Unusual nn for Elisabeth?

[BarbaraManatee]

We quite like the name Elisabeth but can't agree on a nickname for it. Our surname begins with a B so that rules out several of them. We're not keen on overly cute/girly names. Plus I'm related to a Liz, an Eliza & a Lily...

Would it be too "out there" to call her Elis? It's a Welsh which I am spelling of Ellis & traditionally masculine but there was a female Brazilian singer called Elis Regina so I feel it's not completely without precedent...

It can also be traced back to being Biblical, which is one of the reasons we're looking at Elisabeth/Elizabeth in the first place. According to various baby name websites, Ellis is an anglicised form of Elias which is a Greek form of Elijah.

Plus, her middle name would most likely be Alice, so it would sound like an amalgamation of her first & middle names.

And, I like that it would sound similar to Emily Brontë's pseudonym with our surname, but probably not similar enough for anyone else to notice!

The only negative I can think of is people saying "but that's a boy's name". We got that occasionally after one of our DSs' was born & his name was most definitely masculine in the Bible but does sometimes get used for girls. The contrary side of me actually rather likes the idea of confusing people the other way round too...

[fannydaggerz]

Lizzy or Libby?

[confuugled1]

I know assorted Elizabeth's, none of whom go by Elizabeth unless they are being told off by their mum

Two are Lizzy and Lizzie

All the others hate anything Liz or Beth based... Instead they use:
Elise
Eliza
Lily
Liza/LizaLu
Widge
Zizi

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

I know a little Effie which is short for Elizabeth. Personally I think there are much prettier nicknames for Elizabeth but it is more unusual and it's grown on me.

[watchingitallagain]

My ex had an affair with an Elisabeth who I will forever refer to as Fat Liz.

Unusual but probably not what you were after.

[Blossomdeary]

DD Beth is registered as Elizabeth, so that when she is adult she can choose from a vast array of nicknames.

[KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth]

My cousin is an Elizabeth. Her parents tried to push the "Libby" nickname but in the end said "anything but Liz or Lizzy". You guessed it, she is a 23yo Liz.

[Alwayshungryforcrisps]

Effie is a nickname for Elizabeth that's nice and unusual

[MyNewBearTotoro]

I think if it were me I would name her Alice Elizabeth B* and then call her Alice.

You could call her Eliz as a nickname but I think once she was school age it would probably get shortened to Liz.

[AdalindSchade]

If you want to call her Elis just call her Elis. Preferably spelled Elise or Ailis

[purits]

Unusual nn for Elisabeth?

Alfred.

I really don't understand these nickname threads.

[unapaloma]

Well, if you wanted to be really unusual, you could go for Jim, or Steve :-D

[MacarenaFerreiro]

I know an Elizabeth who refers to herself as.... Elizabeth. She's not Liz, or Lizzie, or Bet or Betsy. She's Elizabeth.

Agree that the obsession with creating a nickname is just weird.

[GirlcalledJames]

If you're using the German spelling because you have German connections, or perhaps even if you don't, there's Sisi or Sabeth.

[GirlcalledJames]

I know an Elisabeth who gets called Elis.

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

I know an Elizabeth who is known as Lila. I think it's really pretty and suits her really well.

[nooka]

I had a colleague called Elise which is very pretty. Spelling Elisabeth with an s instead of a z isn't that unusual is it? I can imagine that you'd need to say Elisabeth with an 's' a lot as it doesn't really sound very different but that's not too big a deal. The Elisabeth's I know both go by their full names, Lis as a diminutive looks a bit odd to me. I can see why people might imagine it's Liz (although I agree when replying to an email you should use the name the person uses themselves).

[MikeUniformMike]

Elizabeth/Elisabeth:
Liz
Eliza
Lisa
Elisa
Elsie
Lis
Lizzy/Lizzie
Betty
Bet
Bess
Libby
Beth
Lil
Lily
Lilibet
Elspeth/Elsbeth
Lizbeth
...

Elis for a girl? Why not, but she'll be nicknamed Elsie/Elsi.

[Chocolou]

I know an Elizabeth and everyone calls her liggy.

[Whileweareonthesubject]

Surely a nn just 'happens'? Like 'Freddie ' Flintoff -presumably happened because of a vague likeness between his surname and that of Fred Flintstones, certainly is nothing like his given name of Andrew. My dcs had nn s when they were children, dc1 was related to a certain talent they had and dc 2 was to do with a specific thing they did once. As they've grown up, nn s have changed depending on the source. What you are talking about is shortening the name. Frankly, although I understand choosing a name with consideration for abbreviation eg: Andrew shortens to Andy and Drew, if you are so determined to have a slightly different shortened name for daily use, why not just name them that on the first place?

[ScarletSienna]

Is it pronounced like Ellis or like the beginning of Elisabeth (which is more ah-lis when I say it)? I like the second!

[Blodplod]

Of course.

[Rockaby]

I think we have completely different opinions on what is "infuriating" and "very rude", so maybe we'll just beg to differ and leave it there .

[Blodplod]

Personally I think it is very rude.. if you sign off an email spelling your name Tony and someone replies with Toni, how on earth is that not considered rude? The OP clearly used an unusual spelling for a classic name (as did my Father when naming my Sister) and replies just revert back to the original spelling! Without even digesting or reading properly! Yes, very rude IMHO.

[Rockaby]

I never understand why people get so worked up about people spelling their name slightly wrong (by one letter). People sometimes do it to me and i couldn't give one single fuck! It isn't "very rude", it's a little careless. Considering half the people I worked with in my last job couldn't spell the word drawer or tell the difference between brought and bought, it was hardly surprising they sometimes made a mistake with my name. Who cares really?

It's better to make an effort to get it right of course, but it's just not something I see as worth getting infuriated about tbh.

[Blodplod]

The problem you're going to face with this name is the amount of people (like so many posters on this thread) who spell the name incorrectly.. my sister is Elisabeth (with an S) and the amount of people who shorten it to Liz, rather than Lis is infuriating. Very rude as well!