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 :-)

@Whatthebloodyell The only one I like from your list is Harriet. However, one of my sons has Harry as a middle name and about 50% of time time we call him by his first and middle name together, because the names sound really good together.
So I'm not sure if I could use Harriet for a girl as maybe a bit close?

What about using Mathilde?

Matilda is on my baby list name too; I would still use it or what about Tilda?

Unless she is your sister or BF I would just use the name, and perhaps announce it as Matilda nn Tilly if her daughters nn is Mattie or Tilda or whatever. Matilda is a common name, so it’s unreasonable to be possessive about it. Don’t call your DD Tilly - it’s way too little girl cute for a full name.

Seraphina is lovely, Elsbeth is nice.

Other thoughts - Marianne, Madeleine, Melinda, Maude, Marina. Serena, Lydia, Philippa nn Pippa, Rosanna, Eloise, Lucinda

I love Elspeth. Its beautiful.
Martha ?

Our 7 month old is called Elspeth, I’m forever spelling it for people and explaining how to pronounce it but we love it.

How about the Portuguese version Mafalda? Can't get the nickname Tilly from it though. What about just using Tilda as a full name? Seraphina is a gorgeous name, actually much nicer than Matilda anyway :)

Both your other names are far nicer than Matilda.

I love your alternatives. But even if you will be in each other's lives forever it is unlikely the kids will be as close in adulthood. I would use it and call her Tilly if you like it. Then when she is a grown up she can still be Matilda.

Could you speak to your friend and agree on different nicknames for daily use?

Not keen on Elspeth and it would be tricky to pronounce if she has a lisp.

I like the suggestion of Ottilie nn Tilly.
Saskia
Sadie
Or how about Martha?

Love the name Matilda. If you're very close to this person surely she's aware that you really like this name. I would still use it and shorten to Tilly if that is your preference.

Seraphina is a bit too frilly sounding for me, but Elspeth is lovely.

However I would still use Matilda if you really love it - unless it was a very close family member or your absolute best friend (so you saw them on a daily/weekly basis), I don't think generally friends or family can be surprised when really popular names are used by others!

I wouldn't use just Tilly though - it's too nicknamey/insubstantial on it's own imo. But it could work as a nn for Talia/Thalia? Or if you like the sound of the similar Milly, there are a few longer versions for that - Emilia/Emily, Amelia/Amalia, Camilla/Camille, Milena, Camellia.

Other names that remind me of Matilda in feel - Freda/Frederica, Eleanor, Alice, Freya, Athena, Miranda, Georgina, Alexandra, Harriet/Henrietta, Marina, Petra, Sibyl/Sibylla, Margaret/Greta.

how about Domitilla?

If your boys have been calling your bump Matilda and the friend is really close, presumably she will already know this. Give her the heads up that you're still planning to use Matilda for your DD when she's born and remind her that your boys have been calling her that for a while already.

That said, if you love the name Harriet, then I don't think it matters that you have a DS with Harry as his middle name. You'll probably find that if you have a Harriet, or even a Matilda, that when you are rounding up your children, you stick to their first names i.e. you won't call, "Henry, Samuel Harry, Harriet..."

I love Elspeth. It was on my shortlist for girls.

Instead of Matilda, how about Meredith - Merry for short? Or Tabitha - Tabby for short.

Tabitha? Or Tilda.

If you like the Tilly bit them chose a name that can be shortened like Chantilly

I do quite like Seraphina a d you could use Matilda as a middle name

Matilda is incredibly popular at the moment so it's not like you would be picking the same 'unusual' name as your friend- there's likely to be a few in every year group at school. As it's not your sister's DC I would honestly use it anyway- she's not much of a friend if she's annoyed by it! Just take her to one side maybe and explain it's the name you've always had picked out and that your DC are used to- any reasonable person would understand.

I like Elspeth a lot.
Seraphina is a bit 'frilly' imo.

How about:
Elsa
Ismay
Ailsa
Edith
Winifred
Willa
Estelle
Flora
Alice
Laurel
Juliet

I've got a Matilda and was set on it since a little girl so wouldn't have changed it for anything. Did she know that you were planning on using it? Everybody knew it was going to be my future child's name so luckily it wasn't an issue for me, but like others have said unless you see each other daily I'd go with it!

Elspeth Matilda is absolutely gorgeous!!!!

Much prefer Seraphina and Elspeth to Matilda Tilly gives me bad vibes due to someone I used to know

I personally wouldn't use it.
I think you are within your rights to do so - of course - but I wouldn't.
I also think Elspeth and Serafina are much nicer than Matilda so that probably helps my decision. Elspeth Matilda is a gorgeous name.

Imelda
Clotilde
Michaela