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Baby names

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Original poster

Elisabeth or Elizabeth?

37 replies

birdofthenorth · 04/03/2010 17:11

OK, 16 weeks now and after much mind-changing, DH & I think we have a boy's name sorted, and currently favour Elisabeth Mary for a girl, to be known as Bess. Mary is after my mum; Bess is a nn DH & I both love, although I know a lot of MNet disagree!

Anyway, my question is do you think Elisabeth is an acceptable spelling? I prefer it to Elizabeth as it's softer and less queenly, but Elizabeth is the default/ traditional spelling, so I'm not sure I'd want to land a DD with a lifetime of correcting people. Any thoughts? Ta!

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zenoushka · 21/07/2010 11:00

A lovely classic and elegant name birdofthenorth!

Original poster
birdofthenorth · 21/07/2010 09:50

Hello all! Long time since I first posted this thread! I'm 36 weeks now and still going with Bess, but I think we've got towards the full name being spelt Elizabeth. I still think Elisabeth looks prettier but given she will mostly be called Bess we've concluded an 'alternative' spelling of her full name might just lead to a life of correcting forms etc, which seems a silly burden to bear for a name rarely used.

So Elizabeth Mary she will be!

OP posts:
DandyDan · 21/07/2010 08:42

Elisabeth is the original spelling and looks nicer. We have one in my family, and she has no problem with anyone spelling it incorrectly - she just says "with an S" if need be. She has been called by her full name, Lizzie, but now mostly Libby (or Lib), but she still gets Elisabeth too. She loves her name as it sounds more European and ancient, and doesn't have that link to Elizabeth First/II/Taylor etc.

Kathleen123 · 20/07/2010 21:11

I always think Élisabeth, if your English with a French connection, and Elizabeth if your English, with no continental connection.

At school we had a girl with an Italian paternal grandfather (prisoner of WW2) and her name was Elisabetta. We all called her Betty.

zenoushka · 20/07/2010 16:53

Elisabeth Mary is really pretty.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 09/03/2010 16:55

What EightiesChick said

Elizabeth

crumpette · 09/03/2010 13:45

I used Elisabeth for DD's middle name. Good choice, OP

CuppaTeaJanice · 09/03/2010 11:47

I think with all the 'cre8tiv' spellings of names these days, variations to the norm will be a lot more common and so less of an issue than to our generation.

Elisabeth is a nice spelling. The only time I've come across it before is Elisabeth Fritzl, the woman locked in the cellar for years by her dad. So I guess it's a foreign spelling.

Original poster
birdofthenorth · 09/03/2010 11:14

Thanks very much for all your really helpful comments ladies!

Elisabeth Mary she will be, forever known as Bess... unless she opts for another nn later in life!

Bet you I have a boy now, after all your help ;)

OP posts:
nooka · 07/03/2010 07:09

Elisabeth is the older spelling, which is probably why Bess is one of it's short versions. Although of course spelling used to be much more variable in any case, with people using different versions at different times for the same people. And some older names have surprising short versions

Saying Elisabeth with an "s" really isn't a huge hassle - I always have to spell out both my first and second name (and yes people do mess up my email address, but I'm used to that so generally check). My mother is a Clare with no "i", there are lots of names with small variations, and the Elizabeth/Elisabeth is not that unheard of is it? If you were suggesting adding a "y" or something to make it more interesting I'd think that was problematic, but I don't think using the s form should be problematic.

ThatVikRinA22 · 06/03/2010 12:27

my great grandmother was Elisabeth and my dd has that spelling as her middle name. i like it better than with a Z personally but dont know why, it just seems more traditional with an S.

mrsvwoolf · 06/03/2010 12:14

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GnocchiGnocchiWhosThere · 06/03/2010 00:44

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jellybeans · 05/03/2010 22:13

Elizabeth

EightiesChick · 05/03/2010 21:38

Bess has been used as a nn for Elizabeth without it needing to have an s, historically. Given that you think the long version will not be used day to day, I would go with Elizabeth as the most common spelling and save your DD the trouble of saying 'with an s' every time she explains it.

Things may change, anyway... someone I know had their DD and named her Elizabeth, with the intention of actually calling her Beth. Now she's older she is known by all as Libby. So your DD might have other ideas.

Shiitake · 05/03/2010 21:37

Does it REALLY matter? except you'll always have to qualify when giving her name. "That's with an s not a z"

Could get boring

Skegness · 05/03/2010 21:36

z is a cool letter. It's good to have a z in your name.

cupofteaplease · 05/03/2010 21:35

As an Elizabeth, I would go with the 'z' spelling. I would hate to have to explain how to spell 'my' version of a very traditional name that most people spell with a 'z' as the default.

RHL · 05/03/2010 21:29

Definitely Elisabeth for me

onepieceoflollipop · 05/03/2010 21:28

I think you are right LilyBolero, historically/traditionally the original spelling is with an s.

Anyway, to OP is she is going to always be known as Bess anyway, I really think the spelling of her full name is not much of an issue. (I speak from experience, dd is Elisabeth but never known by the full version)

We always use the shortened form, for very official things (passport, GP etc, we mention her full name and say it is with an "s" but stress she is known by the shortened version)

LilyBolero · 05/03/2010 21:20

Elisabeth is the original spelling. I would go with that over Elizabeth.

Cherrypie32 · 04/03/2010 20:24

I am an Elisabeth & it has been no 'hardship' at all. Good grief, as if one letter could be such a major problem in life.Some (clever) people even ask sometimes if that is with as 's' or a 'z'. That said, I am always Lizzy for short.
Have the spelling you like best x

CarGirl · 04/03/2010 19:43

My name is spelt the american way although I live in the UK (and always have) and it does get irritating having to tell people regularly.

My dd is Elizabeth and she has a family nickname which we use (and she answers to and calls herself etc) but at school her nickname is still Lizzie!

AmazingBouncingFerret · 04/03/2010 19:42

We always planned to call DD Lizzy, but I have found myself calling her Betty more and more often!!

weasle · 04/03/2010 19:40

no idea if this is right, but i think elisabeth is used in Europe and maybe Wales?

i don't think it is a big issue, if you prefer the 's' spelling go with it, agree like cla(i)re or catherine/katherine etc. all well known spellings.

love elisabeth mary by the way