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Baby names

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

Original poster

Natalia or Valentina?

39 replies

pinkbaby · 16/04/2009 17:24

DH is italian, we live in sw london. DD1 is due in May. We have decided to call her one of the above names, we love them both. Which do you prefer and would work best in the UK? This may help us decide which to choose!

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Barnum · 16/04/2009 22:11

Valentina is lovely but not if shortened - you'd have to be really strict about using the full version only. For that reason I'd probably choose Natalia altho that could be shortened I think it may be less likely to be.

loobylu3 · 16/04/2009 20:51

Both lovely- sorry no hel at all!
Valentina is more unusual and perhaps more obviously Italian/ Spanish if that sways you!
Have you chosen a middle name?

TsarChasm · 16/04/2009 18:50

Could end up as Val and Nat too. I like the full names but not so keen on the shortened ones.

Leannabanana · 16/04/2009 18:46

if i was you i would choose Valentina but have another V name for the middle name like Valentina Vivienne co i could use ViVi[vee vee] as a NN....alternatively i knew a gorgeous italian girl called Viviana which i thought was gorgeous....?

Springflower · 16/04/2009 18:15

Prefer Natalia - know one shortened to Talli, but Valentina Ok.

RachieB · 16/04/2009 18:02

Talia is a much better NN than Tina

so definitely Natalia for me too

jabberwocky · 16/04/2009 17:56

I like them both so can I give a vote for Valentina too?

Original poster
pinkbaby · 16/04/2009 17:54

I'm not too keen on nns Nat/Natty either, although don't mind the suggestion of Talia. Also not keen on Val/Tina.

We love the full names so much but inevitably someone will try to shorten them along the way.

So that's 4 for Natalia and 0 for Valentina! Well so far anyway!

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norktasticninja · 16/04/2009 17:44

I prefer Natalia (nn talia), Valentina is good as a full name too but I'm less keen on the obvious shortenings, Val & Tina.

We've always used DDs full name but unfortunately people still feel the need to shorten it, despite being repeatedly asked not to. Maybe that'll change when she's old enough to speak and (if she) uses her full name herself but I doubt it TBH.

SecretSlattern · 16/04/2009 17:44

My DD is Natalie and I hate it when people shorten her name to Nat. I have never called her that and make a point of saying her name properly all the time. The other one I hate is when people forget that it has a "t" in it grrr.

Erm... Natalia obv

jabberwocky · 16/04/2009 17:39

They are both absolutely lovely! JeMe has a point about considering nicknames, although if you persist in using the full name others will also. I wouldn't want people to use Natty instead of Natalia for instance.

Original poster
pinkbaby · 16/04/2009 17:38

Thanks for such quick replies.

paolosgirl, good point about our surname, that's the problem, both names go really well with our surname making it difficult to choose which!

jemesouviens - yes, Tina not so good as a nn. Hmm! We just love the full name though.

Anyone else?

OP posts:
JeMeSouviens · 16/04/2009 17:31

I have a friend with a Valentina and love the name, but I wouldn't like it to be shortened to Tina for nn, so based on that I'd choose Natalia.

paolosgirl · 16/04/2009 17:31

I prefer Natalia, but it might depend on your surname as to which one sounds better iykwim?