Matilda or Tilly

[wearesailingacrossthesea]

Matilda is a lovely name but I really wouldn't want any nickname if I had Matilda as a full name. I dislike long names on birth certificate and calling short version. I think the name on the birth certificate is the name you should use.

So it got me thinking. Tilly is actually a really old fashioned name as a standalone name. Was used right back in the 1880s. Its got me thinking, whether to use Tilly instead of Matilda.

I know some of you will think faddy or nicknamey, however having researched and found it was used in Victorian times shows that it is obviously a substantial name. But will be interesting to see your responses.

Thanks.

We have a Tilly. Named Tilda but Tilly - we live somewhere where Matildas are called Matty. And the g is pronounced ‘eh’ shudder.

The y!

One of my closest friend's DS is a Matilda who everyone calls Tilly - beautiful name I love it

Matilda on birth certificate, Tillly in speech.

Thomas on birth certificate, Tom or Tommy in speech.

Charles on birth certificate, Charlie or Chaz in speech.

Roberta on birth certificate, Rob or Robbie in speech.

William in birth certificate, Bill or Billy or Will in speech.

Arabella on birth certificate, Bella in speech.

Not that hard is it ?

Unrelenting - bit rude.
She mentioned in her original post that shed like the name on the birth certificate to be the actual name the baby is called as opposed to a shortened version...

Thank you for your post ThoroughlyForumed
UnrelentingFruitScoffer I totally understand what your saying. And I'm not dismissing those who prefer a longer name on birth certificate and a day to day use a nickname. However I've grown up with a given name, with people asking if I have a longer name on my birth certificate. They seem shocked when I say no. But I love just having one name. Its never done me wrong. And that's what I want for my children too.

You might want that for your child- but having a child's name/shortened version on a birth certificate can be limiting in the future.
With the full name they can choose whether they use that or their nickname on job applications and things like that. Or, they may decide that they want to be called by the longer version when they are older.

I don't like Tilly as a given name, which I think is your actual question. I do like Matilda, though.

We have a Matilda and imagined her being called Matty but she has never been called that (2 now.) When we introduce her to people, they always automatically shorten it to Tilly, however people who know her most often call her either Matilda or Tilds/Tills, or even Matildy sometimes. We call her Tilda/Tilds. It just happened that way, I think with shortenings you can’t really control it, other people will call her what they like once she’s older! Even if you go for Tilly she could end up being called Til or Tills!

I’d personally go for Matilda and let the nicknames evolve naturally, but I am biased!

Every Matilda I know is called Tilly anyway. But Tilly is fine a given name, although a little babyish and when she’s older she might wish she had been a Matilda to give her the choice. By calling her Tilly you’re removing that choice from her.

Matilda definitely. For all you know she'll want to be called Matti or even Steve.

It really is fine to use Tilly as the name if that's what you prefer. I don't see it as any different to Sally, Sadie, Molly, Milly, Polly etc as the full name and there are plenty of these around. And I don't buy the argument that a name like this stops you from taking up certain professions either. It really is just a matter of taste.

Agree with you @Astronica - it’s no different to all those babies in the 1980s called Kate and not Katherine etc etc

Use Tilly on the birth certificate. If she prefers Matilda she can always ask people to call her that when older? But she might well feel like you feel OP and just prefer that Tilly is on her birth certificate

I think it's strange to insist only on the full birth certificate name. I think a longer name for choice for an adult is great with an affectionate Nick name for a child. Tilly is beautiful but it's good to have the option of a more grown up name I think. People will call her what you tell her she's called so you can set the nickname. I've an isabella who I shortened to Bella when she was small. Around age 4 she decided she wanted to be Izzie instead so we changed it and gradually everyone caught on naturally. She likes to have isabella for more formal purposes.

Go with Matilda, shortened to Tilly, give her choices.

I wouldn’t, personally. I have a shortened version of a longer name as my birth certificate name, and I don’t like it. I would much rather have had a longer version I could have used. I tried lengthening it in my teens but it didn’t stick and it felt a bit fraudulent.

I’m the opposite @daisypond I have the shorter version of a longer name on my birth certificate and I’m happy with it. Everything so simple. I do get asked sometimes “is your name short for X” and I enjoy replying “no”.

Matilda is lovely, shortened to Tilly is fine but as an adult she might want to use a more adult name (she might not) you can easily have both here no need to choose

You can't control whether your DC have a NN or not. MIL tried to do this with her DC. But as adulta, both use NNs - one of them totally unrelated to the name she gave him, no one calls him it except her and elderly relatives.

FWIW, personally I love that my name has lots of NN options.

Tilly is lovely :)

@Ineedaweeinpeace Nottingham?

My Goddaughter is Hattie on her birth certificate and people sometimes ask her if it's short for Harriet which frustrates her a little. I doubt she'll wish she could revert to Harriet when she's older because Hattie is all she's ever known.

Just to note though - her mum and dad always call her Hattie, but other family members call her Hats/Hatster etc. I don't think you can have too much control over people naturally playing around with and shortening names

I personally prefer Matilda, but Tilly is a perfectly substantial by itself. I actually know a little Tilly who is just Tilly.

Which name do you prefer? Matilda or Tilly? Did you only like Matilda as a way to get to Tilly, or do you like Matilda too?

confusedyoungthing I loved Matilda. However, everyone keeps saying she'll end up with a nickname, so thought if I named her Tilly it would save that happening. As dont like different name on birth certificate to real life. Now I'm completely stuck as to what to do. As there's not many supportive comments of Tilly

Matilda