Help - we cannot name our baby

[Sranso]

Hi mumsnet! All I seem to post about on here is our struggles with naming our baby, but these forums are always good for some sage advice.

We know we're having a girl and DW is now 37wks so we're entering the end game . I'm looking for any advice on how we can break the deadlock - drawing straws or an elaborate voting system for example!

One of the main issues is that a lot of the names we can agree on, we either can't agree on a short or long form. We like Charlotte, but DW doesn't like Lottie and I don't like Charlie. We like Isobel, but DW doesn't like Isy/Izzy and I don't like Bel. We both like Edie, but DW doesn't want to put Edith on birth certificate, but I would want to. You get the picture!

Any advice gratefully received.

What about Meredith? With Edie as the shortened name.

Cleo

@AssassinatedBeauty I think so yes, unless it's something that has longevity as a name in its own right or that we can both agree on the use of a long form for.

Or choose one syllable names you can't shorten, or names that don't shorten.

Hope
Grace
Ivy (suppose you could shorten to vee)
Faith (Faye)
Aria
Luna (lulu)
Ana
Anais
Bethany (Beth)
Margot
Nancy (nan)
Nina
Mai
Quinn
Noelle (Elle) (Ellie)
Joy

Can you not go for something that is very difficult to shorten, to cut down the variables? Nicknames, obviously, are out of everyone's control.

A few thoughts:
Marnie
Stella
Pearl
Lola
Honor
Margot
Cora
Nina
Zoe
Miriam
Petra
Flora

x post with bestsquirrel

If you want a full name officially but will likely shorten any long name,
One solution is to pick short names with limited derivatives.

Anna
Cora
Fern
Jean
Fay
Fleur
Mary (could go for May or Molly / Polly as a traditional derivatives though! That would be three entries on the list..)

X posting!

I love Eunice and shortened to Una.

I think you just keep going until you find one or can compromise.
So DH likes one name, I'm not keen but like it with an extra letter. DH will take the letter if he can insist of no double letters in the middle. I'm OK as long as a certain letter is y not i etc.
We'll end up with different nicknames until DD states a preference.

I'm not actually pregnant...

Why not a short name that has no nickname or longer names?

Emma
Faye
Thea (this is DD's name, you could argue that it's short for other names but it is a standalone)
Poppy
Daisy

My friends DD is Edith. NN is Edie and both suit her perfectly well, friend uses both interchangeably.

So,
You are both trying to pick a name AND a nickname that you both agree on.
And you haven't even met her yet or know what she looks like!

Thats a tall order.

Not a nickname, no.

A nickname normally bears little relation to a name. Like Andrew being called Andy but his nickname is ‘Six pint Smith’. OP has said many times he is not trying to invent a nickname for his DD he knows her name will however be shortened

@NotyourMummynotyourmilk gawd bless ya

@tryinganewname

Emma can be Em
I love the name Thea though.

But honestly people will mess with any name. My DS has a one syllable name, think like Finn and so many people lengthen it to Finny, it's just friendly nature. I don't mind it on him but I personally hate people assuming they can shorten my name similar to Gemma to Gem.

Plus I've worked with people with short names and they get called their names initial like Todd becomes T

OP Charlotte could be Char, if you could cope with that?

Or Anna or Alice is nice?

Collette
Elisa
Isobel (is fine as it is)

Again though, I'm not talking about just shortening, I'm talking about derivatives.

Like James becomes Jim, Elizabeth becomes Liz or Betty and Katherine becomes Katie. Not simply knocking some letters off like Em or Char.

Like I said on my OP though, I was looking for ideas on how to be decisive, new ways to find compromise rather than debate on nicknames/derivatives/shortenings!!

And there's been some very good ones!

I know a family of 3 girls. They have a Charlotte, Isabel and then an olive. Just wondering if you liked that name as you like the other two? They're known as Lottie, Isabel and Oli. (Though olive could also be shortened liv/livvie)

I know a Meredith, known as Edie. Would that work for you both?

How about Cordelia, can be shortened to Cora, Coco, Cordy, Delia, Lia etc.

Like I said on my OP though, I was looking for ideas on how to be decisive, new ways to find compromise

• Put all the names you like in a hat
• ask family members/friends to choose
• have a look on 'namedtogether' website
• play Rock, scissors
• let dw choose as she's pushing

We’ve called our little girl Isla, so it can’t be shortened.

I wrote a long list then reduced that to a short list. Then I went through that list with my OH and he said which ones he didn't like. We then mulled over the remaining ones until we came to a conclusion.

What about the name Erin?

Failing that, you can call your daughter Edie as a stand alone name, it doesnt have to be Edith or any other longer name.