What is your name and do you recommend it?

[corgiology]

My name is Anneka (Ah nicka). It is unique and I like it but my brother quite quickly caught on calling me all sorts of knicker related jokes.

My surname is unusual too :)

[MyNameIsSuz]

Another Suzanne, I don't like it at all and never have. I like being shortened to suz but that's not the kind of short name you can introduce yourself with is it? I also had an ex of my dad shorten it to sue which just felt awful, that's a name for someone way older than me! Nobody can spell it, people pronounce it all kinds of ways and a surprising number of people don't know that susan and susannah are actually different names and make me feel I'm being precious correcting them. Only plus point is that I wasn't one of many at school.

[PoppySausage]

I'm Carrie. Love it.

[soterriblyterriblyheppy]

NC for this!

Julia. Lots of Julies when I was growing up (70s and 80s) , but no Julias.

I didn't like it when I was growing up - I have a very RP voice which went down badly with some of my peers in a Newcastle school, and they made fun of my name too. Then I grew up and realised it wasn't too bad...

Lots of my friends call me Jules. I'm fine with that, but I would never introduce myself as Jules.

[R4roger]

Alice which I hated as a teen but like now. It was people's granny's name.!
I was going to be Samantha. I am So Not a Samantha.

[msgrinch]

Hayley (Hayley-Gabriella when I'm in trouble). I like it. Not too many about in my age range (mid late 20's).

[Sillyshell]

Another Michelle here, don't love my name but don't hate it either. Don't particularly like the nicknames associated with it though.

[DameEdnasBridesmaid]

Tracey. Always hated it. Still hate it.

[CrispyFern]

Fern.

Yes I like it. It's pretty and unusual, but not too unusual. :)

I've always liked it. My mum calls me Fifi sometimes which I do not like!

[FrazzleRock]

Molly

I absolutely hated it growing up and used to get very upset as a child of the 80's when I was told by other children I had a granny name and calling me Molly Wally. (I was a sensitive child!)

I love it now as it's become so popular this past decade. I get a lot of compliments these days.

[Isthatwhatdemonsdo]

Another Tracey here. Bloody awful. Absolutely hate it. Apparently it was fashionable in 70's.

[Myfanwyprice]

I'm Carly, I really like it, I think it suits me.

People can never spell it though, and often assume it's Kylie.

[ButtonMoonicorn]

[ButtonMoonicorn]

Stephanie, known as Stevie. Love it. Seen Stevie recommended here a few times which always makes me happy!

I am also sometimes referred to as Steph - usually by family - which I don't like as much. Stevie is cooler, and I was named after a Stephen so to me it makes more sense that I'm known as Stevie!

[Nowtherave]

Luisa. Like many others on here I was embarrassed of it during the 80s/90s. It made me feel too different, no one could ever say it or spell it properly, and I didn't look exotic enough to match it. I quite like it now but usually shorten to Lu. I don't like that either but it's easier for others to say.

[Murphy29]

Cptart - same name, totally different spelling! Best friend has same name and again really different spelling! Parents maintain that when they named me they had no idea what an issue there would be with spelling, people I've known for years still get it wrong ??

[iusedtobecool]

Nadia here. Get a few gonads references, and when the Big Brother housemate was trying her hand at making music, I got the piss taken a bit. One the whole, I love it. Quite international too.

[afghanda]

My name is Lisa and I hate it. It's never felt like 'me', and it makes me think of blonde 1980s strippers who need their roots doing for some reason. It's very 'of its time' as well. My mum swears blind that when she picked the name it was really unusual, but a quick look at the baby name stats for around the time I was born shows that it was one of the most popular names out there. I suppose it's like all the people these days who choose Eva for their baby girls, thinking that it's unusual because it was rarely used when they were a baby, unaware that it's now incredibly popular.

[ashmts]

Susan. I hate it, I'm about thirty years younger than you'd expect. I wouldn't mind Susie but nobody ever shortens it.

[Cupcakes123]

Louise. But known as Lou, Loobes or Lullabelle thanks for that one, much younger sister

I know LOTS of people with Louise as a middle name but I don't think I've met another first name Louise - where are you all?!

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Clare. I dont like it, but I probably would if it wasn't my name. I think I dislike because you can't do anything with it shorten it and I think shorter versions are much more friendlier.

[Frikadellen]

Lonnie and I have never liked it much. I am one of those who pipes up on unisex name treads to NOT do it. I am mid 40s and I LOATHE getting names addressed to MR. I once had someone tell me that their computer said it was a boys name so I had to be wrong. (I pointed out I had given birth naturally to 4 children and that I KNEW better than their computer)

Out of curiosity a year so ago I put it up here on the name forum to see what people's opinion was. It came down as a no dont go there name 11 replies last one said " not my style but not offensive either go for it if you like it"

I also get irritated when people say " what's it short for" NOTHING! AND BTW NO its NOT "Lon" either (EUGH makes me see red)

I have considered changing it but I doubt it would stick now.

[Cullercoats88]

Adele- I love it, always have. Not made up, but not common enough to have ever met another one in real life. It made choosing our DC1s name difficult because we wanted something with a similar unheard of feel.

[longestlurkerever]

Helen. Not that keen on it. Too many around when I was young and feels quite dated now. And I always look up in the office when someone answers the phone with "hello". Could be much worse though!

[NotThatcher]

Margaret. It could be worse. Never known by any of the (many) abbreviations. It's not a personal favourite but it's a family name so it has positive associations. Could have done without the negative vibes when Thatcher became PM, though!

[almapudden]

Heather. I hate it, it makes me think of fat, forty year old faded prom queens from Iowa.