Is it very cruel to call a little girl...

[Purplelooby]

I really love unusual names but be honest with me, is it evil to call a little girl:

Apple
or...
Elfie

DH thinks so. I did have my heart set of Florence after my favourite cousin-in-law, but the Camerons have nicked it :(

There's a kids book by Joan Lingard called the Eleventh Orphan, in which the heroine is a girl called Elfie, short for Elfrieda. I think it's ok. I don't think the "not being delicately built" argument is a big worry with Elfie, not like Willow (we know a large one of these, poor girl). I do think there's a confusion with Alfie issue, especially if you're a bit posh-like (think Kelvinside/Morningside jokes about rates and creches).

Apple, too copycat. Clementine nice though.

You are joking about the Cameron's stealing Florence, aren't you?

I like Elfie, very sweet.

I know an Elfie and had never thought of any of the bad connatations, just thought it was a nice, unusual name. Think it's short for something although I don't know what? I have an Esme which is not a million miles away.

I like Elfie as a nickname but NOT as a stand alone first name. A teenager is not going to forgive you if you call them Elfie. Elphaba is awesmome. I prefer Effy personally but it does remind me of skins a bit

Dd would like to be called Elphaba! It is shortened to Elphie not Elfie though!

I like Elfie.

Don't like either of them at all, sorry. Florence is nice, wouldn't worry about the Cameron's - by the time your dd is grown up it's not likely to be an issue!

Aoife is a pretty name, but would be a bit odd if you're not Irish, and unless you're in Ireland I think lots of people will struggle to spell and pronounce it correctly. Maybe Eva which sounds similar-ish? Or Ella/Ellen with Elfie as nickname?

Apple is awful!

With Elfie you could have a longer formal name and use Elfie as a nickname.

Against all my better instincts, I like Elfie.

But it does sound like Laandon accent for 'healthy' or Kiwi for 'Alphie', if that matters to you.

Think of her when she is a grown woman, would she look like an 'Apple'?

it would be even crueller if she actually looked like an apple, fat and round.

you have to take these things into consideration.

Elfi is a lovely Turkish name [used for either sex]

Fleur

Elfi isn't a Turkish name. Are you thinking of Elif?

I quite like Elfie actually. Not Apple though.

I knew a girl called Plum Sykes at college.

Her real name was Vicky (smirk)

You could get away with either of those names if you could be sure that she was going to be petite and pretty but if she a big fugly munter it would just put loads more ammunition there for the bullies to fire at her!