Is Ginny really that bad as a pet name for Imogen?

[pramspotter]

My grandma's name is Ginny and I really want to call a little girl after her because she means a lot to me. My great-grandma and a cousin were also called Ginny and they are the sweetest people ever.

Can't stand the name Virginia but love Imogen. We could call her Ginny for short..

Mumsnet Jury??

[shitehawk]

My grandma was Ginny - derived from Jenny - so I really like the name, wherever it comes from. I like Imogen too.

[LuLuBai]

I think it works. And I love Imogen (DDs middle name)

Other names that might work:

Ginevra / Guinevere
Magenta
Genevieve
Virginie (v. similar to Virginia admittedly but a little more chic)
Georgina

[chequersandchess]

I guess you can call her whatever nickname you like. Absolutely love Imogen though, shame not to use it.

[donnie]

my friends call their daughter Immy for short.

[NCbirdy]

I think it works, I have to ask though, why can't you just call her Ginny? It is a lovely name in its own right IMO!

[overbuurvrouw]

Ginny short for Imogen is beautiful.

I believe Genevieve (although beautiful) has some links with very nasty racist stuff. It does here in Holland anyway.

[pramspotter]

I like Immy too. My daughter is Abigail and we call her both Abby and Abigail all the time so it would be the same for Imogen/Ginny.

[LuLuBai]

Oh - all I think of is the lovely old film with the car.

[LovelyBertha]

Why not just call her Ginny- I think it is a lovely name on its own.

My name is Imogen, and I like it- but I have to confess, do get really annoyed when people call me Imogin. That is not how it is pronounced, its ImogEn with the 'e' like 'e' in egg (sorry, rubbish explaining). What I'm trying to say is Ginny is unrelated to the name Imogen, because there's no 'Gin' in Imogen. Could be one for AIBU though...

I reckon stick to just Ginny.

[silverfrog]

Ginny short for Imogen is lovely. Both names are great, and nice to have a shortening that you like as well as a full name that you like.

We have run into a problem because we cannot find a shortening of dd2's name that we like. Love the full name, and she has a ridiculous family nickname which is ok as a baby, but cannot use forever (not in the real world anyway!)

so to have both is great.

[LuLuBai]

You never know - you may find you use Imogen all the time. I worked back from a nickname too. Wanted Lola as a nickname but was keen to find a 'proper' name that could be shortened. We have never once called her Lola.

[singersgirl]

Ginny can't really be a shortening for Imogen, though, can it? Wouldn't the shortening be Genny/Jenny?

I'm all for giving proper names, but a name that actually has the 'gin' sound in would be better. It seems a bit odd to retrofit a name to a shortening.

If you really don't like Virginia, I guess there's always Regina!

[chequersandchess]

LuLuBai, just curious, what is the name?

[LuLuBai]

Oooh - don't normally post it but it is Paloma (middle name Imogen as I mentioned earlier)

[silverfrog]

My natural inclination for shortening Imogen (other than Immy, which I detest, or Imo, which is ok but can't see me using) is Ginny.

English is full of words that have a vowel mutation on shortening/lengthening so the i/e change doesn't bother me. Genny doesn't exist afaik as a name, and to me, Jenny is from Jennifer. So Ginny it is.

[Pinktastic]

As mentioned on another thread, my daughter is Imogen and is generally known as Mo - which she does like.

[silverfrog]

oooh, never thought of Mo. Quite like it.

Don't suppose you can work any magic on Beatrice?

[Gettingbiggernow]

I think Ginny is fine as a shortening for Imogen. Don't pick a name that's not your favourite just to get Ginny out of it.

Imogen does work because it is a combination of Genny, but with the "I" of Imogen.

i.e: Immy and Genny = Ginny!!!

[Pinktastic]

Silverfrog - have been picking at my brains but can't think of anything other than the usual Trixie, Bea and Beatie. DS chose the NN Mo when he was first learning to talk, it was all he could say

[cheesesarnie]

i knew a ginny but it was short for virginia.she was very horsey.

[silverfrog]

that's all I can come up with too, pinktastic.

dd2 calls dd1 I-gen, which is cute but not usable, iyswim.

hmmm, dd2 is stuck with her silly nickname for the time being then.... will have to sort it out before she goes to school.

[girlandboy]

I know an Imogen, but she is always called "Imo" !!

[Pinktastic]

I find that one nn can lead onto another. DD is generally known as Mo but this sometimes turns to Mojo, Mog or Mogen. It all depends on the mood we are in.

[SquiffyHock]

I went to university with a lovely Janelle who was always known as Ginny.

I really like the name.

[bozza]

I disagree with those who say that it couldn't be used as a shortening, while I agree that the last vowel in Imogen is pronounced as 'eh'. Think about Margaret being shortened to Meg or Katherine to Kate etc.