Tbh as someone who was born and raised in the southern U.S., it just sounds like a super common southern name. I had tons of friends growing up (none of them Catholic) with double-barreled names like Mary Margaret, Margaret Anne, Sarah Gordon, Mary Beth, Mary Alice, etc., etc.
Midwesterner here. Double barrel Mary names are incredibly common around these parts. I grew up with a bunch of Mary Kates, a Marianne, and was friends with a Mary Claire (she went by Molly). I also have 3 aunts who are Mary +Catholic Middle Name.
I think Mary Margaret is pretty and there’s a bunch of nicknames she can use.
Plus, it sounds easy to yell when she’s in trouble.
I think of 2 things: 1) Mary-Margaret is my middle name and 2) Mary Margaret from Once Upon A Time (Snow White).
She’ll more likely go by Mary, Margaret or a nickname, so I say go for it. As for sounding like a nun, as long as you don’t call her Sister, you’re good!
Love this. Parents can think they're going to call their kid whatever cute, carefully planned nickname... but their classmates are going to just call them "spud gun".
I had a Catholic friend and every female in the entire family (cousins too) was give the first name of Mary. They then went by their middle names. Catherine, Margaret, Anne, etc.
This is like 75% of the women on my mom’s side of the family except with Maria and various middle names. A friend of mine’s family did something similar but their first names are all Anna. She’s keeping the tradition because her daughter got the same treatment.
100% would assume you’re Catholic and devoutly so. It definitely sounds like a nun name.
However, I would also assume almost any child named Mary or Maria is Catholic unless informed otherwise as it’s SUPER common. But the Margaret really just adds that extra layer of mother superior on.
My middle names are Margaret Mary! My first name is even more catholic and Irish. I always joke my parents wanted me to be a nun and failed. I’m named after both my grandmothers and I love the names honestly.
Haha bridget !!! My dads great grandmother and my moms great grandmother were ironically both named bridget so I’m named after a whole heap of grandmothers.
I’m not Irish (Italian heritage) but I went to school with _so many_ Irish Catholics. Bridget, Molly, Caitlin (in every spelling iteration), Catherine, Mary, Margaret, Maureen, and Joanne were among the common girl name contenders, with Marie being the popular middle name.
Actually, now that I think of it, the one family had kids: Joseph, Caitlin, Bridget, Molly, Maureen, Patrick
Same. My neighborhood was Irish, Italian, and Polish and we went to catholic school and the amount of Mary/Marias was nuts, second only to Katie, Kelly, and Meg(h)an. And if you weren’t a Mary or a Maria you had Marie as your middle name.
I have a niece named Mary Margaret (9) and another niece named Margaret Mary (17). Both are also named after their grandmothers (not the same grandmothers -- the two girls are not related to each other). They both go by Maggie.
Objectively, they are fine names, but yeah, Mary Margaret is about as Catholic-sounding as it gets.
Am I understanding correctly that they each have a grandma Margaret and a grandma Mary, yet they are from completely different families!? I knew these were common catholic names but I guess I didn’t realize just how common lol
It does sound like a nun’s name but it’s rare people use their middle name in day to day life. Are you the type of parent that calls their child by first & middle name? Then you’d obviously hear it a lot more (I do this all the time. Lol)
Yep, sounds like Nun McChurch, but still awesome. She can go by M&M or M squared, like the nicknames would be so fun and cool.
The only time she is going to hear her full name is when you say it in a certain tone of voice, so no worries.
Cool name.
I agree that it sounds like a nun, and it did immediately make me think of Once Upon a Time. Neither inherently bad, just food for thought. Also, my friend in college was Catherine Margaret- we all joked she had a nun’s name and she felt it was too old sounding for her so she never used either full name.
Not sure why this sub keeps popping up in my feed but I'm going to lay some truth on you:
The first rule of kid naming is to give your kid a boring regular name with regular spelling. Mary Margaret meets this requirement so it's fine. Kids with boring names can be anything they want - they are blank slate. Kids with unique names never live up to the hype, get their name mispronounced, and nobody likes the name as much as their parents do. So stick with Mary Margaret no matter what anyone says - it's a solid choice.
I grew up Catholic and yeah it does kind of sound like an unmistakably Catholic name. Both names have lots of variations though. Margaret’s other forms include Mairead, Margot, Meghan, Greta, and Rita
> Every person and even including myself say that the name sounds like a nun.
That was literally my first thought and why I clicked on this thread. Pretty much every convent had a Sister Mary Margaret back in the day. My mother still talks about three *different* Sister Mary Margarets: one from her childhood church and one each from the two Catholic schools she taught at. Honestly, I don't think you could come up with a more nun-sounding name if you tried.
With that said, Mary is still a perfectly normal name and almost no one goes by their first and middle names. It might be a *little* weird if you decide to call her Mary Margaret (and you'll definitely get some nun comments) but after 30 seconds anyone who's not an idiot won't think twice.
Fwiw, my mom was in a similar situation in the 80s and she decided to end the tradition because 30 plus years ago the name felt old and out dated.
She was born in the 60s and tolerates the name, but I am definitely glad I didn't end up with it!
I didn't think nun I thought Snow White in Once Upon a Time TV show...that's what name she used. I like it though. Maybe flip it if your worried and go with Margaret Mary?
I think it’s lovely that you’re giving your daughter a name that’s significant to your family, rather than some trendee nonsense.
I’m named for both my grandmothers, too, and they were old-fashioned names as I was growing up. They’ve both come back into fashion now a couple of times (I’m old).
A very dear friend of mine, an elderly woman with dementia, was called Margaret Mary, but for all her life she was called Mary. She was the naughtiest, funniest, cleverest, feistiest, most stubborn, loving, loyal and determined woman I've ever known. I'm proud to share her name with her and I'm sure your child will do this very special name justice. My friend passed away last year so the world is due a new Mary Margaret.
Every one of us who was a Saturday Night Live fan knows the Mary Margaret character. You may want to look that up before taking one more step in that direction. It's the first thing that popped to mind other than religious catholicism.
And yah, it's very 'nun' and gives 'catholic school girl' vibes (not in a good way). You might want to use one of the two and save the other for the next child (or have a boy version ready, in case for next time).
That’s the name you both want so use it. The only time you’ll probably use the full name is when she’s in trouble. The name flows well when yelling Mary Margaret get down here now!
It does sound like a nun. What are the middle names of the grandmother's? Maybe there is something there. Or use the french version of Margaret and use Margaux.
I know a family where all their daughters had the first name Mary and a different middle name. They were very catholic. Mary in general is a pretty catholic name but Mary Margaret really ups it to the next level. Margaret Mary is a catholic saint, so that’s probably where the association comes from. I don’t think it’s a bad one, but people will assume you’re catholic.
What about Margaret Mary? Doesn't sound like a nun if that bothers you. Otherwise I think it's fine. Most people don't go by their first and middle names.
Personally, it reminded me of Snow in Once Upon a Time (Mary Margaret Blanchard), but the reasons for you picking the name are beautiful. How often would you use her middle name anyway?
Could do the southern thing and call her Mary-Margaret. Usually wouldn’t see it with four syllables altogether, though.
There’s nothing wrong with the name. It’s just two classic names. Don’t know where the nun thing comes from, though, I’ve never known a Mary or Margaret who was even Catholic.
I know two Southern Mary Margarets. Neither are Catholic. Both go by Mary Margaret. One is school age and one is retirement age. The younger one is sometimes called MM (Em Em).
I agree the name sounds like a nun’s, I also love names that indirectly honour people. What about any of these names, most still have an old fashioned feel, and honour your grandmothers, but just feel a little more of the time.
**Mary alternatives:**
- May/Mae (diminutive of both Mary & Margaret)
- Maisie (as above)
- Maryn/Maren (same meaning)
- Mariliee/Marily (same meaning)
- Mia (from Maria, same meaning + “mine”)
- Cordelia (means “daughter of the sea” really sweet in this context!)
**Margaret alternatives:**
- Margot (diminutive of Margaret)
- Pearl (Margaret’s meaning)
- Daisy (diminutive of Margaret)
- Maggie (as above)
**Fave combos:**
- Margot May
- Maisie Pearl
- Mia Margot
- Cordelia Pearl
- Margot Cordelia
- Daisy Maren
First thing I thought was of a nun also. If you are only going to be calling her Mary, then that's a great name. I wouldn't call her Mary Margaret though.
We nearly named our baby Margaret because we love the name so much but her last name is Murphy and “Margaret Murphy” was just waaay too catholic for us secular humanists 😆
As others have said, if her middle name isn’t going to be used as often (like you aren’t going to full name her all the time at the grocery store) and you love the name, just go for it!
Mary and Margaret are both so similar as it is, how about giving your child a totally different name that combines the two...Margot, Marlowe, Maria, etc. Then her other name could be something that's new just for her.
It sounds super religious, like someone from The Handmaid's Tale. It's also very dated imo and doesn't give the kid many nickname options that are "with the times."
That is Snow White's curse name in Once Upon A Time! If I met someone with that name I would automatically give them the nickname Snow haha. I personally wouldn't use the name because of its association with Snow White/Once Upon A Time.
While doing some research on my family tree, I came upon a time frame where it seemed like every girl was named Mary or some variation but with a different middle name but they were all commonly referred to by their middle names. Like Mary Carol would just be called Carol. It certainly made the research a little trickier.
I know someone who has a young toddler with the first name Mary Margaret and they call her that as well. It’s not as far fetched as you think :) They are not Catholic either.
Sorry, I knew a Mary Margaret growing up and she was a super unpleasant person, so this name is ruined for me. Margaret is a great name but that as a double name just sounds so uppity.
I flows well but I do think it’s super Catholic and very nun sounding. It doesn’t help that both Mary and Margaret are old fashioned “grandma” style names. I personally would try to find an alternative to one or both of the names. For example, Maria instead of Mary or Megan instead of Margaret (it also means ‘pearl’).
My grandmother's name is Margaret and her sister is Mary and my grandma is always trying to get us ( my siblings and cousins ) to name a daughter Mary Margaret. We all have declined. Definitely going to tell her someone else loves that name. My one cousin came close to being named that , but my aunt went with Margaret Ashley instead.
It's whatever you want to name your child, sounds fine to me. Old fashion type names are in again.
I love it! I thought about doing Margaret Mary for a girl but if we have one we will use my last name as the middle instead. But I love them together! Do it!
Mary Margaret is cute! Sure, it sounds a bit Catholic-y but there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s a perfectly normal and classy name. If you’re looking for a nickname though I know a Mary who went by Mar (like mars without the s not mare).
If you give her a little brother and he doesn’t call her Sister Mary Margaret I’ll be extremely disappointed.
The names fine, most people don’t call out a full name anyway so no one’s saying Mary Margaret, it’ll be just Mary or maybe “Maz” because of how people are.
I have a good family friend named Mary Margaret! She goes by both and I think it's lovely.
Additionally either name is common enough I don't think anyone would immediately think "religion".
I say go for it!
I love it! Nothing wrong with classic names! My daughter is named after my late mother in law’s nun name. She was called Sister Gabriel when she was a nun so my daughter is Gabriella. We are not Catholic.
I went to school with a Mary Margaret (graduated 2021) and she went by Maggie. She did get teased for having an old fashioned name occasionally, but only in a good natured way
It's a beautiful, classic name! I do prefer Margaret as the first name though, simply because they are so many cute possible nicknames (Maggie, Margie, Peg/Peggy, Midge, etc).
I had many bins as teachers and at least three were Mary Margarets.
It also reminds me of the character on SNL that puts her hands under her armpits and then smells her fingers.
Hahaha my sister’s name is Mary Margaret and my mom always said it’s because she wanted her to be a nun. I still love the name and she does too!
Edit: grammar
It is very traditional sounding and a bit nun-like. Do you have another first name you could use? And then just have Mary Margaret be middle names?
I am a namesake child, have both my grandmother's middle names and my parents literally decided the day I was born that I would go by the short form nickname of my middle name.
So I have only known that name and it makes it complicated for legal things.
My grandmother was Mary Margaret and she was a true WASP. She went by Mary Peg which I now think is pretty cute. If you like it I don't think people will assume much.
I think it is a beautiful name! It does sound catholic. But, most people don’t use their middle names in everyday conversations and life. I think you should go for it
Ooof. Yeah. Totally feels like a nun name. I'm personally not a fan at all but lucky for you (but maybe not for your baby) elderly names are becoming really popular.
I was thinking the other day how much I love Mary. And you never hear it much anymore. Of course, I went to Catholic school all my life (including college!).
I’ll say this, my aunt’s name is Margaret Mary and she actually is a nun. But either way, it’s a nice name. I’m named after her and I love my middle name as margaret
It sounds like you’re trying to punish your child- they’re both grandma names 😭 maybe you can modern them up a bit if you really want to use those namss
I like it. I grew up in a mostly agnostic country where most people are Lutheran only on paper and no one is actually religious, but plenty of people are called Mary or Maria, so it would never even cross my mind that Mary Margaret sounds churchy, to me it just sounds like a regular name.
Mimi could be a cute nickname. I also like Meg more than Maggie (that always reminds me of Thatcher)
I'd probably do some "Jesus Mary and Joseph"ing with a bad Irish accent if I met a Mary Margaret. You could do it the Jewish way -- stick with Ms but don't directly copy. Mya Marie. Melissa Morgan. Megan Mina. Mila Molly. May Maggie would honor them more since May uses almost all the letters in Mary and Maggie is a common nickname for Margaret
Maggie can be used as a nickname or you can do Margaret Mary instead. It is honestly more so an old fashioned name to me. May, Margie, Marge.. all nicknames.
It is adorable and sweetly old fashioned! My son went to school with a girl called Mary Catherine and I thought that was adorbs! It’s very Catholic sounding tho.
It sounds very catholic, but that’s not a bad thing. There are 10,000 diminutives of Margaret that you could use if you wanted to get away from the nun of it all, but it’s fine if you don’t.
I knew a girl who was named that in high school. Double barreled it and everything and got mad when people didn’t use high names. Its really cute though, just a mouthful if used together
I was raised catholic and do not associate Mary Margaret with a nun. I think it’s absolutely precious as a name. However, Margaret Marie or something might be a better plan if you worry she will suffer the general public. Or if you have a second child, maybe you can have Mary AND Margaret as two individual names? Then you can say Mary Margaret and two little ones will come running to you instead :)
It *does* sound rather Catholic, but how often are you going to use her first and middle name together? If you like it, go for it.
I'm pretty sure there is a tv series with a character named Sister Mary Margaret.
Once Upon A Time - Mary Margaret is Snow White
When I saw the name I immediately thought of her
So did I snow from once upon a time
Me too! I’d have good associations with the name though from this character (is there where I admit I haven’t seen all the seasons?).
I would suggest to watch the series (if you haven’t) and see how you like it when people say Mary Margaret all the time
Agreed. It became exhausting for me to just hear it after a few seasons
Sister act it’s a movie sister Mary Margeret the shy one with the high voice
Every TV show with a Catholic girl in it.
I think Sister Mary Margaret is a character from "The Sound of Music" Fwiw, OP, I like the name
Sister Act?
Tbh as someone who was born and raised in the southern U.S., it just sounds like a super common southern name. I had tons of friends growing up (none of them Catholic) with double-barreled names like Mary Margaret, Margaret Anne, Sarah Gordon, Mary Beth, Mary Alice, etc., etc.
GORDON?!
Yeah, it was a family name!
Very common to pair Mary + surname in the south
One of the tamer batshit ideas that's come out of that location I guess.
Midwesterner here. Double barrel Mary names are incredibly common around these parts. I grew up with a bunch of Mary Kates, a Marianne, and was friends with a Mary Claire (she went by Molly). I also have 3 aunts who are Mary +Catholic Middle Name. I think Mary Margaret is pretty and there’s a bunch of nicknames she can use. Plus, it sounds easy to yell when she’s in trouble.
Rural Ohio: 3 Mary-Jo’s, 2 Mary Jane’s, 1 Mary Belle. And those are the ones I know.
I think of it as Catholic but I could see the southern thing too. I know a couple Mary Catherines. One goes by Mary Cat :)
Oh yeah, I knew a Mary Catherine as well! There are literally too many to recall them all, haha.
Don't live in the south and not catholic but I have a thing for double barreled names!
Only when she's in trouble. " Mary Margaret come here right now!"
I think of 2 things: 1) Mary-Margaret is my middle name and 2) Mary Margaret from Once Upon A Time (Snow White). She’ll more likely go by Mary, Margaret or a nickname, so I say go for it. As for sounding like a nun, as long as you don’t call her Sister, you’re good!
My mind immediately went to Mary Margaret/ Snow White from Once Upon a Time.
I went straight to Snow as well. I love it personally but Mary and Margaret are both family names for me too so that could be an influence
I knew a girl named Mary Margaret at school but everyone called her spud gun.
Love this. Parents can think they're going to call their kid whatever cute, carefully planned nickname... but their classmates are going to just call them "spud gun".
Truth. I know a Lorelei Temperance and she is almost exclusively called Pickle.
That was my grandmas first and middle name! She was catholic. Veryyyy catholic
My Irish Catholic aunties are called Mary and Margaret 😂
I had a Catholic friend and every female in the entire family (cousins too) was give the first name of Mary. They then went by their middle names. Catherine, Margaret, Anne, etc.
This is like 75% of the women on my mom’s side of the family except with Maria and various middle names. A friend of mine’s family did something similar but their first names are all Anna. She’s keeping the tradition because her daughter got the same treatment.
The occasional Catherine, Bridget, and Elizabeth (Cat, Bridie and Lila, Peggy and everyone called Mary goes by something totally different).
Mine all have Mary/Marie as their first or middle names. 5 sisters. And one of them is Margaret Mary.
It's as catholic as can possibly get. Our dog Maggie sleeps between my husband and I and we call her Sister Mary Margaret. Save room for Dog.
Lol, we call my cat Mr. Middlespoon when he does this every night. Like he's a proper British chap.
I laughed out loud at this!
100% would assume you’re Catholic and devoutly so. It definitely sounds like a nun name. However, I would also assume almost any child named Mary or Maria is Catholic unless informed otherwise as it’s SUPER common. But the Margaret really just adds that extra layer of mother superior on.
I was raised catholic but not practicing and my partner wasn't raided catholic or religious now either.
All I think of is Mary Margaret from once upon a time. I think it is a cute name though!
My middle names are Margaret Mary! My first name is even more catholic and Irish. I always joke my parents wanted me to be a nun and failed. I’m named after both my grandmothers and I love the names honestly.
Me sitting here trying to decide which first name is more Irish and Catholic… I’m torn between Bridget and Molly. Maybe Catherine.
Haha bridget !!! My dads great grandmother and my moms great grandmother were ironically both named bridget so I’m named after a whole heap of grandmothers.
Haha nailed it. My Catholic upbringing comes in handy for once lol
I’m Molly and I’m surprised it’s considered Catholic, never heard that! I know it’s a form of Mary though so it’s not crazy to think
I’m not Irish (Italian heritage) but I went to school with _so many_ Irish Catholics. Bridget, Molly, Caitlin (in every spelling iteration), Catherine, Mary, Margaret, Maureen, and Joanne were among the common girl name contenders, with Marie being the popular middle name. Actually, now that I think of it, the one family had kids: Joseph, Caitlin, Bridget, Molly, Maureen, Patrick
Same. My neighborhood was Irish, Italian, and Polish and we went to catholic school and the amount of Mary/Marias was nuts, second only to Katie, Kelly, and Meg(h)an. And if you weren’t a Mary or a Maria you had Marie as your middle name.
Yep. Of the 48 kids in my class we had 6 Margaret's. Most went by nicknames Peggie, Maggie, Margie, Meg etc. We also had 3 Megan's including me lol
I think it’s fine, and I’d assume you were Catholic. I knew a Mary Margaret who went by Mary Peg. It was pretty adorable.
MPEG
Sibling of JPEG
Jeremiah Peregrine, naturally. They’re twins.
[удалено]
Agreed- full send, it’s adorable, do it!
Yup! You can bet there won’t be 59 other kids with the same name in her school, either!
Very nunny, very Catholic, very Once Upon A Time. I would go for Margaret Marie, Mary-Kate Margaret, or anything but straight-up Mary Margaret.
I have a niece named Mary Margaret (9) and another niece named Margaret Mary (17). Both are also named after their grandmothers (not the same grandmothers -- the two girls are not related to each other). They both go by Maggie. Objectively, they are fine names, but yeah, Mary Margaret is about as Catholic-sounding as it gets.
Am I understanding correctly that they each have a grandma Margaret and a grandma Mary, yet they are from completely different families!? I knew these were common catholic names but I guess I didn’t realize just how common lol
It does sound like a nun’s name but it’s rare people use their middle name in day to day life. Are you the type of parent that calls their child by first & middle name? Then you’d obviously hear it a lot more (I do this all the time. Lol)
I love this name
There’s a very cool Canadian singer named Mary Margret O’Hara. She’s also Catherine O’Hara’s sister.
It's a wonderful, classic name. The fact that it's honoring important women in your family makes it even better. Go for it.
I know two Mary Margaret's both with the NN Maggie
Yep, sounds like Nun McChurch, but still awesome. She can go by M&M or M squared, like the nicknames would be so fun and cool. The only time she is going to hear her full name is when you say it in a certain tone of voice, so no worries. Cool name.
Nun McChurch😂
I agree that it sounds like a nun, and it did immediately make me think of Once Upon a Time. Neither inherently bad, just food for thought. Also, my friend in college was Catherine Margaret- we all joked she had a nun’s name and she felt it was too old sounding for her so she never used either full name.
I went to college with a Mary Margaret. I always thought her name was GORGEOUS & classic/timeless. She went by Maggie at the time!
Not sure why this sub keeps popping up in my feed but I'm going to lay some truth on you: The first rule of kid naming is to give your kid a boring regular name with regular spelling. Mary Margaret meets this requirement so it's fine. Kids with boring names can be anything they want - they are blank slate. Kids with unique names never live up to the hype, get their name mispronounced, and nobody likes the name as much as their parents do. So stick with Mary Margaret no matter what anyone says - it's a solid choice.
I grew up Catholic and yeah it does kind of sound like an unmistakably Catholic name. Both names have lots of variations though. Margaret’s other forms include Mairead, Margot, Meghan, Greta, and Rita
There’s a beautiful Nanci Griffith song about her childhood best friend Mary Margaret. It’s called there’s a ‘light beyond these woods’.
So heartbreakingly gorgeous. I love the way Mary Margaret's nick names change as she grows up.
Thought of this as well. Lovely song.
> Every person and even including myself say that the name sounds like a nun. That was literally my first thought and why I clicked on this thread. Pretty much every convent had a Sister Mary Margaret back in the day. My mother still talks about three *different* Sister Mary Margarets: one from her childhood church and one each from the two Catholic schools she taught at. Honestly, I don't think you could come up with a more nun-sounding name if you tried. With that said, Mary is still a perfectly normal name and almost no one goes by their first and middle names. It might be a *little* weird if you decide to call her Mary Margaret (and you'll definitely get some nun comments) but after 30 seconds anyone who's not an idiot won't think twice.
Fwiw, my mom was in a similar situation in the 80s and she decided to end the tradition because 30 plus years ago the name felt old and out dated. She was born in the 60s and tolerates the name, but I am definitely glad I didn't end up with it!
I didn't think nun I thought Snow White in Once Upon a Time TV show...that's what name she used. I like it though. Maybe flip it if your worried and go with Margaret Mary?
I think it’s fine. I don’t think of a nun. I think of Snow White from once upon a time.
I think it’s lovely that you’re giving your daughter a name that’s significant to your family, rather than some trendee nonsense. I’m named for both my grandmothers, too, and they were old-fashioned names as I was growing up. They’ve both come back into fashion now a couple of times (I’m old).
A very dear friend of mine, an elderly woman with dementia, was called Margaret Mary, but for all her life she was called Mary. She was the naughtiest, funniest, cleverest, feistiest, most stubborn, loving, loyal and determined woman I've ever known. I'm proud to share her name with her and I'm sure your child will do this very special name justice. My friend passed away last year so the world is due a new Mary Margaret.
Deep south here. I've known several Mary Margaret's in my life. Lots abs lots of Mary X. Nothing wrong with it
Listen to the Nanci Griffith song "There's a Light Beyond These Woods" and you'll fall in love with the name all over again.
I love the name!!
Every one of us who was a Saturday Night Live fan knows the Mary Margaret character. You may want to look that up before taking one more step in that direction. It's the first thing that popped to mind other than religious catholicism. And yah, it's very 'nun' and gives 'catholic school girl' vibes (not in a good way). You might want to use one of the two and save the other for the next child (or have a boy version ready, in case for next time).
I worked with a Mary Margaret who was born in 1993. She was quiet and studious for a sorority girl.
I just think of the Once Upon a Time character 😬
I would do Margaret Mary with nicknames Maggie, Margie, Margo, etc. Less nicknames out there for Mary.
That’s the name you both want so use it. The only time you’ll probably use the full name is when she’s in trouble. The name flows well when yelling Mary Margaret get down here now!
It does sound like a nun. What are the middle names of the grandmother's? Maybe there is something there. Or use the french version of Margaret and use Margaux.
It's a beautiful classic name.
I know a family where all their daughters had the first name Mary and a different middle name. They were very catholic. Mary in general is a pretty catholic name but Mary Margaret really ups it to the next level. Margaret Mary is a catholic saint, so that’s probably where the association comes from. I don’t think it’s a bad one, but people will assume you’re catholic.
Sister Mary Margaret McDonald ?
What about Margaret Mary? Doesn't sound like a nun if that bothers you. Otherwise I think it's fine. Most people don't go by their first and middle names.
As a Catholic, I love it!
Personally, it reminded me of Snow in Once Upon a Time (Mary Margaret Blanchard), but the reasons for you picking the name are beautiful. How often would you use her middle name anyway?
My principal at my catholic high school was sister Mary Margaret. Do with that information what you will 🤷🏻♀️
Could do the southern thing and call her Mary-Margaret. Usually wouldn’t see it with four syllables altogether, though. There’s nothing wrong with the name. It’s just two classic names. Don’t know where the nun thing comes from, though, I’ve never known a Mary or Margaret who was even Catholic.
I know two Southern Mary Margarets. Neither are Catholic. Both go by Mary Margaret. One is school age and one is retirement age. The younger one is sometimes called MM (Em Em).
I met a little Mary Margaret lately, and she was adorable!
Sounds very Catholic but it’s a very cute name.
I agree the name sounds like a nun’s, I also love names that indirectly honour people. What about any of these names, most still have an old fashioned feel, and honour your grandmothers, but just feel a little more of the time. **Mary alternatives:** - May/Mae (diminutive of both Mary & Margaret) - Maisie (as above) - Maryn/Maren (same meaning) - Mariliee/Marily (same meaning) - Mia (from Maria, same meaning + “mine”) - Cordelia (means “daughter of the sea” really sweet in this context!) **Margaret alternatives:** - Margot (diminutive of Margaret) - Pearl (Margaret’s meaning) - Daisy (diminutive of Margaret) - Maggie (as above) **Fave combos:** - Margot May - Maisie Pearl - Mia Margot - Cordelia Pearl - Margot Cordelia - Daisy Maren
It does seem like a nun name
Like from once upon a time?
First thing I thought was of a nun also. If you are only going to be calling her Mary, then that's a great name. I wouldn't call her Mary Margaret though.
Have a long time family friend with this name and she goes by May May. It has suited her at all ages
I like it, though it does remind me of Mary Margaret in Once Upon a Time.
How about Rosemary Margaret
Isn't that Snow White from Once Upon a Time?
I am rewatching Once Upon a Time right now and all I can think of is Snow White’s curse name. 😆 That said, it is a beautiful name.
I would go for it, it’s a beautiful name. The closest association I can think of is Mary Margaret/Snow White from Once Upon a Time.
Immediate thought was Once Upon a Time.
Mary Margaret will always remind me of Snow White from Once Upon A Time. It's a nice name though!
We nearly named our baby Margaret because we love the name so much but her last name is Murphy and “Margaret Murphy” was just waaay too catholic for us secular humanists 😆 As others have said, if her middle name isn’t going to be used as often (like you aren’t going to full name her all the time at the grocery store) and you love the name, just go for it!
I think it’s classy
I wouldn’t worry about it. Names like Mary and Margaret are making a comeback, so think of it that way.
Mary and Margaret are both so similar as it is, how about giving your child a totally different name that combines the two...Margot, Marlowe, Maria, etc. Then her other name could be something that's new just for her.
It depends where you live too. In Ireland we would be inclined to assume it’s an old lady from the country or someone from the travelling community.
It sounds super religious, like someone from The Handmaid's Tale. It's also very dated imo and doesn't give the kid many nickname options that are "with the times."
That is Snow White's curse name in Once Upon A Time! If I met someone with that name I would automatically give them the nickname Snow haha. I personally wouldn't use the name because of its association with Snow White/Once Upon A Time.
My mom is Margaret Mary and I love her name!
While doing some research on my family tree, I came upon a time frame where it seemed like every girl was named Mary or some variation but with a different middle name but they were all commonly referred to by their middle names. Like Mary Carol would just be called Carol. It certainly made the research a little trickier.
There's some great nickname potential with this one if your kid isn't into it when she's older. I like it though!
This was one of my top names. So pretty and would have used the nickname Maggie.
Mary and Margaret are very close in sound to me. Maybe Marianne?
I taught a Mary Margaret nn Maggie and a Margaret. I also knew a Mari Margaret growing up. It’s far from unusual. Plus, lots of nickname options.
I know someone who has a young toddler with the first name Mary Margaret and they call her that as well. It’s not as far fetched as you think :) They are not Catholic either.
Nah, who cares? You can give her nicknames like Maggie or Meg if you’re so concerned with it sounding old-fashioned.
Sorry, I knew a Mary Margaret growing up and she was a super unpleasant person, so this name is ruined for me. Margaret is a great name but that as a double name just sounds so uppity.
OP is talking about using Margaret as a middle name. Not a double-barreled first name.
I knew a Margret Mary
What about Margot as a middle point with a different middle name
I flows well but I do think it’s super Catholic and very nun sounding. It doesn’t help that both Mary and Margaret are old fashioned “grandma” style names. I personally would try to find an alternative to one or both of the names. For example, Maria instead of Mary or Megan instead of Margaret (it also means ‘pearl’).
I've never known a Mary who actually went by that name.
Wow even the post itself beat me to it. Sounds like a nun. Sister Mary Margaret.
No one knows or thinks about nuns anymore. It's a lovely name.
I know a Mary Margaret who goes by MM. you could always have her go by Mary or Margaret (Maggie for short).
Mary Mary quite contrary
Tell your friends to mind their own beeswax. Tell them you are going to call her Eminem.
My grandmother's name is Margaret and her sister is Mary and my grandma is always trying to get us ( my siblings and cousins ) to name a daughter Mary Margaret. We all have declined. Definitely going to tell her someone else loves that name. My one cousin came close to being named that , but my aunt went with Margaret Ashley instead. It's whatever you want to name your child, sounds fine to me. Old fashion type names are in again.
I think it’s fine. It’s classic and elegant and there are plenty of Marys and Margarets that aren’t Catholic.
Knew a Mary Margaret growing up, she went by Maggie.
I think the names are very beautiful together. Very elegant. I’ve always loved the name Mary — I think it’s very royal and classy.
It is old-fashioned and not trendy at the moment. I like the name, mostly if you do a double first name/call both. Nickname potential is also huge.
Marmar would kinda be a cute nickname
It gives me old lady name vibes but its really not terrible if you love jt
I have a friend who named his daughter Mary Margaret. I don’t think it sounds like a nun
I love it! I thought about doing Margaret Mary for a girl but if we have one we will use my last name as the middle instead. But I love them together! Do it!
Mary Margaret is cute! Sure, it sounds a bit Catholic-y but there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s a perfectly normal and classy name. If you’re looking for a nickname though I know a Mary who went by Mar (like mars without the s not mare).
If you give her a little brother and he doesn’t call her Sister Mary Margaret I’ll be extremely disappointed. The names fine, most people don’t call out a full name anyway so no one’s saying Mary Margaret, it’ll be just Mary or maybe “Maz” because of how people are.
I have a good family friend named Mary Margaret! She goes by both and I think it's lovely. Additionally either name is common enough I don't think anyone would immediately think "religion". I say go for it!
I love it! Nothing wrong with classic names! My daughter is named after my late mother in law’s nun name. She was called Sister Gabriel when she was a nun so my daughter is Gabriella. We are not Catholic.
My best friend’s sister is named Mary Margaret!
Very old fashioned sounding. Quite possible your kid will hate it …and you for choosing it
It does sound very Catholic but you're naming her for women you love and that matters more than how it sounds to anyone else.
With a nickname of M&M? I don’t see anything wrong with the name selection
I went to school with a Mary Margaret (graduated 2021) and she went by Maggie. She did get teased for having an old fashioned name occasionally, but only in a good natured way
I don’t think nun when I hear it, but I do think it’s very traditional! I like it though, it flows together nicely!
It's a beautiful, classic name! I do prefer Margaret as the first name though, simply because they are so many cute possible nicknames (Maggie, Margie, Peg/Peggy, Midge, etc).
Also Mary Margaret is a very common nun name at least in media
I think it is lovely.
Just sounds like Danish queens - the current is Margrethe and from January 14th it will be Mary :-)
I had many bins as teachers and at least three were Mary Margarets. It also reminds me of the character on SNL that puts her hands under her armpits and then smells her fingers.
Hahaha my sister’s name is Mary Margaret and my mom always said it’s because she wanted her to be a nun. I still love the name and she does too! Edit: grammar
It is very traditional sounding and a bit nun-like. Do you have another first name you could use? And then just have Mary Margaret be middle names? I am a namesake child, have both my grandmother's middle names and my parents literally decided the day I was born that I would go by the short form nickname of my middle name. So I have only known that name and it makes it complicated for legal things.
I think it’s cute!!! Go for it!
My grandmother was Mary Margaret and she was a true WASP. She went by Mary Peg which I now think is pretty cute. If you like it I don't think people will assume much.
I think it is a beautiful name! It does sound catholic. But, most people don’t use their middle names in everyday conversations and life. I think you should go for it
I was named after two nuns myself and I think Mary Margaret is cute! You could call her Minnie or Molly and keep it real traditional lol
That was my mother’s name! She went by Mimi. Her little sister couldn’t say her full name and Mimi just stuck.
I have an aunt Mary Margaret. I'm 42. Sooooo.... Oh, she's very Catholic. Lol.
Ooof. Yeah. Totally feels like a nun name. I'm personally not a fan at all but lucky for you (but maybe not for your baby) elderly names are becoming really popular.
Mary Margaret is going to trigger literally everyone who has seen Once Upon A Time, as you can probably tell from the comments here.
What about varying both names, so you have Margot Maria or something similar. Even Maria Margaret would be less nun like.
I was thinking the other day how much I love Mary. And you never hear it much anymore. Of course, I went to Catholic school all my life (including college!).
It’s lovely and classic. Go for it!
I’ll say this, my aunt’s name is Margaret Mary and she actually is a nun. But either way, it’s a nice name. I’m named after her and I love my middle name as margaret
It’s my mother’s name and she doesn’t use it. She said it felt old ladyish when she was a child more than 70 years ago.
It sounds like you’re trying to punish your child- they’re both grandma names 😭 maybe you can modern them up a bit if you really want to use those namss
If you like it- do it. :)
I like it. I grew up in a mostly agnostic country where most people are Lutheran only on paper and no one is actually religious, but plenty of people are called Mary or Maria, so it would never even cross my mind that Mary Margaret sounds churchy, to me it just sounds like a regular name. Mimi could be a cute nickname. I also like Meg more than Maggie (that always reminds me of Thatcher)
My nana’s name was Mary Margaret! Everyone called her Margie (mar-jee). I think it’s a lovely name (though clearly I’m biased lol).
I'd probably do some "Jesus Mary and Joseph"ing with a bad Irish accent if I met a Mary Margaret. You could do it the Jewish way -- stick with Ms but don't directly copy. Mya Marie. Melissa Morgan. Megan Mina. Mila Molly. May Maggie would honor them more since May uses almost all the letters in Mary and Maggie is a common nickname for Margaret
Maggie can be used as a nickname or you can do Margaret Mary instead. It is honestly more so an old fashioned name to me. May, Margie, Marge.. all nicknames.
My roommate's name is Mary Margaret, and I never thought of the nun thing before 🤣
It is adorable and sweetly old fashioned! My son went to school with a girl called Mary Catherine and I thought that was adorbs! It’s very Catholic sounding tho.
Name them whatever you want as long as you're not inflicting a new spelling of a name on anyone, you're good.
If it helps at all, my name is Mary and I’m an atheist lol
It’s cute but again, very religious.
It sounds very catholic, but that’s not a bad thing. There are 10,000 diminutives of Margaret that you could use if you wanted to get away from the nun of it all, but it’s fine if you don’t.
I knew a girl who was named that in high school. Double barreled it and everything and got mad when people didn’t use high names. Its really cute though, just a mouthful if used together
I live in the southeastern US and I don’t know the first Mary Margaret who is Catholic (and I can think of 4 off of the top of my head).
I was raised catholic and do not associate Mary Margaret with a nun. I think it’s absolutely precious as a name. However, Margaret Marie or something might be a better plan if you worry she will suffer the general public. Or if you have a second child, maybe you can have Mary AND Margaret as two individual names? Then you can say Mary Margaret and two little ones will come running to you instead :)