I think [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] is a great name! I love it and it’s very much in line to make a come back, you’d be on trend but still slightly ahead of the curve. I’d consider [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] if I was expecting.
As an honour it’s even better, and I think even if it wasn’t technically on trend your reason for wanting to use it is so lovely that it alone would convince me.
If [name_f]Maud[/name_f] can make a come back (and I’ve met 3 babies named [name_f]Maud[/name_f] in the last year) then [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] definitely can!
I personally like it, depending where you live it may be seen as either retro-chic, entirely dated or vintage, so I can’t say if it’s ready for a comeback yet (though I’m not sure how much it matters in your case).
However, if you’re not sure (which I think you’re totally allowed to be even with the beautiful personal connection), any of the [name_f]Ann[/name_f]- variations could honour [name_f]Nancy[/name_f].
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] is lovely, all i thought of was those [name_f]Fancy[/name_f] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] picture books which are super cute and not a bad association
Thank you everyone for the replies! I love the connections to [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Drew[/name_u], [name_f]Fancy[/name_f] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] & [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] from Stranger Things! All good in my opinion!
I agree that it’s a little ahead of the “100 year rule” of becoming a grandma-chic name, but I think it’s got some charm & spunk.
Also, my mom will be OVER THE [name_f]MOON[/name_f] about it & it will be a total surprise. She’s a [name_m]Saint[/name_m] so I feel she deserves this.
I’ll be making a separate post about possible middle names!
Oh, I have to respectfully disagree! All three of my siblings go by their middle names since birth. First names definitely matter because every time they were in a new classroom their first name was called. Doctors offices, legal matters, drivers license, new jobs, etc. Everyone always calls them by their “first name” until they say “Actually, I go by my middle name!”
Its not a huge deal, but it definitely comes up regularly.
I’ve only met one young [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], and she’s 14 or 15 now. From that perspective, she’s likely to be the only one in her class, instead of [name_f]Ava[/name_f] A, [name_f]Ava[/name_f] E, [name_f]Ava[/name_f] M, …
I meant that more in a way of it doesn’t really matter if it’s dated/ready to come back, not only because of the personal connection but because people will know her as “[name_u]Bay[/name_u]” anyway, especially during the first few years in which people will mainly know her name because you introduced them.
She will identify most with [name_u]Bay[/name_u], so how dated her first name is (or isn’t), likely won’t matter much to her.
Um, [name_f]Fancy[/name_f] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], anyone? Those are the books my daughters love, so I feel like I hear the name [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] all the time
Wishing you mother a speedy recovery!
2 points:
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] is a really sweet and unexpected name combo, I’d venture to double barrel it and call her by both.
In my culture, we only name for people who have already passed. [name_m]Just[/name_m] be sure that your mother will appreciate the gesture, and not see it as an omen for her to pass away (she should live long and be well!)
Since [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] is originally a nickname for [name_f]Ann[/name_f], you might consider it.
I like [name_f]Bayleigh[/name_f] or [name_u]Baylee[/name_u] with [name_u]Bay[/name_u] as a nn.
[name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_u]Piper[/name_u] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] and [name_u]Baylee[/name_u] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] or even [name_u]Baylee[/name_u] [name_f]Nan[/name_f]?
I think [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] is sweet.
Although I primarily think of it as an early-mid 20th century name, [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] does have a long history of use. I can imagine a Victorian or Elizabethan [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] as easily as a girl born in the 40s - [name_f]Anne[/name_f] Boleyn was sometimes called [name_f]Nan[/name_f] Bullen (by her detractors, to be fair, probably because it a bit disrespectful for everyday folk to call a member of the nobility by a nickname). In that sense, it fits well with other long-lasting nicknames like [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Bess[/name_f] or [name_f]Nell[/name_f].
It was used as a diminutive for [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] or [name_f]Annis[/name_f] as well as [name_f]Ann[/name_f]/ [name_f]Anne[/name_f], if you do want to go with another name. It also makes sense as a nickname for other names ([name_f]Annabelle[/name_f], etc), since it was formed by the affectionte ‘mine [name_f]Ann[/name_f]’, which became ‘my nan’.
It’s also a place name ([name_f]Nancy[/name_f] in [name_f]France[/name_f]), so is quite on-trend in that sense, too.
I wouldn’t worry about ‘bae/bay’ - I expect it will no longer be a fashionable term by the time she grows up (a few years ago, “boo” was everywhere. I haven’t heard it for a long time now).
My only hesitation about the combo ‘[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u]’ is that it might be a little close to the term ‘[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] Boy’. I don’t think a modern child would get teased about that (especially not a girl), but I would be a little hesitant because of its history as a homophobic slur. I might be overthinking that, though, and [name_u]Bay[/name_u] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] or [name_f]Anne[/name_f]/[name_f]Anna[/name_f]/[name_f]Anna[/name_f]/[name_f]Nannette[/name_f] etc [name_u]Bay[/name_u] avoids that issue.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you like your mother’s middle name? If her middle name is [name_f]Marie[/name_f], for instance, [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] or [name_f]Marie[/name_f] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] or [name_u]Bay[/name_u] [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] might flesh out ‘[name_u]Bay[/name_u]’ a little, while adding to the honour. Or, of course, you could always use your mum’s middle name and skip the [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] (if you and she both like or feel connected to the middle name).
As a [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], I’m excited to see my name getting some love on here. I like my name - it works on a little girl and an adult. [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] is adorable! I say go for it!
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_u]Bay[/name_u] is a terrific name, and pairs beautifully with [name_u]Piper[/name_u] [name_f]Joy[/name_f]! Especially given that it’s an honor name for your mother, I think it’s the perfect choice.
