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Baby names

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Original poster

What do you think of Jem and would you think it was short for...

58 replies

mosesbasketcase · 10/11/2009 18:13

James or Jeremy? I really like it for James (which it was orig short for) but hate the name Jeremy.

Other contenders are Harry or Sam. Votes?

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Zeyneps · 15/03/2015 12:57

Hi, I know it's an old thread but someone might want to search for Jem name for a boy just as I did now. I wanted to know how popular Jem as a boy's name was getting and it's great to see some mums love it. My son is twelve and I am Turkish so he is half Turkish. He is a very boyish boy, still the name suits him a lot. His is not an abbreviation for another name. In the book ' To Kill a Mocking Bird' we have a Jem, too. Also, I was very suprised in a soft play area when he was 3 , a mum was calling his name, I couldn't believe it, two Jems were playing together!

Pluto · 16/11/2009 15:50

Jem - short for Jeremy - as in To Kill a Mockingbird.

WoTmania · 16/11/2009 15:49

Jem/James would be my assumption

BarackObamasTransitVan · 16/11/2009 15:47

Another Mocking Bird fan here. Jem's a lovely name in it's own right. FWIW I also love Scout for a girl

namingnamechanger · 12/11/2009 19:16

James & I love it very cute along with Kit (Christopher) & Jonty (Jonathan).

seeker · 11/11/2009 21:57

Oh Jem Russell was SUCH a pompous twit! You can't name a child after him!

EachPeachPearMum · 11/11/2009 20:53

James, of course... didn't any of you read The Chalet School?

undressedfordinner · 11/11/2009 20:29

I never would have thought Jem was short for James, despite having called my ds James... he actually gets called Jem (or Jems) a lot of the time as we live in Italy and older generations struggle with the pronunciation. So now you've made me feel much better that I haven't condemned him to having a stupid foreign name that no one can pronounce... it's just a cool unusual abbreviation!

Oh and obviously I think it's waaaay better than Harry and Sam and nothing at all to do with Jeremy

And if you're a Barbara Trapido reader then it's after the "'jem-sengwiches' in P.G. Wodehouse"

carmenelectra · 11/11/2009 20:26

Know it as the Turkish name Cem. Love it and im having it as a middle name for my ds

AnnaSui · 11/11/2009 20:18

I know a Jem, so Jeremy is my answer

dizzydixies · 11/11/2009 20:15

aha! I see there are other Avonlee lovers amongst us

dizzydixies · 11/11/2009 20:13

I'd think it was short for James but then that was what Anne of Green Gables son was known as/called

jkklpu · 11/11/2009 20:12

Lyra - the Cem I know is aged 5 and SE London

Disenchanted3 · 11/11/2009 09:52

oops, for a boy??

sorry girls name for me.

Disenchanted3 · 11/11/2009 09:51

very 80s and would think short for gemma or jemima

cute though

honeyapple · 11/11/2009 09:47

just wanted to thank fannybanjo for the Jem link .

Jem for a boy is fine (much better than Harry or Sam- very boring IMVHO!)- although would probably get called Jim a lot if people misheard.

Vivia · 11/11/2009 09:30

By which I meant to say, I love it as a boy's nn but I don't think people would recognize it as such because it's so popular for girls.

Vivia · 11/11/2009 09:29

The spelling puts me in mind of Jemima, but the pronunciation reminds me of Gemma.

MrsJohnDeere · 11/11/2009 08:40

I'd assume Jemima or Gemma.

My brother, a Jeremy, has never been called Jem (always shortened to Jez, Jezza). Fwiw he was bullied relentlessly at school because of his name.

morningpaper · 11/11/2009 08:22

Jeremy

CantSleepWontSleep · 11/11/2009 08:17

Jeremy for a boy. Never heard of it as a shortening for James.

springlamb · 11/11/2009 08:00

No help whatsoever, but I have a Gemma who has been called Gem all her life. Even the teachers call her Gem to her face, Gemma is for parents' evening!

seeker · 11/11/2009 07:46

James - but it does sound like a girl's name nowadays.

mollybob · 11/11/2009 07:44

Nothing low brow about Anne of Green Gables!

I like "Jem" but not Jeremy too

Adair · 11/11/2009 07:38

Agree with Nooka but I don't think ambiguous matters anyway (and Jem is way better than Harry or Sam - IMVHO). Mind you, I have a boy called Sky (Skyler).

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