Mary and Molly

mander274

So, since Molly is the diminutive of Mary, would you name a girl Mary and just call her Molly, or just name her Molly to start with?

DH and I are having a discussion about this... It's important to him for us to name a child Mary, but I don't really care for the name...so we're going to call her Molly, but I just don't know which would go on the certificate...

ttmccoot

i would put mary on the birth certificate, since molly is the nickname. great choice, btw! congrats.

mrsseguin

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Manderlin923

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

ditto this

esipp000

I agree with the pp. I didn't know that Molly is a nn for Mary. I never would have put the 2 together and would wonder why you call her Molly if her name is Mary.

LMS05

Put Mary on the cert and call her Molly.

gjkhjr01

My SIL is Jenny. Not Jennifer and it says "Jenny" on her birth certificate. 

queenbone

I'd name her Mary and call her Molly.  This is the exact scenario for my cousin.

NewMama2010

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

I agree with this. For what its worth, I love both names. I think both Mary and Molly are beautiful names. However, I don't see Molly as a "nickname" for Mary. I know when you look up Mary in the baby book, Molly is listed as another form of it, but I wouldn't compare it to Katie being a nickname for Katherine, you know? So personally, I think it would really weird to name her Mary and call her Molly. That's just my opinion.

elyselowe

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

this.

And, I LOVE the name Molly.

mommy1/2010

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

this 

OctoberCAPA

I see the point of naming the child what you'll actually call her, but I also know lots of people with "formal" names that they never use.  So I think it sounds like a good compromise--your husband gets the "official" name that is meaningful to him, and both of you get to use a name that you really like.

 (And I really like both names too!)

j&lo82907

I would use Molly if that is what she is to be called, considering that is what is going to be on her school records and everything else and if you put Mary on there it will be hard to get teachers and what not to call her Molly.

Plus I adore the name Molly, I previusly posted about this name because it is the one I am going to use when and if DH and I have a little girl..

I love the name!

Lyssapee

I love Molly, but have a bad association with Mary...

Some nick names don't make much sense... Like Sadie being a nick name for Sara.  WTF?

Summer20

Molly may have been derived from Mary originally, but I don't think it's commonly thought of a nn for Mary at all.  I think most people would be very confused by you naming her Mary and calling her Molly.  They are really 2 separate names in this day and age.

I'd just go with Molly if that's what you want to call her and I'm usually someone who is a big fan of a more formal name with a nn, but this case is just too much of a stretch for me.

Love Sugar Sweet Minxy

Mary is NMS, I would use Molly.

brookelynpaisley

Normally I would say name her what you intend to call her. But since your DH seems to be adamant about Mary, go with it. Just be prepared for the fact that she'll always be correcting people. Or could you save Mary for a middle name for another child?

MandyWes

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

I agree with this.

LaurenSweat

I agree with the others, Molly is not a nn for Mary. ?If you don't like Mary, maybe you can use a different form of that name that is still similar: Marianne, Mari (pronounced Mahh-Ree), Marilyn....

MichelleL1118

j&lo82907:

I would use Molly if that is what she is to be called, considering that is what is going to be on her school records and everything else and if you put Mary on there it will be hard to get teachers and what not to call her Molly.

As a teacher, I respectfully disagree with this point.  I have a number of students who go by a nickname or a middle name, it's not a problem at all.  At the elementary level, on school enrollment forms, there's a space that says "name called" so the teachers have that information from the beginning.  At the MS/HS level, where I teach, the kids just tell me the first day of school what they prefer to be called, I note it on my attendance sheet, and we're done.

Also, FWIW, my husband's name is John and some of his family calls him Jack - which to me is the same vein as Molly/Mary.  I think you've already come up with a good compromise - put Mary on the certificate, call her Molly.  It really won't be a problem at all.

x2fines

Manderlin923:

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

ditto this

Agree with these as well.

sunnyday016

I love both of these names. If it's important to him to name her Mary, then just put that on the birth certificate.

pea-kay

I have a friend who has a Molly, but her "real" name is Marilyn (named after a grandmother). But I'd just put Molly on the BC.

mlgd

I'm probably the sole person on the whole Bump to which this actually applies:  I'm a Mary who has been called Molly since the day I was born. (My mom wanted to name me Molly, but my dad insisted it was a nickname. Mary was my grandmothers name, so this was a perfect compromise.)

I'm listed as Mary on my birth certificate and all legal documents but everyone just calls me Molly.  There is never really much confusion about it once I introduce myself to people (and sometimes explain).  I realize that Molly is a stand-alone name now, so if you both agreed on Molly I think it would be fine to name her that. But it is a nice compromise if you can't totally agree (see: my parents).  

alabaster_angel

I'd go with Molly. I've never heard of anyone named Mary going by Molly - I'd be highly confused if confronted with that in real life.

PhilsWife07

I would.

beachbride19

My DD is Molly and it says Molly on her birth cert.  I'm with everyone else, I don't understand naming a child one thing and calling them another unless it's a shortened version of their name (ie. Jennifer to Jenny).  IMO, Mary and Molly are two separate names. 

BlindysWife

j&lo82907:

Also, FWIW, my husband's name is John and some of his family calls him Jack - which to me is the same vein as Molly/Mary.  I think you've already come up with a good compromise - put Mary on the certificate, call her Molly.  It really won't be a problem at all.

 I agree. Mary on the BC, and introduce her as/call her Molly. Not a big deal.

LiLnikkiMe

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.

swanck

mrsseguin:

I never understood why people would name their child one name, and call them something else.  Mary and Molly are 2 separate names to me.  Maybe it's common knowledge that Molly is a NN for Mary, but I never knew that, nor would I put the 2 together.  If you want to call her Molly, name her Molly.  If your DH wants the name Mary, and you don't like it, it seems to me you have some discussing and compromising to do.

Yep.  This.

GL.