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Baby names

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

Elegant but unusual baby girl names

142 replies

sunshinelollipopz · 15/07/2024 18:11

Really struggling for our baby girl's names - feel like I've exhausted everything at this point!

We love elegant and pretty names that easily shorten to a nice nickname from the first syllable.

As we do want the easy nickname, we've ruled out some favourites:

Felicity
Matilda
Delilah
Daphne

Been through all the usual Ottilie, Gwendoline etc but just can't find something with a pretty nickname alongside the long name that fits our vibe.

Help!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Firsttimebabymummy · 15/07/2024 19:57

Trying not to repeat others
Violetta?
Annaliese

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 15/07/2024 19:57

Josephine - Josie
Jennifer - Jenny
Bethany - Beth
Francesca - Fran
Suzannah - Suzy
Kathryn - Kat
Megan - Meg
Elinor - Ellie
Annabel - Annie
Agnes - Aggie
Beatrice - B

Alice, Mary, Iris, Neve - all shorter names of girls I know that havn't been abbreviated

TheCultureHusks · 15/07/2024 19:49

Xanthe - Zan
Beatrice - Bea
Anastasia - Anna
Thomasina - Tom!

Outnumbered92 · 15/07/2024 19:47

Zara - Zaz

OrinocoGlow · 15/07/2024 19:46

Charlotte - Charlie/Lotte
Julia - Jules
Philippa - Pippa

SOxon · 15/07/2024 19:41

Rowan
Rowenna
Rosalind
Romina
Caroline
Catherine
Christina

Moreteaandchocolate · 15/07/2024 19:40

Liliana - Lily
Juliana - Jules
Yvonne - Ivy / Eve
Emmeline - Emmy / Em
Leonora - Lea / Leo
Arianna - Aria
Marianna - Mari
Indira - Indi

NightSweatsNinja · 15/07/2024 19:40

Joanna
Josephine
Mirabelle
Anabella
Christina
Beatrice
Bethany
Rosalina
Tabitha
Mariella

UnimaginableWindBird · 15/07/2024 19:35

I think that it's a bit of waste of time planning a nickname in advance, because the one that sticks is almost always different to the one the parents intended.

SOxon · 15/07/2024 19:34

Mathilde
Melissa
Miranda

SparrowNest15 · 15/07/2024 19:34

Christiana

SOxon · 15/07/2024 19:34

Susannah
Severine
Serena
Seraphina
Sophie
Grace

Moreteaandchocolate · 15/07/2024 19:30

Presseddaisy · 15/07/2024 19:29

Jocelyn or Rebecca

Jocelyn nn Joss is lovely

SOxon · 15/07/2024 19:29

Constance
Robina
Rebecca
Rhianna
Roberta
Ruth

Presseddaisy · 15/07/2024 19:29

Jocelyn or Rebecca

Gorgonemilezola · 15/07/2024 19:29

Sorry, forgot the nickname bit
Vivi, Yennie
Ronnie, Nico
Mivvi, Mirri
Elle, Ella, Leny
Jools, Yuli, Lua

Gorgonemilezola · 15/07/2024 19:26

Vivienne
Veronica
Miriam
Helen
Julia

sunshinelollipopz · 15/07/2024 19:26

I think I love my son's nickname and trying to replicate it with a girls name which is proving harder, Rafael- Raf. My criteria is - could you sign off an email to a company with it - if too 'nicknamey' it's out 😂

OP posts:
Twazique · 15/07/2024 19:24

Delphine
Audrey
Antonia

Words · 15/07/2024 19:23

Lydia too, yes :)

Words · 15/07/2024 19:22

Vivienne
Elizabeth
Alexandra
Francesca
Catherine

Words · 15/07/2024 19:20

Please don't worry about nicknames.
Mine is a magnificent four syllable affair, and I have never been called anything else ( ok at work but a quick correction sorts that out.)

Biscuitsneeded · 15/07/2024 19:17

Vivienne = Vivi or Viv.

wizzler · 15/07/2024 19:13

Lydia ?

sunshinelollipopz · 15/07/2024 19:12

Loads of gorgeous ones on here that I've already found and loved but can't align on with DH!

Also, two syllables are nice too - I guess actually I like 'formal' names with a complete nickname that derives from the first part, eg. Alexandra - Alex, so not totally wedded to the one syllables. But pretty nicknames, eg. Daphne = gorgeous, Daffy, less so!

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