Merryweather

Girl Names
1

My husband and I stumbled upon the name Merryweather, and surprisingly we both like it! It isn’t at the top of our list, but it is on the short list (TTC next year). Of course I went to go research the name and how people feel about it, and I found almost nothing. Less than five children were given the name last year, so it didn’t even register on the social security list. So I thought I would put this pretty name on the radar and see what people think of it.

It has different spellings Meriweather, Merriweather, and Merryweather. It means one with a sunny personality, or simply good weather.

Meriweather [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] led the [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] and [name_m]Clark[/name_m] expedition. His name was his mother’s maiden name, so it definitely is a surname. Some sources say the name was originally a nickname for people of a sunny disposition, then later it was adopted as a surname.

Merryweather is the name of the spunky blue fairy is Sleeping Beauty, and I enjoy how this spelling is more word-name than surname. It easily shortens to [name_f]Merry[/name_f], which for some reason I love about 100 times as much as [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. Personally, I think this name would also sound professional on an adult.

So how do you feel about this name? Does it feel completely like a surname to you? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you feel it is completely boy or girl? Would it suit an adult? What does it make you think of?

(…And do you like it better than [name_f]Godiva[/name_f]? These are my two “out there” names and I’m not sure which is better :D)

2

I love it!

3

It wouldn’t be a name I’d use personally, but I think it’s probably usable on either gender. I think it would be better off in the middle spot though, or paired with quite a simple or ordinary middle name at the very least. I agree with you that nickname [name_f]Merry[/name_f] is adorable though!
My first association was the book The [name_m]Little[/name_m] White Horse/the film The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] of Moonacre, I think it’s the lead character’s surname in them.

4

[name_f]Merry[/name_f] is really sweet and I love Meriweather (my fav spelling).
I do think it makes an awesome middle, but I think it’s optimistic or naive to call it professional on an adult. The fact that it’s a surname doesn’t take away any of the whimsy. It has none of the seriousness of [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u] or [name_u]Hollis[/name_u], which would be examples of professional sounding surname-as-first options.

5

It makes me think of Mrs. Merriwether from Gone With The Wind. It’s too surnamey to me. To be honest, I’d rather pick [name_f]Mariette[/name_f] or [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] or something like that.
[name_f]Godiva[/name_f], on the other hand, is really nice. There is a beautiful painting of Lady [name_f]Godiva[/name_f] by [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Collier[/name_m]. My only concern would be the “god” part.

6

I love the idea! Honestly, it’s so fairytale to me because of the fairy in Sleeping Beauty, but that’s not a bad thing. I never thought about it, but if people can use Wildrose, Songbird, [name_f]Tigerlily[/name_f], etc. (which I also adore) then why not? :smiley: Go for it!
I would use a short, more common mn with it.

[name_f]Godiva[/name_f] is chocolate. So no. Sorry:/

7

I love it but it may be slightly out there.
The nickname [name_f]Merry[/name_f] is cute though!

8

I actually really love Merryweather, especially nicknamed [name_f]Merry[/name_f]. I wouldn’t use it myself, it doesn’t feel like one of “my” names, but I love it.

9

I like it! I think I like Meriweather better, but the nn [name_f]Merry[/name_f]/[name_f]Meri[/name_f] is fabulous.

[name_f]Godiva[/name_f] is cool, but I think maybe it is too connected to the chocolatier. In the middle name spot, I think it would be good.

10

Weirdly, I really love it! I think it works. It would suit a child more than an adult though, but it does have a few NN options, so it may be alright.

11

I would probably use it as a middle name since I find it a bit hard to wear mainly because I only know of the sleeping beauty character. I really like the sound of it though.

12

I’m on the fence… I do think it’s absolutely usable as a middle name, but might be a little too out there as a first. If you really love the possibility of [name_f]Merry[/name_f] as a nickname, [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] would be a more wearable formal name that’s actually rather similar in sound to Merryweather. In fact, I kind of love the idea of using Merryweather as a pet name for [name_u]Meredith[/name_u]!

13

I’m happy to see that some people really like it, and I also have to agree with the people who think it is a little surname-y or childish. However, I’m still divided on this name.

I don’t care for the idea of surnames as first names because I’m concerned it may be a fad. Also, I feel like I’m trespassing by using a surname that I have no connection with. Really, I’m just a hypocrite, because I love the name [name_u]Hollis[/name_u] too. sigh I think I just need to get over it, but it still makes me uncomfortable. I’m not concerned with the “young” feeling this name has, because so many of the baby names today are cutesy and young feeling. The nickname [name_f]Merry[/name_f] with it’s similarity to [name_f]Mary[/name_f] and [name_f]Marie[/name_f] can easily smooth over any problems.

I still like the name, and it goes so well (almost too well) with our top names, which all are almost entirely word names (so you see why I prefer the spelling Merryweather). [name_f]Briar[/name_f] for a boy is pretty much nonnegotiable. I think we’d get a lot of Sleeping Beauty remarks with both a [name_f]Briar[/name_f] and a Merryweather, but I could deal with it. It is a nice word name which fits the style we seem to agree on, and the [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings connection with the nickname [name_f]Merry[/name_f] is also a plus.

My favorite combination at the moment is Merryweather [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], to me it feels like The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] Garden. I couldn’t resist including the scene this name evokes at the bottom of this post. I’m beginning to think I fall in love with the imagery of a name more than the name itself…I’m not sure if that is a good thing for choosing real names.

"‘You showed me where the key was yesterday,’ she said. ‘You ought to
show me the door to-day; but I don’t believe you know!’

The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall
and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show
off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when
he shows off–and they are nearly always doing it.

[name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_u]Lennox[/name_u] had heard a great deal about [name_u]Magic[/name_u] in her Ayah’s stories,
and she always said that what happened almost at that moment was [name_u]Magic[/name_u].

One of the nice little gusts of wind rushed down the walk, and it was a
stronger one than the rest. It was strong enough to wave the branches of
the trees, and it was more than strong enough to sway the trailing
sprays of untrimmed ivy hanging from the wall. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] had stepped close to
the robin, and suddenly the gust of wind swung aside some loose ivy
trails, and more suddenly still she jumped toward it and caught it in
her hand. This she did because she had seen something under it–a round
knob which had been covered by the leaves hanging over it. It was the
knob of a door." - The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] Garden by [name_f]Frances[/name_f] [name_m]Hodgson[/name_m] [name_m]Burnett[/name_m]

14

I like Merryweather / Merriweather

I don’t like the Meriweather spelling. It looks wrong. Sorry.

15

I like it. Merryweather for a girl I think and Merriweather for a boy.

16

I feel like it is too much for a FN. The reapeated ‘er’ sound is not appealing to me and if you had other children I feel like you would have to find something as grande and ‘out there’/offbeat like Merryweather. All that being said it does sound nice and the nickname [name_f]Merry[/name_f] is adorable.
Lets say you are the brave namer and can and will find something for siblings I feel like Merriwether/Meriwether looks more like a name than Merryweather which looks like well… your describing weather and forgot a space.

Sorry if I was being too harsh.

17

Merryweather also feels a little like a surname to me, although the nicknames are lovely. I think because of the surname feel it seems as if it would be better as a second name. It also feels like more of a girls name to me. I do like your suggestion of Merryweather [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] as those seem to go together nicely.