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Original poster

Francesca? Worried about nicknames. What about the rest of my list??

73 replies

sw11mumofone · 26/01/2013 21:48

Hi
Due in 5 weeks and have boys name sorted. But cannot find the perfect girls name that i love! I really like Francesca but hate Fran and Chessie (which DH said he would shorten to!) Dont mind Frankie so much but do you really get any say in nicknames?
Or what do you think about the rest of my shortlist?

Delilah
Georgina
Sadie
Darcy
Siena
Saskia

Or any other suggestions for me? I like strong non frilly names. Would love opinions - am totally stuck in a rut!

Thanks!

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bigbluebump · 26/01/2013 21:50

Why would you need to shorten Francesca? I know one who goes by her full name. Lovely name that rolls off the tongue easily!

NotSpartacus · 26/01/2013 21:52

Franny is sweet and I think people follow your lead re nicknames. Having said that, I planned to shorten my DD's Amelia to Mia. (i loathe Milly) but she insisted on being called her full name, so that was that.
Of your list I like Saskia.

Other non frilly names: Erin, Sarah, Martha, Anna, Myla. Do you like any of those?

Original poster
sw11mumofone · 26/01/2013 22:00

I definitely wouldnt want to shorten Francesca as I love it. Worried other people would and that I would hate it Also dont like Franny - worried about the "fanny" connotations. Is that silly??
I do quite like Myla actually although our surname is one syllable so would probably sway towards a 3 syllable name.
Thanks for the feedback!

OP posts:
HouseOfBears · 26/01/2013 22:08

I love Francesca, but agree the only nn I like is Frankie, not sure if that would put me off or not! Not in love with any of the others on your list personally, though I like Darcy best. How about:

Elanor
Abigail
Katrina

TwoCatsAndABabyBump · 26/01/2013 22:10

I know a Francesca which is shortened to Frankie, franks, and frank. I love those nicknames!

Floralnomad · 26/01/2013 22:11

Like Saskia , but seem to have heard it a lot recently , how about Cressida .

PoppyWearer · 26/01/2013 22:11

I know a Francesca who is always called Fran by everyone and her DMum is horrified...

lottiegarbanzo · 26/01/2013 22:20

Francesca is lovely and the only way I'd think of shortening it is to 'Cesca or maybe Fran. (Why Chessie? Sounds like Jessie and Nessie and makes me think of cheesy!).

Of your others I like Saskia best.

Otherwise, Anouk, Iseult, Petra, Juliet.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 26/01/2013 22:22

Only like Darcy from your list. I think Francesca IS likely to be shortened tbh, to all sorts of things including Fran and Chez.

Original poster
sw11mumofone · 26/01/2013 22:33

Omg - Chez is even worse! Thats put me off even more!
Out of interest when do you even introduce a nickname? Is it something you do from birth? We were going to shorten DD1's name but she is now 2.5 and it has never happened.

OP posts:
JumpingJackSprat · 26/01/2013 22:42

francesca is beautiful. i know a couple and they all go by Frankie. ive considered this for any future dds and i like chess/chessie as a nickname but also frankie. there are plenty of nickname options as she grows up im sure she would find one/ones shes comfortable with.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 26/01/2013 22:45

Oh no - sorry. Blush

With dd1 we had decided before she was born that we'd shorten her name and pretty much everybody still does so - she's nearly 18 now. Only teachers use her full name and tbh that's only happened since she started a new school for 6th form.

With dd2, she decided on her own nn pretty much as soon as she could talk (and of course chose the one I didn't like!). Now I'm probably the only person who doesn't call her by her nn (if I can help it!).

NowPlayingZone · 26/01/2013 23:13

Love Francesca! Think if you use nn from birth it's less likely to get shortened to something else. Love saskia too.

Other ideas: sasha, Josephine, juliette, Clara, estelle, anouska, Zara, Harriet, susannah, corinne, Sabrina, Selena.

NowPlayingZone · 26/01/2013 23:21

Forgot claudia & Cecily/e

louisianablue2000 · 26/01/2013 23:35

DN is Francesca, shortened to Franchie. I think it's such a lovely name with horrible short forms. But I don't think you have much say over short forms, my Mum isn't keen on nicknames but i'm the only one of my siblings who is called by my full name, DB1's name is always shortened by the family (even Mum), he has a different nickname that his school friends use but when he went to Uni he told people his full name and everyone who has known him as an adult use that. DB2 on the other hand is called by his full name only by the family, everyone else calls him the most common short form. DSis has a family nickname based on her favourite childhood book and has a short form of her real name used by her friends.

My kids have been given names that in theory an't be shortened. DD1 is quite often called a rhyme of her name, DD2 seems free of nicknames so far but she (at the age of three) has taken it into her head to give DS a nickname that no adult would use. We're not discouraging or encouraging that at the moment. It's sweet that she has her own name for him but we like the full version.

Longdistance · 26/01/2013 23:41

I liked Francsesca until someone started taking the piss out of it Angry

My dd is Eleanor instead. I learnt my lesson then, to never tell anyone what baby names I liked.

BoysWillGrow · 26/01/2013 23:50

I was friends with a Francesca at school and we called her franny rash Blush and Grin she didn't mind though. We all had our nicknames.

mathanxiety · 27/01/2013 03:09

I loved Frances and considered it for DD3 but the potential nns put me off. I think Francesca would probably have the same drawback.

The only non-frilly names on your list that I can see are Saskia and Sadie. The rest are a bit on the frilly side imo. Or names I don't like (Darcy and Siena).

How about:
Rachel
Charis
Arden
Beatrix
Miriam
Lyra
Willow
Ruth
Pearl
Greta
Frida
Bridget
Eve
Leonie
Astrid
Ingrid
Blythe
Tess
Vivienne
Hazel
Honor
Alice
Carmen
Cleo
Keziah
Gwen

IAmLouisWalsh · 27/01/2013 09:40

I know a Frances who goes by her full name. I love it. Unusual and classy.

delilah88 · 27/01/2013 09:41

I love Francesca -- go with it. Go with your first instinct. It's a beautiful name.

Branleuse · 27/01/2013 09:42

my nana was francesca but evenryone called her Frances. I have a neice that is francesca, shortened to Frankie. You have the say in nicknames, as youre the one who starts using the nickname

Original poster
sw11mumofone · 27/01/2013 10:32

Remus - dont be sorry. I want to make sure ive thought of all possibilities. That is definitely a bad one!!!

I love some of the other suggestions as well - Claudia, Carmen, Miriam (was vetoed by DH).

Delilah88 - funnily enough my first instinct was always Delilah but seem to be having a last minute wobble with it!!

Thing is, Francesca is such a beautiful name that i wouldnt really want to shorten it. But as Branleuse says - if i dont get in there and shorten it first I will be leaving the way wide open for others to do it for me!!!

Am I overthinking this??!!!

OP posts:
Wishfulmakeupping · 27/01/2013 10:41

Love Francesca beautiful unusual name- I would have thought it only gets shortened to Frankie myself
Like all your other names apart from Darcy (nice name but getting very popular)

SnowLeopard27 · 27/01/2013 11:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Allalonenow · 27/01/2013 11:19

Saskia is my favourite from your list, with Francesca a very close second. Delilah is my least favourite.