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Tabitha or Tess?

73 replies

betsybo · 05/06/2013 13:48

Hello lovely people,

So our beautiful little girl arrived yesterday and she's looking like a little T but we can't decide between Tabitha or Tess, what do you prefer?

Thanks for your help!

OP posts:
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dopeysheep · 05/06/2013 13:49

Tabitha. Congrats on your little girl!

Bowlersarm · 05/06/2013 13:49

I quite like Tabitha.....but I REALLY like Tess!

What's your surname like; is it more than one syllable?

Congratulations.

MadeOfStarDust · 05/06/2013 13:50

ooo Tess I love it...

sheilatakeabow · 05/06/2013 13:51

Tess is lovely, I do like a one-syllable name

Nospringflower · 05/06/2013 13:53

Really like both but think Tabitha is best. Congratulations Smile

Exhaustipated · 05/06/2013 13:54

Prefer Tess myself, less of the moment IMO. Or Tessa is lovely too....

Congrats!

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 05/06/2013 13:54

Lovely news Flowers

I love both names I guess it would probably come down to whether one rolls better with your surname than the other. A consideration might be are you happier with Tabby or Tessie?

FunnysInLaJardin · 05/06/2013 13:57

both are lovely, congratulations!

Melissakitkat · 05/06/2013 13:57

My daughter is a Tabitha so I love it - we shorten it to Tabby and Tabbycat at times and weirdly even Bunny (as sort of rhymes with Tabby). Is tess short for Beatrice and Teresa? Not sure. But Tess also lovely. Xxx

MadeOfStarDust · 05/06/2013 14:15

I'm of the age where Tabitha just brings to mind a witch that wrinkled her nose "Bewitched"????I think....

FetaCheeny · 05/06/2013 14:33

Depends on surname. If you have a short surname then Tabitha, long surname Tess

FreedomOfTheTess · 05/06/2013 14:46

I'm a Tess (just Tess, not short for anything) and I've spent 33 happy years with the name. It has served me well.

Sure I went through a phase of wishing I had a longer name, one that could be shortened, but I soon learnt it's possible to lengthen shorter names. I get called Tessa and Tessie as well.

Tabitha is lovely, but I have to champion my own name, because it would be wrong of me not to.

Melissakitkat - Tess' origins are usually said to be from Teresa, but I've also seen it suggested it originates from Esther, for which it can also be a short form. It can also serve as a short form for Thessaly and Elizabeth/Elisabeth. Indeed I believe it's from Elizabeth that Tess Daly got her 'Tess'. She was born Helen Elizabeth, Tess is her nickname. She's not a real Tess like me!! Wink

farmersdaughter · 05/06/2013 14:48

Ohhhh new baby...how lovely.

I like Tess. Not quite to keen on Tabitha i'm sure it the fact was DH ex girlfriends name

LanternGirl · 05/06/2013 14:50

Both absolutely lovely names. Congratulations on your little girl. You could, at a push, have Tabitha as a full name and shorten it to Tess. But if it has to be one or the other I would go with what goes best with your last name. Let us know what you decide!

FreedomOfTheTess · 05/06/2013 15:02

OP - not sure how much you want to factor in popularity, but Tabitha was ranked #177 in 2011 and has been climbing steadily for several years.

Tess seems to float about in the late 400s or early-mid 500s, never really seeming going anywhere else.

Sounds a bit like me actually, floating around, not really heading anywhere! Wink

Littleballofhate · 05/06/2013 15:06

Congratulations on the birth of your lovely daughter. Best wishes to you both! I am a Tabitha. Have loved my name all my life. My mam did name me after her favourite tv witch :)

betsybo · 05/06/2013 15:30

Thanks for your replies, we've been busy napping. We are Thompson for surname....not sure if short or long works best with that x

OP posts:
FreedomOfTheTess · 05/06/2013 15:43

Will you be giving your daughter a middle name?

ipswitch · 05/06/2013 15:47

Love Tess, and it goes great with your Surname.
Congrats

ghosteditor · 05/06/2013 15:52

I like Tess!

Love the Thessaly suggestion...

Wishiwasanheiress · 05/06/2013 15:55

Tess

Sevens · 05/06/2013 16:01

Dd1 is a Tess, so I'm a bit biased! I still love it and it doesn't seem to be too common from my experience!

ovenchips · 05/06/2013 16:19

Congratulations!

I think both names are lovely.

Test both out on her for a few days and see which feels 'right' to you.

Turniptwirl · 05/06/2013 16:24

Both names are lovely, I think tabitha has the edge for me but both good choices

Congrats on the birth of baby t!

glorious · 05/06/2013 16:28

Congratulations! Thanks

I agree you should try them both out for a few days but my vote is for Tess.

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