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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Love the name, hate the nickname!

27 replies

VegasCupcpake6 · 12/06/2014 14:05

Our girls name choice is Noelle (after my grandad Noel). I love love love the name but hate that it might be shortened to Elle/Ellie. No offence to anyone that loves these names, it's just not to my taste.
Would hating a nickname put you off the whole name completely?

OP posts:

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lljkk · 12/06/2014 14:09

Yes, it would put me off completely. There are lots of nice names.

BeckaH123 · 12/06/2014 14:11

I love Noelle! I think it would be pretty difficult to police the use of a nickname though especially as she gets older...

Maybe pre-empt the Elle / Ellie problem by coming up with another NN first? My niece is called Ellie (short for Helen). When she was born I suggested Nell instead..?

Gemerama · 12/06/2014 14:12

This reply has been deleted

This poster has privacy concerns, so we've agreed to remove this now.

Artandco · 12/06/2014 14:14

What about:

Nola instead? No nickname needed. Or Nola as a nn to Noelle.

Or use
Noella
Nola
Nova
Nellie

Original poster

VegasCupcpake6 · 12/06/2014 14:17

Oh I love the use of Nola as a nickname! Thanks! If we started using that as a nickname then hopefully others would follow suit!

OP posts:

BeckaH123 · 12/06/2014 14:18

I should add that I like Elle / Ellie BTW in case it sounded like I hate it above!

EyelinerQueen · 12/06/2014 14:19

Nola is SO much nicer than Noelle. And still enough of a tribute to Noel.

I'd use it instead.

Pinksun12 · 12/06/2014 14:24

I think it's a risk you have to live with. I was the same when I chose my DS's name: I love the long form but hate the nickname. So far nobody calls him by the nickname (and I didn't correct people when they addressed him with the nn, I simply always introduced him with his proper name). Now he's only 5 (and now he insists on his name) and at some point his friends will give him that nn or a different one. That's out of my hands.

And Noelle is beautiful by the way!

5madthings · 12/06/2014 14:26

Nicknames put us off names, our dd was nearly Genevieve, we both love it and would have shortened it to vivi but I KNEW it would end up being shortened to Jen/gen so we didnt use it.

Also Isaac we like but a relative said they wwould shorten it to zac which we don't like so Isaac was ruled out.

I wouldn't think to shorten Noelle to Elle or Elli though.

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 12/06/2014 14:26

If you call her noelle can't you just call her noelle? My name is often shortened but I have always been known by the full version. I would assume noelle shortens to Nellie rather than Ellie anyway.

Thurlow · 12/06/2014 14:29

Whatever name you pick there is going to be a risk of a nickname you don't like. I don't actually think Noelle will automatically become Elle/Ellie. As a parent you do have quite a bit of control over what they are called, as you call them that name all the time so your DD would learn that her name is Noelle, not Ellie, and you can ask other adults not to call her Ellie if they start to.

Obviously though at school you have a lot less control! But they could come up with all sorts of weird nicknames, not always the obvious one. Plus if the shortening is a common name it might be less likely - why stop being the only Noelle and become one of 5 Ellies?

This is my cunning plan for DD. She is Alexandria known as Alex. I absolutely hate Lexi, which seems to be the popular shortening at the moment. So I cling to the hope that there will be other Lexi's at school and so she won't want to become yet another one.

MimiSunshine · 12/06/2014 16:10

It doesn't have to get shortened.

My cousin has a name like Susannah but not that. Her mum told everyone her name and when asked said no it's not Susie her name is Susannah. She did correct people as well.
20+ years later she is Susannah 99% of the time with S and Ana used only very very occasionally

I wouldn't think to shorten Noelle to Ellie etc as IMO nn are usually taken from the front of the name

squoosh · 12/06/2014 16:27

I know a few Noelles, quite a common name in Ireland among 40-50 year olds. None of them are ever referred to as Ellie.

So hard to imagine that Noelle might be back in fashion.

Jinglebellsarecoming · 12/06/2014 16:43

You can stop nicknames. My real name has to me, a horrid and common (as in frequency) nickname. Not one person i know uses it. My parents allways said to people actually we prefer xxxxx. I always say to people who shorten it actually I prefer xxxxx but I very rarely have to as I use my full name to introduce myself and people follow.

My DD had a name that I chose so I could use the nickname but it never stuck. She always hated it and refused to answer to it so now as a 10 yr old she is definitely a full name user.

rachel234 · 13/06/2014 08:43

Noelle is short and lovely to say. I wouldn't even think of shortening it! Agree that Ellie is nowhere near as nice as Noelle or Nola!

Ourma · 13/06/2014 22:39

Nellie was nn for my friend Noelle. Is it the same as Ellie to you?

3boys3dogshelp · 13/06/2014 22:51

I wouldn't have thought to shorten Noelle to Ellie to be honest.
However if it bothers you that much it might be best to think again. My son's names all have nns which I don't mind - 1 is always his full name, 1 swaps, 1 always shortened :-/. All introduced using full name.
I have a good friend with 2 sons - both have particularly long names with obvious shortenings which people must never use. She often corrects people and comes across as a bit precious as a result. (I have noticed a lot of faces when in this situation with her).
I am not sure if its the first impression I would want to make.

Pebbles0934 · 14/06/2014 07:49

Noelle is lovely.... It's on my girls list.

I wouldn't shorten it to Elle or Ellie. Until she has friends at early teens I'm sure you can control that then she will want to be called something totally different!

I don't think it will be shortened as it is a short name anyway? You wouldn't shorten Lola, lyla, Nola, etc.... It is more likely to be elongated in a loveable way like Noelle-Belle.... For example!

Go for it!!!!!

weatherall · 14/06/2014 09:26

Just call her Nola.

itfcbabe · 14/06/2014 11:26

I love the name Clementine but hate Clem and Clemmy,it has sort of put me off ever using it but I love it so much I might just do it.

Call her Noelle and don't shorten it hopefully it will stick with everyone.

Steben · 14/06/2014 11:28

I felt like that about the name Juliet - didn't use it in the end and I actually regret not doing so

ThingsThatShine · 14/06/2014 11:29

I don't think noelle would be shortened to Ellie.

I'm not sure how much a nickname would put me off, think it may move some names to middle name only where they can't be shortened. I love Dominic but hate dom!

TwoPerfectGifts · 14/06/2014 18:17

I don't think Noelle would be shortened to Ellie - mainly because it's not shorter.

I like Noelle.

dementedma · 14/06/2014 20:19

There doesn't have to be a nn you know.
Ds is Joseph. Not Joe. Not Joey. Joseph. He won't answer to anything else as that is his name.

OooOooTheMonkey · 14/06/2014 20:50

We have an Amelia and I hated the nn Milly. But she is a Milly!! It grew on me. I love it now and use both so she can choose when she's a bit older. (Unhelpful..)

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