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.

He might have loathed it but the entire population of America wasn't walking around saying 'we can't vote for that man, he's got a silly name'.

Which is rather closer to the point I was making.

I'm afraid you don't have a point, Lottie, because those of us who are objecting to the name are only objecting to it as a standalone name. I don't think anyone feels strongly about its use as a nn, only that the child should be registered with a "proper" name.

That is the point I was making

Hilarious how some people like to argue with a paper bag.

I think it's fine. I'm puzzled by some of the responses saying it would go against them on a cv. When I was a hiring manager I can't say I ever ruled a candidate out because their name was too cute. I was far more interested in their education and skills.
I guess you could subconsciously make judgements based on some names, but I really don't think Teddy falls into that category. It's not that outlandish.

Who is to say Teddy isn't a proper name though? If kids are being registered with Albie or Archie, why not Teddy??

I happen to think that Albie and Archie aren't proper names either. They are nicknames or shortenings.

But Lottiedoubtie the American public weren't asked to vote for 'Teddy' Roosevelt, they were asked to vote for Theodore Roosevelt. It's not a name he used personally at all, just one that he was given by the press despite him apparently objecting to it.

Like Kate Middleton, who apparently always goes by Catherine. As someone with a long name with several potential shortenings I think it is important to give choice to children if possible, names are important. Sometimes it's nice to have a cute name and other times it's nice to have a more formal option. Lots of people who had cute nicknames as children out grow them.

I know Nooka, and I largely agree with you - I think options are really useful and you're right people often use different names in different phases of their lives.

I was just trying to point out that Teddy is not totally ridiculous as a name in it's own right and can be applied to someone in an important job.

Teddy was 93 on the top 100 boys names last year. (Edward, Theodore and Theo all lower). So it's not remotely rare by MN standard either.

I'll cheerfully concede as a girls name it is more unusual though...

Lottie I don't know where you've got the information that Teddy was 93 on the top 100 boys names last year. (Edward, Theodore and Theo all lower)

I don't think it can be official UK figures. The Office for National Statistics typically don't release the official name statistics until August, so official 2014 rankings aren't out yet.

But in 2013, out of the names mentioned, in England and Wales, Edward came top at no. 33, then Theo at no. 41, then Theodore at no. 78. Teddy brought up the rear at no. 86. Teddy had risen 55 places since 2012, which is a big surge in popularity, so it's certainly not impossible that it'll have risen again in 2014 to overtake at least one of Edward / Theo / Theodore.

But I'm struggling to believe that Teddy has dropped to no. 93 in 2014 and that Edward, Theo and Theodore will have all plummeted in popularity below that too.

Sorry by lower I meant a lower number- higher in terms of popularity! Sorry that was unclear.

You may well be right re. office of nat statistics, that seems similar to what I read which was a fluffier website which may have not been 100% accurate...

I also meant the last available years stats. I obviously forgot to take my clear written english pills this morning

My point though, was that Teddy, as a name in it's own right, is well within the top 100 at the moment and so hardly counts as obscure or unusual

Its a sweet name to be known by by family and friends. ..and maybe like bear grylls she will choose it in later life too but if you have another name you like equally it might be useful to her in later life
Teddy doesn't need to be a nickname for theodora you could calll her Emily or anything and still use teddy as an affectionate name for her

Okay, that's clearer then, I was interpreting "lower" to mean "lower in popularity" .

I agree that Teddy - for a boy - is not an obscure or unusual name in it's own right.
My personal preference is to give a child the longer version of a name and use the nickname, rather than use the nickname on the birth certificate, so I'd go for "officially Edward / Theodore but we call him Teddy". But I'm aware that plenty of people are perfectly happy to use nicknames as given names, and I wouldn't find it at all surprising to come across a boy Teddy who was officially just a Teddy.

For a girl though.... I really, really don't like it for a girl. I'm finding it difficult to explain why though.

As a grown up woman with a serious job I would HATE to be called Teddy. Seriously. Don't do it

One of the Beverley sisters was called Teddie - so it's been a girls name for some time !

Teddie Beverley is still alive and is called Hazel. Teddie is just a nickname.
It's a cute nickname or diminutive. But not great as an actual name.
I'm not keen on it as a given name for a boy and feel sorry for any girl who was given Teddie as an actual name.

My OH wanted teddie so so bad for our daughter but people's opinions put me off... I personally like it though.

I love Teddie for a girl - might be in the minority but I like obscure names. Not that Teddie is all that "out there" frankly...

I cannot believe anyone would name a child Teddy.

intothenevernever - but some people do in fact name their child Teddy.

There's a growing number of baby boys out there called Teddy. It was no. 86 for boys in the official baby name statistics for England and Wales in 2013, with 698 boys named Teddy.

For girls, though, it was a lot less popular. Teddy was ranked at no. 2460 (10 girls named Teddy), and Teddie was ranked at no. 4050 (5 girls named Teddie).

Stick with Autumn!
its DD2s name and we've only had positive comments on it in RL

I think some people have trouble looking past the baby stage. All too often we hear "oh but I couldn't call a baby [insert name here]".

It's so important to remember that you are naming an adult, not a baby! They are babies for a very short time, and children for not much longer.

Babies often acquire nicknames anyway, be it something daft like Pudding, or a pet name like Teddy. Some of the nn's stick, some thankfully don't. But you don't have to use the "grown-up" name straightaway.

Dreadful.

I love teddy for a girl, naming your child is such a personal thing and if you like it go for it and don't listen to the likes of those who think Odette or edwina (yuck!) is preferable in 2015 :)

Teedra

I know a teddie she is an absolute joy! Go for it x