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Help[Opinions] Re: Anne
in reply to a message by Lily
I've always liked it a lot - no surprises there! Annie is OK, and there's no other possibility (given that Nancy has gone off on her own), but it's short and zippy enough to survive without a nn
I was thinking yesterday that naming a child Mary today would be a bold, conscious decision and could be very successful. I would put Anne and Mary together, agewise, at least where I live, especially as fns. They've both got a pleasingly retro air, but because they're so seldom used they also come across as spunky and feisty rather than production-line. Nothing boring about either.
And I do think Anne looks more finished than Manx-cat Ann, but then, I would.
I was thinking yesterday that naming a child Mary today would be a bold, conscious decision and could be very successful. I would put Anne and Mary together, agewise, at least where I live, especially as fns. They've both got a pleasingly retro air, but because they're so seldom used they also come across as spunky and feisty rather than production-line. Nothing boring about either.
And I do think Anne looks more finished than Manx-cat Ann, but then, I would.
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Hmmm I never really got why people think it's bold or interesting to name their kids John and Mary. Mary has been the number 1 name for decades and it's still extremely common. It's just out of the top 100 and even in the top 30 in some states. John is even more common right now. I just don't really get it. Anne has had its break but it still sounds a little dull to me, even though I like it. But Mary never even had a break. Not that I have anything against it but I don't see what's supposed to be fashionable about it. Maybe in 80 years.
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That's interesting! Because here in South Africa I don't know a single Mary under 60, and most of them are ... well over 60! Ann(e) is pretty much the same. Lots of Afrikaans and black Anna people of course, likewise Maria, but in the Anglophone community, not at all.
I'm only looking at fns here, that being what one mostly sees.
I'm only looking at fns here, that being what one mostly sees.
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But Anna hasn't really had a break.... the furthest it's been from the top 100 is at #106 all the way back in 1971. Not that Anne and Anna aren't different, but add Anna's popularity to Anne's popularity-as-a-middle-name and both come out pretty tired.
For me, I've been hearing Anne all my life because it's so many people MNs. But Mary... I've only ever actually met a handful of (at least under the age of 30) so to me it SOUNDS fresher... even if it's being used more as a FN.
For me, I've been hearing Anne all my life because it's so many people MNs. But Mary... I've only ever actually met a handful of (at least under the age of 30) so to me it SOUNDS fresher... even if it's being used more as a FN.
This message was edited 5/29/2012, 9:19 AM
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I just don't see how a name that was in the top 10 for 91 years (out of 131 years of data) can sound fresh. At all. There are more women named Mary in the US than with any other name. How is that fresh?
Anna was in the top 10 for only 40 years and it was from 1880-1920, so a long time ago. Also you need to look at how often a name is actually used. From 1880-1889 Mary (#1) was used 91,673 times and Anna (#2) only 38,159 times, a HUGE difference.
I think Anna is boring, too. Katherine and Elizabeth as well. But Anna has never been as common as Mary, it never even came close. It had a break, actually. It was hardly out of the top 100 but for almost 30 years it was near the bottom of it, which isn't that popular. Also, as I said, it has never been as overdone as Mary so I can see why parents still liked it.
I also think that Anne is boring, but not as boring as Mary. It has been used as a middle name quite a bit but that doesn't bother me. Middle names are hardly ever used and I know quite a few girls with Mary as their middle name as well.
Anna was in the top 10 for only 40 years and it was from 1880-1920, so a long time ago. Also you need to look at how often a name is actually used. From 1880-1889 Mary (#1) was used 91,673 times and Anna (#2) only 38,159 times, a HUGE difference.
I think Anna is boring, too. Katherine and Elizabeth as well. But Anna has never been as common as Mary, it never even came close. It had a break, actually. It was hardly out of the top 100 but for almost 30 years it was near the bottom of it, which isn't that popular. Also, as I said, it has never been as overdone as Mary so I can see why parents still liked it.
I also think that Anne is boring, but not as boring as Mary. It has been used as a middle name quite a bit but that doesn't bother me. Middle names are hardly ever used and I know quite a few girls with Mary as their middle name as well.
This message was edited 5/29/2012, 11:25 AM
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You said you couldn't understand how anyone could think naming their daughter Mary was fresh and I was simply explaining HOW such a thing could happen for an individual person... like I said I know VERY few young Marys but lots of young Annas... so TO ME Mary sounds fresh by comparison.
Mary has been much more popular throughout history but Anna has been very close for the past 20 years and MORE popular than Mary for the past 10ish.... So Anna feels more familiar (which is why a lot of people choose it over Mary) but to others that gives Mary more charm... at THIS POINT in our history -because Anna has been more popular throughout my lifetime- rooting for Mary FEELS like rooting for the underdog
Mary has been much more popular throughout history but Anna has been very close for the past 20 years and MORE popular than Mary for the past 10ish.... So Anna feels more familiar (which is why a lot of people choose it over Mary) but to others that gives Mary more charm... at THIS POINT in our history -because Anna has been more popular throughout my lifetime- rooting for Mary FEELS like rooting for the underdog
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