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Baby names

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Original poster

Nickname for Emily

54 replies

SiSiRose · 21/04/2022 12:51

What are nicknames you have heard for Emily?

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Kanaloa · 22/04/2022 23:48

I think Lilly or Tilly as a diminutive for Emily is really pushing it. They share an ending, that’s it. By that logic Jon, Ron, or Don are lovely diminutives for Simon.

Regardless of whether it’s a diminutive or nickname I find it a huge stretch and it just makes me think of someone who ended up using a name they really disliked to had to try and wrangle a name they actually liked out of it.

PollyannaWhittier · 22/04/2022 23:03

Kanaloa · 21/04/2022 22:22

Especially when the names suggested are Lilly & Tilly as short for Emily. Which are nicknames and not diminutives.

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Happy to be corrected if there's an official linguistic definition, but I understand a diminutive to be anything based around the sounds of the original name, which includes Tilly, Milly, Lily for Emily; while a nickname is completely unrelated eg adjectives like the aforementioned Lofty, made up names, or a random name eg David, known as Bob.

user3199 · 22/04/2022 14:45

I know two - one is only ever known as Em (I didn't even know her full name was Emily til recently), the other never shortens her name.

SummaLuvin · 22/04/2022 10:26

UhtredsLatestPaganHussy · 21/04/2022 22:06

love the regular 'actually it's a diminutive' posts.

plus the regular "I don't understand planning nicknames, let it happen naturally"

I also wouldn't plan nicknames firmly in advance, but it's worth knowing the options before committing to a name (especially in my region of the UK where a name longer than 2 syllables will be shortened). You wouldn't want to wait for your child to be in school before realising you quite disliked an obvious, but less used diminutive, like Lex or Sandy for Alexandra.

Also nicknames can sweeten a name further, at least for me. I love Andy for a girl, so Alexandra is then more appealing.

Iceddecaflatte · 22/04/2022 10:02

Why are you trying to find a nickname if you like the full name as it stands?

Unless you don't like the name Emily and you are trying to find a nn that you like...

Kanaloa · 21/04/2022 22:22

UhtredsLatestPaganHussy · 21/04/2022 22:06

love the regular 'actually it's a diminutive' posts.

Especially when the names suggested are Lilly & Tilly as short for Emily. Which are nicknames and not diminutives.

PollyannaWhittier · 21/04/2022 22:17

Most of the Emilys I know use their full name, the two who do go by a diminutive are Mimi and Tilly

gingerhills · 21/04/2022 22:08

Em
Ems
Emmy/Emmie
Milly

UhtredsLatestPaganHussy · 21/04/2022 22:06

love the regular 'actually it's a diminutive' posts.

AmberLynn1536 · 21/04/2022 22:04

saveforthat · 21/04/2022 20:09

None of the above are nicknames. They are "for short". A nickname is a completely unrelated name e.g. Lofty for someone who is is not very tall.

Agreed, the term is diminutive, a nickname is something completely different and usually is formed naturally over time by family or friends and is unrelated to the child’s act actual name.

knowinglesseveryday · 21/04/2022 21:58

The great thing about nicknames is that there are no rules-you choose.

SquigglePigs · 21/04/2022 21:26

Both the adult Emily's I know are Em.

DatingDickheads · 21/04/2022 21:26

We call our Emily, Em for short.

volezvoo · 21/04/2022 21:24

What’s wrong with just using ‘Millie’ if that’s the name you like?

Never heard of it as a nickname for Emily. I love both names though.

MrsMigginsCat · 21/04/2022 21:20

Our Emily is known as Emily, Emmie or Em. Her friends call her Emz.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 21/04/2022 21:16

I'm a Emily and I loathe being called Em!

I like my name and it's not exactly long so just call me Emily.

If you like the name Millie call your baby Millie.

TonyBlairsLover · 21/04/2022 20:54

Defo emdog

saveforthat · 21/04/2022 20:09

None of the above are nicknames. They are "for short". A nickname is a completely unrelated name e.g. Lofty for someone who is is not very tall.

Spaghag · 21/04/2022 20:07

It's Em. Even if you plan a different nn people will still call her Em when she's older (speaking from experience).

IslaRoseGraceEtc · 21/04/2022 20:01

Our Emily is a Milly, but it doesn't get shortened that often. Despite having three syllables it doesn't feel like a long name.

bigbluebus · 21/04/2022 19:05

There's an Emily in my extended family. She's always called Emily within the family but I've noticed on some of her social media she goes under the name of Millie. I'm not sure if that's what she's known as amongst her friendship group or if it's just something she's adopted for social media to keep her profile out of the domain of any clients who may wish to snoop.

Fedupbuyer · 21/04/2022 18:51

We call my sil em

BakewellGin1 · 21/04/2022 18:49

I never understand why people plan on nicknames. Both of my DC have survived their years so far known by their full names - admittedly both have only 5 letters to start with

myveryloudsun · 21/04/2022 18:47

My cousin is Emily, she's Ems to us

hamptonedge · 21/04/2022 18:45

Why call her Emily if you want a nickname?