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Baby names

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

Nickname for Fearne

33 replies

MarvEll · 22/11/2020 11:19

Partner and I both like Fearne/Fern, but I can't think of any nice nicknames for it. Does anyone have suggestions? Not Ferney!
Also, do you think it's too similar to friends 4yo who we would see really very often as they're next door who is Finn?

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NoVibrato · 25/06/2025 16:43

Pretty name, doesn't need a nickname, plus it brings back to mind young Fern in the delightful Charlotte's Web.
Why are 21st century mums so obsessed with nicknames? Why not pick a lovely name that will work across the years.....?

user1492757084 · 25/06/2025 08:41

Fern is wonderful on it's own.
No nick name needed.

One nick name could be - Wilbur's Friend.

Fern Fiona
Fern Felicity
Fern Alexandra
Fern Charlotte

MsGoodenough · 24/06/2025 22:26

Fearne doesn't need a nickname. You'll naturally coin a load of nicknames/pet names for your dd which have nothing to do with her name anyway. We called DD by multiple pet names that had nothing to do with her actual name.

IAMABOOK · 24/06/2025 19:04

My name is Fern. I was called Fernie until I was five. Im now called 'Flopsy'. My friends still sometimes call me Fernie, though they instist on spelling it F-E-R-N-Y rather than F-E-R-N-I-E

Piccalily19 · 27/11/2020 16:31

@YukoandHiro suppose we could be called worse! 😂

blackteaplease · 27/11/2020 08:14

Both of my boys nicknames are based on sibling mispronunciations that have stuck. My dd has a few pet names that are not linked to her name.

Fern is a beautiful name, choose it if you like it and see what evolves for a nickname.

YukoandHiro · 27/11/2020 08:04

It does definitely feel like a major part of my identity. People seem to latch onto it. I didn't change it when I married.

YukoandHiro · 27/11/2020 08:02

Ha @Piccalily19 - same here (surname is Fearn) and I've had all those nicknames. I'm 38 and my best friend still calls me Fernykins from time to time Grin

Piccalily19 · 26/11/2020 11:52

Just wanted to chime in as Fern’s my surname but I’ve been called it as a nickname since school by a lot of my friends instead of my actual first name. My first names not even bad so not like I requested it, it just happened!
I’ve had Fern, Ferny, Fernykins, Disco Inferno, Ferntree (not even sure on why with the last one haha) - but to be honest I’ve loved all of it and find it weird when these friends call me my actual name!
It’s a nice name and other posters are right, nicknames can be anything!

andfurtively · 26/11/2020 08:04

Why would you want a nickname? Fern is lovely. If she's called Fern then let her/he be called Fern

Alarae · 26/11/2020 07:56

My 8 month DD is often called Chubba, which is nothing like her actual name but very self explanatory! She's also called Beast, but that's more because of her monstrous appetite Grin

I wouldn't push a nickname. Something will naturally come up.

CodenameVillanelle · 26/11/2020 07:47

Why do you need a nickname for a one syllable name? Why do people give their kids names when they intend to call them something else? I picked my DS’s name because I like it and he’s only ever been called that. Why do you need another name?

MarvEll · 26/11/2020 07:43

Thanks all! I think I agree with you and I won't worry about the nickname and see what plays out. I guess these things are very hard to predict. I really like Fern and so does my partner, so maybe we'll just go with that!
Now for a middle name... Haven't even thought about that yet!!

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florascotia2 · 25/11/2020 18:49

Fern is fine if you like plant names. It's short and doesn't need a nickname. As others have said, these evolve. You can't predict or choose them.
Fearne is not fine, at least IMHO. Sorry, but ...

FelicityPike · 25/11/2020 11:04

Why does it need a nickname?
Why don’t people just use the name they give their child?

AfterSchoolWorry · 25/11/2020 11:02

Fifi

VenusClapTrap · 25/11/2020 11:00

Fern is a beautiful name and doesn’t need a nickname. Something will evolve naturally when she’s here - Squeaky or Sausage or whatever. We called dd Gollum for a while when she was a baby because that’s what she looked like! Grin

user1493494961 · 25/11/2020 10:47

I can't see the point of naming her Fearne and calling her Fifi. Madeleine is lovely, shortened to Maddie.

Lizadork · 23/11/2020 19:14

Could extend the name to Fernlea? That way Fern or Lea choice of nickname. If you love Maddie, maybe Madison.

Quercus3 · 23/11/2020 19:07

No suggestions, just wanted to say how much I love Fern!

MarvEll · 22/11/2020 14:49

@YukoandHiro I quite like inferno! 😂

But yes, everyone's right that nicknames will come on their own I guess and I don't need to think of them. I was just wondering about affectionate terms, but as you say this doesn't have to be linked to the actual name! @Oneandabean I do really like Effie tho!

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Oneandabean · 22/11/2020 13:00

I don’t think it needs a nickname as it’s short anyway, and they tend to evolve on their own. The only one I can think of if Effie maybe?

Kenana · 22/11/2020 12:13

Fernanda?
Ferinita?

Maddie can be short for
Madonna
Magdalena
Madison

DuckonaBike · 22/11/2020 12:05

Bracken?

Grin sorry couldn’t resist. Don’t worry, nicknames just evolve.

Frazzled2207 · 22/11/2020 12:02

I like Fern but I think she would inevitably end up Fernie. Both my kids have names where we’ve ended up using -ie at the end unintentionally! That said it’s only us parents who use that.