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Baby names

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

Original poster

Billie or Phoebe?

56 replies

Depoisthedevil · 19/08/2022 19:06

His choice and mine. Which do you like?

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SizzlerFizzler · 22/08/2022 22:19

I clicked on the thread to see if someone had suggested (the awful) Wilhelmina.

My curiosity now sated I will turn to the purpose of the thread. I quite like both Billie and Phoebe tbh. Today I'd go for Billie.

frenchie4002 · 22/08/2022 21:17

Billie is lovely

gardenmumma · 20/08/2022 13:44

I prefer Billie.

Suedomin · 20/08/2022 12:54

Phoebe

Enko · 20/08/2022 12:53

Phoebe by far.

SundayTeatime · 20/08/2022 10:38

zaza687 · 20/08/2022 09:59

I really dislike pheobe sounds weird and a girl I knew at school was called pheobe everyone called her phobia

Pheobe isn’t one of the name choices.

zaza687 · 20/08/2022 09:59

I really dislike pheobe sounds weird and a girl I knew at school was called pheobe everyone called her phobia

Luredbyapomegranate · 20/08/2022 09:45

Phoebe

Thefruitbatdancer · 20/08/2022 05:48

Phoebe

ButterRose · 20/08/2022 02:37

Phoebe definitely Billie is a nn

CorvusPurpureus · 20/08/2022 00:31

Wouldloveanother · 19/08/2022 23:39

The association is still there 😂 it’s a ridiculous name, one of those suggestions where you know the person suggesting it would never use it themselves 😂

I would actually have used it quite happily for dd2, who does have a polysyllabic name & choice of diminutives.

It didn't make the cut because an older brother had a 'Wil' name as a middle name, but I do like it.

If I wanted to call a dd Billie, I'd give her a full name with a tad more gravitas.

Lots of people are fine with diminutives as official names, but I would always veer towards old fashioned longer names with a choice of nicknames for everyday, rather than start with a name that's already a shortened form.

I work in a culture where polysyllabic names are standard, so no one would blink at a little Wilhelmina any more than a tiny AbdelRahman.

ofwarren · 20/08/2022 00:04

Phoebe

MercuryOnTheRise · 19/08/2022 23:47

No I wouldn't have used Wilhelmina but if we had a simpler surname I'd have used:

Cordelia
Persephone
Araminta
Christabel
Madeline
Genevieve
Mirabel
Xanthe

sweetnoodle · 19/08/2022 23:39

I really like both and Billie Phoebe works as does Phoebe Billie

Wouldloveanother · 19/08/2022 23:39

The association is still there 😂 it’s a ridiculous name, one of those suggestions where you know the person suggesting it would never use it themselves 😂

MercuryOnTheRise · 19/08/2022 23:38

@Wouldloveanother I think you are conflating Wilhelmina with Wilma from the Flintstones. Actually Wilma's quite nice.

Wouldloveanother · 19/08/2022 23:27

Wilhelmina? This is a modern day child we’re talking about, not a Stone Age cartoon character.

CorvusPurpureus · 19/08/2022 23:25

Wilhelmina. Stand alone fabulous, & can be Billie, Mina, Wilma, Ellie if you want a shortened form.

Phoebe is lovely, but it doesn't shorten well (except Fob in the Antonia Forest novels!) & is irritatingly prone to being Pheobe'd.

I've an otherwise lovely friend who called her horse Pheobe & it annoys me & prejudices me against Phoebe. Although I'm sure a) OP wouldn't & b) Pheobe is a happy horse.

Still, I'm Team Wilhelmina nn Billie.

Remaker · 19/08/2022 23:18

Phoebe by a mile.

RuthW · 19/08/2022 23:16

Phoebe.

Billie is a nickname

AmandaMirandaPanda · 19/08/2022 21:46

Phoebe. Really like it.

DogsAndGin · 19/08/2022 21:44

Phoebe is lovely. Billie is a nn

DontbesuchanarseGlenda · 19/08/2022 21:42

Phoebe

FayCarew · 19/08/2022 21:41

I like both

pinklavenders · 19/08/2022 21:40

Billie

I really dislike Phoebe