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Baby names

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

Original poster

Love Eliza, terrified of Ellie

88 replies

Edenember · 28/04/2021 14:08

No offence intended to any Ellie’s or anyone who has a child named Ellie, it’s just not my taste. I was wondering how likely you think it is that Eliza would be shortened to Ellie.

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RoseMartha · 28/04/2021 17:14

I think it is more likely to be shortened to 'Liza than Ellie.

17caterpillars1mouse · 28/04/2021 17:05

All the Eliza's I've met have always been Eliza but I guess you never know. In a similar way, I dislike Ellie too and have an Elspeth, not a single person has tried to call her Ellie so far (she's 2 and has many many nicknames but not Ellie or Ella)

toomanywheeliebins · 28/04/2021 17:04

Honestly Ellie is Eleanor - Eliza is a whole different name

Happynewtier · 28/04/2021 17:04

I have an Eliza. Only ever called Eliza, Lize, Liza or Lizey (lie-zee) wouldn't cross my mind to ever use Ellie, and no one else ever has! People usually just follow what the parents use, I'd you never call her Ellie, I doubt anyone else will.

GreyhoundG1rl · 28/04/2021 17:02

Have you any other names in mind that come close, op?

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 17:02

@toomanywheeliebins see, carrot i can handle.

OP posts:
Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 17:01

@Awwlookatmybabyspider I would at the very least require my fainting chaise and smelling salts. But yes, you’re right re picking something else.

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toomanywheeliebins · 28/04/2021 17:00

I have an Eliza - she's ten.
She is called Eliza and Liza by her friends
She's called carrot and Lolly by us Grin

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 28/04/2021 16:58

Terrified....Confused. Oh do please behave.
You’re more dramatic than me..
If you’re that “terrified” you’re best off thinking of something else. Eliza herself might even prefer Ellie. What will you do then.

Adventing · 28/04/2021 16:37

I knew a Liza, Elizabeth on her b/c but always known as Liza.

UncomfortableSilence · 28/04/2021 16:06

I have an Eliza, she is 12, no one has ever shortened it. I love it and wouldn't like any of the things it could be shortened too either.

My older DD has a name that has a few nick names one of which really stuck from the end of primary through to senior school, all of her teachers even called her it but she decided she wanted to be called by her full name now and has told everyone and her teachers too.

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 16:03

@YoniAndGuy yeah definitely, it’s hardly a big jump is it. And with Ellie being a name in its own right, it comes to mind more easily.

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YoniAndGuy · 28/04/2021 16:01

[quote Edenember]@Hoolihan it doesn’t feel like a natural shortening to me either, probably because the El sound isn’t where the emphasis is in the name. Same as why Amelia tends to get ‘Meels’ rather than Ammy or something like that.[/quote]
I agree OP, it many ways it's not a natural shortening at all, BUT I think that because Ellie is just so prevalent at the moment, it springs to mind more? Hence current child Eliza I know being Ellie, whereas the adult is the more common-among-her-age-group Liz.

That said I could very easily see an Eliza starting to morph into El and then Ellie.

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 16:01

@tigerbread20 cute ☺️ and exceptional taste, btw.

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tigerbread20 · 28/04/2021 15:58

I have a 2 year old Eliza.
She is mostly liza, sometimes za za or lulu

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 15:56

@Twizbe that’s the thing. Bottom line is, you just can’t control it. So I think it’s a case of weighing up how much it matters to you and then going from there. And i think in my case it would bother me so much, to the point where I just need to think again. There’s lots of names where I don’t mind or like the shortened form.

OP posts:
Twizbe · 28/04/2021 15:51

[quote Edenember]@Twizbe that’s interesting actually, I really can’t ever imagine someone shortening Elizabeth to Ellie, there’s so many others before that. Even Beth would be more likely but Liz and Lizzie the obvious ones. But maybe the longer syllable and letter count helps in this instance. El is a much bigger proportion of Eliza than it is in Elizabeth.[/quote]
I knew an Elspeth who shortened to Ellie and an Elise who goes by Ellie.

I know how you feel though. My DD name could be shortened to Kerry and I HATE that name.

We mostly use her full name or shorten it to Ce/ Cece. We kinda hope that will stick but who knows what she'll do as a teenager

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 15:35

@SE13Mummy yes, Aardvark is indeed preferable in this instance 😂 . It is a lovely name, I’ll hate to not use it. But, I could always use it for a middle and pick one of the (many) other names I have on my list.

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Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 15:30

@Twizbe that’s interesting actually, I really can’t ever imagine someone shortening Elizabeth to Ellie, there’s so many others before that. Even Beth would be more likely but Liz and Lizzie the obvious ones. But maybe the longer syllable and letter count helps in this instance. El is a much bigger proportion of Eliza than it is in Elizabeth.

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SE13Mummy · 28/04/2021 15:29

The only Eliza I know who sometimes shortens her name, shortens it to Lizzy. It's a brilliant name and if you use an alternative short version then it's unlikely Ellie would come into play. Far more likely is that when she's a teenager she'll be given an unrelated nickname along the lines of aardvark, escalator or some other random word that relates to an in joke between friends.

Twizbe · 28/04/2021 15:23

Eliza is already a shortened form of a name. If I was to shorten more I'd go for Liz (but then that's how every Elizabeth I know shortens their name)

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 15:23

@RockingMyFiftiesNot Thanks. Yes, in my experience there are some people who need to make other people’s names their own quite apart from a brevity issue... which I find a bit strange but I guess it comes from a nice place really, a way of stamping your familiarity / friendship with a person. But also, stop it 😂. If you like the shortened / pet forms it’s a non-issue.

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RockingMyFiftiesNot · 28/04/2021 15:17

It's a risk you run, but I think more likely to be shortened to Liza.
We gave our daughter a name that doesn't have a shortened version. Some of her pals lengthened it and some just called her by her first initial. Not her name but think of Ann being called 'A' or 'Annie'.

Original poster
Edenember · 28/04/2021 15:14

@GreyhoundG1rl I think you’re right. Oh don’t worry, my nerves will come up with another reason for terror 😂

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GreyhoundG1rl · 28/04/2021 15:12

Any name that holds any amount of "terror" whatsoever should be automatically dismissed Confused
I'm really bemused by this whole thing. Just choose something else, you sound like your nerves wouldn't stand this one.

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