NN: Cate
Meaning: pure (Greek)
I LOVE the name Cate/Kate (I go back and forth on the spelling). I really have only one major concern about this name amid some smaller things I could learn to brush off. Cate Tingey. The double 't' sound at the middle of her name sounds like a stutter; to compensate, you have to "eat" the 't' in Cate. Will people think she's saying her name is Kay? Will this even be enough of an issue to worry about? So, there are two groups of people in particular I'd like to hear from (though I still want as much input from everyone as possible). The first group is from all the Kates/Cates out there. How have you felt about your name? The other group is people with a double consonant in the middle of their names: Has telling people your name been an issue?
For the record, my more minor concerns are as follows:
1.) All literary connections I can think of are negative: Wuthering Heights. I hate this book more than any other, almost. Heathcliff is no hero and neither Catherine is a heroine. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine is a wuss. The end.
2.) Is Catherine becoming more and more old fashioned? Would we be better off just naming her Cate/Kate?
3.) Let me know how you feel about those two spellings. I'm not interested in other, "creative" spellings. No Cait, Kayt, etc.
Posts
I like the name Catherine and Kate. I like that Kate spelling more than C. Those name combos have also been on my thoughts. Dave's Gma was named Kathleen and while I don't like that name, I thought Catherine/Kathryn/Kate would be similar. Anyway, my hang up is with Prince Williams marriage to Catherine/Kate around the same time I'm due. Will people think I named baby that because of that? Silly, maybe but I think of that. My cousin's daughter is named Kate Tanner. It seems she has not had any trouble with the double T.
ReplyDeleteHere are some words from a Katie (a true Katie, not a Katherine): Kate is a sophisticated, take-charge kind of name. I love it! And I love Katherine too---and I say, if you're going to name her Katherine, call her Katherine. Forget the nickname. It's a beautiful, timeless name.
ReplyDeleteI went by Kate in the second grade (there were a lot of Katie's that year), and I loved it. Sometimes I wish that I had stayed with Kate, which my parents figured I would go by when I was older. But hey, I'm a Katie, which, by the way, is also a popular name for dogs. Seriously. I think Katie ranks right after Buddy.
Now while Kate has been maligned in the literary world think of all of the cool Kate's on the big screen---Kate is always the name of a strong, smart woman.
Obviously, I am loyal to the letter K. But I have to admit, the C looks cool and different. Like Cate Blanchett. But on the other had you have the beautiful Kate Winslet. Maybe I shouldn't bring up actresses . . .