See the results of this poll: Your opinion of Roberta
Respondents: 62 (This poll is closed)
- Love it! : 11 (18%)
- Hate it! : 26 (42%)
- No strong feelings either way.: 25 (40%)
Middle names are usually names that have significant meaning to one or both of the parents. To me it is not a pretty name but because it has meaning it will have meaning to your daughter (If you have a daughter first)! You may also find it difficult to find a first name to go with it. I prefer [name]Robert[/name] for the boy-but as I said-it is the meaning behind middle names that count-when do we usually use them? Passport? 
I don’t have feelings on either way, but for your daughter, I think it’s nice. It’s good that it honours your family.
Hate is a strong word, so I voted no strong feelings either way.
[name]Roberta[/name] isn’t my favorite name, but if it honors family, it can’t be all that bad. [name]One[/name] suggestion I would make (if I may) is [name]Robin[/name]/[name]Robyn[/name]. It’s a lovely name and would work well as a mn. [name]Just[/name] a thought.
prefer it only as a mn.
I used to hate it but I know a lovely one so now I like it a lot. Weird how that happens sometimes…
I don’t like it. It’s too masculine to me. I tend to not like a lot of the English type female versions of male names.
Sorry, but if you really like it use it. I like the reasoning, it’s a bit different than most.
I have a cousin named [name]Roberta[/name] and when I tell people or talk about my cousin people always snicker at that name…they always picture she is a pudgy girl with a transgender voice…i know, that’s harsh…but that is seriously the reaction I get when I talk about her…people are mean…especially cus she is a real person…but either way…if it’s a mn AND a namesake it will mean something to her and most people don’t know their friends middle names…or judge them on it…lol. So I say go for it…I have always thought it was cute, but that’s because she’s my relative - apparently the rest of the world doesn’t think so…humph!
The only [name]Roberta[/name] I know is a friend of my mum’s who’s now retired…she’s a nice woman though so I have good associations with the name, though it does seem like an ‘old person’s name’ to me . I did meet a couple of girls who’d be in their mid-20s now and went by [name]Bobbie[/name], though I have no idea whether that was their given name or whether it was short for [name]Roberta[/name]/something else. [name]Just[/name] a thought on the nickname front.
I’d say it’s definitely useable as a mn, fn maybe not as much but then again older names are back in vogue so it’s possible. [name]Love[/name] that it honours, too, which makes it probably better in the mn spot.
I went to school with as [name]Roberta[/name], nn [name]Bertie[/name], so I have a pretty positive association with it. I think it would be just fine in the mn spot as a way to honor your family.
I honestly love it. I don’t even know why, but I think it’s sweet.
I think it’s cute, but I don’t have strong feelings towards it.
[name]How[/name] about:
[name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
[name]Kathryn[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
[name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Roberta[/name]
I have no strong feelings on [name]Roberta[/name], but I think it would make a nice middle name for your situation.
[name]Don[/name]'t love or hate it, but if it means something to you then that counts for a lot! What about [name]Robin[/name]?
I’m indifferent to the name but love the reasoning behind using it. And as a middle name it will be a tie to her family history that will be rarely used in everyday life but something that could be passed down as a family name for generations to come.
i hate it! sorry!
Thank you all for your honest opinions! I need to think some more… I do like the idea of [name]Robin[/name] but here that tends to be more of a boy’s name. Neither is a contender for a fn. I really want a nod to my Dad as our other kids have names from dh’s side - my turn. Wish his name was nicer though ([name]Kenneth[/name] - eek). I’m not into [name]Kendall[/name] et al. I have never liked my name so that is out.
I might travel a little further up the family tree I do have a Grandma [name]June[/name]
Whoa…My mom almost named me [name]Roberta[/name] and I have heard the story over and over about how my mom wanted that name and how my dad had to over-rule her on this. I have always been horrified at the prospect…Can you imagine in the 80’s growing up with all the [name]Ashley[/name]'s, Jennifers, [name]Amy[/name]'s, ect…having the name “[name]Roberta[/name]”? It was a family name, but kind of distant, and I always interpreted her consideration of this name as proof that she didn’t really want me or love me. I am not kidding. My mom was never nurturing or all that kind to me, and I see the almost-name of [name]Roberta[/name] as the first manifestation of her “non-caring” about my well being. I am not. exaggerating.
I am not saying that you are coming from the same place at all, since these clunky cool names are coming back, and it has family meaning for you, but I thought you might like my persepective. Maybe as a middle?
Wow ohiom. Thanks for taking the time to post - you obviously have really strong feelings about this name.
I do think that your feelings are pretty specific to your situation and I doubt that my child would feel similarly if only because name styles have moved on and she would be at school with a whole different name crowd.
I did try to make it clear in my post that it would be a middle name as I don’t love the potential nicknames from this one. I knew a woman named [name]Roberta[/name] ([name]Bert[/name]) once and she was pretty, cool and spunky so I guess this has shaped my view of the name.
I hope that when my kids are grown they can see the love that went into their names (even if they don’t love them and I have no way of knowing if they will). My family often jokes that my mum wanted to call me [name]Lenore[/name] ~ I see this as evidence of her bad taste but not a lack of love and caring.
I hope that one day you can come to peace with [name]Roberta[/name], have you ever asked your mum what she liked about it? Possibly she had a good reason to love the name even if you are glad she didn’t use it…?
I think it’s not so attractive, but that’s not such issue in the middle. I think [name]Robin[/name], though dated up front, is cute and unexpected in the middle, and [name]Robina[/name] or [name]Robinette[/name] is kind of funky, spunky, and fun in the middle.