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HelpMargaret/Daisy
I'm sure everyone here knows that a long time ago, Daisy was a common nickname for Margaret.
Remember how in "Little Women", when Meg has the twins, and they're going to name the girl Margaret after her? And then Amy says, "We'll call the girl Daisy, and the boy can be Jack, I suppose...". I remember how that puzzled me as a child because I didn't know that Daisy was a nickname for Margaret and couldn't see the connection.
I've always assumed it came about because the French form of Margaret is Marguerite, and the French word for daisy is marguerite, but I've never actually read that anywhere.
At one point my daughter was considering naming a girl Margaret and calling her Daisy, but changed her mind.
So my question is, do you think it's still viable to use Daisy as a nickname for Margaret? Of course, it's possible, and you can use any nickname you want to, but does it just seem silly to you? Do you think if you like Daisy you should just use Daisy? Or does it seem sweetly quaint and old-fashioned, a tradition worth carrying on? Would it be an inconvenience for the Margaret/Daisy in question?
Remember how in "Little Women", when Meg has the twins, and they're going to name the girl Margaret after her? And then Amy says, "We'll call the girl Daisy, and the boy can be Jack, I suppose...". I remember how that puzzled me as a child because I didn't know that Daisy was a nickname for Margaret and couldn't see the connection.
I've always assumed it came about because the French form of Margaret is Marguerite, and the French word for daisy is marguerite, but I've never actually read that anywhere.
At one point my daughter was considering naming a girl Margaret and calling her Daisy, but changed her mind.
So my question is, do you think it's still viable to use Daisy as a nickname for Margaret? Of course, it's possible, and you can use any nickname you want to, but does it just seem silly to you? Do you think if you like Daisy you should just use Daisy? Or does it seem sweetly quaint and old-fashioned, a tradition worth carrying on? Would it be an inconvenience for the Margaret/Daisy in question?
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Replies
Daisy is a great nn for Margaret, and any nn is viable. Even if most people don't understand where it comes from it doesn't matter. And I really don't see how it could bean inconvenience more than any other name.
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I think Daisy would still work as a nn for Margaret or Marguerite, it would be refreshing to see it really. I would personally just use Daisy, as I think it's a gorgeous name on it's own.
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I adore Daisy as a nick for Margaret and have considered it myself because my mother was Margaret and well, I don't exactly love it. My only reservation is that people may perceive Daisy as unintelligent or flighty, etc. Then, of course, there are the phrases 'pushing up daisies,' 'lazy Daisy' and 'crazy Daisy' that give me pause. Still love it, though.
I definitely feel it's a tradition worth carrying on but don't have a problem with Daisy by itself. Personally, I'd be more inclined to go the full name-route just the same way I prefer Lily as a nick for Elizabeth.
Re: the origin, my theory is that someone educated knew of the French meaning of marguerite and was also aware of Marguerite's relationship to Margaret and cleverly applied the nn Daisy to Margaret. According to Hanks and Hodges (Oxford Dictionary of First Names), flower names didn't become en vogue for women until end of the 19th century so I'm curious when Daisy first became associated with Margaret.
I definitely feel it's a tradition worth carrying on but don't have a problem with Daisy by itself. Personally, I'd be more inclined to go the full name-route just the same way I prefer Lily as a nick for Elizabeth.
Re: the origin, my theory is that someone educated knew of the French meaning of marguerite and was also aware of Marguerite's relationship to Margaret and cleverly applied the nn Daisy to Margaret. According to Hanks and Hodges (Oxford Dictionary of First Names), flower names didn't become en vogue for women until end of the 19th century so I'm curious when Daisy first became associated with Margaret.
This message was edited 6/26/2008, 1:58 PM
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I associate Daisy with Marguerite rather than Margaret, as in "Marguerite daisy". I like Marguerite but can take or leave Margaret.
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I love the idea! It's sweet and traditional. If it worked then I don't see any reason why it could'nt work now
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It's a nice idea, but I don't think its very usable now.
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I love Margaret, nn Daisy. I think it would work very well in today's world. She'd have a darling nn and the option of a more formal name if she wanted it later. I wouldn't worry about other people not knowing the connection. Most won't bother about it much. And for the few who do, just explain the tradition.
The origin of the nn puzzles me too. I go back and forth between your explanation and the fact that Maisie is a nn for Margaret. Maisie --> Daisy?
I haven't read the other posts, so perhaps someone else has a more definitive explanation.
The origin of the nn puzzles me too. I go back and forth between your explanation and the fact that Maisie is a nn for Margaret. Maisie --> Daisy?
I haven't read the other posts, so perhaps someone else has a more definitive explanation.
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Or does it seem sweetly quaint and old-fashioned, a tradition worth carrying on?
Yes. :-)
Daisy is a very sweet nn for Margaret. I think it is very viable and not silly at all. Daisy as a full name is nmsaa, but as a nn it's lovely.
Yes. :-)
Daisy is a very sweet nn for Margaret. I think it is very viable and not silly at all. Daisy as a full name is nmsaa, but as a nn it's lovely.
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I remember hearing Daisy as a nickname for Margaret for the first time and being confused. It seemed to me they were two very different names that didn't sound a thing like each other. Maggie, Meg, Margie, or Margo for Margaret I can understand, but Daisy just comes completely out of left field, at least in our language. These days, I think it'd be best to simply go by Daisy; the Margaret connection is a thing of the past.
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If I'm not mistaken a poster on this boards, Aine, has a little sister named Marguerite nn Daisy (I think she was born last year). I think it is very sweet and having a more childish name like Daisy is cute when the child is younger but eventually she might want a more formal /grown up name and that's when she can use Marguerite/Margaret. I would rather see that a girl called Daisy was named Marguerite/Margaret than just Daisy.
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Yeah, Daisy is still used as a nn for Margaret and I adore it! Daisy by itself is a little childish, but it's a great nickname, and Margaret is the perfect full name.
I believe it is the Marguerite connection. It also rhymes with Maisie, though I don't think that has anything to do with it (Ds do not replace Ms, they replace Rs and Ps replace Ms- Paisie? er...)
I believe it is the Marguerite connection. It also rhymes with Maisie, though I don't think that has anything to do with it (Ds do not replace Ms, they replace Rs and Ps replace Ms- Paisie? er...)
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This is a tough question. I love the NN Daisy, but don't find it to be substantial enough to be a full name. While Marguerite is pretty, I don't like it enough to actually name my child that. And the connection is always going to be a pain to explain. I wouldn't do it.
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