Can I call my baby girl Teddy/Teddie?

[ems942]

My baby girl is due soon. Had previously thought I'd love to call her Autumn, would have used Teddy for a boy but I love it so much I want to call my little girl Teddy. Am I being ridiculous? I'm not keen on Thea and really not on Theodora.

I like siblings' names to be - I'm not sure how to express this - sort of equal? So if your first 2 DCs have 'normal' names, I think DC3 should be fairly normal too.
I also think of Teddy as a boys name.

You would be happy with your daughter being nicknamed "Bear"?
Really?
Can see it, have heard and used it for a chap but on a girl?

Ooo I love Theodora as a name though. We considered Isadora... but ended up with something a lot rarer.

I would say Teddie is cute on a 3 year old, a 19 year old not so much.

Maybe Edina rather than Edwina? I liked the name Edith (nan's name), although would usually be Edie rather than Teddie you can do what you like in that regard I imagine!

here is interesting thread with a 75 year old woman called Teddy!
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100423111919AAtLcLU

and from nameberry.com/babyname/Teddi
Famous People Named Teddi
Teddi Siddall, American actress and wife of actor Gary Cole
Teddi King, American jazz singer
Teddi Smith, American model
Teddi Jo Melloncamp, daughter of musician John "Cougar" Melloncamp

It's Robbie Williams daughters name

Theodora is classic and beautiful. It has gravitas and history. You can also use Teddy as a nn, which is fine.
It's the non option of the child to lose the name/use the serious name if required if she is called Teddy off the bat.

Theodora is stunning

I rather like it. Spelt Teddy though, not Teddi, which would be awful.. I also think you you should try and give her something more conventional as her real name, even if you never use it, like Theodora, so if she struggles with such an informal name later in life, she has the option to switch.

My DS has a traditional first name, we have only ever used an unusual shortened version, I wonder sometimes if he knows what his full name is!

It's not a good idea unless it's a nn for something else. I doubt any teenage girl/woman would want to be called Teddy... I think it would be pretty embrassessing for her in later life. If you're set on it at least give her the option of a more adult-like name in the future. I'd also apply this rationale to calling a boy Teddy...

You could give her first names with the initials T. D? It would then be a usable nickname...

You don't NEED to give children 'options' in later life for names unless you've called them something utterly ridiculous. Human beings 'become' their names and Teddy suits a baby as it does a small boy as it will a teenager and so on and so forth. Do you do a double take when you hear the name Teddy Sherringham or Teddy Pendegrass for example? And Teddy usually is Ted a lot anyway.

All of this ' use Edward instead of Teddy on the birth certificate even if you hate the name but you MUST give him options ' is just mad.

My Teddy loves his name and he loves it because it is HIS name

I wish my parents had. Speaking as someone who has had to explain my stupid name every time I give it.

As others have already said I think it is fine as a nn for Theodora/Edwina but don't think your future DD is likely to thank you if you put Teddy on the birth certificate

Theodora?

It is selfish not to give your children options. You have no way of knowing how they will feel about the name you have chosen for them. The child's needs should be considered before the parents' in this respect.

Spintastic all your examples are male, have you thought about that?

Teddy is a nn for Theresa too.

Surely names like Katie, Ellie, Beth, Lily, Jay, Sam etc were all presumed the cutesy nicknames originally, but now as adults you wouldn't give a second thought to what the name was short for- they're normal names in their own right nowadays?

I think as Teddy as a boys name. I also want to remind you how cruel girls are .

Personally I think Autumn is lovely. Teddy I think is a cute nickname for Edward on a boy I don't think of it as a given name. If you're adamant though it's your decision.

Teddy is a cute boys name. Definitely not a girls name.

I really dislike Teddy as a full given name.

It's cute as a nickname for a baby / small child, but I think it's too cutesy to be easily carried off by an adult. Especially when it's a nickname more commonly used for boys, and you're expecting a girl.

I think the teddy bear connections make it far more cutesy than Katie / Ellie / Beth etc. (isn't Lily usually a flower name rather than a nickname?)

I'd go for something like Theodora or Edwina as the full name so there's more options for the child as she gets older.

ems942 I still regard those as nn's. I have one of those names myself, and have always felt short-changed by my parents. Your daughter might be happy to be called Teddy, but she might not, and she would then resent your choice.

Bear in mind that many people have nn's that are not connected to their real given name. You could name your daughter any name and still call her Teddy as a nn.

Every Katie I know is Catherine or Kate now as they are older.

I think it's a perfectly serviceable nn, but I would definitely give your DD a chance to change it when she's older.

Edwina was my first thought, I like Theodora though I wouldn't use it myself.

Yup, my DNeices (2 of them) are both Kate. Katie lasted till about age 11.