We love this name but dislike the inevitable nickname....

Love the Irish names Saoirse and Aoibhe from your list. Beatrice also lovely.

Tbh though wouldn't worry about Madeleine being shortened. I know an Elizabeth and a Rebecca who are only ever known by their full names. Nicknames aren't inevitable if they aren't what you want.

I have a Mathilda and ummed and aahed as I can't abide Tilly.

She is Mathilda or Tilda. Has never, ever been Tilly. Her rugby coach called her Tilly once and she scowled. It's not inevitable.

outing myself here. i am a Madeleine, but i go by Mads. anyone calling me Maddy had better be a fast runner.

If you like Madeleine, then use it and if you don't like Maddy then don't use it. If anyone uses Maddy then tell them it's Madeleine. Repeatedly. They'll get it in the end.

A friend of mine has a 10 year Alexander who is very much an Alexander and he and his mother both give very short shrift to anyone who calls him Alex.

I knew a Madeleine who shortened it to Mads. It really suited her and she was never known as Maddie.

I really don't think it is inevitable at all. If you call her Madeleine she will be Madeleine won't she unless as a more grown up child she choses it.

I know an Annanarie and an Anne-Marie both adults. The former has always used her full name, I have never ever heard anyone shorten it, the latter is known by everyone as Anna which one would assume would have happened with Annamarie.

I know a few Madelines and have never thought McCann when they are introduced.

I know one that is always Madeline never Maddie.

I have an Isabel and I always hated Izzy so I nearly didn't go for it, but I couldn't find anything I liked as much. She has always been Isabel but guess what? I now love Izzy but she hates it so is always Isabel.

Will you pronounce it linn or line at the end?I always like the latter because of the books. Is that a French pronunciation?

I dont think diminutives are inevitable. I know a James, William, Phillip and Daniel all in their teens who have always been known by their full name.

Magdalene makes me think of the laundries as well

I really love Madeleine but my surname begins with a Mc so we felt the McCann connection would be to strong we considered Adeline which I think is just as nice and I prefer addie to maddie as a nickname

Magdalene won't solve the maddy problem, because it is pronounced the same!

We had the exact same problem, well I did.

DH didn't like it due to McCann association which I thought was daft, but I really don't like Maddie, I thought people would then assume she was called Madison, which again isn't for me.

So we went with Philippa

Forgot to add - so if you say "This is Madeleine" she is likely to get called Madeleine. If you say "this is Madeleine, known as Leine" then that is what she will get called.

I have foudn that people tend to call your child what you ask them to call him/her.

So my eldest (Alexander) has always been Alex because we always introduce him and refer to him as Alex. Whilst number 2 (Eleanor) has always been Eleanor because that is how we refer to her.

When they get a bit older it becomes more their choice - I guess if Alex particularly wanted to be known as Alexander he would refer to himself in that way, and thus that is what people would call him. I know people have occasionally referred to Eleanor as Ellie, but to be fair SHE stamps on that pretty quickly...

What a lovely short list of names, OP! I know a few young madeleines who are all Maddys, but thats what their parents wish for them to be called. I know a couple of adult Madeleines: one is Madeleine, one is Mads. It wouldn't occur to me to call them Maddy.

I know there is a school of thought that says nn's are inevitable, but I've known several Michaels, James', Jennifer's & Victorias since childhood who have never been referred to as Mikes, Jamie's, Jenny's or Vicky's. I think if you tell people the first time they shorten it "I prefer Madeleine" that will suffice.

Magdalene is beautiful. I know a few, all of which are known as Magda but Maggie is a sweet nn too.

I would keep saying your short list out loud to get used to hearing them and then see what suits her when she arrives. I'm sure it will be perfect.

I really like Theresa. I'm not having any more kids so I'm on a one woman mission to get this name used by somebody

I don't think the McCann situation matters. There are a lot of madeleines out there. I do think she would be getting Maddie though. I'd go for another name you can have Maggie short for.

Magdalene makes me think of the laundries. :(

Can't you specify the nickname you prefer from the outset? For example, a friends baby was announced something like "we welcome Elizabeth, who will be known as Effy, to our family". And she's Effy to everyone.

Likewise, my DH goes by a name different to his legal first name. Its not a problem.

You could have Madeleine, to be known as Del/Ellie/Len, or is it any nickname you're against?

Magdalene makes me think of Mary Magdalene who was a prostitute but then follower of Jesus - when us the baby due?

Not keen on the name. And I'm even less keen on Magdelene. I like Isobel best from your list and also Isabella.

I think Madaleine is lovely and really don't think the McCann association is of any concern. I know several Madaleines and they all go by their full names. The adult one I know occasionally gets Mads but never Maddy. I also like Magdalene, but prefer Magdalena.

I love Madeleine, but avoiding Maddy will be hard.

Magdalene for me isn't as nice, although I do like Maggie.

Is Manon pronounced MAN-on or MAN-un?

I don't like the standard abbreviations of DC 3 & 4.... DC3 was going to be called by her full name, and DC4 was going to be a slightly less common abbreviation of her name (it's a name with 3 or 4 shortened forms).

Guess what? Both of them are called by the standard abbreviation. And both of them are that abbreviation, IYSWIM.

If you really don't like the standard shortening, I'd go for a different name.