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Help[Opinions] Felicity and American Girl Dolls
I love Felicity, as many of you know. But it does feel like almost inevitably whenever I bring it up either on here or IRL someone brings up the American Girl Doll connection. I would obviously imagine that American Girl Dolls don't have much of an international market. But even so, for those who are familiar, do you think the connection to the doll is too heavy to be usable? I was not hugely into the series as a kid, aside from owning Kit and Samantha dolls as a child. Though no one seems to bring this connection up for the other dolls' names like Kaya, Molly, Kit, Samantha, Josefina, Addy etc. I suspect because most of those names have various other pop culture connections and Felicity seemingly has less in comparison. I honestly couldn't recollect any other Felicitys off-handed besides a side character in a German film. I think this is my rambling way of asking if you A.) know about the dolls at all, B.) Are aware of this specific doll, and C.) what your opinion is having a name closely tied to a doll / children's character. Thank you!
Here are links to the doll's wiki pages if you feel it would help you articulate an opinion on the matter:
https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Felicity_Merriman
https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Felicity_Merriman_(doll)
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
Here are links to the doll's wiki pages if you feel it would help you articulate an opinion on the matter:
https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Felicity_Merriman
https://americangirl.fandom.com/wiki/Felicity_Merriman_(doll)
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
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Replies
I like Felicity very much. I was at school with one, and I can't remember knowing any others, though I might have. I would never consider using it, because of having named my daughter Beatrice (family name: if it had been a question of meaning, I'd prefer Felicity or Joy).
American Girl dolls have never crossed my path.
American Girl dolls have never crossed my path.
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I've just never heard the name Felicity outside of the American Girl dolls. I didn't know how to pronounce it or what it meant until I looked it up because of the doll. All the other dolls had names I'd at least heard of before, except Josefina which I thought had a hard "J" until someone explained it was more like "H". But I still see that name elsewhere, and I don't think I've seen Felicity anywhere else.
Kaya, Addy, Molly, and Samantha are just common names, and I don't associate Kit with the doll so much.
I think it's perfectly fine to have a name that's tied to a character like this. I think all the American Girl doll characters were written to be pretty unproblematic so the name is usable even in a place where it makes everyone think of the doll.
I remember a few of the stories vaguely (some boys were telling Felicity that girls couldn't ride so she became a great rider?) but for the most part I judged the dolls based on how aesthetically appealing they were and used them to play my own characters. I liked Felicity for her costumes as well as Josefina and Kaya for their costumes and overall look. I didn't like the costumes that looked "too modern".
Kaya, Addy, Molly, and Samantha are just common names, and I don't associate Kit with the doll so much.
I think it's perfectly fine to have a name that's tied to a character like this. I think all the American Girl doll characters were written to be pretty unproblematic so the name is usable even in a place where it makes everyone think of the doll.
I remember a few of the stories vaguely (some boys were telling Felicity that girls couldn't ride so she became a great rider?) but for the most part I judged the dolls based on how aesthetically appealing they were and used them to play my own characters. I liked Felicity for her costumes as well as Josefina and Kaya for their costumes and overall look. I didn't like the costumes that looked "too modern".
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A. I enjoyed the Felicity American Girl books as a kid. I liked that the events of the first book were relevant later on in the series, so many kids books are disconnectedly episodic, so it was nice that what happened earlier was built on.
B. It appears that the Felicity doll is no longer sold, but I expect many libraries still carry her books.
C. Since Felicity is rather an uncommon name, the American Girl character may have been the first encounter that some people who were born in the 80s and 90s had with the name, but there are other pop culture references associated with Felicty like actress Felicity Jones or DC Comic's Felicity Smoak. Felicity isn't tied as intensely to one character/person the way that Dorothy is, and I still consider Dorothy usable.
B. It appears that the Felicity doll is no longer sold, but I expect many libraries still carry her books.
C. Since Felicity is rather an uncommon name, the American Girl character may have been the first encounter that some people who were born in the 80s and 90s had with the name, but there are other pop culture references associated with Felicty like actress Felicity Jones or DC Comic's Felicity Smoak. Felicity isn't tied as intensely to one character/person the way that Dorothy is, and I still consider Dorothy usable.
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Felicity Jones is pretty famous.
It sounds a little more Puritan/colonial to me than Harmony or Serenity because of the doll, I guess, but also because it seems like an old-fashioned word (that I associate it with marriage because I can't remember hearing it outside of that context really)...
I first heard it for the doll, which is not true of the other doll names except Josefina (but that just reminded me of Jose and Josephine which I'd heard multiple times already). I heard Felicia a few years later and thought Felicity sounds better.
A) Yes
B) Yes
C) I don't really think of the doll anymore. It's fine, whatever. I think a lot of people would associate Felicia (and/or Harmony and Serenity and/or Felicity Jones), so it's not that odd looking.
It sounds a little more Puritan/colonial to me than Harmony or Serenity because of the doll, I guess, but also because it seems like an old-fashioned word (that I associate it with marriage because I can't remember hearing it outside of that context really)...
I first heard it for the doll, which is not true of the other doll names except Josefina (but that just reminded me of Jose and Josephine which I'd heard multiple times already). I heard Felicia a few years later and thought Felicity sounds better.
A) Yes
B) Yes
C) I don't really think of the doll anymore. It's fine, whatever. I think a lot of people would associate Felicia (and/or Harmony and Serenity and/or Felicity Jones), so it's not that odd looking.
This message was edited 6/25/2023, 10:04 PM
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there's Felicity Huffman ...
The nineties sitcom "Felicity" and the Austin Powers character Felicity Shagwell. (Shagwell by name, shag very well by reputation.)
But it's a fairly unusual name still, and probably the doll is the most long-lasting and positive association most people will have with the name.
My daughter loves American Girl dolls and has several, but while she has a lot of Felicity's clothes, she never wanted Felicity herself. I'm not sure why. I don't think she cares much for red-haired dolls, though she does have Maryellen and Nellie, who are strawberry blondes. She was lucky enough to score a Caroline doll in excellent condition at a yard sale, and Caroline sometimes wears Felicity's clothes.
The nineties sitcom "Felicity" and the Austin Powers character Felicity Shagwell. (Shagwell by name, shag very well by reputation.)
But it's a fairly unusual name still, and probably the doll is the most long-lasting and positive association most people will have with the name.
My daughter loves American Girl dolls and has several, but while she has a lot of Felicity's clothes, she never wanted Felicity herself. I'm not sure why. I don't think she cares much for red-haired dolls, though she does have Maryellen and Nellie, who are strawberry blondes. She was lucky enough to score a Caroline doll in excellent condition at a yard sale, and Caroline sometimes wears Felicity's clothes.
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As a former elementary school librarian, I'm familiar with Felicity from the American Girl series. Felicity isn't a particularly well-known character in children's literature when compared to other characters such as Charlotte, Olivia, and Amelia. These popular girl names have more recognizable book character associations - Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, Olivia the pig, and Amelia from Amelia Bedelia. Felicity is a great underused name, and I wouldn't let the book character stop me from using it.
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