Alternative Girls Name

[sweetlittlemystery2021]

I have loved Matilda for years, however someone very close to me has got there first so I now can't use it. So I could do with some help as to what to do.....

• Should I just let Matilda go and find something I love as much? Only problem is my sons have been calling bump Matilda!

• Should I use Tilly as a given name instead?

•Or should I try to find a short first name to go with Matilda? If so, do you have any suggestions of short names that would work!

Also, what do you think of:
• Seraphina/Serafina
• Elspeth

THANK YOU :-)

How close is the other Matilda?

I think Elspeth is lovely. Seraphina is a bit fussy for me but it’s not an awful name

How close is the ither matilda?
Elspeth is lovely but not seraphina.

Alice Matilda?

I'd stick with Matilda in this scenario for sure

@Cleverpolly3 and @lockedownloretta Quite close. I very much doubt Matilda's mum would be happy and it would likely cause alot of arguments/breakdown of relationships etc. So its weighing up if its worth the risk.

[quote sweetlittlemystery2021]**@Cleverpolly3* and @lockedownloretta* Quite close. I very much doubt Matilda's mum would be happy and it would likely cause alot of arguments/breakdown of relationships etc. So its weighing up if its worth the risk.[/quote]
Is this person family ?
If it’s a friend then that sort of behaviour because of name is outrageous !

I wouldn't mind if someone used the same name as me but I know some people are really funny about it so I get what you mean. I like Matilda too and I also like Seraphina although I think Elspeth is more similar to Matilda in the way it sounds. Other suggestions: Madeleine, Esther, Penelope, Elizabeth, Sophia.

Just use Matilda. Unless she's your sister.

I don’t see Tilly as a proper name and there are loads of them.

Not keen on Elspeth, it’s quite prim and proper. I like Seraphina.

How close is this person you can’t use it? Are they someone you will see for the rest of your life?

Unless it's close family, use Matilda.

What about Elspeth Matilda? That's pretty

@happylittlechick No she's not my sister. But it someone I'm quite close to and has been in my life for a long time.

@JohnBarron Yes, I think its likely they will be in my life "forever" in one form or another.

[quote sweetlittlemystery2021]@happylittlechick No she's not my sister. But it someone I'm quite close to and has been in my life for a long time.[/quote]
If it's a friend and they'll react like that cut them out. Use the name.

Not keen on Elspeth but how about Elizabeth on bc and nn Tilly. I do like Tilly.
Seraphina I really don't like. Sounds faddy.

I love elspeth. And most less popular than matilda. Have you asked the friend? When i named my dd, one of my oldest friends said she always planned to name a baby girl the name. 5 years later when she had her babygirl she went with something else, when i asked why she didnt use dd’s name in the end, she said she thought i would be upset. I said she was silly as we had been referring to the baby as baby-dd’s name for months! We just assumed she would still use the name.

It may be worth having a chat with Matilda's Mum and being very honest "Matilda is the name we had chosen too, would you be really upset if we used it anyway?" to gauge the reaction, she might not mind at all

I agree with a PP that Tilly is a bit lame as a stand alone name so I would avoid doing that.

I like Elspeth but depends how you feel about the inevitable shortening to Ellie/Ella/Elz

I think Seraphina is lovely so that would be my choice

There are billions of Matildas, it's so overused.

So given that, you could either find something less overused OR justify using it because there will be plenty of them anyway!

I don't like either Elspeth or Seraphina - what an odd pair of alternatives to pick! - Seraphina is pretty fussy and frilly - prefer Penelope or Persephone even?

Elspeth is such a sad name. Like Elsie. I imagine a withdrawn, miserable Victorian maid!

How about Josephine, Jemima, Saskia, Sadie?

Matilda is overused but if it's the name you want to use, then use it.

Elspeth is nice but Seraphina isn't.

Tilly is a dogs name really.

Fine for little girls but too twee and cutesy for adult women.

If you love Matilda just use it. Your friend doesn't have copyright of it.

it would likely cause alot of arguments/breakdown of relationships etc. So its weighing up if its worth the risk

Surely it’s not worth the risk then? You’d choose a name over a friendship?

Matilda is a nice name, but there are other equally nice names.

Ottilie nn Tilly
Madeline nn Maddy
Susannah nn Susie/Sukie
Harriet nn Hattie
Belinda nn Belle

I’d probably let Matilda go as a first name if I were you. I like the pp’s suggestions of Ottilie, Saskia or Jemima. I’d add Eliza, Lydia or Clementine?
If you wanted a shorter first name then maybe
Tess Matilda
Fern Matilda
Nina Matilda
Juno Matilda
Good luck!

I absolutely love Elspeth! My friends DD is Elspeth, she gets Elsa for short :)

Why don't you run it past the mum @sweetlittlemystery2021

You're making assumptions about what she would think but it might turn out she's flattered

She's picked a top 50 name so I doubt it would be too much of a shock for one of her friends to pick it. If you want a more unique name you'd go outside the top 250 names

Love Elspeth, we can’t use it unfortunately but it would definitely be on my list if I could.

@Flymetothestars I know what she is like, therefore I know her reaction without having to ask her!

@DotDotDotDotDot Some of those names already used in family and the rest don't really appeal to me. Sorry.