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Why Do People Hate This Name?
This time around, post a name in the subject line YOU like that other people DON'T like, either in real life, or on BtN. See what other people have to say about it, and agree with them, disagree with them, or whatever. GO!!! :) "And by the way, dearie, your punctuation sucks canal water!"
-The Ghost of Vivian Vance
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Citlali
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I really like it
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EuniceI feel like I'm the only person who actually likes this name.
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For the longest, I could never figure out how to say it and I thought it looked ugly. And, for some reason, reminds me of the word "urine." :-/I heard it pronounced yoo-NEES once and I don't mind that. I think that's pretty nice. But it's the YOO-niss pronunciation that just strikes me as all wrong.

This message was edited 5/6/2016, 8:49 AM

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Helga & CompanyMy stepmom has a longtime friend named Helga, who has despised her name for most of her life (I forget if she goes by something else, but I don't believe she got a nickname to "stick"). There's also the character on "Hey Arnold!" that a lot of people view as a negative association. And on my own PNL, Helga is sitting pretty at 1 star (at least it isn't half a star). No matter where I go, I seem to be the only person who likes the name Helga. I vastly prefer it to Olga, which is the name most people choose if they have to choose one of the two (I've also met more real-life Olgas than Helgas).Other names that only I seem to like (either on BtN or in real life):Antigone (people like it here, but in real life everyone keeps saying "an-tie-GAHN" and it's annoying)
Aphra
Enid
Jacquetta
Lindsay (I guess people can't separate it from Lohan)
Merlette
Scheherazade
Solveig (SOHL-vay)
Star (doesn't get a lot of love on BtN)
Virva
&
Armas
Ensio
Erland
Gustave
Imlac (this one is a total GP, due to my admiration for Dr. Johnson)
Roger
Rolf
Ulric
Wulfric
Yorick
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Aphra
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I like it!nm
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Somebody else likes Aphra!!!!!!!!Yay!!!I first became aware of the name due to Aphra Behn, who was basically just plain awesome: one of the first women in recorded history to make a living entirely based on her own writings, an actual spy, etc.And the name Aphra itself is really cool, too. It's short and sweet, and doesn't really sound like anything that's currently popular or trendy in the Western world.
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HesterNow that I won't get to use it, let's hear it all.
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Hester. Hester makes me think of gnarly witch fingers and gray hair. Of cows and rundown farms. I like the somewhat similar Heather. But Hester, hmm, makes me think of fester. It must be the "-ester" because I've never liked Esther or Nestor either. Maybe I knew one in a past life and it just ruined "-ester" names for me, ha.
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Hester is one of my favorite female names! Such a no-nonsense witch!
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I love Esther.I guess, objectively, Hester isn't that different sounding, but when I see it, I usually think...hyster/hysteria.
I think I also associate it almost exclusively with Puritans? I have the impression that Hester is very repressed and unhappy.
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I love Hester!
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It hisses and snarls!I've taken to calling those balls of dead tangled hair pulled out of hairbrushes "hesters," because the name fits them SO perfectly.
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Oh my I love Hester. It's so bewitching.
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If Esther didn't exist, I probably wouldn't mind it that much. But Esther is so much nicer, not to mention less hissy. And the Scarlet Letter connection doesn't help; compared with Esther in Bleak House, Hester lacks energy and oomph.And I must admit that I had a Hester colleague once who would have put me right off any name in the entire solar system - make that the galaxy. Usually I can ignore that kind of association, but she was ... different.
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I like Hester. I told my family once that I thought it was a stylish, evocative name and they looked at me like I was nuts.
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ZosimeBased on my PNL ratings.
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Elmira
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It just reminds me of that crazy girl from the Looney Tunes show lol
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I love Elmira and think it is attractive. It's due for a comeback. My great-great-grandmother was one of twelve children, the youngest of which was named Marian Elmira Robey, and called Myra. While there were many attractive children in the family, Myra was said to be the prettiest of all of them (although, I think Annie Keturah was also very, very pretty). My grandmother has a large portrait of her hanging above the fireplace. It is also a feminist gesture on her part -- Myra died at age ~20 from a botched abortion. It's a horrid story, but one that has influenced me.
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An influential story indeed! Marian Elmira is a ravishing combination and a worthy namesake.
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RaymondI guess just because it's dated?
And Theodore, Edward, Desmond aren't? I don't see the difference except that Raymond sounds maybe more blue collar ish?
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I mainly dislike Raymond because I dislike Ray. It's just such an... "uncle" name, to me.
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I wouldn't say dated so much as maybe a little unstimulating? I think it needs to lay fallow for a while yet.
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Hey, I don't have any problems with Raymond (: never have. Raymond to me is just some average and decent name and I wouldn't at all classify it as "dated" I'd just classify it as a classic. (Same with those other names you mentioned) Also, it helps that Raymond bring to mind "Everybody Loves Raymond" which is one of my all-time favorite TV shows (:
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Heron (boy)No-one I know likes Heron. I like the soft sound, the meaning, and the bird. I like both pronunciations, the Greek HEER-on and the bird HAIR-on.My husband likes it for a girl (eww) I think because it sounds like Erin and he likes Erin too.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 9:46 PM

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I like it. First heard it as a last name (Gil Scott-Heron). It's handsome.
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My first impression is that it sounds elitist, and I dislike it, but I don't know why...I used to like Ibis and Kestrel as names, and those are probably weirder.
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I like it a lot!
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SibyllaPeople think it is too old fashioned and is uncommon.
Please Vote
PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/151224

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 9:30 PM

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Sibylla is one of my favorite names.
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I like it a lot. I like Sibylla Guinevere, and Sibyl Guinevere.
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I like it for some reason.
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EugeniaMaybe not people on this site hate it so much, but I've gotten giggles IRL.
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I adore Eugenia!
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I think people do tend to hate Eugenia on this site, actually. I have always admired Eugenia. It sounds pretty. People worry that it suggests "eugenics," which to me is a little silly and stupid. It just means "well born" in Greek. Big deal. I would use it, and I love Eugenia Charlotte, Eugenia Frances, and Eugenia C/Katherine.

This message was edited 5/3/2016, 8:20 AM

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I think it's interesting, but it also comes across as nerdy and self-important.It reminds me of...1. Names like Jeanie / Jeannie and Eugene
2. The spoiled kid from Gone with the Wind (Eugenia Victoria aka Bonnie Blue Butler)
3. Eugenics

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 7:29 PM

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From the majority of past reactions from others on here whether in polls or in in the name board here, people don't seem to care for: Aaralyn, Aven or Ridge. None of those are within the top 1000 (Aaralyn & Aven I know for sure aren't) I don't know, I'm fine with those names but from the majority of reactions, not many people seem to agree
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Aaralyn looks madeup and very trendy. Pretty awful IMHO.
Aven I kinda like.
Ridge is NMSAA but I don't hate it.
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Aaralyn is made up which is weird since the majority of modern\invented names I either dislike, don't care for or immensely hate. I'm mostly for more well known and classic type of names-names that have been around for a very long time. But I first heard of "Aaralyn" a few years back on some competition show and instantly started crushing on it. It's made-up and trendy (that Lyn ending) yes, but the sound of it is really pretty-at least to me. Air-uh-lyn or Air-ruh-lyn.
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Yeah, I totally hate those names. :P
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MarilynI just like it, always have, even before I had any idea who made the name so famous. It seems like many of the people who like Marilyn do so because of Marilyn Monroe. The same seems to be true for people who don't like the name. Any time I include Marilyn in my polls, it usually comes in dead last.
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I like Marilyn too.
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It's one of the few -lyn names I like. I think it's a couple orders of magnitude better than Monroe. It's dated style, but I can totally picture it on a youth anyway. It's like Margot.
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For some reason I also think it's really pretty, but if you break it down it's really old fashioned stylistically and phonetically.
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It's not one of my favorites, but I think it's an okay name. Compared to other -lyn names, I like it more than Evelyn / Carolyn / Adelyn / Katelyn / Madelyn and less than Jocelyn / Gwendolyn / Rosalyn.
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I really like it. I do think it's heavily associated with Marilyn Monroe, but I don't think that's inherently a bad thing.
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Agreed!
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NimueI did a poll recently on this site asking people to rate it (love/like/neutral/dislike/hate), and "hate it" was the #1 answer.I think I know why, but tell me what you think about it anyway?

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 6:45 PM

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I like it a lot. Its like Naomi inside out...except, not really.
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I love it and it's on my PNL!
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I love Nimue. It's so beautiful and ethereal and Arthurian. :)
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It is very unusual and I don't know how many people would know how to pronounce or spell it. If you pronounced it wrong, say like ni-MOO, it could sound pretty ugly.I like it though. It was the name of a character on Once Upon A Time, which put it into my head. I like the exotic sound.
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I like it. I wonder why you think people hate it.
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My guess is some people hate it because...1. It's difficult to pronounce or they don't like the look/sound
2. They think it's too weird or eccentric
3. They don't like that it's associated with Arthurian legend (maybe it sounds too fantasy-themed?)I like it, though. I love the sound.
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BeverlyWhy does no one like Beverly? I think it sounds like a nice name.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 5:12 PM

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I really like it as Beverley. Now the modernized version of Beverly is Everly, which to me is lacking something. I like the approachable sound and friendly vibe of Beverley. I like the clunky BEV beginning with the Lee sound to balance it out.
Reminds me of Melody, which is taken over by the more modern sounding Elodie. I like both equally.
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I like it!
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I like it. I think it's very nice.
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My associations:soap operas (Beverly Hills, 90210)
beavers
NN Bev, which reminds me of beverage
boys' name Bevis (Beavis and Butthead)I don't like the sound at all.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 5:30 PM

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Makes me think of egg salad. I don't know why.
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AgathaI think this name is so beautiful.
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It's the Ag- sound. It's harsh in English...I have a lot of negative word associations I could list.Despite that, I'm fond of Ag- names, and I think Agatha is one of the most usable in that group.
It also sounds a bit younger to me now than it would have a few years ago, because of The Grand Budapest Hotel.
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I just think it's butt-ugly.
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I've always liked Agatha. I first heard it in the movie Madeline; there was a character with the nn Aggie. But I once knew a girl named Agatha whose last name did not go well with her first at all and actually made her sound like an old witch (no other way to describe it). The combo, when said together, just took away the beauty of her fn. So I guess it's not hard to uglify it. :-/
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It begins like agony and aggravate. That's the whole problem IMO - combined with the "age" I perceive it has, I get an impression of a batty, irritable old woman.
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I think it's beautiful on paper, but not beautiful spoken.
Maybe that's the type of name that really works in the middle.
I think in the past I used to be really opposed to that philosophy...
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I almost said Agatha. Lately I can't think of a name I find more perfect.
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Cain.I know why. I do. But I still think it's a good name.Thoughts?
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I like it too, though slightly prefer the Kane spelling.
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Though I'm not against it, I'm surprised it's ever made the popularity charts. It's rising in popularity in the US, and it previously reached a peak at #184 in the UK.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 9:51 PM

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It's romantic for an aesthetic which is not my aesthetic, but which I suppose I can still appreciate. :P You know what? I think I've always thought that romance is fine when it's my aesthetic, but stupid when it's other people's. But how could that be true?~libra getting confused about the nature of opinion~
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I like the sound...but the association? My family would simply not hear of it. Even if spelled Kane.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 5:58 PM

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Kane even has a violent meaning: little battle. :/
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The original murderer, according to the bible: the curse of Cain, the mark of Cain.
Cain Marko is a villain from the X-men comics.
It rhymes with pain, bane, and insane.
Also it makes me think of caning...and sugar cane and slavery.I guess it'd be okay if I didn't associate it with any of those things...but I do.
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Biblical references aside, I don't think this name shouldn't be unpopular.
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I would like it but I think the Biblical Cain is too much of an impediment.
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ImogenI've always found it to be pleasant and I might consider using it, but anytime I mention the name IRL, people tend to gag. Visibly. I don't understand why anyone would gag -- I think it's cute and suitable for both a child or a young or mature adult.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 4:46 PM

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I gag. Visibly. *pause to allow mental Imogen of me gagging*I have this impression of it being a name for a character who is the ingenue child of wealthy important British people, but a name for a real-life child of people who fantasize such characters. A name that virtually didn't exist before there were any such people using it.I think part of the problem is that it reminds slightly of the word image.
It's not an ugly name.
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I think it's adorable.
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Oh my gosh, I just saw a perfume by Lush called Imogen Rose and I was just telling my mom how I don't like Imogen. I mean, it gets cool points from me for not being frilly and overly girly. It's like Eleanor's bookish younger sister. But it still sounds like a medicine or just random sounds put together to me.Though I kinda like how Imogen Rose sounds. And Imogen Lilly. Aw, man, it might be growing on me.
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The "Ima" sound just isn't attractive to me.
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I don't understand it, either. It's an adorkable name to me. :/
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Ursula
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I really like Ursula. I love the meaning too.
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I've always loved Ursula - even when I watched "The Little Mermaid" as a kid. And then later, in the live-action "George of the Jungle" (the one with Brendan Fraser), George's love interest was Ursula, which helped it not seem like such a "sea-witch" name.Ursula is an elegant name that starts with an atypical letter ("U"), so it's eye-catching, as well.
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Yes, Tarzan!That's where I actually first heard the name and liked it ever since. Glad to know The Little Mermaid didn't ruin it for you...I've actually only seen it once and I was like, 4 or 5 (I wasn't much of a Disney kid) so the association never bothered me.
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Ursula's a pretty great name, but I do have the connotation of the tentacled scary sea witch from the Little Mermaid. Also I really like Ursa.
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I know an Ursula. She was born about a decade before the Disney version of Little Mermaid came out. I like it, but the villain association is a strong one for lots of people.
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There's a little girl at daycare with this name - I was a little unsure of it at first, but hearing it in practice it really grew on me. Not that I'd use it, but it suits her
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Speaking of Disney witches...I like Ursula, but that's exactly why people don't use it. It might be tainted forever, even though she is one of the most memorable characters, ever.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 4:27 PM

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Drusilla:)
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Makes me think of an evil witch or just a "bad" character in a book/movie/etc.
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I had a classmate named Drusilla. a nice person, so my association is good.
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This is one of my favorite names. :)
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I'm pretty sure it's used for one of the ugly stepsisters in the Disney Cinderella, so it could be that association. Though I don't think that reputation really affected the other one, Anastasia... maybe because there's a Princess Anastasia movie, too?
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That stepsister's name was spelled Drizella.
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Since I have a princess-obsessed 6 year old girl, I know for a fact it is one of the evil stepsisters. That's pretty much all I think of.
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I strongly associate it with vampires (Buffy) and incest (Caligula and his sister)...so although I don't hate it...seems like an odd choice for a kid from my POV.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 5:24 PM

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I like it, too! Sure, it sounds like the name of a Disney witch, but I think that's part of the appeal. Plus, it's very rich and decadent, like brocade.
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Wade
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I think Wade is great because it reminds me of Johnny Depp in Cry-Baby.
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I think it'd be nice, if it didn't seem like a stereotypical redneck name.It also vaguely reminds me of Roe vs Wade.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 4:50 PM

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It's Wayne with a bad cold.I don't hate it but I think it seems dorky and I did know a Wade who pretty much fit the image. He wore denim suits ... I mean, jeans with a matched jean jacket. Nice guy though, and I like the name more than I would if I hadn't known him. It's ok just pretty surnamey.
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Literally so ugly and it makes me think of going through a river awkwardly with soggy pants?
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Seems like a slow-witted name to me. I'm not sure why.
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Gretchen.This is my #1 'name I like that everyone hates' name. I think it's cool, but everyone tells me it's ugly. Does anyone else like it?*crickets*
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I like it. I do think it's ugly though. But, for some reason, it just works. I feel the same about Bridget.

This message was edited 5/6/2016, 8:57 AM

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I like it. There is a little Gretchen that goes to M's daycare.I'd have it on my list if not for my husband.
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I like it!I don't hear the gretch very strongly. It's Gre(t)shen and even the G is soft and nice.
Maybe the only name I like that has a sort of glottal stop in it. It maybe helps that I had a friend named Gretchen in high school who was a really cool person.
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No. It's ugly. Gretch! I'm gonna start saying "Gretch!" when something is hideous. And I'll tell you every instance of it. You'll see what a great fit it is and stop liking this name. :PAnd it's also like naming your kid Meglet, but people on here seem to not care about that.
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I don't care about Margaret's many nicknames and which ones work and which ones don't. It's all gravy to me.
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I love it!
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I like it actually. It's charmingly ugly rather than just ugly.
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Exactly.
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I love this name! I use to hate it. Mostly 'cause I thought it sounded too sandpaper-y, but I've come to appreciate it. I think it also sounds very old, that's not a bad thing to me but I can see how it would be for others.
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Gretchen does sound old, but it sounds like the name of an old woman with a ton of stories. She would tell you about the time she spent as a showgirl in China, or that time she had an affair with Howard Hughes. Gretchen is cool like that. ;)
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Ooh okay for me Gretchen is a horrible trust fund daughter buying a no foam chai while texting.
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I think it's okay, but I understand why people dislike it.It includes the word "retch", which also sounds like "wretch".
The last syllable sounds like "chin", which might make some people think: double chin....plus I've noticed a lot of people think German girls' names in general are ugly/frumpy/old.

This message was edited 5/2/2016, 3:39 PM

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The "retch" sound has never bothered me. Maybe it's because my name has the -ch sound in the middle of it, so it doesn't stand out as much.I never hear "chin" or think "double chin". Seems like a stretch, to me. :P
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...the chen sound also reminds me of "urchin".
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