So I have mixed thoughts about this name. Sometimes I think it’s gorgeous, classic, with history and heritage, a lovely meaning (“pearl”), lovely nicknames ([name_f]Meg[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], maybe [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Maud[/name_f], [name_f]Maggie[/name_f]), and more than all of this it makes me think of a lady and of deep blue-purple forget-me-not colour and sepia vintage letters and [name_u]North[/name_u] & South.
However, it’s #154 or something in the US (although only around #450 in [name_f]England[/name_f]) and I also wonder whether it sounds a little - well, boring next to my other top names. I like names like [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_m]William[/name_m] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but they just sometimes feel a bit bland to me because they’re so classic. And I worry a bit about sometimes feeling that way about [name_f]Margaret[/name_f].
Also, I love lots of M- and Ma- amd even [name_f]Mar[/name_f]-/Mer- names ([name_f]Maud[/name_f], [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], [name_f]Mariel[/name_f]/[name_f]Meriel[/name_f], Merewen, [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f]) and feel like I can only really ‘pick’ one. And the others tend to be less common/popular than [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] (though it’s not so common and popular - maybe I mean less familiar/expected, which I feel is a plus).
At the moment my other top girls’ names are [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f], and Ismeria.
What do you think? (I’m not expecting or anywhere near it, just ruminating.)
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a name that I want to love more than I do. I mean I too love its history and short forms, its classic nature, and its sounds… it’s just that it still feels a bit out-dated and over-used after being so extremely popular for so long through the C19th and first half of the C20th centuries. I’m ready for it to grow on me though!
Yes, [name_u]North[/name_u] and South makes me fond of it too - one of my favourite fictional Margarets! I also love [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Maud[/name_f], [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f], Merewen (all wen names really!)
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] is growing on me. I love nicknames [name_f]Rosy[/name_f] and [name_u]Romy[/name_u].
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]'s not a terrible name, I’ve never been a big fan of it personally, just because I’m not terribly keen on that “argar” middle - it’s always sounded very harsh to my ears. It also might not help that I once knew a rather ghastly woman with the name.
I love [name_f]Maisie[/name_f] and [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f] though, and I think [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f] would be a better fit with your girls list, because, I do think [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a little bit lack-lustre beside [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and Ismeria.
I’m honestly not a fan of it
It feels old fashioned and dated, and something I’d react to with an “oh, okay, it’s another [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]”
Plus I agree that there are some much more interestin [name_f]Mar[/name_f]- or gem names out there!
I love [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and Ismeria!
My least favorite is [name_f]Ginevra[/name_f]- I think its too much like [name_f]Minerva[/name_f] which is such an old lady name to me. I do live Nicknames [name_f]Ginnie[/name_f], [name_u]Nev[/name_u], [name_f]Neva[/name_f] or [name_f]Gin[/name_f] a LOT though, my favorite nicknames out of all 3 names
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] is cute!! One of the more interestin [name_f]Rose[/name_f] names but it doesnt excite me all that much
I really like Ismeria- feels like a fresher and cuter [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]
I like [name_f]Ismene[/name_f]/Isminnie more though, it lacks the “mary”-sounding part I dislike in Ismeria
I can really appreciate the name [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], for all of the reasons you listed. It’s not my favorite name, though, and I couldn’t personally use it if I wanted to because of family reasons, but I do like it. Touching on @emmievis’ point, I actually think that [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] would be a fresh choice! I’d think, “oh, another [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]” if I met someone in their 50s by the name, but it isn’t terribly common amongst the younger generations! I like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] the most out of the the other names you suggested, with Ginerva as a second choice (only because of the HP association…I wouldn’t care for the name otherwise).
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] holds a special place in my heart. It is my late grandma’s and my mom-in-law’s middle names. So I judge it differently than if it was just a name to me.
I do not feel it is bland, or the other names you mentioned. It also comes down to what type of name would you actually name your child. Personally, I adore so many names and have fun playing around with names a little less familiar, or fun, but when naming an actual child prefer the more familiar names. I adore my [name_m]Fox[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] but if I were actually naming a child, he would be [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] [name_m]Birch[/name_m] or [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Atlas[/name_m]. They all honor, they are all special but I have fun with the one combo and would actually use the other two. We cannot predict our children’s likes and dislikes, especially pre-birth. I personally feel that I would prefer, if I disliked my name, having a familiar name than an unfamiliar one and also not liking it. When it comes down to it I feel more attached to the familiar names. Names like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_m]William[/name_m], and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] might be familiar but are lovely/handsome names also. Familiar should not be a negative.
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a really sweet, old-fashioned name but I can see what others mean about it being plainer than other choices. The range of nicknames is really what makes it appealing to me. [name_f]Maisie[/name_f] is super cute!
There are a lot of great [name_f]Mar[/name_f]- names! [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a distant 3rd for me behind [name_f]Mary[/name_f] and [name_f]Martha[/name_f].
I never thought about this name much when I was just thinking of names for fun. Now that i’m expecting it’s really grown on me. I love the meaning and the vast options for nn. Husband just vetoed it though
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] or [name_f]Greer[/name_f] are my favorite nn. Maybe consider [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] if you want to spice it up a little.
I think [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]'s okay. I can see the appeal of it being a classic, but it’s kind of plain and really overused in my opinion. I think it’d fit well with names like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f] or [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], but I think it’d be a bit boring next to less common names like [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]. I really like [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f] though!
