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HelpTwins: WDYT?
Little Australian girls, born this month into a family I know of.
Melissa Dorothy and Phoebe Edna.
The names seem pretty different to me, as if four separate people had done the choosing. Or am I wrong, do you think?
Melissa Dorothy and Phoebe Edna.
The names seem pretty different to me, as if four separate people had done the choosing. Or am I wrong, do you think?
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Melissa and Phoebe were both names that were popular in the 80's and 90's. Edna and Dorothy are most likely grandmother or great-grandmother names. So I feel that these combos work well as a sibset. I actually think they are cute combos. I especially like Phoebe Edna. :)
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I disagree. These names look like a couple who are choosing first names they love, which I do think go together well, Melissa and Phoebe. The mns are obviously honoring family members -- at least that's what I would assume if I were introduced to them.
Honestly, the mns are more interesting to me than the fns. It's especially nice seeing Edna getting play time. :-)
You know, the more I look at it, Melissa Dorothy is a pretty good combination in its own right. I would have preferred Dorothy Melissa, but Melissa Dorothy is pretty good too.
Honestly, the mns are more interesting to me than the fns. It's especially nice seeing Edna getting play time. :-)
You know, the more I look at it, Melissa Dorothy is a pretty good combination in its own right. I would have preferred Dorothy Melissa, but Melissa Dorothy is pretty good too.
This message was edited 5/10/2012, 11:12 AM
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Well, Melissa is more of a 70s/80s name, I think, while Phoebe is very "now," but I actually like them together. Melissa always makes me think of bees, and I feel like the BEE in Phoebe sort of ties them together without them being the same. They're even both Greek and have long histories, so while they're not perfectly matched like bookends, I don't think they clash. I confess I actually love Melissa, even though I knew a ton of them when I was growing up, and I like seeing it used today.
Dorothy ( ♥ ) and Edna are very well matched, and they sound like they came from the family tree or something.
Overall, I approve.
Dorothy ( ♥ ) and Edna are very well matched, and they sound like they came from the family tree or something.
Overall, I approve.
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The first names do sound very different. It is hard to imagine the same person liking both Melissa and Phoebe. Melissa is so pretty-pretty and so yesterday, while Phoebe is so today and so not pretty-pretty.
Dorothy and Edna, though, seem to go hand-in-hand to me. I could see the same person choosing both of those middle names.
I dislike both Melissa and Phoebe for very different reasons. Melissa, as I said, is pretty-pretty, TOO pretty-pretty, like it's screaming, "Look at me! I'm so PRETTY! I'm so frilly and lacy and pink and pretty, I'm such an obvious choice for a pretty little girl, I'm so so PRETTY!" and that's why I don't like it. Phoebe, on the other hand, just sounds so silly and ugly to me. FEEE-BEEE. I just don't get it. The two are such extremes.
Dorothy and Edna, though, seem to go hand-in-hand to me. I could see the same person choosing both of those middle names.
I dislike both Melissa and Phoebe for very different reasons. Melissa, as I said, is pretty-pretty, TOO pretty-pretty, like it's screaming, "Look at me! I'm so PRETTY! I'm so frilly and lacy and pink and pretty, I'm such an obvious choice for a pretty little girl, I'm so so PRETTY!" and that's why I don't like it. Phoebe, on the other hand, just sounds so silly and ugly to me. FEEE-BEEE. I just don't get it. The two are such extremes.
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I like the first names of both, but the middle names seem a bit dowdy to me.
:0)
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I love them! They don't seem that different to me. I'd assume the middle names were honouring grandmothers perhaps?
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Several people have suggested that the middle names are honoring grandmothers. Most women are about fifty to sixty years old when they become grandmothers. I'm fifty-one, and I know that Dorothy and Edna were decidedly not popular names for my age group and up to ten years older. I have never known a Dorothy or an Edna my age or a little older. So while the names may be honoring, I think it's unlikely that they are honoring grandmothers. Perhaps great-grandmothers. Though, of course, I don't know for sure, it's just an educated guess.
Unless the popularity statistics for Dorothy and Edna have been drastically different in Australia than the US. I couldn't find any data on that.
Unless the popularity statistics for Dorothy and Edna have been drastically different in Australia than the US. I couldn't find any data on that.
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Given that my mother is into her fifties now, just, and I'm not forseeing being a parent within the next ten years (I mean no offense here, but I'm a difficult, "capricious" person and I panic at the idea of finding a life partner let alone dipping my toes amongst other parts into the gene pool. I'm no grown up.), I worry at that norm... and then I look at the number of sprogs springing up in my age group, have a little cry and realise you must be right. Damn you, human fertility, damn you.
I do agree that they seem really rather old-fashioned names for that demographic. I think I know a few Dorothys around the 60 mark, but given that they're that much older than my folks, it kind of proves the point. Hmmm...
Melissa Dorothy is okay, kinda cute and fun to look at written down. I don't care for Phoebe Edna, but that's just me.
I do agree that they seem really rather old-fashioned names for that demographic. I think I know a few Dorothys around the 60 mark, but given that they're that much older than my folks, it kind of proves the point. Hmmm...
Melissa Dorothy is okay, kinda cute and fun to look at written down. I don't care for Phoebe Edna, but that's just me.
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Agree - great grandmothers
I'm about the average age for new mothers in Australia at the moment.
Dorothy was still present in my mother's decade (50s), but down to 89th. Edna didn't appear at all. Dorothy was 23rd in the 40s and 5th in the 30s, and in the 30s Edna also featured, around the 50th mark. My grandmothers were born in the mid-to-late 1920s, so that would seem about right for many current, new great-grandmothers.
I'm about the average age for new mothers in Australia at the moment.
Dorothy was still present in my mother's decade (50s), but down to 89th. Edna didn't appear at all. Dorothy was 23rd in the 40s and 5th in the 30s, and in the 30s Edna also featured, around the 50th mark. My grandmothers were born in the mid-to-late 1920s, so that would seem about right for many current, new great-grandmothers.
This message was edited 5/10/2012, 9:40 AM
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Melissa and Phoebe are a nice set for twins, although they seem to be more 90's names (not that thats a bad thing) I assume the middle names are family names?
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Edna and Dorothy seem cut from the same cloth, though I think Dorothy is kind of cute and Edna is gross, like the sound of retching.
Melissa and Phoebe seem very different though. In the US, Melissa is seen as a bit dated though it is still used often, and Phoebe is very much up-and-coming and yuppiefied.
Melissa and Phoebe seem very different though. In the US, Melissa is seen as a bit dated though it is still used often, and Phoebe is very much up-and-coming and yuppiefied.
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I think Dorothy and Edna have the same 1930's feel to them. As for Melissa and Phoebe I like them together, but they rather different styles.
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I think Dorothy and Edna are of similar style - they're both quite old fashioned and unusual nowadays. Melissa and Phoebe don't go particularly well together in my opinion, but they're both OK names.
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Well, Dorothy and Edna feel like a similar style to me. As though they could be the grandmother's names.
While Melissa and Phoebe feel different from each other, they are both Greek, I think. So not that far off.
I don't mind them together.
While Melissa and Phoebe feel different from each other, they are both Greek, I think. So not that far off.
I don't mind them together.
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Uhm I'm pretty glad the names are different, especially because they're twins. Looks like the middle names are after their grandmothers. Dorothy and Edna are similar in style. And Melissa and Phoebe are both Greek, aren't they? And as far as I know Phoebe is really common in Australia, I don't know about Melissa, but maybe it's not dated there? Anyway I really like Phoebe Dorothy.
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Well Dorothy and Edna are quite similar in style, and I'm happy to see Dorothy used! I'm not a fan of Melissa, I think it's quite dated but I do like Phoebe - so yes, I sort of see it as a mis-match of names too.
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