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Baby names

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

Original poster

What names to give Tess as a nickname?

57 replies

NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 26/06/2015 13:29

I absolutely love the nickname Tess but struggling to find a longer name that I love for it.

We cant use Teresa as its my cousin's name. We like Therese (with accents that I cant do on here!!) but not sure.

Our other DC have 3 or 4 syllable names so we cant just use Tess, it wouldn't fit at all.

any ideas??

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Allthatnonsense · 27/06/2015 22:05

Elizabeth
Esther
Estelle

dollysflop · 26/06/2015 23:50

I thought Elizabeth too.

BikeRunSki · 26/06/2015 23:38

Rosita?

Initials TES, known as Tess?

Zakken · 26/06/2015 23:37

Surely it's Bess that's a diminutive of Elizabeth, not Tess - I never heard of that.

I have to say I'm baffled by some of the suggestions here, which seem to have no linguistic or phonetic associations with Tess.

Has anybody suggested Terpsichore? < gets coat >

reuset · 26/06/2015 23:07

I'm chuckling at Tessica Grin Is that a real name

Sophronia · 26/06/2015 23:02

Teresita

BadHenry · 26/06/2015 21:58

Althea
Alethea
Anthea

redbinneo · 26/06/2015 21:43

Tessarina?

Therein2tics · 26/06/2015 21:41

Then Elizabeth! I like this name alot anyway.

SkodaLabia · 26/06/2015 21:10

Anyone called Tessica might as well be called Testicle.

Ooh, there's an idea.

YonicScrewdriver · 26/06/2015 20:10

If you introduce her as thomasina (say) then no one will automatically jump to Tess - would that bother you?

Esther, Estelle, Marie-Théresè are all closer. I think Tessa sounds ok with a one syllable surname.

Benchmark · 26/06/2015 20:03

I know double barrelled names aren't everyone's cup of tea but just in case:
Tessa-Jane
Tessa-Belle

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 26/06/2015 19:29

She'll spend her whole life explaining it's not Jessica.

Skittles88 · 26/06/2015 19:18

Tessica?

bluewisteria · 26/06/2015 17:24

I think Quintessa is a fabulous name, it is from the Latin for 'essence'.

Whathaveilost · 26/06/2015 17:17

The Tess we had in my class was called Ten Ton Tess at every opportunity!
Poor kid was always in tears.
I think she was a Thomasina

PallasCat · 26/06/2015 17:10

Ooh also, how about Celeste?

PallasCat · 26/06/2015 17:04

I also love Tess - such a beautiful name, but with real character and strength. I've always understood it to be a diminutive for Elisabeth, albeit phonetically quite different.

Thomasina and Thessaly I agree are also lovely names that could logically shorten to Tess.

As an alternative from Elisabeth, you could consider the variants Elspeth/Elsbeth.

Other ideas...
Thisbe (from the play within a play in Midsummer Night's Dream)
Thespie

My Mum had a childhood friend called Deste, and you could also consider Estee (as in Lauder). (Both have accents on the second e, but I can't put them in on here.)

And maybe some flower names could...
Genista
Althaea
Artemisia
Honesty

Good luck choosing! It's a great nn that will work from baby to adulthood IMO Smile

Original poster
NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 26/06/2015 16:48

ah thanks florascotia can always rely on you for helpful info on names!! I really quite like it I think.

dame it is a 'thing' for me. it's only partly the sibling names, its mainly the surname thing. I think it sounds so short and abrupt having to single syllable names.

OP posts:
reuset · 26/06/2015 16:43

Thomasina is indeed beautiful

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 26/06/2015 16:43

If you love Tess then call her that, I didn't realise you matching syllables was a thingConfusedGrin

florascotia · 26/06/2015 16:40

Thomasina is one of a 'family' of female names based on classic male names: Henrietta, Paulina, Josephine etc etc. It's been around in England since the 16th century, if not before. Names like 'Tamsin' are variants. I think it's pretty.

Thomas is an Aramaic name; he was one of the first Christian apostles, mentioned in the New Testament. It's been used in Christian-culture lands for almost 2000 years.

GooodMythicalMorning · 26/06/2015 16:35

The only prob with thomasina is it might get shortened to Tom at school.

SylvaniansAtEase · 26/06/2015 16:23

Thomasina is beautiful - definitely use that!!

Original poster
NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 26/06/2015 16:19

Yes I'm aware of that gemme but at this moment in time I'm talking about a baby that I have full control of the name for.

fruminous DC are all under 6 and I introduce them as their full names. their current shortened names are very obviously nicknames and it is only the close family and godparents that use them. everyone else uses the long names as that is how they have been introduced to the children. of course I am aware this will change as they grow up but this is the situation we have at the moment.

sorry, I just find threads really frustrating when someone clearly states 'we cant do X for this reason' and then people pile in and say do it anyway. if I'd asked 'does it matter that Tess is short when the other DC names are long' then fine, but that isn't what I asked.

Really liking the idea of Elizabeth/Elisabeth - I guess Elisabeth would make more sense.

I like esther but it runs into our surname and makes it sound like one long word!

never heard of Thomasina but I quite like it...do you know where the name is from?

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