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Helen, Margaret, Susan, or Deborah
Billina, I'm stealing your idea. I'm sorry.Which of these dated / out of style classic names is your favorite and what would you choose as a middle name?Comments on all are welcome!
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Helen! ❤Helen Rosalind.Nn Nellie, sometimes. Or Hellie. How vintage haha! I'd prefer Helena as it feels more timeless but I love Helen a lot as well.
Margaret is classy but so majestic and there's something intimidating about it, I like few Margaret-related names. Perhaps because my own birth name was related to Margaret and I changed it so you can figure I didn't like it.
Susan has a very maternal, mature feel, I think it's okay but a little plain.
And I don't like Deborah, it sounds very harsh to me and really does feel dated.
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MargaretMany names go well with it but for the moment, I'm really liking the sound of "Margaret Alexandria" (:
Susan would be my second pick but I would only use it as a middle name, if considering it.

This message was edited 10/6/2020, 10:54 AM

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It's okay. :)I'll go with Margaret, so I could call her Maggie. Margaret Eliza.
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MargaretMargaret Elspeth
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DeborahI really like Deborah, though hate Deb / Debbie.
Margaret would be my 2nd choice, but it's just kind of there.Deborah Ceridwen
Deborah Phoebe
Deborah Ninlil
Deborah Sinead
Deborah Zoe
Deborah Philomena
Deborah Evangeline
Deborah Eurydice I feel like Deborah Sinead. Maybe Deborah Sinead Eurydice.

This message was edited 10/5/2020, 3:37 PM

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Margaret, I guessI suppose it’s the most tolerable out of the four. I would go with something like Margaret Juno or Margaret Irene.
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Helen Octavia
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I'd go with Helen; it's my grandmother's middle name and was my great-grandmother's first name.I was going to say Helen Flora but I just realized that's very close to my great-grandmother's combo of Helen Cora (not a bad thing, though!). I think Helen Felicity or Helen Frances would be nice too. I really like Helen with F- names, not sure why.I like Margaret well enough but I feel like using it would kind of feel like honoring myself! Susan is nice but I can't stand Sue. Deborah is my partner's mom's name so it's growing on me just because she's a lovely person but I don't like Deb/Debbie and it's just not a name I would actually use.
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HelenHelen Lysandra comes to mind, if I'm in a midsummer mood.Helen is not nearly as nice as Helena, but has a pleasant sound and I enjoy the mythological association.
Margaret feels too closely tied with Thatcher, and it reminds me of shortbreads and carpeted kitchens.
Susan is nice and solid.
Deborah is dowdy and sounds like a tired housewife.
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I like them all well enough except Margaret, which I really don’t care for.I’ll go for Susan Louise. Louise for honoring purposes.
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Margaret?Yikes. All of these are pretty awful to me. I like Susannah, but hate Susan.
I’ll do Margaret Jade and call her MJ. I don’t care for initials for girls, but that’s 1000 times better than having to call her Margaret.
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I have close relatives with each of these names. I prefer Helen.
Helen Eleanor
Helen Eloise
Helen Elise
Helen Shayne
Helen Elaine
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HelenHelen is pretty and has a genteel durability to it. Deborah holds positive associations due to the judge and prophetess, but I dislike the nickname Deb.Helen Anastasia
Helen Antigone
Helen Evanthe
Helen Honour - The alliteration doesn't bother me as much since the H in the middle name is silent.
Helen Isolde
Helen Seraphina
Helen Tempest - guilty pleasure
Helen Winifred
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Helen, definitelyI love the name.I'd probably opt for something like Helen Forsythia, Helen Terpsichore, Helen Euphemia, or Helen Isabeau.

This message was edited 10/5/2020, 9:38 AM

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Helen Euphemia is gorgeous!
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Helen - nice but kind of boring. I think I do like it better than Helena. The meaning is nice. I don't think it's very dated. The "hell" part bothers me a bit because I'd be kind of worried people would call her Hel for short kind of like you call a Jennifer Jen sometimes or use Em for Emma.Susan - I really dislike Sue and Susie so I'd stay away from it. It's very 50s/60s. I don't have a problem with it but I don't particularly like it either. It reminds me of "Miracle on 34th Street" which is nice.Margaret - nice meaning. I used to like it until I met one and had to use it on a daily basis. She was nice but having to say it over and over made me realize how harsh and ugly it actually sounds. I think it's hideous now :(Deborah - this is kind of nice pronounced with three syllables. But I can't stand Debbie, Deb or the Debra pronunciation and spelling. I think it might be hard to enforce the three syllable pronunciation. The meaning is nice. Very 60s.I think I'd choose Helen. Helen Lyra.
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Margaret, but I might be biased...I've got an aunt named Susan and my mother is Deborah as well
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HelenLove Helen! Also like Helena. Margherite is a family name so could use it, but Margaret is so old to me. Do not like any Sus- names. I don't mind Deborah or Debra, but do not like Debbie at all.
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Susan ...I actually do like Susan.Susan Noelle or Susan Alexis might be nice combos.
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Deborah Lynne;) also like Helen and it's variants, Helena, Helene
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Definitely Margaret, although I do like Helen. Margaret Henrietta Elle or Margaret Adelaide Theodora.
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,
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The only one I would really have to avoid is Susan. For whatever reason, and I've known an assortment of Susans, I just don't get the attraction. I love Suzanne, and might consider Susannah as a mn for family reasons, but Susan itself is a no-no.Helen delights me! Light and dancing and warm and open. From what little I know, it seems less liked in the US than Ellen, which I find dowdy and pedestrian.Margaret is a joy. Timeless, austere but radiant, the only issue is the nn question. I don't enjoy Maggie; Meg does nothing for me and Megan does less; Peggy is cheerful and bouncy but doesn't seem to work any more. And here in South Africa the standard short form of Margaret is Margie, with a g rather than a j, and I can't stand it.Deborah, like Margaret, has a nn problem. The name itself is fine: good rhythm, good sound, good history, and who wouldn't enjoy sharing a name with a tough old lady who sat under a tree and judged Israel? But Debby ... is quite a powerful deterrent. Deb is fine, but Debs isn't. Complicated name.Helen Rosamond
Helen Georgina
Helen SuzanneMargaret Belinda
Margaret Lucy
Margaret LyndallDeborah Joy
Deborah Florence
Deborah Mary
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