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[Opinions] Marguerite
I've been contemplating giving Marguerite a promotion to "backup favorites/ secondary favorites" the last few days and would like to hear cases for or against the idea. As an American, the most obvious issue is that no one would pronounce it correctly and pretty much guaranteed that everyone would call a person with that name here "Margaret". The second most issue being that if they do say it correctly, it sounds like the alcoholic beverage we have: margarita. But aside from this I find it the most classy and sophisticated of the Margaret variants besides perhaps simply Margot. It also gives me some "girl next door, beautiful but approachable" kind of vibes. WDYT?Also to the American users specifically, how would you pronounce it? And how would you rank the likelihood of a Marguerite being called Margaret in your region?Please rate my "Names I would Use" list & "Backup Favorites" list. Feel free to rate some of my other lists too if you have the time.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223226/138473

This message was edited 12/30/2021, 8:27 AM

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It gives a pretentious impression where I live. South Africans often use French versions of ordinary names, like Jean-Pierre (which shortens to JP, most of the time), but Marguerite seldom gets an airing. Nobody here would pronounce it like Margaret, but I can't answer for the USA. I far prefer Margaret to any of its variants, but I'd only use it as a mn: the diminutives don't please me at all.
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I like it
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Much like Margaret, it's harsh and reminds me of margarine, though I like Margot. The French r combined with the g sounds very grating.
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I'm having trouble imaging it being mispronounced, but then, I'm surprised every time someone pronounces the Ls in tortilla, so what do I know.I remember using it for a character in a flash fiction writing exercise (and my story turned out to be surrealist) in high school; one of my classmates also used it in that exercise, so I have this idea that it's a borderline cliche 2000s hip intellectual type name. It's pretty, though...in an understated, mature way.My main other associations are Marguerite Duras (French New Wave) and Ever After (Renaissance era socialites).It also seems a little like Simone or Genevieve, to me.I think I prefer Marjorie to both Marguerite and Margot.

This message was edited 12/30/2021, 3:36 PM

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I was fangirling over Marguerite (that spelling) a couple of years ago!
Obviously, I prefer it to Margaret.
Marguerite just seems smoother, and it literally means daisy, so it could be 'legitimately' shortened to Daisy, which I find adorable.
That having been said, now I'm more into Margo, I prefer it to any other form of that beautiful name.
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I love Marguerite! It, Margalit, and Margareta are my favorite variants of Margaret.I think it's familiar enough to avoid severe butchering.
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Margareta is the bomb
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I like Margot the most, runner-up being Margarita because it means "daisy" in my language. Then followed by Marguerite since it has that lovely, familiar quirkiness and finally Margaret which I find it a little dated now; though I like all of them. Speaking of Marguerite, I wonder why it became popular in the late 1800's in the US - maybe French influence, like Antoinette or Lucille? English usage should be added as well.English isn't my first language but I know it's pronounced mar-ge-REET in French, might as well be pronounced like that in English.
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That English pronunciation is exactly what we use here in South Africa!
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Proper pronunciation shouldn't be an issue but then my first name, Diana, gets turned into Diane. So, yeah, it'll probably end up as Margaret, which I think is better anyway. Margo is also better than Margot. I have a friend named Margo(t) and trust me, dropping the T will be beneficial.
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Oh yeah my middle name is Diana and it's been butchered to just Diane many times.
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I much prefer Margot. Marguerite sounds different enough to me both to Margaret and Margarita (but then I’m not a USian or even a native English speaker) but it’s only marginally better than Margaret which I don’t care for.
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Valid
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It's reasonably familiar in the US, definitely not common now but familiar. I don't think it being pronounced Margaret is inevitable. I think Marguerite is beautiful; Margarita too. Margaret is so sour and drab, and Margo is pretty but a bit aloof and harsh.
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