Ottie or Pixie?

[GingerbreadPudding]

Our little girl will be here in two weeks time and we were set on the name Ottie. Yesterday my husband said he likes the name Pixie which had been my favourite but he had said he didn't like it!

So now, after eight months of thinking this one would be called Ottie I'm now not sure. I love the name Pixie. And Ottie.

What do you think?

Pixie just sounds like you are copying geldof or Lott. Dixie is a much cooler name, it's strong not insipid like pixie or ottie.

I like Pixie but might not be so great when she grows up and is 6ft tall and overweight , she might get picked on at school if she is not petite like a pixie.

It'd be interesting to see in 20/30/40 years time what the high Court judges/doctors/PMs are called. There are so many Tilly/Millie/Maisie/Daisy/Poppy type names around I'd expect that when they're adults they won't be considered 'cutsie' names any more, they'll just seem normal.

As I clicked on this thread I was saying "please tell me it's for a puppy". Both options are cute nicknames, but either could be difficult to live with. Agree with what people have said about a non-petite Pixie...used to love the name Grace, until I encountereed a chubby checkout girl in my local Tesco who pronounced it Grice.

I like Pixie, much prefer It to Ottie, although like you I like Ottilie.

I wouldn't worry too much about your dd not "looking" like a Pixie.
I am Grace and am really really clumsy, not at all graceful. I am actually the anti Grace, it's never bothered me though. I don't fall over and think Damn you Mum and Dad, why have you pained me with this bloody name.

Sorry should read 'Lottie' WITHOUT the 'L'

Oh I didn't notice your post Meg, what's wrong with Grice ? It's better than Grease which is what my neighbor calls me.

A friend called her dd Dexie, a bit different but not quite Pixie.

I wasn't going to say anything, but since you like the bluntness, I don't like either.

Ottie does sound too much like Hottie with the 'h' dropped.

Beryl - it was more that the poor girl was so ungraceful/gracious. I bought some fish and as she beeped it through the checkout she said "I 'ate it when people buy fish. It makes yer fingers stink..." - I was in my twenties at the time and my boyfriend and I had a very bitchy snigger about her afterwards .

I'm also relieved that Ginger is loving the bluntness....I've been worrying a bit!

Argy I mentioned the original German pronounciation of Ottilie (Ott-eel-lee-yah) several pages ago, but everyone ignored me.... Very glad you are suggesting it too!

I know opinions will vary, but, since Ottilie is a German name, I rather think it should be pronounced the German way.

The French equivalent is Odile (or Odette) , the English is Ottoline, the Spanish is Odalis. I don't know whether any of those might appeal to Ginger, with Otttie as nn (but only if she really must - sorry for bluntness).

Now, this is one of the reasons I love MN!

it would never, ever have occurred to me that Ottilie is a German name.
Mainly because it doesn't look German, if that makes sense.

I love Ottoline, (if it is pronounced Ottoleen). Love Odile too. I used to know an Odile, but so many people struggled with her name...not sure why...

Katie If this website is to be believed (and it's very reputable), Ottilie was originally Odila, and is based on one or other of two ancient German words, either Aud which means 'wealth' or Odal, which means 'homeland or fatherland'. This 'family tree' shows both possibilities:

www.behindthename.com/name/odilia/tree

Thanks, Flora!

at makes your fingers stink. I would laugh at that now tbh.

Yes flora, I was referring back to your post but as often happens with active threads people miss things!! I think it would be hard to "enforce" the German (or French as someone else mentioned) pronunciation, although I agree it is much nicer.

Argy Thanks for noticing my original post! Re 'enforcement', I suspect you might be right.

flora I suggested Otilia. Do you think a phonetic spelling would be a travesty?

I think this is the proper spelling in some parts.

burgatroyd Gosh, am not an expert but I don't think your suggested spelling would be wrong - though perhaps better with a double 't'. You are right about variant spellings; I think Ottilia is how it's spelled in Sweden:
www.behindthename.com/names/usage/swedish/2

I think getting people to pronounce Ottilie as Ottilia might be a bit confusing for them!

But like other posters have said Ottilie/lia/line anything is better than Ottie!

I don't like either.

Ottie reminds me of otters and in some accents it could sound like 'Oddie' as in Bill Oddie, or Odd / Oddball etc! How about Odilia, Ottilia or Odette?

Pixie isn't a name for a human.

Look, there's Ottie, she's a real Hottie! Maybe not...