About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

14 Comments

  1. While I appreciate the name Tabitha, I prefer Talitha. It’s amazing how many more nicknames possibilities there are when you change a ‘b’ for an ‘l’.)

    I groaned when I heard Marion, though for purely selfish reasons as Marian and Marianne are both on my shortlist. In both cases it’s in order to honor my mom, Mary Ann.
    Pretty nice names, unexpected and creative. Lovely!

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  2. I think Marion Loretta is really pretty, but I prefer the spelling Marian.

    I don’t know why they wouldn’t give Tabitha two middle names as well. Hodge isn’t really an attractive in my opinion, so it would have been nice to have another lovely, feminine name to balance it out.

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  3. I do prefer Marion to Tabitha. I’ve actually always quite liked Marian spelled with an A, but the O feels masculine. Is that arbitrary?

    I think the general public will take its cue from SJP and we’ll see Marian rise in the stats, along with Vivian, which I’ll bet will take off from Brangie’s Vivienne. Same but different. Hodge and Loretta are names I’d like to see get a little attention too, actually. I floated Hodge as a way to honor grandfather Roger. Didn’t take (and we haven’t had the opportunity to name a boy). Don’t think Hodge would have ever made it to the birth certificate though.

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  4. I really like Tabitha, but I am only lukewarm on Marion. Too much Happy Days in my youth, I guess.

    And then the two names together? Not so fond of this pair. Even Muriel (not too far off from Marion, in over all feel) would have been better with Tabitha, or perhaps Marion could have been matched with something like Eleanor (which is more popular, but seems to match better in style).

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  6. Yeesh. I can’t relate these names to each other in any way at all; twin names shouldn’t be matchy-matchy, but these two don’t even sound like siblings. Tabitha is an interesting choice, I even like Tabby ok, but Marion is so very bland. If they had been Marion and Myrtle, Dorothy, or Helen, I’d get it. I guess the contrast is what bothers me: Tabitha sounds girly and spirited, and poor Marion can’t help looking a bit drab and frowzy next to her.

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  7. Sounds like they simply chose two first names they liked, and added middles that mean something to them. I think that’s a fabulous way to choose names, and I am also happy that I never would have guessed either choice. I love this couple.

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  8. They seem mismatched as sisters, to me but individually, I like them both. I think I would have gone with Miriam & Tabitha or Marion & Harriet, myself. But Marion & Tabitha are both lovely names in & of themselves. I’d call them Mimi & Tibs (or Tibby & Mim)!

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    1. Hi Lola! We’ve missed you! Hope everything is okay.

      And I love the nicknames Mimi & Tibby … I was just mulling over what you can call Tabitha besides Tabby. Bitsy would work, too, but that’s really only for a very small child.

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  9. Hmmm … the names are getting a lukewarm response out there. Tabitha came in at #591 in 2008 – I know two, one 4-ish and one 20-ish. I dislike the nn Tabby, but kind of love Tabitha anyhow. Marion doesn’t rank in the Top 1000 for girls (though Damarion, Demarion and Jamarion all place for boys), but she’s certainly a classic.

    I’ll admit I expected either more classic – a la James – or more retro – a la Hazel or Stella. But mostly I love the fact that I’m completely surprised by the choices!

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  10. A poster at Behind the Name alleges that they’ve been named Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Hodge Broderick — she cites people.com as the source of this information.

    I love Marion and delight in Loretta and Tabitha!

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