[Opinions] Dorothy and Agatha
Doomed to extinction, or beautiful and usable? Or somewhere in between? I like Dorothy nn "Dottie" a lot. I also really like Agatha nn "Aggie" but I fear she'd be lost in a sea of Addies and Abbys.
Ambrose, Alfred, Dexter, Dorian, Elias, Felix, Florian, Isaac, Lewis, Maximilian, Niall, Oscar, Rocco, Roman, Sylvain
Alice, Athena, Beatrix, Clementine, Daphne, Eliza, Francine, Iris, January, Margaux, Norma, Octavia, Susanna, Sylvia, Viola
Alice, Athena, Beatrix, Clementine, Daphne, Eliza, Francine, Iris, January, Margaux, Norma, Octavia, Susanna, Sylvia, Viola
Replies
I love both of these names. If I had to choose, I'd choose Dorothy. Agatha is beautiful as well Dorothy. Dorothy nn Dottie and Agatha nn Gatty.
----------
Audrey, Martha, Sibyl, Phoebe, Veronica, Jaclyn, Victoria, Clara, Apolonia, Laurette, Stephanie, Tracy, Annette
Anthony, Damien, Alexander, Valentine, Maximilian, Daniel, Vincent, Matthew, Christopher, Russell, Randall, Nicholas
----------------
Rate my PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/166097/112886
----------
Audrey, Martha, Sibyl, Phoebe, Veronica, Jaclyn, Victoria, Clara, Apolonia, Laurette, Stephanie, Tracy, Annette
Anthony, Damien, Alexander, Valentine, Maximilian, Daniel, Vincent, Matthew, Christopher, Russell, Randall, Nicholas
----------------
Rate my PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/166097/112886
I'm surprised so many people think Agatha is less ugly than Dorothy!
Dorothy sounds more like Isidora and Xanthe ... and has no negative sound-associations for me. It's frumpy and antique, Wizard of Oz, but not ugly IMO. Dot sounds hipster. But, D-names are "out."
Agatha is as matronly and slightly more regal (A. Christie) but when I hear the Aga- I expect it to be followed by -ny or -nizing. Apparently this isn't an association everyone makes but for me it ruins the name completely and makes it seem ugly. Even Aggie pings my "agony" neurons. Aggression, agrarian, aggravating... nothing pleasant about it for me. Agh Guh Thuh. It's too bad, because the name Agatha should be appealing, based on its dignified past.
And Aggie also sounds like, you know, the Aggies ... alumni/students of any "ag" university? In particular Texas A&M - but I lived in Austin for a long time, so maybe that's just a regional association. A girl called Aggie in Austin would be assumed to be a reference.
Agata seems neater and younger to me, I'm not noticing the Agg as much in that and it makes me think of agate jewelry.
I agree with those who said Dorothy may see a little usage but Agatha not very much.
Dorothy sounds more like Isidora and Xanthe ... and has no negative sound-associations for me. It's frumpy and antique, Wizard of Oz, but not ugly IMO. Dot sounds hipster. But, D-names are "out."
Agatha is as matronly and slightly more regal (A. Christie) but when I hear the Aga- I expect it to be followed by -ny or -nizing. Apparently this isn't an association everyone makes but for me it ruins the name completely and makes it seem ugly. Even Aggie pings my "agony" neurons. Aggression, agrarian, aggravating... nothing pleasant about it for me. Agh Guh Thuh. It's too bad, because the name Agatha should be appealing, based on its dignified past.
And Aggie also sounds like, you know, the Aggies ... alumni/students of any "ag" university? In particular Texas A&M - but I lived in Austin for a long time, so maybe that's just a regional association. A girl called Aggie in Austin would be assumed to be a reference.
Agata seems neater and younger to me, I'm not noticing the Agg as much in that and it makes me think of agate jewelry.
I agree with those who said Dorothy may see a little usage but Agatha not very much.
This message was edited 4/12/2017, 2:40 PM
Somewhere in between. Agatha seems more easily mainstreamed, probably because an "Aggie" doesn't seem so out of place with all the Addies and Abbys, as you mentioned. That said, I don't think an Aggie would be lost amongst them, especially as I don't pronounce it quite the same ('a vs ə' on the first vowel).
Dorothy is more unfashionable, I think, but it could also be fashionable-because-it's-unfashionable, if you know what I mean. Someone I went to high school with has a 3-year-old named Dorothy, so it's usable, even if it feels a little musty. Dorothea strikes me as a more sparkly alternative, but if the sort of folksy plainness of Dorothy is part of its appeal, Dorothea doesn't really have that.
Dorothy is more unfashionable, I think, but it could also be fashionable-because-it's-unfashionable, if you know what I mean. Someone I went to high school with has a 3-year-old named Dorothy, so it's usable, even if it feels a little musty. Dorothea strikes me as a more sparkly alternative, but if the sort of folksy plainness of Dorothy is part of its appeal, Dorothea doesn't really have that.
I think they're both totally adorable and fit right in with the old-fashioned-cute name trend. I encountered a toddler Dorothy recently, OMG SO ADORABLE. I never would've thought I liked Dorothy before hearing it on a little girl IRL. I do love Agatha though, and Aggie is as cute as they come. I think it sticks out from Addie and Abby, it's different.
Dorothy, I think has a slim to fair chance of getting some moderate use. Not Dottie, which dates it more than it already is. I think Dorothy's kind of cute, though I wouldn't really say I liked it all that much.
Agatha is just butt-ugly. Aggie is even uglier, if that's even possible. If my name was Agatha, I would pray every night that I was magically transformed into one of those Addies or Abbys.
Agatha is just butt-ugly. Aggie is even uglier, if that's even possible. If my name was Agatha, I would pray every night that I was magically transformed into one of those Addies or Abbys.
Dorothy is not doomed to extinction, I hope! It may not quite be beautiful, but it is friendly, down-to-earth, and so darn lovable. Dottie is adorable, as is Dot. I would also use Doro or Dori.
I have no love for Agatha, but I don't think it's fair to let her be lost in the Addy and Abby sea. Aggie is quite different, I think, if not in sound in feel. I say usable.
I have no love for Agatha, but I don't think it's fair to let her be lost in the Addy and Abby sea. Aggie is quite different, I think, if not in sound in feel. I say usable.
Dorothy might make a comeback. I don't dislike it, though I don't love it either. I prefer Dorothea.
I like Agatha (though not Aggie: sounds too much like haggy imo). I'm not sure if it's doomed or not, but I do think Grand Budapest Hotel made it seem a little more current/usable, and it reminds me of Agatha Christie.
I like Agatha (though not Aggie: sounds too much like haggy imo). I'm not sure if it's doomed or not, but I do think Grand Budapest Hotel made it seem a little more current/usable, and it reminds me of Agatha Christie.
I think Dorothy is already making a comeback. It's gone up quite a bit in the past five years.
I meant it might go up a bit farther, become more mainstream...right now it's about where it was 17-18 years ago...now trending up instead of down, but still, I would have thought it was weird/dated/rare back then.
I don't like Dorothy or Dottie (even though my love for Dottie from A League of Their Own knows no bounds). It just sounds so... I don't know, like dingy and gray. Dorothys seem anemic and guilt-ridden in my mind.
Agatha I like. Not as much as Agnes but close. I actually prefer it in full. Aggie kinda sounds like the sound you make when you're choking. Strange though, because I like Maggie.
Agatha I like. Not as much as Agnes but close. I actually prefer it in full. Aggie kinda sounds like the sound you make when you're choking. Strange though, because I like Maggie.
This message was edited 4/11/2017, 5:05 PM
I really like Agatha as well as nn Aggie, I have Agnes on my list which is similar. While Dorothy isn't my personal taste, I still think it's a nice name; however, I don't like nn Dottie. Unfortunately, I don't see a near future revival for them.