Help with a middle name

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Help with a middle name
8
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 1:29pm
A friend is having a girl and wants to honor her mother with the middle name, but does not really care for either her mom's fn or mn. (Patricia Louise) Can you think of any way to honor the mother with some sort of combo of these to be used as a middle name?
Thanks,
Hope
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2006
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 1:43pm

Here are a few suggestions to change the mn a little but still honor her mom:

Trisha
Lucy
Trish
Patton
Patty
Patrice
Petra
Lucia

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 4:01pm
Good suggestions! I like Patrice.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2006
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 8:51pm

I have a very good friend named Patrice and I think it's beautiful. I even like it much better than Patricia. Have you thought about Louisa also? Louisa a very pretty.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2003
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 9:57pm
If she wants to honor her mom, she has to pick either Patricia or Louise. It would not be much of an honor if she just picked some other name that had similar letters, or the same first letter. People who do that and fool themselves into believeing they are honoring someone, are just silly (and selfish). She needs to decide if honoring her mother is really her goal or if having a name she loves is her goal. Then, her decision will be clear.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Thu, 05-18-2006 - 10:35pm
I agree that just by picking the same first letter is silly. But, I do think there are instances where it's close enough to be considered honoring them. Such as Patrice/Patricia, Laine/Elaine, etc. Just my opinion. A lot depends on the flow with first name and last name or weird initial things, etc.
I think it's really a case-by-case basis b/c, for example with this one her girl fn ends in "a" and her ln ends in "a" and she MUCH prefers Patricia over Louise, but that would be all 3 names ending in "a" and she thinks it sounds a little silly, so Patrice would be perfect.
Another prime example is honoring one gender when naming another. For example, naming a girl Angela for a father/grandfather named Angelo. Or giving a girl a father or grandfather's first name as her middle name but adding an "s", such as Michaels or Edwards.
While I agree that some people stretch it, I think there are definitely ways of honoring people by not having to use the exact name without being considered selfish...I think using selfish is a little harsh.


Edited 5/18/2006 10:37 pm ET by hopenfaith13104
Avatar for mjandrew74
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2003
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 10:33am

I think your opinion is stated a bit harshly.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2006
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 11:49am
I disagree with you. I think that your right about just picking a name with the same letter isn't much of an honor, but if you look at most of the names suggested, they are very close to her mothers name. I don't think it has to be the SAME EXACT name to be an honor, I am sure her mother will appreciate the thought, no matter if it is Patrice or Patricia, or Trisha ect...

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-05-2004
Fri, 05-19-2006 - 12:21pm
Yeah, I was a little bit surprised by that response as well. After all I was asking for suggestions, not opinions. Additionally the friend that I was inquiring for is the absolute least selfish person I know so to make that statement about selfishness is a little absurd.