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Baby names

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

Original poster

Ophelia or Effie

56 replies

Rio5555 · 28/01/2020 23:39

Ophelia nn Effie or just Effie? I normally prefer a full version on a birth certificate but likewise if we use Effie 90% of the time is there much point having Ophelia on the birth certificate?

PS I know Ophelia is a love hate name on here (and I’ve been prewarned about the ‘a feel of your bum’ etc) but i love it.

So...

Ophelia Florence S
Or
Effie Florence S

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Divebar · 02/02/2020 08:39

I love Ophelia too but have never heard it in the wild. I think it’s very elegant. On a day to day basis you can use any name though - and thats different from the nicknames that are given at school which you have no control over. Forms often have as “ Known as” section so she could be Ophelia known as Effie if you prefer that when she’s younger. I know a child who’s officially called Odette but who is known as Etta by everyone - its something her parents determined from day one and no one has any issue understanding it. We also have boys in the family who have a first name which is passed down through the generations but are all referred by their middle names.

PlantPotting · 02/02/2020 00:55

Love the name Ophelia

PetraRabbit · 02/02/2020 00:29

Ophelia is beautiful, elegant, a name for a baby to grow into and gives her more options. Effie is a slangy kind of name. I know there are tonnes of Evies around but I just think these cutesy names sound unfinished.

babynamehelp1 · 01/02/2020 20:52

Ophelia, definitely - such a beautiful name

Whatsyourflava · 31/01/2020 11:46

Love Ophelia ❤️

Original poster
Rio5555 · 31/01/2020 11:44

I really don’t like Fifi. It’s too frilly for my liking and makes me think of a white fluffy dog that gets carried around in a handbag and yaps at people! That’s one of the reasons I want to introduce Effie to prevent Fifi manifesting. although point taken that children will decide their own nicknames if they are that way inclined!

OP posts:
UnitedRoad · 31/01/2020 11:14

I have an Effy, but short for Elizabeth. It wasn’t a nickname we chose, but she’s 18 and has called herself that for about 4 years. Before that she was Bizzie (again, not chosen by us)

I know 3 Ophelia and they’re all known as Fifi.

SoftBlocks · 31/01/2020 10:54

Ophelia.

eggandonion · 31/01/2020 10:53

Take the high road, a Scottish soap opera in the seventies, had a lady called effie. I remember a big kerfuffle whe she was revealed as being euphemia.
We had a nickname in mind for one of our kids, but never used it. Each of our babies was lovingly named, each time mil advised us of what people would call them. None of the predictions came true.

Corneliawildthing · 30/01/2020 21:57

Effie is awful. The only Effies I know are old Scottish ladies, short for the dreadful Euphemia.

Ophelia is a lovely name - don't give her a nickname which seems to be a prerequisite of baby names on MN and nowhere else

eggandonion · 30/01/2020 21:38

Aoife is more like eef-a, but sort of breathy a. No r sound at th end. Our dog minder is called Aoife, she's lovely.

TatianaLarina · 30/01/2020 20:47

As a nn I mean not instead of Ophelia.

TatianaLarina · 30/01/2020 20:47

If you spelt it Ephie it would have more of a link to Ophelia.

Original poster
Rio5555 · 30/01/2020 20:37

I always thought Aoife was pronounced ee-fer? Have I been getting this wrong all these years? 🙈

OP posts:
eggandonion · 30/01/2020 19:30

Aoife sounds exactly like its spelling - although I suppose living in Ireland helps me with that! What about Ofelia, avoid the ph issue?
I prefer Ophelia to Euphemia.

Sagradafamiliar · 30/01/2020 19:21

I thought Aoife was really popular! Effie is nothing like Ophelia but then again Effy in Skins was short for Elizabeth.
Just go for the name you like.

missmouse101 · 30/01/2020 19:17

Ophelia looks lovely but is awful because as you say she'll get teased with 'a feel 'o' your.....' Fee is a nicer nickname. Effie sounds like effing.

Original poster
Rio5555 · 30/01/2020 19:08

@Sagradafamiliar I’m not really a fan of names that sound completely different to their spelling. I feel like I’d be condemning her to a lifetime of spelling her name out!

OP posts:
Sagradafamiliar · 30/01/2020 10:24

The full name is very fff-fff-fff sounding.

What about Aoife if you like the sound but want a 'proper' name?

I know a couple of Ophelia's, I've heard of it being shortened to Ophie before.

Traditionalwife · 30/01/2020 08:33

Ophelia I love that name reminds me of the girl from 'pans labyrinth'.Grin one of my favourite films.

Heh1991 · 29/01/2020 23:30

Ophelia gives her the option to use the full name of the nickname. Plus I think it’s lovely!

NickMyLipple · 29/01/2020 20:52

I have a Harriet and I partly chose her name because I love the nn Hattie. I've never called her Hattie in her life and it feels very wrong and not her at all! She has other nicknames loosely associated with Harriet but she is certainly NOT a Hattie!

In my opinion I wouldn't choose a name based on the nickname. Choose a name you like and let the nicknames naturally come!

percheron67 · 29/01/2020 20:46

Ophelia is gorgeous. Don't like Effie.

happychange · 29/01/2020 20:43

Would have gone with Ophelia too if we had a girl but I would have nicknamed FifiGrin

Cbeebiesrehab · 29/01/2020 20:38

Yes @Musmerian but it can also be used for other names too.