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Original poster

To be stressed out about DD's name 8 months in?

91 replies

ReassureMePlease · 10/08/2013 22:54

(Namechanged for obvious reasons!)

DD is called Evie, I have loved the name for years, DP loves the name, and I wasn't to keen on any of the long versions. But from about 4 months onwards I have been getting ridiculously upset about it not being a "proper" name and how its going to affect her. I don't know why it kicked in then, I'd thought again and again about it during pregnancy and felt fine about it then because of there being lots of other Evies.

I wish I'd called her Evelyn, I don't think I'd have ever "called" her it, but I feel like I've doomed her to being stuck with a cutesy name and she's going to really resent me for it when she's older.
What do you think about it as a full name? Is she likely to hate it? There's not much I can do now but I can't stop stressing out about it.

OP posts:
maja00 · 10/08/2013 22:56

Why not change her birth certificate name to Evelyn/Eva/Evangeline or something then? You can still call her Evie for every day but she has a full name if she wants it.

CormoranStrike · 10/08/2013 22:57

Well, if a baby can get Evelyn on a birth certificate, and called Evie, can you not have Evie on her birth certificate, and say Evelyn is her long nickname?

BlackeyedSusan · 10/08/2013 22:58

course she can. she can change it by deed poll if she so desires, or she can shorten it to eve/eva if she wants.

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/08/2013 22:58

In the nicest, calmest, sweetest way possible, it doesn't fucking matter. Really, she will be fine. John Wayne's real name was Marion.

BTW I love Evie, it is beautiful.

Sokmonsta · 10/08/2013 22:58

Evie. NN Eve. Job done. Don't worry your dd will make of her name heat she wants as she grows up.

BlehPukeVomit · 10/08/2013 22:58

I thought it was a full name Confused

I also think it is a beautiful name Smile

Passmethecrisps · 10/08/2013 22:59

I have only ever heard the nn issue being an issue on MN. Your daughter's name is lovely - I cannot see why it would possibly be a problem.

You can change it if you want but I honestly don't think anyone outside of this forum actually cares.

frogspoon · 10/08/2013 23:00

I'm a teacher, and shorter versions of names as given names are becoming increasingly common. Lots of Sams, Olis Evies, Katies rather than Samuels, Olivers, Evelyns and Katherines.

She certainly won't be unusual in having Evie as a given name, in fact it's one of the most popular names at the moment. Also eliminates confusion on whether to pronounce it Ev-a-lin or Eve-lin.

I think she'll be fine.

raisah · 10/08/2013 23:01

You can still change it to Evelyn for the bc without deed poll as she is still under a year old. I think it gets a bit more formal and complicated after the child turns a year old. You can still call her Evie But have Evelyn or Evalina as an alternative adult name.

mumeeee · 10/08/2013 23:03

Evie is a lovely name. It's also a full name.

nurseneedshelp · 10/08/2013 23:04

Evie is a beautiful girly name. Don't stress or try and change it!

chirpchirp · 10/08/2013 23:04

I love the name Evie and if she doesn't want a cutsie name as an adult she'll shorten it to Eve.

I never really understood the whole 'proper' name on a birth certificate when it's never used. If it's seriously stressing you then by all means change it.

Snatchoo · 10/08/2013 23:06

What MrsTerryPratchett says.

At the risk of outing myself, my sister is called Katie, my brother Jamie. Both 'shortened' names, but both names in their own right. They have never expressed the wish to have been given the long name.

Plus, Evelyn is horrible. Evie is not.

FloweryOwl · 10/08/2013 23:07

Evie is fine on it's own, Evelyn is lovely too. I know someone with a Gracie (full name) & even though its a lovely name, it would bug me with it being nick namey. But with Evie I think it's fine, and a lot of people with think of it as a name in its own right.

bababababoom · 10/08/2013 23:08

I don't think it's "cutesie" - I think it's old fashioned and lovely.

My name was a "full" version I was never called by, and I always hated that, and hated having it printed on exam certificates. When I was due to get married I actually cried because the vicar insisted I'd have to be called by the full version of my name. Not because I disliked it, but because it wasn't my name.

So I changed it by deed poll, and it isn't as easy as people think, it causes confusion on offocial documents.

I've deliberately given my children names that can't be shortened.

NoComet · 10/08/2013 23:09

Evie is lovely, Evelyn was my very very very boring great aunt, don't do it.

Also I wish my NN was in my birth certificate, I never ever use my full name except on official forms and it never feels like me.

FreeWee · 10/08/2013 23:09

I know 2 Ellie's under 6 months. Neither is Eleanor; both have Ellie as their 'full' name. Evie is a beautiful name so r e l a x Smile

I was named [long name] but everyone calls me [short name]. So I deed poll changed it to [short name]. If you've no intention of calling her Evelyn (or variant) don't both with a name change as it'll just pee her off when people use her 'formal' name instead of her 'real' name well it peed me off hence deed poll change

KittieCat · 10/08/2013 23:10

Evie is lovely. Personally, I don't like Evelyn...

Please don't sweat if...

FreeWee · 10/08/2013 23:11

bababababoom x post. Are you sure you're not me? I did exactly the same thing for exactly the same reason! Grin Never regretted it for a second!

lollilou · 10/08/2013 23:12

I kind of see where you are coming from. I wanted to call dd Isabella after her maternal Grandmother but somehow it got shortened to Isobel when we registered her birth. But now she is Iz/Izzie and Isobel. We love it and it suits her I was worried that it would get shortened to Bella which I don't like as much.

SofiaVagueara · 10/08/2013 23:16

I like Evie. I think it's actually a name that would suit a woman of any age. And it has a certain amount of gravitas to it that cutesy names like Posy or Daisy don't.

You can imagine a high court judge or a lawyer called Evie IMO. Or a prime minister.

Or she could shorten it to Eve if she wished which is also a name which is good for being taken seriously.

I think you're worrying about nothing, it's not a name that will cause problems for her at all.

picnicbasketcase · 10/08/2013 23:18

I love Evie, it's a gorgeous name. The only one I know is short for Evelyn but she hates it and associates it with being in trouble. Much prefer it as a name in its own right.

FuzzyWuzzywasaWoman · 10/08/2013 23:18

I met an elderly patient recently whose name on her wristband was Evelyn, when I asked what she would like me to call her..mrs xx/Evelyn etc she said she had been called Evie since a baby and had never been called her "proper" name. The sad thing was she said doctors/nurses kept calling her Evelyn and it really confused her. I know thinking of your DD as an old lady is a long way off but I suppose it's something to think about.

Evie is beautiful. x

cantsleep · 10/08/2013 23:19

When I had dd2 I wanted to call her Hope but dh didn't like it at all so we chose a different name which took me about 18 months to get used to.

I used to cry and get very stressed and wanted to change it many many times.

In the end I just got used to it and it suits her now.

Evie is a beautiful name btw

zippey · 10/08/2013 23:24

Evie is an ok name, theres nothing wrong with it. Its very popular. Name of the girl character in V For Vendetta.