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Hester vs. Mildred
If you had a daughter and had to choose between these two names, with NO nickname options, which would you choose, and why?I'd go with Hester. I think it's spicier than Mildred, and I actually kind of like it. Hmm. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
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Hester, but only because I can't stand Mildred.
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Definitely Mildred.Hester sounds super prickly and messy to me. It "feels" like irritability. Hassle + fester.Mildred is sweet and lilting without being weak.

This message was edited 9/21/2017, 11:06 AM

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Now that you mention that Hester is similar to the word fester I realize that Hester has been reminding me of the word pester. I think it's because the h and the p sound are so similar, more similar than h and f. Hester has always felt a bit snooty, more stuck up than Esther.So we've got pester and mildew to choose between. Even after this revelation I still prefer Hester.
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I quite like Hester, but I think Mildred is just too dated and clunky.
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I'd choose Mildred, but only because one of my favourite books as a kid featured an evil child ghost named Hester. Can't get past it.
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I despise both yet I'd have to go with Hester as well. Very few names are as ugly as Mildew, um, I mean Mildred.
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Yikes, haha. I honestly don't know. Mildred, probably.
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I would go with Mildred. I always liked it but I don't know why.
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Hester. I don't hate Mildred, but it does drag. I had a friend called Esther, and being used to hearing her name, I found Hester a little odd sounding, but I quite like it now. It has more energy and character, and it reminds me of Hestia, which I love.
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Can't say I'm crazy about either, but I like Hester more than Mildred. Mildred makes me think of mildew and dread. But Mildred would probably work better here. Hester sounds too much like "hästen" (pr. HES-ten), which means "the horse" in Swedish.
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Mildred, every time.
and as a plus, it would be good with my surname, which is all vowels. The reason why my children's first names do not end in a vowel.
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No nn options I'd definitely choose Hester.I hate Mildred - it's one of the names that I hate the most since it is dowdy and it sounds like mildew but with the dread sound at the end - but I love the nn Millie. I much prefer Matilda or Millicent or Camilla or Amelia nn Millie but if Mildred was a family name I could see using it for a daughter and only calling her Millie. Since my husband has a toddler cousin named Millie we wouldn't ever name or nn a child Millie.I like Hester even if I don't love it. I also like the nn's Hettie and Hes. Hettie is traditionally a nn for Hester and Henrietta but it feels more natural as a nn to Henrietta. I like the name Hester enough that she wouldn't need a nn.
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This message was edited 9/20/2017, 12:39 PM

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Hester!Hester is one of my absolute favorite names -- if I ever have a daughter, and if I have said daughter with a partner who accepts/shares my taste, I wouldn't be surprised if I named her Hester.I also love Mildred.
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I would go with Mildred. I actually like Mildred. I wouldn't use it but there's a softness to it. I don't really care for Millie so I'm fine with just Mildred. Hester sounds harsh to me.
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What a truly sadistic choice! Mildred is such a loser of a name, and Hester hisses like a peevish snake - I far prefer Esther, which I suppose you won't let me get away with, right?OK then: Hester.
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Mildred no question. She kicked butt in Remington Steele.
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Hester! I hate Mildred even with nicknames, but I love Hester.
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Mildred, I low-key like it. I don't dislike Hester either though.You say no nicknames but I might gently encourage her to go by "Dred" during her goth phase.
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I have to say Hester, too. If nicknames were allowed, I'd say Mildred nn Millie, cuz Millie ain't that bad, but since nicknames are not allowed, I would have to pick Hester, although I don't really like it. But the "dred" part of Mildred is dreadful.
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Well, assuming I didn't have a Hector to confuse things... Hester hands down! I love it. She's spunky and sharp and no-nonsense. Mildred feels dowdy next to her.
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Esther is a favourite of mine, so I'd choose Hester. I actually know a Hester in her 20s.
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MildredHi RDNZL !!!I prefer Mildred.
It is soft but glittering.
It is interesting, simple to write and pronounce. It is lovely vintage and I hope in a coming back.Hester is the worst variant of Esther imo. It only make me think of a cruel, fussy Puritan mother. I much prefer Ester (Italian).
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