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Not cruel, but clunky and unattractive. Winnie is whimpy, Freddie's cool in a bucktooth and bruosed way.

Love the name! I definitely prefer the nickname Freddie though.

I like Winifred, but I don't like Winnie. Winnie sucks.

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I wouldn't say it's cruel to name a modern child Winifred, but I wouldn't want it to be MY name. As a middle name, it's fine. Ooh! If you called her Freddie, that would be all right. Freddie, FTW.

I like Winifred. She’s chill, yet proper.

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I don’t think it’s too harsh. A lot of “old people” names are coming back now. Winnie for Winifred is cute.

Winifred isn't for me. I don't like the "fred" sound for a girl and it sounds frumpy and dated. However, Winnie is cute. I prefer it as a nickname for Winona.

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It's likable...striking, even...stuffy, if I'm feeling unkind, but in a way that I could also say is statuesque. It does seems dated-Edwardian to me in that I think of like Art Noveau and whispy updos and peonies. It's not lightweight or dull.

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I don't think it's worse sounding than Jennifer, and the meaning is nicer. For a modern child, it seems about the style of Walter, Francis, Althea, Harriet, Rosamund?

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I can't say I like Winnie. It could be cute in a quaint way like Dottie, but that's not exactly my thing, and it's too much like whinny for me.

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It's fine without a NN, although I don't mind Wynn or Wendy. Or Freda or even Freyde could work, maybe.

This message was edited 10/6/2021, 4:31 PM

Maybe it’s because of the mother in Mary Poppins, or because of Winnie the Pooh, but it makes me think of somebody who’s well-meaning but kind of dippy. That and a horse’s whinny. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t love it either.

I like Winifred, and with a lot of the older names making the rounds again I don't see it as unlikely that a Winifred would fit right in with the rest of them. Winnie is cute, perhaps a little "too sweet" Winnie the pooh honey sweet. I like Winnie it's just not my particular cup of tea in terms of nicknames but I still like it in the general sense. I love the idea of sisters named Beatrice and Winifred I think they'd make a fabulous sister set.

Winifred has long been one of my favorite names. It's elegant and intellectual. I quite like Winnie.

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Winifred would be less cruel than something like Kaeli.

No, it wouldn't be cruel. It's decent name, it has a nice peaceful meaning. Winnie fits right in with Millie and Elsie.

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I would be slightly worried about people calling her Freddie, but I guess it's avoidable. I strongly dislike these masculine nickname names on girls.

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It makes me think of Winnie on "The Wonder Years". She was a sweet, pretty and smart girl. I vaguely remember reruns of that show from my later childhood. Then there's Winnie Mandela.

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It is not a personal favorite of mine. I just don't really like the way it sounds.

I like it a lot. Winnie is super cute.

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I don’t think it’d be cruel. It’s pretty on trend.

I have met a little Winnie! She was around 2. Not sure if it was short for Winifred though.

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It’s not really my style, but it’s not terrible.

I think it was cruel on a non-modern child, when the name was actually somewhat popular. It's just so heavy and there is not one attractive sound in it.
Winnie is whiny and too associated with Pooh bear and horse noises.
Winifred is even clumsy to say. Try to say an ordinary sentence like "Winifred went for a walk" and try to untwist your tongue.

I love Winifred. It's sweet, nerdy, and vintage so very much my style. Depending where you live and social circles, I think Winifred fits in well with the vintage revival set of names, and wouldn't be strange amongst Beatrices and Theodoras. Winnie's a cute nn; a bit horsey, but not awful. I kind of like Fred too, but an association really warmed me up to it. I quite like the idea of Eda (as ee-duh) as well.

Winifred is elegant, but not quite graceful. She is, however, very strong.

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Twenty years ago Winifred might have been seen as hideously old-fashioned, but popular tastes in many circles are returning to names that were more popular at the turn of the 20th century, or perhaps before. The movie Tuck Everlasting came out... yeah, almost 20 years ago, in 2002. Wow. Anyway, this movie might have helped make Winifred more palatable to a wide audience.

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I can't stand Winnie, though. Win is fine, but I actually like Fred / Freddie as a nickname (I blame Angel).

I've known a delightful Dachshund named Winnie and a totally appalling Physical Science teacher named Winifred and nned Winnie. So, I'm conflicted. I think I'd be OK with Winifred, but what the chances are of a Winifred remaining Winifred and not Winnie, I'm not sure. And I wouldn't use either. I might well consider Winona, though.

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I think yuuneek spellings, and bizarre inventions like Nevaeh, are more likely to be cruel to children that a centuries-old classic like Winifred, Mabel or Maud.

I love Winifred & Winnie!

I don't like it or Winnie. I can't imagine it on a modern child

Winifred was my great grandmother’s name and she went by Wynn pr Win.

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They say names usually come round every 100 years. I could definitely see a little Winifred running around now and love Winnie as a nn