Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight!
Becky writes:
I really love the name Marigold, but it breaks what I had thought was my hard and fast “name a girl something that you could imagine on a future Supreme Court Justice” rule.
I’m not talking about choosing a unisex/androgynous or traditionally male name, but rather going with a first name that seems professional and resume-worthy. A fun nickname is a huge plus (Maisie or Bizzy or Sadie), but I feel like the serious name with options is a better choice than the childish/frivolous/nickname-y name that doesn’t give her a grown-up option if she wants that later.
There are some nickname options for Marigold that are no-frills and elegant (Mary or Margo or what have you), but that’s not going to be the name on her college degree, and it seems backwards to have a girly/flowery name and a pared-down nickname.
So, how do I reconcile my love for a name that breaks my rule? Or, do you and your readers think Justice Marigold (aka, the notorious M something something) is going to be totally workable by the time she’s reached the venerable age of justicedom?
Please read on for my response, and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Dear Becky –
This is such a good question!
Plenty of parents prioritize choosing names that will age well. It makes sense, right? We’re raising future adults, and we expect them to go out and do good things in this world, not stay in a primary-colored playroom forever and ever. Those good things might require a serious name. Or at least a name more substantial than, say, Bitsi or Sparkle or Bud.
Except.
When I step away from the question, it seems like nearly any reasonably mainstream name ages well. Better than we might expect, actually.
Looking through the current list of state attorneys general – not quite the same thing as a Supreme Court Justice, but it makes for a longer list! – the names vary dramatically. Yes, we see traditional choices like Elizabeth and Ellen represented. But we also find Pam, Cynthia, Lisa, and Leslie. The patterns holds for US Attorneys. Alana, Carrie, Betsy, and Annette hold the same office as Eugenia, Rosa, and Jill.
Wait forty years, and odds are that Marigold will sound like a grown-up, just like a generation of women named Daisy and Lily. After all, the top names of the 1960s – think Susan, Nancy, and Michelle – belong to some of the most powerful women of our moment.
So yes, by the time your Marigold approaches the venerable age of justicedom, it will sound appropriate. And she may be following a Justice Madison or Justice River to the bench, too.
And yet, that’s only part of the question. Does choosing a name like Marigold – feminine, distinctive, and not at all traditional – hamper your child’s chances of success? Or, would she be more likely to achieve professional success as Margaret?
This remains a great unknown.
For parents seeking all the information possible, this feels deeply unsatisfying. I do think there are some things to consider before bestowing an unusual name on your child. And your original idea – choosing a more traditional name with a fun nickname – is one of the reasons classics wear so well.
Does that mean you should play it safe? My advice is always this: use the name you love. If you have lingering concerns that your favorite name is too out-there, anchor it with a rock solid middle name. Whether Marigold grows up to be a judge or a performance artist – or a judge of performance artists on reality television – she might appreciate the option of a more conservative middle.
I’m curious to hear what others think, of course, and so I’m including a poll.
Can Marigold be a Supreme Court Justice? Or do you think it is better to stick with more traditional names?
Marigold completely passes the supreme court test for me. I think it’s an awesome name, and totally respectable!! To me it’s right there with Lavender and Juniper – known floral names, though not quite as popular and used as Rose/mary or Violet. Go for it!!!
Marigold is a fairly conservative, old-fashioned choice – and also beautiful.
But even if it wasn’t conservative & vintage, I don’t think you’d have to worry. No one ever says “Justice Ruth” or “Secretary Condoleeza”, etc. Those kind of titles are always said with either the full name, or the last name. So it would be “Justice Marigold Last name”. And using the full name will automatically make it more formal.
Besides, if she has the personality, skills, etc to get that kind of job, she’ll have the gravitas accumulated by the time she gets there, no matter what her name is. Those appointments don’t happen with a magic wand – she’ll have the weight of a career to back her up. A stand out name might even help.
There may be advantages to a ” normal ” name at lower tiers of the resume, like college applications – where there are lots of candidates without many accomplishments to distinguish them. But in this day of kre8tive spellings, and a good ten years of the Aydens in front of her, I think Marigold will be just fine.
I have a Marigold.
I have never considered Marigold to be a “cutesy” name. It’s timeless. And, according to an older friend who moved here from Britain, Marigold is a good, classic name with which she was very familiar.
Justice Marigold sounds to me to be very professional. Much more so than so many other common girl names today.
Marigold is a gorgeous name. I think she absolutely passes the Justice test just as would a Violet, Lily or Rose. I don’t think it’s new or out there either, it has quite a bit of history- Winston Churchill had a daughter named Marigold. Go for it!
My daughter is Margaret nn Maisy, and I just realized that we have a sitting U.S. Senator named Mazie Hirono! Maybe we tend to perceive lots of girls’ names as silly and not ready for power because we just don’t have enough powerful women in visible roles yet. Plenty of men with silly nicknames (or real names) make it to great power. Others like Johnny Edwards rebrand when they rise to prominence.
I really like ‘Mari’ (mah ree)– not just as a nickname but as a standalone. There’s just something about it that says strength and independence to me. However, it is one of those names that everyone will misspell and mispronounce.
I think Marigold is totally wearable, but if you want to be sure, a more traditional middle name would help. She could always go by “Justice M. Elizabeth Jones” if she wants a more serious option in writing.
Marigold would be a fine name for a justice or any other high position.
I’ve always felt that when naming a child of either gender it’s best to go with a name that can grow with the child and that is spelled correctly.
It seems to me that using a “cutesy” name or nickname like Mari or Goldie as the given name could be problematic as the child grows into adulthood. And Marygolde or some other nontraditional/”creative” spelling of a name may not hold up well for a child who seeks a respected position of some note as an adult. (I sometimes wonder when I hear a baby’s name — and this has been truer with baby girls — if the parents can picture the child being anything other than a baby or preschooler.)
Marigold is unusual, but it’s not totally unknown, relates to other more well-used flower names, and as others have noted, may be heard even more in the years ahead.
My first thought was Golda Meir, past prime minister of Israel. In fact, with either Mari or Goldie as nicknames I don’t think you have to worry about the name not being professional enough for many contexts. Plus it takes brave parents to push the boundaries of our culture and its expectations, particularly of girls and women.
I think Marigold seems actually somewhat conservative choice given all the trends these days. I think it’s a super great and safe option. “The honorable Marigold Johnson” “Marigold Smith attorney and partner of ABC law firm” “Paging Doctor Marigold Turner”
Please call her Goldie!!