Alistair and Eleanor - nicknames?

[badg3r]

This baby is hopefully going to turn up soon and we don't know the sex yet. I think we have decided on Alistair for a boy and Eleanor for a girl.

I love the names as they stand but being a bit long they will probably get shortened. I'm not sure how I feel about Ali as a nn. What other nns could we get away with for Alistair? For Eleanor I like Nell and Nora over Ellie.

All opinions on the full and abbreviated versions welcome!

You don't need to shorten it, but others, including him might so be mindful of it if you don't like the obvious shortenings.

I've got an Alistair, I love it

He gets Ali, Al, Big Al, Alicat, Ally wally and Stairy to name a few.. We're big on nicknames

I've got an Alistair, I love it

He gets Ali, Al, Big Al, Alicat, Ally wally and Stairy to name a few.. We're big on nicknames

For Eleanor I guess Leni could be a poss?

I have know two Alistairs and both have only ever been called that, it's never been shortened.

All of the Eleanors I've known have been Ellie. Nora is a bit contrived. Most accept it as a standalone name and won't associate it with Eleanor.

Ace is a nickname I heard recently for an Alistair. Another nickname I have come across recently was Dair. It's all very well saying that his friends will come up with a nickname and that will probably happen eventually but in my experience the parents come up with a nickname first.

Really love Nell or Ella as a nickname for Eleanor.

Most Alistair/Alasdairs I know go by Ali or Al. One goes by Tair and one by Dan (Dair)

I'd love to have used Alistair for DC2 (and will if the sonographer has got it wrong) but we're looking for girl names this time round

Doesn't Jennifer Saunders have a daughter called Eleanor who is known as Ella.

I know an Alistair, some people shorten to Al or Ali but mainly he's been just plain Alistair all his life. I love the name. I don't see why Eleanor would necessarily get shortened either, it's neither long or complicated to pronounce.

The Eleanor I know goes by EJ, because her middle name begins with J.

I have known many Al for Alistair... I like it, though I did once know a guy who went by Stairs... He was very cool.

Love Al, Nell and Nora! My brother is Alistair and he Is usually Al. (Apart from in the family where he will always be Ali Bally Bee).

We have an Eleanor and she doesn't let general people shorten her name. However older/younger family call her Nell and she picked the nn Betty herself, for a toddler in the family that struggled and it stuck.

Alistair used to be commonly shortened to Sandy, where I live.

I think if you introduce them by their full name and keep reiterating it, the fashion for shortening them has gone. Even here, in Liverpool.

Good point Birds about just reiterating the full name. I really like Sandy as nn for Alistair too. Our alternative for Eleanor is Nina which I also love, but I have always loved Eleanor and think I will regret not using it later!