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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

What do you think oooooof (girls name + NICKNAME WORRIES!)

31 replies

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 09:46

So we were previously settled on Saffron Celyn (last name begins with W), but last night we were talking names and realised that we both prefer it the other way around - Celyn Saffron W___. (Celyn is Welsh for "holly", it isn't something we've made up in case anyone's wondering!)

The only issue is, we hate the nickname "Cel" or "Kelly" - we much prefer Callie. Calyn isn't an option because that IS made up, but would it be acceptable to have her official name as Celyn, which she can use when she's older/whenever she wants to - but we call her Callie, and hope that others will pick up on it?

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TheGirlOnTheLanding · 01/12/2013 10:03

I would say - don't name your child something if you hate the nickname as NNs are not under your control, at least once they go to school. Just call her Callie.

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 10:07

We would, but we want something Welsh in there, and Celyn has significance to us for family reasons (we used to pass Celyn lake on the way to see my brother in hospital before he died, which is why we chose it as well as it being pretty). When she goes to school she can be called whatever she wants, but she'll be Callie to us and to family members and in the house. Hopefully by the time she gets to school she won't respond to Kelly

OP posts:

Bowlersarm · 01/12/2013 10:10

I don't think it's a problem.

All my children go by the short versions of their names, although they are traditionally recognised. We just always say to teachers or write on forms 'Theodore, but know as Teddy' for example. It hasn't been a problem for us, at all. And when the children are old enough, they start correcting people themselves.

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 01/12/2013 10:16

Yes but Teddy is a recognised NN for Theodore. Callie isn't a NN for Celyn, it's a different name.

Bowlersarm · 01/12/2013 10:29

I still don't think it's a problem if the OP is clear with teachers, relatives etc at the outset. Two older members of my immediate family use entirely different names to their given names and they have stuck.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 01/12/2013 10:34

So you actively want to use the name Callie, or its just the preferred nickname?

If the former, just call her Callie. If the latter call her Celyn (lovely name btw) and stick to that. If people call her Kellie etc just correct them.

I have a Charlotte and a person I once knew wanted to call her Lottie, I said no and that was the end. She only ever gets Charlotte.

Celyn with NN Callie just doesn't sound right.

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 10:44

I know people are saying it doesn't sound right, but we've said it aloud and it makes sense (OH has a Welsh accent so we practised it like that and it doesn't sound completely unrelated in the least).

We both love Celyn and would quite happily use it exclusively - it's more that our families love using nicknames, and we know that given free reign they'd call her Kelly, so we want to have Callie there as a "No, her nickname is Callie" (I thought part of being a parent was that we get to dictate everything to do with our child ) because they'd accept that - as it means they still get to use a nickname - but they probably wouldn't accept "No, her name is Celyn and she will always be just Celyn" maybe we should just call her Celyn and move away or something - it'd solve the family issue

OP posts:

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 10:46

And as for not being a recognised nickname for , I'm a Madison but never respond to it - with family I'm more likely to respond to Moomintroll, as my family exclusively refer to me by that or diminutives of it (Moom, Moomin, Moominge ) I'm starting to prefer this moving away idea, I dread to think the nickname our child is going to end up with.

Not saying everyone should call their child John but refer to him as Matt, but just an example of how my family's relationship with nicknames is.... interesting, to say the least.

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TheGirlOnTheLanding · 01/12/2013 12:55

Ok - delighted you've already decided and that you're happy with your decision but somewhat puzzled about why you posted!

temporarilyjerry · 01/12/2013 14:04

If you call her Callie, and if she is called Callie at school, I think a lot of people won't know her official name and so will not call her Kelly.

I teach a boy who goes by a different name from his given name. It would not occur to us to call him a shortened form of his official name.

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 14:47

TheGirl - trying to get as many opinions as possible, I've asked on name websites etc and everyone's been positive so I knew I'd get some other opinions on here - trying to weigh it all up. So far good outweighs bad but I wanted a balanced view.

temporarily Thanks for the reply :) that was one of the things we were thinking - her official name is Celyn, it's a link to the fact that she's Welsh and it's something she can use when she's older, but to all intents and purposes she's known as Callie. Lots of options to consider :) thanks

Although it could be that in a week we find out that this whole discussion is irrelevant as we're having a Dylan anyway

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Whereisegg · 01/12/2013 16:35

what is the welsh for 'lake'?
is that an option?

CarryOnDancing · 01/12/2013 17:16

If I met you and you said your DD was called Celyn but is known as Callie, I wouldn't stop you and say "but I don't think it's sounds right to get Callie from that so I'd rather call her Cel or Kelly if you please!" People will call your child what they are instructed too and by the time they reach school your DD will be used to Callie and probably introduce herself as that anyway.

It's a none issue for me. I think parents get to chose the full name of the child and that can include a nn if they want. Of course your DD may eventually want to change it around to suit but that could happen with any name.

I absolutely love Celyn and think Callie works perfectly well with it!

Frontdoorstep · 01/12/2013 17:38

im not Welsh, how do you pronounce Celyn?

I think whatever nn you pick is fine but to me Callie Is a separate recognised name so I find it strange to call somebody one name and always refer to them by another name.

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 17:57

Whereis The Welsh for lake is Llyn, much of my side would never be able to pronounce her name as it's the dreaded Welsh double-l and very difficult to pronounce for English people, plus it isn't used as a name at all - the equivalent I think of in English would be calling a child Potato, for example as I know Lake is sometimes used as a baby name.

Thanks for your input CarryOn :)

Frontdoorstep It's pronounced Kellin. I think Celyn would just be her official name - something she can use when she's older if she wants one that sounds a bit more grown-up, and it's a link to her being Welsh. She'd be Callie to anyone who asked.

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sykadelic15 · 01/12/2013 18:16

My brother has 3 names, a unique first and 2 "ordinary" middle. His first is carried down from my grandfather and father but he was ALWAYS supposed to be known by his first middle name, Alexander. We called him Alex/Al/Alec all the time.

We weren't there at school though when they "accidentally" listed his first name as his "known by" name (even though mum wrote it herself) so it wasn't until the first parent/teacher meeting that mum found out he was known by his first name. She was P*SSED!

Here we are now, he's 25 and still known by his unique first name (which he recently admitted to me that he didn't like it and considered legally changing his name). Nothing we could have done would have undone the fact they knew him by his first name.. even though we all still call him Alex. His friends probably just assume we have our nickname, they have theirs.

So name her what you like, call her what you like, but realise nicknames are out of your control.

Also, my real name, Vanessa, is made up. It was created by an author many moons ago and someone used it to name some butterflies so now everyone thinks that what it means.. when in reality it means nothing.

Calyn on the other hand, exists: www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Calyn

SootikinAndSweep · 01/12/2013 18:19

I love Celyn, Callie and Saffron! To me Callie is a name in its own right as well, so it does seem a bit odd to use it as a nn.

Whereisegg · 01/12/2013 19:05

well just ignore me then

RandomMess · 01/12/2013 19:13

I think but Celyn on her birth certificate and call her Callie from day one and all will be fine.

dd2 has her family nickname (a very unusual one for her official name) but at junior school she had developed being called by a more usual nickname of her official name. So the lucky girls has 3 names on her birth certificate and 3-4 known by names as all the teachers seem to call her by the official name first name!

dd3 has a family nickname absolutely nothing to do with her official name and at school is know by her official name and usual nickname because most people would never guess her nickname tbh.

Original poster

moominleigh94 · 01/12/2013 19:51

Whereis You've got me thinking now... Potato for a girl

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AuditAngel · 01/12/2013 19:59

DS is Alessandro Valentino, NN is Tino. We always intended Valentino to be his name, but we preferred it this way round. He has one uncle who sometimes calls him "Ali V" which I think is just to wind me up so I ignore it.

DD1 is Gabriela (Spanish spelling not a typo) hitch is shortened to Ela (said same as Ella). After school club use her full name as there is another Ella, this is no problem. I just didn't want Gobby Gabby.

DD2 is Luisa, normally LoobyLoo, but she is insisting "I weesa" (for that read "I am Luisa")

NothingMoreScaryThanAHairyMary · 01/12/2013 20:20

DD1 is Emily but known to everyone as Milly. We told family her proper name and her nn from day 1 and no problems half the children in her class don't know she is Emily.

Indith · 01/12/2013 20:26

Callie seems like a pretty logical NN for Celyn to me. Call your child whatever you like!

NN do evolve, you will probably find names evolve for you and as she grows she will gain others.

My dd is called Margaret. Right from tge start we tended to call her Daisy (old fashioned shortening, now tends to be considered a name on its own but was more of a "home name").Hardly anyone knows she is called Margaret. Even my parents forget and give me funny looks if I call her Meg/Megpeg/Meggle/MegglePeggle/Miss Margaret Anne Surname STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

Whereisegg · 01/12/2013 20:44

potato is too hard sounding for a girl.
radish is quite exotic otoh...

UniS · 01/12/2013 20:49

she'll get called celery at school....

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