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Baby names

An alternative to Susan?

28 replies

oxcat1 · 01/03/2008 11:50

Hello,

My mum died when I was 16 and her name was Susan, although she always went by her middle name. Similarly, both DH and myself have wonderfully close family friends called Susan who we would like to recognise.

However - neither of us like the name Susan!

Can you think of any alternatives that are similar enough to be worth the effort but also nicer? It would be for a middle name so not often heard.

Thanks

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posieflump · 01/03/2008 11:51

Susie/Suzy
Suzanne
Susanna

dustystar · 01/03/2008 11:51

Suzanne?

Tommy · 01/03/2008 11:52

Susannah?
My DSs would have been that if they were girls.

bundle · 01/03/2008 11:52

I think Susannah is a lovely name
what first name were you thinking of?

posieflump · 01/03/2008 11:53

see here

piratecat · 01/03/2008 11:55

I went to college with a girl called Suki, apparently (google) it is the Japanese verb meaning 'to like'

shortens beautifully to Su(e)??

oxcat1 · 01/03/2008 11:55

Oh thank you! For some reason I hadn't thought of such close names - I guess I thought they'd be too close to Susan to be an improvement, whereas actually they're beautiful.

Hadn't realised the names all mean 'Lily'... Now there's a beautiful name! But nobody would ever know it had anything to do with Susan so probably not worth doing.

Hey ho!

OP posts:

bundle · 01/03/2008 11:55

oh it means lily - that's lovely too

bundle · 01/03/2008 11:56

i think it's worth doing if you'd know and it reminds you of your mum

posieflump · 01/03/2008 11:57

you could have Lily-Su as the first name and second name!

mrsruffallo · 01/03/2008 12:11

Susannah is lovely isn't it?

Hulababy · 01/03/2008 12:12

People who were important to you would know, on you telling the, that Susan menat "Lily" -so you could use that name. It is a very pretty name.

skidoodle · 01/03/2008 15:11

isn't the whole point of a second name to honour somebody in the family without actually calling the child a name you don't like?

Your Mum's name was Susan, not Susannah or Lily. Why not just give the child the middle name Susan?

"your granny's name was Susan, but we thought it was an ugly name so gave you a completely different middle name to remember her by" seems an odd thing to explain to a child.

I can the sense in either Lily or Susannah as a first name if you don't like Susan but want to call the child after her Granny. But if you're going to relegate the remembrance to a name most people will never even hear you could at least use the actual name in question.

TheFallenMadonna · 01/03/2008 15:14

What name was your mother actually known by? DO you like that any better?

My Grandad was always known by his second name, and his actual first name has no significance for me at all.

skidoodle · 01/03/2008 15:20

That's a true TFM. My Grandfather was always known by his confirmation name and his first name has no meaning for any of us at all. All the children called after him use his given name and there is nobody in the family called his first name.

oxcat1 · 01/03/2008 15:30

Well her first name was Jennifer but I'm not terribly keen on that either.

Certainly lots to think about - thanks.

OP posts:

plumb · 01/03/2008 15:30

Had similar problem. really wanted to name DD after my mum but just couldnt bring myself to call her Sheila. Middle name was Dorothy. Neither worked for me. Then DH asked what month my mum was born and Hurrah! Birthday in May! So nice neutral middle name for DD with sentimental meaning for me x Mind you, not sure if it would have worked if mums birthday was in November!

alfiesbabe · 01/03/2008 16:12

Definitely Susannah. It's a beautiful name and I think goes well as a middle name.

Dior · 01/03/2008 16:14

Message withdrawn

chonky · 01/03/2008 16:14

Another vote for Susannah. I'd never really thought of it before, but it is lovely, and quite unusual.

suzywong · 01/03/2008 16:15

spell it without the H

very classy

bundle · 01/03/2008 16:15

wheresthehamster · 01/03/2008 16:16

Susan must be due for a comeback. Till then how about Susanne?

scorpio1 · 01/03/2008 16:17

Suranne? Like her wot used to be in corrie.

luciemule · 01/03/2008 16:17

Susannah - much more modern imo.

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