Elisabeth shortened to Bessie - whadya think?

[Astrophe]

We know a little girl called Elizabth shortened to Elsie, which we adore, but as they are in our close cirlce of friends we're not sure we'd use it, and are looking for alternatives.

Elisabth shortened to Bessie...

Also considering Margaret shortened to Maisie or Meg, Francesca shortened to Cesca (which DH says makes him thnk of a woman with big hair, who knows why!?), Florence shortened to Florrie and Charlotte shortened to Lottie.

Also Esther, Jane, Grace, Faith.

This is DD3 - feeling a bit stuck.

TIA :)

Bessie, Maisie, Meg, Florrie, Esther, Jane, Grace and Faith sound like a team of buxom Elizabethan serving wenches.

I do like Meg though - Little Women and all that.

I love the thought of a team of buxom serving wenches! I think they're great names. :)

I'm a Meg, and it's always served me well. I'm not so keen on Esther and Florence, but I love Meg, Jane, Grace, and Faith. I really like the full Charlotte and Elizabeth. Francesca is ok, I knew one once who was called Chess.

I like Lottie, Maisie and Florence (not shortened). Elsie is a lovely name and I don't see why you can't use it, even if there is another in your circle. Big Elsie, little Elsie - they won't be going to school together (same class) so I don't see the problem. Bessie does sound as piprabbit said! Grace is lovely - my friends daughter is called Gracie, though now aged 10 prefers Grace.

I know a 16-17yo Peggy, maybe short for Margaret.
Bessie is short for Bertha in my family.
I like Florrie best in your list.

My dd3 is Esther - FAB name IMO but I also really like Elizabeth (not Bessie though, makes me think of Bessie Bunter? ) Florrie reminds me of a Fimble

Bessie reminds me of a very old girls' story book (belonged to my great Aunt) and Bessie Bunter - also a cow's name. Not very keen, but it's quite sweet - just don't use it if she is a real chubby baby/toddler.

Elizabeth has a wealth of nns to choose from though so if you call her Elis/zabeth, you can change her nn accordingly.

Charlotte has a few options too.

I actually prefer Flo as a nn for Florence, although I knew a Florence who preferred to be nn'd Flossie. Don't like Florrie. Sounds like one of those older ladies with curlers and headscarves who gossiped over the garden fence/on the doorstep.

Francesca - nice name but not at all keen on Cesca as a nn. Fran is better. Frankie is bearable, Frannie is ok.

funny what different names mean to different people! To me Flo and Fran are two reasons why we may not choose Florence or Francesca!

Thanks for the feedback. any more?

oh and I did also think bessie = cows name. But then so is daisy, and yet I don't think of a cow when I meet little girls called daisy.

Hmm, don't know how I missed that this was you, Astrophe! I thought you were going to have that slightly odd version of Amadeus, have you given up on that then?

Have you thought of just calling her Lydia?

:) thumb - who else posts at this hour?

Amadie - still like it, but prob not. Would have needed an overwhelming "Its wonderful, you must choose it" response on the thread to choose it I think.

Lydia I like, but the meaning is just a place name - nothing wrong with that, but our other 3 have names with special/nice meanings.

I think Bess is somehow nicer than Bessie.

I love Bess

Bessie is definitely a cows name. Far more than daisy is. I don't like it at all, sorry.

What about Penelope /penny?

Bessie is lovely! I would have had one if I'd have had a girl. Go for it!

Bessie is very nice as a nn for Elisabeth.

Margaret sounds a hard old fashioned womans name. Also not keen on Florence and Esther for the same reason.

Like all the rest of your name BTW.

Elisabeth/Bessie - like
Margaret/Meg - quite like, although prefer Megan/Meg
Francesca/Cesca - don't like, sounds harsh
Florence/Florrie - like
Charlotte/Lottie - OK

Also like Esther, Jane, Grace and Faith.

I love Bessie and I love Elisabeth (the best spelling of this name by a million miles, the Z is too harsh).

Have Margaret with Peggy as a NN. I do really like that.

I love Bessie. It makes me think of the Faraway Tree Books (Enid Blighton) which brings back happy childhood memories!

I like Charlotte (Lottie), Esther and Jane from your list.

Bessie is very matronly imo. And I also think of Bessie Bunter.

I think Flo, Florrie and Fran/Frannie are very drab names.

sorry, went on holidays.

thanks for all the feedback, reading and mulling it all over with interest...

Just googled Bessie Bunter, I'm pretty confident nobody here will have ever heard of it :) But we are still toying with "asking" (telling) our friends who have the Elisabeth/Elsie that we are copying them.

Have you thought of Marjorie/Margery? It's softer than Margaret, can share the same nn's and also be shortened to Marnie or Madge. It is afaik underused at the moment.