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Flora - margarine connection?

48 replies

piglet75 · 20/01/2013 21:29

I really love the name Flora if DC3 ends up being a girl but DH is convinced that the margarine association would make her life a misery. I think the margarine has been around so long that it would pass people by.

Opinions on this?

(Florence even more of a no no for DH due to David Cameron connection).

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tagan · 20/01/2013 21:43

I'm afraid the margarine is what pops into my head, but we have a family friend with a flora, everyone just calls her flo, and I've never heard of her getting any grief for it Smile

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Tincletoes · 20/01/2013 21:45

It's just a really nice name.

Kids will always find something to tease another child about. Might as well be margarine rather than their hair colour / surname / big ears etc

Go for it!

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WinkyWinkola · 20/01/2013 21:46

I love the name Flora.

We never ate margarine so it's not an association for me.

Go for it.

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applejelly · 20/01/2013 21:50

I also love this name but to DH it just means fake butter. He just cannot get past it. It's so frustrating as it would definitely be my 1st choice. I genuinely don't think people would give it a second thought, and anyway, as a name it has been around way longer than the margarine brand. And it's so pretty without being flouncy. Ah well, good luck OP. Smile

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ExitPursuedByABear · 20/01/2013 21:53

Tis a lovely name. Go for it.

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telsa · 20/01/2013 22:15

I have a cousin called Flora. It is a lovely name and I do not think of marge. It is far less prominent now, given all the other brands anyway.

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scaevola · 20/01/2013 22:26

It is a lovely name, but the margarine renders it unusable for me. The old strap line 'Spreads Easily' hasn't died away completely either.

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piglet75 · 20/01/2013 22:36

Thanks all!

"Spreads easily" is exactly what DH said. :-(

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flossy101 · 20/01/2013 22:41

There was a girl in my 6th form school called flora, boys used to say something along the lines of her spreading her legs like butter

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PurpleStorm · 20/01/2013 22:42

It definitely makes me think of margarine.

And surely Flora being an long established margarine brand means that it's more, not less, likely that people will think "margarine"?

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fl0b0t · 21/01/2013 14:09

I love this name! I knew a Flora when I was a kid and I thought she had a lovely name. I don't think that much about a brand of margerine- I think of Marjory more like that!

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sazpops · 21/01/2013 14:26

I wanted Flora for DD2 but ExDP wouldn't let me for the margerine reason! Still love it, and now have new DP but unfortunately too old for any more DDs!!

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StormyBrid · 21/01/2013 14:32

I love the name, but the man vetoed it on the grounds of "spreads easily". Alas!

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DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 21/01/2013 15:13

Flora is lovely.

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Anjou · 21/01/2013 16:33

My personal opinion is that its lovely, and I wouldn't make the association to margarine. Some will, some wont, but what's important is how you and your partner feel about it. It sounds like no amount of persuasion will change his mind, (god, I know THAT feeling!!! Currently trying to decide a name for baby boy due next week and husband is vetoing everything!).

How about Fleur as a compromise?

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KittyLane1 · 21/01/2013 17:41

I love the name, its very feminine :) you probably will get rude people pointing out that its a margarine but so what, I say go for it x

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AlexanderS · 21/01/2013 18:33

Another one who can't get past the margarine connection here. What about Fleur or Florence (which could be shortened to Florrie or Flossie, both of which are sweet)?

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Frikadellen · 21/01/2013 18:41

Flora is one of my most favourite names it is so adorable. However our surname starts FL so it would just be mean.. I do not get the margerine connection myself as for me the first the springs to mind is flowers. I think it is perfect.

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JollyRedGiant · 21/01/2013 18:44

Are you me?? Dh vetoed both Flora and Florence for those reasons.

We like Bethany though.

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JollyRedGiant · 21/01/2013 18:46

This is what it makes me think of

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lovechocolates · 21/01/2013 18:46

i think, if you like it, go for it. You could go for Flory. Thats quite pretty as a compromise. But Flora is nice. Stick to ya guns and go for it. :)

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TenthMuse · 21/01/2013 18:52

It's a very pretty name, but I must admit I do always think 'margarine' when I hear it. I knew a Flora at primary school in the '80s and she did get called Flora Margarine a fair bit. Might be different nowadays, though.

However, perhaps slightly hypocritically, I love the name Clover, and don't think of the spread at all - think this is because I read 'What Katy Did' first, so that's my main association for the name. It all depends on the person, I think.

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piglet75 · 21/01/2013 19:24

Thanks all - a pretty even split!

I family friend had a Flora in the 80's when the margarine was quite new & people kept mentioning it but I was hoping now that margarine has been around so long that it might have become "wallpaper".

Thought about Fleur but not crazy about the "...ugh" sound at the end & also doesn't sound great with our surname.

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DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 21/01/2013 19:42

Would you like something hinting at nature, if not a flower name something like Fern?

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Yfronts · 22/01/2013 00:28

I like it. Also like Fleur and Fern

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