Joni - just a nickname?

[ViolaCrayola]

We love the name Joni. But I have always been against nickname type names as a full name.
What do you think? Could it be short/long for anything except Joan/Josephine/Joanna? Or is it OK on its own?

I started a thread on Annie recently and got some really unexpected ideas! TIA :)

I don't mind nicknames as names so think Joni is eprfectly fine on it's own. I don't really see the need to look for a longer name that fits a nickname if you love the nickname.

I would stick with Joni as a full name. We always have middle names start with a J in my family so if DC2 is a girl she'll have Joni as her middle name, as I love Joni Mitchells music.

I can't really think of a name that would shorten to Joni tbh.

Joni Mitchell was born Roberta Joan. I'm a fan of proper names - not just nicknames - as given names (but, of course, each to their own). I'd name my daughter Joan and nickname her Joni. Joan's got a lot of glamour attached to it now Christina Hendricks has popularised it in Mad Men!

A word of caution: only use Joni if you really love Joni Mitchell. The name is just inescapably associated with her!

Oh yes, we LOVE Joni Mitchell and that is a large part of the reason we would choose the name.

I was thinking of Joan but it just has a bad sound to it to me - like moan?

A quite google has brought up Jonina (yo-nee-nah or joh-nee-nah) as a possibility. Any thoughts? It is Hebrew for little dove...

Jonina is ok but I prefer Jonah (Yonah in Hebrew). It' s a unisex name in Hebrew and much prettier imo than Joan!

I do like Josephine though (and Johanna) :)

I'm very much a full-name person as I don't believe in limiting choices, and I think nickname-type names can pigeon-hole people in a world which is all-too often based on first impressions.

However.... I dunno, I sort of think you could maybe get away with it with Joni. Then again, maybe not. The fact that it ends in an 'i' tends to make it seem a little insubstantial, I guess.

Hmm, not much help, am I? I think you'll have to go with your gut on this one.

I would add though, that I agree with Stellan re Joan, and I do think if you called a DD Joan, you will be ahead of a curve. I think names like Joan, Judith, Jean, etc, are going to become much more current and pleasing to our ear as we inevitably move away from the frilly Milly, Molly, Tilly, Evie, Daisy Poppy, Ellie, Ella, Isabella type names.

just use Joni! its lovely , you love it and Joni mitchell is amazing...

why use anything else?

No not just a nickname!

I am a Joni! There's a bit of a story as to how I was named too:

My Mum's name starts with "Jo" and my Dad's name begins with "Ni" so they joined the two together and hey-presto! (I'm sure that Joni Mitchell factored in there somewhere though!)

I think it's a lovely way to have inherited my name.... thank goodness my Dad isn't called Kevin :o

My only bugbear is continually having to explain how to spell it - "Joanie" is the usual presumption.

I love my name and people always comment on how pretty and unusual it is.

I say go for it!