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[Opinions] Mildred?
For some reason I can't get this name out of my head. It's DH's great grandmother's name. I don't think I would ever actually use it, but I've noticed that while I used to despise it and think it sounded too old-fashioned and downright dusty, for some reason it's growing on me. Although I do still tend to associate the sound with the word "mildew," yech. Anyway, what does everyone think of Mildred?
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I love that nameand I do not associate it with any words. Maybe because I heard it while I was young, since it's the name of my grandmother. I think it's strong and graceful and I love the Old Englishness of it. People feel it's dowdy so I didn't really consider it, but ... really, if Audrey or Edith or Molly or Dorothy or Florence or ... Pearl, for heavensake, isn't dowdy, how can Mildred really be? I don't get it. Besides, a little girl named Mildred's peers wouldn't think it was dowdy. I have wondered, if another form/spelling of it were used -- like, if it were Meldrith -- would it have totally escaped the dowdy stereotype and be on its way back "in" today.
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I love it. And: what about using it as a mn?
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Mildred was my dd Marissa's mn (Marissa only lived 8 hours).
I used it to honor my beloved Grandma. Honostly if it wasn't for the love I had for my Grandma I would never have used it.
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I think Mildred would be a great mn esp with the family connection. Any other way and I wouldn't like it. It reminds me of a stuffy old woman for some reason.
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I've always liked Mildred. Good name.
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Despite the fact that I do think of mildew, and that I don't like the "dread" portion, I like Mildred. It would take a brave parent to use it, but I would be delighted to meet a mini Mildred. I also like names like Gertrude, Ottilie, Cornelia, Myrtle, and Opal, though, so I may not be representing the general public here. :)
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Don't like it. It is indeed old-fashioned but not in a good way. Sorry.
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I also associate it with mildew, and dread too. It's just a hard, harsh, ugly sounding name to me.
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Same here.I don't think it has a single ounce of charm to it, not even in a retro or nostalgic kind of way. All I associate it with is ugliness.
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I think it's great that some of the names that were popular one hundred years ago are making a comeback, but this is one I can't force myself to like. I can't really come up with any reason other than I just don't like the sound of it. If I wanted Millie as a nickname, I'd rather go with Millicent. It has a softer sound on the end of it than Mildred.
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Ah yes, the first signs that Mildred is indeed revivable, though it will probably be another decade at least before young parents are really bold enough to use it!I think Mildred is OK, but I really am hoping that the similar name Milbury or Milbrey, from the name of the original medieval St. Mildred's sister, can be revived. I like Milbrey much better than Mildred.
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Another version of Mildred is Mildrith. It's closer to the Anglo-Saxon original, but I don't know if I see it taking off! :) I've never heard of Milbrey, but it's great. It does sound a lot more like the kind of name that could become popular in this day and age.
(BTW, did you that Mildred was an Anglo-Saxon male name?)
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I really like the name Mildred, and the nn Millie is cute.
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I'm not a fan, mostly because I know an old lady with that name, and I'm not very fond of her. Otherwise, the meaning is nice. I'd like to see it on someones child.
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It's all right - I think the nn Millie is really cute, so that helps. It does have that duty, mildew-y connection, but I like it better than Millicent, which always reminds me of Maleficent. *g*
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I love it [m]I love it, it's sweet, and underused. I don't see any difference bwtween that, and Eleanor. Both are classic old names.
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