Just Elizabeth

Love it but then I am biased

There's an Elizabeth at our school who uses her full name, and I have a friend who has always been Elizabeth and never Betty, Liz, Lizzie or Beth.

Elizabeth is a great name, will suit a baby at all ages of her life and won't go out of fashion.

I know an Elizabeth. She is 8. she is always called by her full name and she is totally bonkers! (in a very lovely way!)

I know an Elizabeth who is around 5. She's outgoing, lively and generally a while lot of fun. I love the name.

I know a child called Elizabeth. She is strong willed, extremely lively and chatty, extrovert, fun loving and stubborn.

She is known as Elizabeth but was sort of named for Elizabeth Tudor/I who was referred to as Queen Bess at times. So occasionally this child gets the nicknames of Bess, Bessie or Betsy.

I know and Elizabeth (aged 3). It's never shortened. It's a lovely, classic name.

It was on our list for DD and would not have been shortened.

My first name is Elizabeth but I go by one of the many abbreviations and have done since secondary school.

Thoughts about being an Elizabeth:

• it's a long name to learn to spell. My elder brother has a 3 letter name and I used to find this terribly unfair!
• Other people clearly think it's too long as well! At my primary school I had several teachers who didn't bother to write my whole name on the blackboard, so it would frequently be abbreviated to 'Eliz.' (Yes, complete with full stop!) Unsurprisingly I found this rather annoying.
• It was my friends, rather than me or my family, who were the first to start calling me by a shorter version. If children want to abbreviate their name then they will, whatever their parents' wishes (my dad still now only calls me Elizabeth, even though nobody else does).
• I have always felt it to be a very formal name, hence choosing to use one of the many abbreviations.

As for Lily, I doubt it's going to come naturally to people to call her Lily. Most people (of her generation, in particular) won't associate Lily with Elizabeth. They are both such distinct names; both very popular in their own right. There was a John in my grade who went by Jack, and a lot of people didn't understand, even though that is a well known shortening?!

If you want her to be called Lily, don't name her Elizabeth. Name her Lily or Lillian. People have only ever presumed to call me Liz/Lizzy. I'd get side eyed if I told people my name was Lily short for Elizabeth.

I'm a mid-20s Elizabeth. People tend to call me whatever I introduce myself as. My family call me Elizabeth, as did everyone in primary school, and my best friend does too. However, everyone I went to high school with calls me Liz and I tend to introduce myself as Liz (in informal settings).

No one has ever tried to shorten it to Beth, Elle, Eliza, Libby etc. Not once. A few people tried "Lizzy" a few times, but I put a stop to that quickly as I can't stand it.

I don't know any Elizabeths younger than me, though.

"So can Elizabeth be 'fun loving'?"

Er, if she's brought up in a happy home and given lots of fun, then yes.

On the streets of Aleppo- maybe not so much.

I have a five year old Elizabeth, named after my favourite Jane Austen character but she only answers to Lizzie.

I have four year old Elizabeth.
She is hilarious, cheeky, clever and very independent.

She gets Elizabeth or my pet name for her is lillibut (outs self) or Betty boo, lizzie loo. Whatever really :)

No doubt she would pick her own nickname as she ages which was my intention for her. I think she suits lizzie as she is a live wire and witty.

Beth to me conjures up gentle and quiet

I love Elizabeth but the only nn I like is Betsy

Elizabeth is a beautiful, classic and timeless name.
I prefer Beth, as opposed to Liz.

I have a 3 year old elizabeth (goes by full name) who is great fun :-) I love the name and think it suits my happy, strong willed DD perfectly.

Yes I know a one year old Elizabeth. I think it's way too plain as a first name but actually considering it for a middle name for future DD

My eldest is Elizabeth. I always use her full name and it was used all through school. She now goes as Liz which is ok - her choice (in her mid 20's)

She is very fun loving and adventurous and brave and generally amazing. I wanted a strong name for her - she is actually named in honour of Elizabeth Tudor.

I know two little Elizabeth - both around two years of age. One is called Elizabeth and the other Lizzie.

I nearly called DD Elizabeth, nn Beth, but decided against it as her middle name was always going to be Mary for family reasons and Elizabeth Mary sounded too regal. I'm glad I didn't, as while I still love the name, Beth (which I associate with gentle, quiet souls, probably because of Little Women), it wouldn't suit my DD at all. I think we'd have ended up going with Eliza as a nn instead, as that would seem to suit her inquisitive, chatterbox personality far better.

I know a 4 year old Elizabeth who goes by her full name. She is very sweet. It may get shortened when she goes to school, but time will tell.

So can Elizabeth be 'fun loving'?

Elizabeth Bennet?

The Queen is said to be good fun among her close friends and family, too. If you only see someone's public face, as with your former lecturer, you don't get a full sense of their personality.