What Do You Guys Think of Primrose?

This is my husband’s favorite name. My daughter is due on [name]March[/name] 22nd. And [name]Primrose[/name] means “the first rose of spring.” It’s going to be (hopefully!) a ‘scheduled’ c-section. Nn. willl be [name]Rosey[/name]. Her sister’s name is [name]Catherine[/name] Annalis-nn. [name]Cate[/name].

You know what-I actually like [name]Primrose[/name] a lot-but I worry that she won’t like it. It’s not even in the the top 1000-is there a reason? [name]Annaliese[/name] isn’t in the top 1000 either and i love that name. What do you guys think?

I think the meaning is great, but can’t get past the word ‘prim’ and think it sounds old-fashioned in a seriously dusty way because of the ‘prim’ part, Victorian in a restricted non-progressive way. I get that some parts of the era are romanticized, but the name [name]Primrose[/name] makes me think of someone who thinks it’s their duty to stop everyone from having any fun, and is very rigid about ladies who know their place and would not be interested in voting or having a career. That seems at odds with the actual meaning of the name.

There is a PRIM and properness to it. I do like that it’s the most masculine of the rose names, though.

[name]Hi[/name]! While I think that [name]Primrose[/name] is very pretty, I prefer it in the middle because of the “prim” part, which makes it one of those names that I think feel like a lot to live up to.

What if a [name]Primrose[/name] isn’t prim and proper? (I picture a dainty Victorian woman in lace when I hear the name.) What if she’s built like a linebacker, hates wearing dresses, and loves telling raunchy jokes? To me, [name]Primrose[/name] feels like a name that comes with a lot of expectations.

I do love [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Rose[/name] names so much, but [name]Primrose[/name] is just one I’d personally keep in the middle. I do think it has a beautiful sound though, and I love how it looks, too.

As for [name]Primrose[/name] not being in the top 1,000, some of my favorite names (ie: [name]Beatrix[/name] and [name]Cordelia[/name]) aren’t in the top 1,000, and I view it as a plus! :slight_smile: I think that names not in the top 1,000 simply don’t possess the sounds that are presently popular (a endings, for example), and are too musty sounding for people who love majorly popular names like [name]Ava[/name], [name]Isabella[/name], and [name]Emma[/name].

I saw that you’re considering Annarose, and I think it’s beautiful!

Good luck! :slight_smile:

There was a thread a while back called “[name]Primrose[/name] needs a mn”. Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums

You might take a look at this thread for mn ideas, etc.

I know how you feel about [name]Primrose[/name]. It is how I feel about [name]Winifred[/name]. I love the name, but I fear any daughter I had would not. I will probably not use it for that reason.

I knew a Nigerian girl named [name]Primrose[/name] so I’m pretty used to the sound of it now, but it did take some getting used to.

I never asked her what she thought of her name. She didn’t get called by any nn, just [name]Primrose[/name].

Being total honest i 100% dislike this name. The first thing i read, and a possibly teasing potential is Prime-Roast. Not to mention to me the names do not flow together very nicely. This is my opinion and i know alot of people like it but i cant wrap my head around it. If you were to use it i would use it as a middlename. Not to mention it sounds almost masculine to me.

It’s beautiful

i like it.

I really like it but it does sound quite formal compared to most of the other floral/ nature type names. Perhaps use it as a middle name- I think it would be beautiful as a mn.

You know I didn’t like the PRIM part either-at first. But I wanted a [name]Rose[/name] name and my husband said he loved it the minute he saw it. The ‘prim’ in [name]Primrose[/name] is 'first." It means the first rose of spring.
And I just think it’s too cute that she will likely be born on the first day of spring.
And her friends will call her [name]Rosey[/name].

I wouldn’t use it. It’s just a name that is very extreme, so to speak. I can see the appeal, but it’s not an easy name for a person to make their own. An ideal name should be more about her than about you. [name]Just[/name] because you see your daughter as a prim rose doesn’t mean that is how she will see herself or want the rest of the world to see her. I think you should give her a name with more versatility.

And, you could always consider [name]Primrose[/name] in the middle; then if, as [name]Jill[/name] says, she turns out to be built like a linebacker and likes to tell raunchy jokes, someday when she’s in a bar somewhere, drinking beer straight from the can and wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her jersey, someone will ask her what her middle name is and everyone will have a good laugh :slight_smile:

In all seriousness, though, there’s a wide range of personality types between the dainty Victorian lady and the beer-drinking brute. And there’s a wide range of names that could be more easily adapted to all of those different personalities.

You know I didn’t like the PRIM part either-at first. But I wanted a [name]Rose[/name] name and my husband said he loved it the minute he saw it. The ‘prim’ in [name]Primrose[/name] is 'first." It means the first rose of spring.
And I just think it’s too cute that she will likely be born on the first day of spring.
And her friends will call her [name]Rosey[/name].[/quote]

I know what it means and what the prim refers to… that doesn’t negate that half the name is prim, which has a less good meaning. It seems very cute in theory, but we don’t live in theory. I don’t think I would get used to it. It doesn’t seem masculine, as you put it, either. [name]Rose[/name] is also a good name, why do people insist on embellishing it with longer forms?

I think [name]Primrose[/name] is difficult to say - if someone said Prim was a name and their last name was [name]Rose[/name], I think a lot of people would say it doesn’t flow - it’s R-heavy and that M is kind of in a weird spot. Sorry, I do not see the appeal of this name other than the meaning, which is kind of obscured behind the immediate recognition of the word prim and all it conveys. There are a few odd suggestions that come by, some of which I dislike to the point I’m glad it’s not my name, but very few that I would be mortified to go to high school if it were my name. That’s a strong feeling. I can’t be sold on this, sorry, but if you like it, I have answered your question, and you can name your daughter whatever you like, whatever seems sweet to you, or clever. I’m not suggesting you do otherwise - I am answering the question honestly. Words are not just their meanings but their sounds and sound-alikes and imagery - prim is a really difficult imagery to clear out of people’s heads. Maybe you can overlook it, but she will have to open her mouth and say this name to lots and lots of people throughout her life.

I like the meaning, but I would use it as middle name…
What about [name]Zoe[/name] [name]Primrose[/name]?!?

I agree completely with [name]Jill[/name]… [name]Primrose[/name] comes with too much expectation! If she doesn’t turn out to be the dainty, feminine, frilly girl that the name suggests, it feels out of place.

[name]How[/name] about [name]Roseanne[/name] or [name]Roseanna[/name]? I [name]LOVE[/name] this name. It’s gorgeous, yet underused and doesn’t have expectation. To keep the husband happy how about use a ‘P’ middle name? [name]Roseanne[/name] [name]Pascoe[/name]? I know it’s unique but this seems modern yet elelegantly classic at the same time to me.

when i first saw this thread, i didn’t like [name]Primrose[/name] at all… but the more i read about it, the more i started to like it… it does come with a lot of expectations, but if your little [name]Primrose[/name] ends up being a tomboy, she could always use the nn [name]Remy[/name] which i think is adorable for a little tomboy…
i would never call my child by [name]Rosey[/name] anyway… all i think of is [name]Rosey[/name] O’[name]Donnell[/name]…
but I’ve completely warmed up to [name]Primrose[/name]… i absolutely love it!!

The “Prim” part is what bothers me too. I was very much a tomboy and am now in a very male dominated profession. My nn in school was [name]Chrissy[/name]-and my middle name is [name]Virginia[/name]-and I never got teased.
She’ll go by [name]Rosey[/name]-which isn’t too girly-so, I think she’ll be okay even if she’s a tomboy. I suspect that fate being what it is-I’ll have republican cheerleaders. At least that;s what everyone knows me predicts…hee, hee.

I have too. I;ve talked to a lot of people and they like it-my girlfriends would tell me. I specifically spoke to a friend named [name]Virginia[/name]- (which is my mn but I don’t use it)-and a friend named [name]Pandora[/name]-for a long time. They didn’t feel like they got teased more than anyone else as kids and both loved their names as adults. Also, I can’t find an adult named [name]Primrose[/name] who talks about being named that as a kid-but you can find ‘testimonials’ from [name]Virginia[/name]'s-and they all like it.

With all the [name]Rose[/name] names getting more and more popular-I bet it won’t be such a unique name for long.

Plus, I really should put this all in context. If we ever planned on living in the suburbs-I would be more hesitant. Right now we live in the most liberal part of the SE-in the city. Which for whatever reasons means that there are a lot of unusual names even in our neighborhood-a [name]Yannick[/name] and a [name]Xander[/name] live next door and next to him a [name]Booker[/name]. If we stay here she’ll go to an International Charter School with half of the student population will be from a foreign country.

I know as an adult-she’ll live elsewhere-but it has to be an insane name for it not to work as an adult-and [name]Primrose[/name] isn’t that unusual.

You know I didn’t like the PRIM part either-at first. But I wanted a [name]Rose[/name] name and my husband said he loved it the minute he saw it. The ‘prim’ in [name]Primrose[/name] is 'first." It means the first rose of spring.
And I just think it’s too cute that she will likely be born on the first day of spring.
And her friends will call her [name]Rosey[/name].[/quote]

I know what it means and what the prim refers to… that doesn’t negate that half the name is prim, which has a less good meaning. It seems very cute in theory, but we don’t live in theory. I don’t think I would get used to it. It doesn’t seem masculine, as you put it, either. [name]Rose[/name] is also a good name, why do people insist on embellishing it with longer forms?

I think [name]Primrose[/name] is difficult to say - if someone said Prim was a name and their last name was [name]Rose[/name], I think a lot of people would say it doesn’t flow - it’s R-heavy and that M is kind of in a weird spot. Sorry, I do not see the appeal of this name other than the meaning, which is kind of obscured behind the immediate recognition of the word prim and all it conveys. There are a few odd suggestions that come by, some of which I dislike to the point I’m glad it’s not my name, but very few that I would be mortified to go to high school if it were my name. That’s a strong feeling. I can’t be sold on this, sorry, but if you like it, I have answered your question, and you can name your daughter whatever you like, whatever seems sweet to you, or clever. I’m not suggesting you do otherwise - I am answering the question honestly. Words are not just their meanings but their sounds and sound-alikes and imagery - prim is a really difficult imagery to clear out of people’s heads. Maybe you can overlook it, but she will have to open her mouth and say this name to lots and lots of people throughout her life.[/quote]

I appreciate your honesty-b.c if you’re thinking it-then someone else will be too. Of course I am only thinking of her-if I didn’t care about her-I would name her whatever without posting here and the other places that I have and talking to people I know with similar names.

From what it looks like-between this post, my other post, my blog comments, and getting feedback from moms who live near us-most people like it -a good 70% and ‘extreme’ dislikers-which it seems you are (which again i appreciate the candor) are in the minority. And no name is going to get 100% or even 90.

The only other thing I would add-if that my daughter is mortified to say her name in highschool-then I will have failed a lot more than in naming her. Self esteem doesn’t come from a child’s name. KWIM?

For me, it’s one of those names that sounds good in theory, but in reality, it’s a bit clunky (it’s hard to say aloud without sounding like two words) and, as someone else said, it may be a name too full of expectation. I see [name]Primrose[/name] as a bit uptight, conservative. [name]Rosey[/name] definitely has a different feel, but it just seems odd to me to use [name]Primrose[/name] as the name when the name you really want is [name]Rose[/name]/[name]Rosey[/name]. It also seems to be a very different style than [name]Catherine[/name]. Maybe that doesn’t matter to you, but some people prefer to stick to names in a similar style. [name]Primrose[/name] is a lot less common and a lot more frilly than [name]Catherine[/name]/[name]Cate[/name].

I read your “nicknames for [name]Rose[/name]” thread and couldn’t help but think that, in your shoes, I would use [name]Rose[/name] as a middle name, and mayyyyybe even incorporate it with the first name. For instance, [name]Adelaide[/name] [name]Rose[/name]… call her [name]Lida[/name] [name]Rose[/name]. Since [name]Primrose[/name] is meaningful to you because of the meaning and her c-section date, you could even do [name]Adelaide[/name] [name]Primrose[/name]… and still call her [name]Lida[/name] [name]Rose[/name]. [name]Just[/name] my two cents. :slight_smile: