strange to anyone in the UK, it was not terribly unheard of even before HP.
It’s strange reading this thread because I watched [name_f]Star[/name_f] Wars: The Last [name_m]Jedi[/name_m] last week and an actress called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] Corfield stars in it. And, I watch Riverdale and there is a character in that show called [name_f]Hermione[/name_f].
Wow. This thread is getting ridiculous. If she says her daughter likes HP, she likes HP. [name_m]Can[/name_m] we move on from this? [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is mostly associated with HP and there’s no use arguing over it. Use it if you want to.
[name_f]Welcome[/name_f] and congratulations!! I do think 95% of people would associate [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] with the HP films/books. BUT, that being said, I strongly believe that people define their names more than the other way around. AND, [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is a gorgeous name all around. FURTHERMORE, [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] in the HP series is a strong intelligent woman that any modern girl could be proud to be named after. So, I think it’s totally useable, beautiful, and you should definitely go for it!!
