We're down to two. So far we have had overwhelming endorsement of one over the other but personally, we're still on the fence. These are both names of people who are/were close to us so we're probably not going to make any other considerations, at least at present.
And don't go to any trouble for middle names, btw. Our in-laws are giving her that.
I voted Olive. I don't necessarily dislike Polly, it just sounds very nicknamey to me.
It is a nickname, honestly. Traditionally, it's a nickname for Mary but has since become a nickname for names like Pauline, Paulette, Pollyanna - none of which we like. We don't mind Mary but figure nobody will call her Polly if we name her Mary - that nickname is an old English thing and is not really in use anymore.
I actually picked Polly (although it is nms) because I feel like I have heard Olive a lot lately. It is like a nickname, but I didn't expect it. I know two women named Polly. Both are in their 40s. I know one of them is Pollyanna but no idea if the other woman has a more formal name. Either way, I love both of them and so only have good feelings with the name.
I actually picked Polly (although it is nms) because I feel like I have heard Olive a lot lately. It is like a nickname, but I didn't expect it. I know two women named Polly. Both are in their 40s. I know one of them is Pollyanna but no idea if the other woman has a more formal name. Either way, I love both of them and so only have good feelings with the name.
Nice! Glad somebody is in the Polly corner.
So we chose Polly from two people. One was a girl, named Polly, who i knew as a child. I quite admired her for all the typical little kid reasons. She moved away and vanished. I haven't been able to find her since but i quite liked her. My husband's best friend is also a Paul and he thinks this will open the door for lots of guilt-babysitting
Olive, I am surprised to discover, is Drew Barrymore's daughter's name AND Isla Fisher- which means, if it's a celebrity baby name, it could be on the upsweep. I also don't want people mistakenly calling her Olivia or her getting swallowed by the covey of Olivias that are sure to be in her primary class.
The only thing I cant think of when I hear the name Polly is Polly Pocket. It's not a terrible association, but it's almost like the name Barbie for me. And I agree it's very nicknamey. So I voted Olive.
Not into either but I voted for Olive. Polly is a nickname to me and I'm unsure that it will age well. It'll be darling on a little girl and an old lady, but I'm unsure about the years between.
I'm shocked that Olive is more popular in this poll. I mean honestly. I think Polly is a very pretty name but I just can't say the same for Olive. I mean, I just think of an olive.
I voted for Polly. I do think it's more of a little girl or old woman name, but I kind of like it. I think of the book Pollyanna, which I think is a positive. Olive just makes me think of martinis. Or Popeye's girlfriend. And I know of at least 2 little girls named this, plus the celebrity babies. However, since it's a family name, that makes it okay in my book
I'm shocked that Olive is more popular in this poll. I mean honestly. I think Polly is a very pretty name but I just can't say the same for Olive. I mean, I just think of an olive.
I love Polly. I don't think I could name my child just Polly though - I feel like you're a sentencing her to a life where people assume she's a little kid. It's just one of those names that doesn't age well. But I love it for a young girl. Is there another name you would consider and use Polly as a nn? Mary? Pollyanna? Something that gives her some flexibility when she's an adult?
I'm shocked that Olive is more popular in this poll. I mean honestly. I think Polly is a very pretty name but I just can't say the same for Olive. I mean, I just think of an olive.
This.
I think Polly is a sweet nicnkname, but a terrible first name.
Not into either but I voted for Olive. Polly is a nickname to me and I'm unsure that it will age well. It'll be darling on a little girl and an old lady, but I'm unsure about the years between.
I love Polly. I don't think I could name my child just Polly though - I feel like you're a sentencing her to a life where people assume she's a little kid. It's just one of those names that doesn't age well. But I love it for a young girl. Is there another name you would consider and use Polly as a nn? Mary? Pollyanna? Something that gives her some flexibility when she's an adult?
So we talked about this. When I told my husband that Polly is actually a diminutive of Mary, he was very confused. Then I told him it was like how Peggy is a nn for Margaret and he got more confused. So we jettisoned Mary. Which is too bad because I'm not opposed to Mary at all. But he really dislikes it.
We MAY consider Pollyanna. It seems so very cutesy but then again, Polly runs that risk. It doesn't seem so cutesy to me because of the association I have with it. But i realize, stepping outside of myself and looking in, that it really is.
As a joke i suggested we try to get a bit of sponsorship money and name her Polyvore. He took me very seriously and shut that down.
I like them both but Polly is rarely used anymore, whereas Olive is getting pretty popular. How important is popularity to you?
As somebody with a name that started out very rare but is now very popular, I know what both sides of that coin are like and would prefer her to have a less used name than an overused one.
I'm disappointed that Olive has become vogue. Especially since it has such a special family connection for me.
We've just been addressing her as Polive and i have a sinking feeling that it'll be her nn at home regardless -_-
Also am I overreacting that I JUST found out last night that there is a Polly murder victim who was rather high-profile?
That made me feel so sad. I am not from the USA originally and it happened a long, long time ago. So i wasn't aware of it. When i found out, it made me kind of miserable for an hour or so.
I cannot vote because I think they are both darling! I am also the same person who stayed longer at the hospital because I couldn't decide between two names. I took them both to the hospital and I thought she would look like one or the other. Nope! She looked like a baby. I hope you get a "feeling" one way or the other. We flipped a coin and I'm still not sure about our name! Best of luck! You can't go wrong!
Also am I overreacting that I JUST found out last night that there is a Polly murder victim who was rather high-profile?
That made me feel so sad. I am not from the USA originally and it happened a long, long time ago. So i wasn't aware of it. When i found out, it made me kind of miserable for an hour or so.
I didn't want to be the one to bring that up but... super high profile and still referenced when a girl goes missing and it makes national news. Also, you said you knew a little girl with that name and she moved away and vanished...
Aside from that I think Polly is sweet but it's definitely a little girls name. You could probably use it as a nn for a lot of other names but as her given name I think that would be less than ideal. I honestly don't love Olive either and I wonder how that will work on a 30-something yr old. That being said, if these are your final two, I'd go with Olive.
I love Polly. I don't think I could name my child just Polly though - I feel like you're a sentencing her to a life where people assume she's a little kid. It's just one of those names that doesn't age well. But I love it for a young girl. Is there another name you would consider and use Polly as a nn? Mary? Pollyanna? Something that gives her some flexibility when she's an adult?
So we talked about this. When I told my husband that Polly is actually a diminutive of Mary, he was very confused. Then I told him it was like how Peggy is a nn for Margaret and he got more confused. So we jettisoned Mary. Which is too bad because I'm not opposed to Mary at all. But he really dislikes it.
We MAY consider Pollyanna. It seems so very cutesy but then again, Polly runs that risk. It doesn't seem so cutesy to me because of the association I have with it. But i realize, stepping outside of myself and looking in, that it really is.
As a joke i suggested we try to get a bit of sponsorship money and name her Polyvore. He took me very seriously and shut that down.
There was a thread about nicknames like this last week I think. People used to use rhyming names for nicknames so Mary became Molly which became Polly. Maybe if you explain why it is a nn YH might like it more? I like the name Mary and I like the nn Polly for Mary!
Also am I overreacting that I JUST found out last night that there is a Polly murder victim who was rather high-profile?
That made me feel so sad. I am not from the USA originally and it happened a long, long time ago. So i wasn't aware of it. When i found out, it made me kind of miserable for an hour or so.
I didn't want to be the one to bring that up but... super high profile and still referenced when a girl goes missing and it makes national news. Also, you said you knew a little girl with that name and she moved away and vanished...
Aside from that I think Polly is sweet but it's definitely a little girls name. You could probably use it as a nn for a lot of other names but as her given name I think that would be less than ideal. I honestly don't love Olive either and I wonder how that will work on a 30-something yr old. That being said, if these are your final two, I'd go with Olive.
Oh don't worry My friend who vanished was not Polly Klaas. We're canadian and she looks nothing like her and is the wrong age anyway.
Can't say for sure what became of her but i know it wasn't THIS Polly.
Elsa1984 said:
Wait.....your in-laws get to pick your daughter's middle name?!
Yeah. They're Chinese - my husband is too. And he is going to choose a Chinese middle name for her. I get a say, of course (I have already thrown out Siu Long - cantonese for Little Dragon and Bruce Lee's Cantonese name) but i feel they are the most qualified to choose that name for her. My cantonese is limited to what the GPS says and figuring out where the booze, and bathroom, are
Wait.....your in-laws get to pick your daughter's middle name?!
Exactly what I was thinking. There's no way on earth that would fly with me.
It's a cultural thing for many people And I believe the OP
haha yeah kind of For me? No. Culturally, my dad's family might choose her Hebrew name but it's not quite the same as a middle name (Miriam has been chosen for her, I think) Culturally husband and i would choose her middle name. But his family want to feel like she has as strong an attachment to her Chinese heritage as her American/Canadian one. And I agree and am ok with this. As long as i get to veto a name i dislike.
Re: Just curious of reactions
TTC #1 --- BFP #1 5/15, loss at 5 weeks --- BFP #2 12/15, loss at 4+3 --- RE testing 3/16 normal, still trying for our rainbow
So we chose Polly from two people. One was a girl, named Polly, who i knew as a child. I quite admired her for all the typical little kid reasons. She moved away and vanished. I haven't been able to find her since but i quite liked her. My husband's best friend is also a Paul and he thinks this will open the door for lots of guilt-babysitting
Olive, I am surprised to discover, is Drew Barrymore's daughter's name AND Isla Fisher- which means, if it's a celebrity baby name, it could be on the upsweep. I also don't want people mistakenly calling her Olivia or her getting swallowed by the covey of Olivias that are sure to be in her primary class.
Olive was my maternal great grandmother's name.
So I voted Olive.
EDD for #1: 3/19/17
That won't help.
As a joke i suggested we try to get a bit of sponsorship money and name her Polyvore. He took me very seriously and shut that down.
We've just been addressing her as Polive and i have a sinking feeling that it'll be her nn at home regardless -_-
EDD for #1: 3/19/17
Aside from that I think Polly is sweet but it's definitely a little girls name. You could probably use it as a nn for a lot of other names but as her given name I think that would be less than ideal. I honestly don't love Olive either and I wonder how that will work on a 30-something yr old. That being said, if these are your final two, I'd go with Olive.
As a joke i suggested we try to get a bit of sponsorship money and name her Polyvore. He took me very seriously and shut that down.
There was a thread about nicknames like this last week I think. People used to use rhyming names for nicknames so Mary became Molly which became Polly. Maybe if you explain why it is a nn YH might like it more? I like the name Mary and I like the nn Polly for Mary!
It's a cultural thing for many people And I believe the OP
Can't say for sure what became of her but i know it wasn't THIS Polly.
Yeah. They're Chinese - my husband is too. And he is going to choose a Chinese middle name for her. I get a say, of course (I have already thrown out Siu Long - cantonese for Little Dragon and Bruce Lee's Cantonese name) but i feel they are the most qualified to choose that name for her. My cantonese is limited to what the GPS says and figuring out where the booze, and bathroom, are