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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

No name for DD2; on the verge of calling her Stephen

66 replies

PennilynLott · 20/04/2015 10:03

DD1 has the perfect name for us - a choice of good nicknames, well out of the top hundred, family connection.

Here are other names we like. Please someone name her for us. We like quite long names generally, and ideally the nickname/shortening would begin with the same letter as the name itself.

Alexandra - love this but it doesn't go with the surname
Beatrice - current favourite?
Evelyn - literally every second girl is called Evie where we live
Clementine - DH hates it, I love it
Corinne - no nickname?
Leah - makes a comedy pairing with DD1's first name but would love it as a middle name
Juliet - makes a comedy pairing with my first name
Penelope - DH loves it, I don't like Penny

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IvoryMadonna · 21/04/2015 13:54

Why on earth do people like Nell or Nellie? I think it's hideous.

Smelly Nelly, Nellie the Elephant, Death Nell ....

fleurdelacourt · 21/04/2015 12:35

Penelope shortened to Nell -great choice. Caroline also a great choice IMO (

Other options:-
Esther - Hettie
Constance - Connie
Virginia - Ginnie
Dorothea - Dottie/Thea
Gabrielle - Gaby/Elle/Ella/Ellie
Cassandra - Cassie

Do you really mean that you and your dh will have 2 DC and one will have your surname and the other one his? A friend tried this - was v confusing for the children at school......

Hakluyt · 21/04/2015 12:23

Helen shortened to Nell...

SylvaniansAtEase · 21/04/2015 12:21

I have to say I really don't like Alexandra. Clunky and will just end up as Alex. And Millie, please no, there are a billion of them.

Original poster
PennilynLott · 21/04/2015 12:19

Penguins we used my surname for DD1 so it's DH's turn (apparently). Alexandra goes with my surname really well. Double barrelling wouldn't help the problem.

Oh well, we'll be homeless soon so having a ridiculous name will be the least of her worries :)

OP posts:
GlitzAndGigglesx · 21/04/2015 12:18

I have relatives with 3 of the names off your list and only one gets shortened - her choice though. Nellie is a nice nn for Penelope. My favourite on your list is Evelyn which is perfectly fine without a nn

Original poster
PennilynLott · 21/04/2015 12:15

Thank you for all your suggestions, I can't believe you have literally guessed the entire rest of my list that I hadn't typed out, as well as a lot of names of family members!

OP posts:
PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 21/04/2015 12:14

Yes, do that!

Seriously, do you have other surname options, or do you and partner share one? Think outside the box and all that.

I am struggling to think of a surname that would be that bad with Alexandra tbh.

Original poster
PennilynLott · 21/04/2015 12:12

Rhubarbgarden but I didn't like the book Coraline! I suppose we'd get used to it though.

IvoryMadonna I love Madeline but can't use it :(

Damn, I really like Alexandra now. None of the shorter versions go with the surname either. How about we use a different surname?

OP posts:
GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 20/04/2015 21:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

timelyreminder · 20/04/2015 20:57

I like Miriam, nn Mimi/Mim/Miri
Beatrice is a lovely name, you can't go wrong

Miriam Beatrice, Beatrice Leah or Beatrice Miriam Smile

Rhubarbgarden · 20/04/2015 18:29

Mariamne is a lovely version of Miriam and you could shorten it to Mari

Rhubarbgarden · 20/04/2015 18:28

Miriam nn Miri is gorgeous.

Caroline is terribly seventies to me but I love Coraline.

Takver · 20/04/2015 18:01

I think Beatrice is lovely. Bea is nice for a nname, but I also like Tris - I know there's the current book/film connection, but I doubt it'll be remembered in 3 or 4 years time. (And she's a pretty cool heroine anyway.)

Moonatic · 20/04/2015 17:54

Cassandra

Guin1 · 20/04/2015 17:10

Love Miriam. Other nn are Miri and Mim.

Imogen
Larissa
Yasmin

redcaryellowcar · 20/04/2015 14:46

If you like Penelope, I know someone whose nickname was Nellie?

RickOShay · 20/04/2015 14:34

What about
Marianne

Miranda

Honor

Jennifer, dd has a friend called Jenny and it sounds so lovely

Jocelyn, she could be Joss.

Rosalind

Dd is Alexandra, and these I also love.

IvoryMadonna · 20/04/2015 12:37

I know a Corinne who is called Corrie.

I like Julia more than Juliet - classic but not very common atm.

Do you like Madeline pronounced like Caroline?

switchitoff · 20/04/2015 12:04

Shame Alexandra doesn't go with your surname. Have you thought of all the similar names - Alicia, Alessia, Alexa etc?

I'm not keen on Beatrice, sorry. I would vote for Coralie / Corinne with the nn Corrie. Or a name which I think is similar: Katrina (Katy, Kate, Trina, Tina)

Belazu84 · 20/04/2015 10:57

Coralie / Corinne could have the nickname Coco? I've always thought that's sweet.

Other long ones -
Rosalind nn. Rosie or Rosa
Georgiana nn. Georgie
Emmeline nn. Emmy
Cordelia nn. Cory or Cora or Coco

Original poster
PennilynLott · 20/04/2015 10:56

Sorry there were lots of posts while I was typing! Wow you have made great suggestions. I put DD1's name into nameberry and it didn't get half as close to my taste as you all have. Didn't post it here as it identifies me but someone already suggested it :)

Allthatnonsense yes the radclyffe hall connection did occur to me.. nice to have a jolly namesake! Cory is a lovely nn and I'm sure i'd get Flowers in the Attic out of my head eventually :)

Threesoundslikealot I do love Aurelia and the -a gets rid of the Orally homophone. Rory is a good, gilmore girls nickname!

Beingme2014 I love Evangeline as well! It's also on my list but has the same Evie problem.

Mimi is a lovely nickname though makes me think of Mimi Labonq. DH likes Minnie for family reasons. Could also get away with Millie for Miriam I guess, though there are a lot of Millies? That would give my DDs the almost exact names of a good friend's DDs. It's a political minefield isn't it.

Love loads of the other suggestions but quite a few are living relatives which DH won't do, unless they're my relatives Confused.

OP posts:
MrsPeabody · 20/04/2015 10:55

Shame about Alexandra, it's lovely.

Maybe variation like Alexus.

Hmm...
Lizette?

Think out of your list Beatrice is great.

OutragedFromLeeds · 20/04/2015 10:42

Penelope nn Nell is nice, although you might have to fight against her being called Penny. Helena, Elizabeth or Eleanor could also have Nell as a nn.

I like Coralie nn Cora

Constance nn Connie
Harriet nn Hattie
Annabelle nn Anna or Belle
Olivia nn Liv or Oli

I also really like Stevie for a girl.

Or just call her DeeDee Grin. Are there two names beginning with D that you like?

Beingme2014 · 20/04/2015 10:42

My vote goes for Beatrice as it was my nans name, and I love 'Bea'. Another one I love is Evangeline, lovely shortened to 'Eva'