Which girls name do you prefer?

[sunshineday223]

Hallie
Isabel / Isabelle
Lottie (but not Charlotte)
Madeleine / Madeline

Thanks in advance!

@Pemba yes I'm aware it's a thing as you say. But my question was why?
Why can a diminutive not be a proper name? What makes a name 'proper'? Why does it have to work that way?

Surely, in today's day and age, if a person likes a name they give that child the name.

Eloise and Hallie - too different and Ellie and Hallie too alike
Eloise and Isabel/Isabelle - too french?
Eloise and Lottie - ok
Eloise and Madeleine - best, but a bit too french?

Madeleine and Isabelle for me.

I like Lottie but think it needs to be Charlotte on B.C

@Teapleasemilknosugar I thought I said why really. Just that it's an accepted convention. But obviously you don't HAVE to do that, and many people, especially nowadays will put a short form such as Lottie, Teddy, Katie etc down on the birth certificate.

It's the parents' choice, but personally I feel that it's short changing the child in a way, and giving them fewer options. And a lot of these short forms do give a childish vibe imo which may cause the child embarrassment when they're older. For example, I have read on threads here about boys named Teddy who refuse to answer to Teddy and want to use an alternative name when they become teens. I would class Lottie as similarly young sounding, though not so extreme.

But you obviously don't agree and nobody is going to force you. There are not laws about naming children here as there are in some countries (Spain, Iceland maybe others).

@Pemba I appreciate it is a common convention. What I don't understand is the anthropological behaviour that accompanies it, particularly given that not all names have diminutive forms in the first place. 🤷

Anyone can choose to change their name if they wish, so it's all a bit moot anyway, isn't it?

(And Teddy could still be shortened to Ted).

It baffles me to rule out a name or insist upon a 'proper name' on the birth certificate just because it's a convention, that's what I'm trying to unpick. I'm not picking at you specifically, you're clearly not the only person, just you were the most recent poster that brought it up (as has another poster now too, since). 😊

Anyone can choose to change their name if they wish, so it's all a bit moot anyway, isn't it?
@Teapleasemilknosugar , you can't until you are 18. I changed mine at 18 and still get things addressed to the old name decades later.

@DuchessOfSausage agree both are quite French sounding, but I do like French names so I'm not too worried about that!

I understand both sides wrt nn vs traditional name on the birth cert. I think it's personal preference and depends on the name. I agree sometimes the shortened version can feel like a "younger name" in some cases, and maybe it's nice to have a choice. Obviously it's not ideal if you don't love the traditional name though..

I think what people forget is this girl won't be growing up amongst Catherine's and Laura's. Her peers will be Alfie, Charlie, Poppy, Daisy etc. whether you like them or not, this generation will be full of cutesy/nicknamey names so it would seem perfectly normal for an adult by then.

Lottie - I really love this! Not keen on the other options.

Isabelle or Madeline

Hallatosis.
Isabelle very overused
Maddie McCann
Lottie OK but prefer as nn with Charlotte on bc.