mid-century names--ahead of the curve?

[babynamer]

@katseaborn

Hey – my two cents is that [name]Mari[/name] is a bit tricked up. [name]Don[/name]'t love it. But that’s just me!

You know, I do think it’s really nice, but I am kind of skeptical that it would seem tricked up around here (east coast USA), since I don’t have any Welsh in my background. I’d probably go with [name]Mary[/name], I think.

[Mischa]

[name]Hi[/name], I didn’t realize that [name]Constance[/name] [name]Marie[/name] was the name of an actress of Mexican descent. I’m’ out of touch with modern celebrities as I don’t watch much television anymore I’m afraid. I just liked the way it sounded together and with [name]Beatrice[/name]. [name]Mary[/name] is a nice solid choice which will always be classy. Good luck!

[babynamer]

@lemon

[name]Hi[/name]!

Off your list, I can definitely see [name]Mary[/name], [name]Jane[/name], [name]Anne[/name], [name]Kathleen[/name], [name]Martha[/name], [name]Laura[/name], [name]Marie[/name], and [name]Diane[/name] working. However, I’d change [name]Marie[/name] to [name]Maria[/name] and [name]Diane[/name] to [name]Diana[/name], personally. I love [name]Mary[/name] with [name]Beatrice[/name] because then you could have cute nicknames like [name]Molly[/name] and [name]Bea[/name]. [name]Jane[/name]'s a little short in my opinion, but it definitely works. I’d dress up [name]Anne[/name] as [name]Anna[/name], [name]Annabel[/name], or [name]Annora[/name], though I think [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Anna[/name], [name]Bea[/name] and [name]Annie[/name], is adorable. [name]Kathleen[/name]'s nice, but [name]Katharine[/name]'s my pick. [name]Martha[/name] is a fun one that you don’t see to much anymore! [name]Laura[/name]‘s a classic that goes beautifully with [name]Beatrice[/name], too! I like [name]Maria[/name] more than [name]Marie[/name], personally, because it feels just that much more vintage - [name]Maria[/name] is [name]Charlotte[/name]’ sister in ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ too. And, though [name]Diane[/name] feels very dated to me, I definitely could see [name]Diana[/name] making a comeback! Really elegant, feminine, yet still strong!

These aren’t mid-century, but something almost Colonial in style, such as [name]Felicity[/name], [name]Lydia[/name], or [name]Susannah[/name], would also pair nicely with [name]Beatrice[/name]. Or, something more romantic and vintage, like [name]Cecily[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name], or [name]Rosalind[/name], would be gorgeous. Good luck!

[name]Lemon[/name]

[name]Lemon[/name]–Thanks… I am really leaning toward [name]Mary[/name] too right now. I love [name]Laura[/name] but probably can’t use it (husband’s ex’s name). I like the idea of cute nicknames for [name]Mary[/name]…[name]Molly[/name] is sweet. There are a few others that crossed my mind too…

I still like [name]Anne[/name]/[name]Anna[/name]…[name]Anne[/name] is my middle name (like it’s everyone’s!), so that would be a nice connection. I think [name]Annie[/name] and [name]Bea[/name] would be so sweet, but I don’t know… I’m worried about the popularity of [name]Anna[/name] (though maybe it really doesn’t matter with such a classic), and with [name]Anne[/name], I wonder if it just seems too short with [name]Beatrice[/name].

I’m sure no one’s reading this thread anymore, but do you or anyone else have thoughts on a good middle name for [name]Mary[/name]? Or for [name]Anne[/name]/[name]Anna[/name]? Seems like one could go a lot of directions with these.

By the way, I do love [name]Lydia[/name], too. I’m not sure why I never seem to consider it more seriously, since it’s certainly popped into my head many, many times during this pregnancy. [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Anne[/name]? [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Marie[/name]/[name]Mary[/name]? [name]Mary[/name] and [name]Anne[/name] both have a family connection for me so I’d like to use one of them in the middle at least.

[jadediana]

I have to admit, I have a week spot for these kinds of names too.

[name]Mary[/name] - Nice, but a bit bland for me.
[name]Jane[/name] - the name everyone thought I had as a kid…and I didn’t mind. [name]Jade[/name]/[name]Jane[/name] both nice names.
[name]Deborah[/name] - This was the first name I thought of when I read your message. I love this name, and [name]Debbie[/name] is such a great NN.
[name]Teresa[/name] - prefer with the “h”. [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Teresa[/name] would make a lovely sibset though.
[name]Anne[/name] - [name]Love[/name] love love. So simple, and some may say bland, but I’d take this over another [name]Isabel[/name] or [name]Sophia[/name] any day.
[name]Kathleen[/name] - Another love, although I kind of prefer [name]Cathleen[/name]. It just looks softer and sweeter.
[name]Marsha[/name] - I can’t get past the [name]Brady[/name] Bunch.
[name]Martha[/name] - Great name, great namesakes ([name]Martha[/name] [name]Washington[/name] and [name]Martha[/name] [name]Graham[/name])
[name]Marilyn[/name] - Despite [name]Monroe[/name], I still see this name as being really sweet. With just a bit of sass.
[name]Laura[/name] - Doesn’t really hae the same feel as [name]Beatrice[/name] to me, but still a nice name.
[name]Constance[/name] - [name]Love[/name] this, I wish obscure virtue names would make a comeback (or maybe not…no need to ruin a good thing)
[name]Marie[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it.
[name]Donna[/name] - Pretty, but nothing super special.
[name]Cynthia[/name] - I just can’t bring myself to like this name. Maybe it’s the [name]Cy[/name]…I don’t know.
[name]Diane[/name] - Prefer [name]Diana[/name], but that’s just because it’s my mom’s name.

or names you may like:
[name]Julie[/name]
[name]Gloria[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name]
[name]Rita[/name]
[name]Helen[/name] (or [name]Ellen[/name])
[name]Loretta[/name]
[name]Lorraine[/name]
[name]Louise[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]
[name]Claudia[/name]
[name]Pauline[/name]
[name]Joanna[/name]
[name]Yvonne[/name]
[name]Colette[/name]
[name]Justine[/name]
[name]Annette[/name]
[name]Suzanne[/name]
[name]Jeannine[/name]
[name]Vera[/name]
[name]Joy[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]

[babynamer]

@phoebesmom

I love mid-centrury names! The only ones from your list that I would consider currently unusable are [name]Marsha[/name] and [name]Donna[/name]. I think those two hung on a bit longer into the '70’s. Here’s some that I would add.

[name]Patricia[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Betsy[/name] or [name]Betty[/name]
[name]Sally[/name]
[name]Annette[/name]
[name]Lana[/name]
[name]Faye[/name]
[name]Margo[/name]
[name]Pamela[/name]
[name]Beverly[/name]
[name]Doris[/name]
[name]Peggy[/name]
[name]Mary[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Helen[/name]
[name]Joanna[/name]
[name]Lois[/name]
[name]Lorraine[/name]
[name]Rita[/name]

I always love [name]Elizabeth[/name]. Especially love [name]Lizzy[/name] and [name]Libby[/name] as nicknames. But it’s taken in my family. [name]Rita[/name] is a nice one that you really just never hear anymore at all! I often hear [name]Greta[/name] mentioned (at least around nameberry), but not [name]Rita[/name]. I do like it but I feel like it might not have as much substance as my other daughter’s name. Thanks for the suggestions…

[babynamer]

@jadediana

I have to admit, I have a week spot for these kinds of names too.

[name]Mary[/name] - Nice, but a bit bland for me.
[name]Jane[/name] - the name everyone thought I had as a kid…and I didn’t mind. [name]Jade[/name]/[name]Jane[/name] both nice names.
[name]Deborah[/name] - This was the first name I thought of when I read your message. I love this name, and [name]Debbie[/name] is such a great NN.
[name]Teresa[/name] - prefer with the “h”. [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Teresa[/name] would make a lovely sibset though.
[name]Anne[/name] - [name]Love[/name] love love. So simple, and some may say bland, but I’d take this over another [name]Isabel[/name] or [name]Sophia[/name] any day.
[name]Kathleen[/name] - Another love, although I kind of prefer [name]Cathleen[/name]. It just looks softer and sweeter.
[name]Marsha[/name] - I can’t get past the [name]Brady[/name] Bunch.
[name]Martha[/name] - Great name, great namesakes ([name]Martha[/name] [name]Washington[/name] and [name]Martha[/name] [name]Graham[/name])
[name]Marilyn[/name] - Despite [name]Monroe[/name], I still see this name as being really sweet. With just a bit of sass.
[name]Laura[/name] - Doesn’t really hae the same feel as [name]Beatrice[/name] to me, but still a nice name.
[name]Constance[/name] - [name]Love[/name] this, I wish obscure virtue names would make a comeback (or maybe not…no need to ruin a good thing)
[name]Marie[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it.
[name]Donna[/name] - Pretty, but nothing super special.
[name]Cynthia[/name] - I just can’t bring myself to like this name. Maybe it’s the [name]Cy[/name]…I don’t know.
[name]Diane[/name] - Prefer [name]Diana[/name], but that’s just because it’s my mom’s name.

or names you may like:
[name]Julie[/name]
[name]Gloria[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name]
[name]Rita[/name]
[name]Helen[/name] (or [name]Ellen[/name])
[name]Loretta[/name]
[name]Lorraine[/name]
[name]Louise[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]
[name]Claudia[/name]
[name]Pauline[/name]
[name]Joanna[/name]
[name]Yvonne[/name]
[name]Colette[/name]
[name]Justine[/name]
[name]Annette[/name]
[name]Suzanne[/name]
[name]Jeannine[/name]
[name]Vera[/name]
[name]Joy[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]

Thanks! You know, I love [name]Deborah[/name] too. I think it will come back someday in the not too distant future–it does have substance.I do keep waffling between thinking [name]Mary[/name] is really sweet and just too bland. I think [name]Anne[/name] feels like a ‘zippier’ name to me than [name]Mary[/name], though they’re both really similar classics in many ways. I just can’t seem to make up my mind!

[Millikate]

I think [name]Mary[/name] is sweet with the nickname [name]Molly[/name] and goes great with [name]Beatrice[/name]. I also like [name]Mae[/name] or [name]Maisie[/name] as nicknames for [name]Mary[/name].

Good luck!

[system]

I agree with above: [name]Constance[/name] and [name]Mary[/name].