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Is Nina short for anything?

24 replies

AHLH · 10/04/2008 14:50

Our first dance at our wedding was to Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares for Me". Now 17 weeks pg with first baby, thinking of Nina as a girls name, because of these associations. But would like baby to have a "Sunday Best" name which can be abbreviated to a short nickname (ie Eleanor/Ellie). Nina just sounds like a short nickname!

So, is Nina short for anything? The closest I can get is Georgina, which I'm not going to use for all sorts of other reasons.

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nailpolish · 10/04/2008 14:50

i think its a name to itself. and a lovely one at that

frogs · 10/04/2008 14:51

Christina, usually. But can be a name in its own right too.

WigWamBam · 10/04/2008 14:54

It's a name in it's own right - it means little girl in Hebrew.

MrsBadger · 10/04/2008 14:54

I think it was once a nickname in itself, because it means 'little girl' in Spanish

some names ending in 'Nina' here but to be frank I prefer Nina to any of those.

MrsBadger · 10/04/2008 14:57

isn't Nina 'grandaughter' in Hebrew?

misdee · 10/04/2008 14:58

dd3 is Serena, but everyone calls her Nina. no idea why though lol!

hanaflower · 10/04/2008 14:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsMattie · 10/04/2008 16:19

Nina is lovely on it's own.

Alishanty · 11/04/2008 10:20

I know someone called Christina who calls herself Nina, don't know if it is a normal shortening for that name.

CountessDracula · 11/04/2008 10:20

It's short for ninanina which is the noise an ambulance makes

Saturn74 · 11/04/2008 10:28

NinaPrettyBallerina

An excellent name choice if you happen to be a fan of ABBA.

Ellbell · 11/04/2008 10:34

PMSL @ CD

It's a diminutive, so it can be 'short for' any number of names to which it can be added (so it's originally a lengthening and then a shortening, iyswim)

e.g. Giovanna - Giovannina - Nina

Just like Dino is a short form of Corrado (Corrado - Corradino - Dino)

Ellbell · 11/04/2008 10:36

Mind you, if I wanted my dd to be called Nina (and I think it's a nice name, btw) I wouldn't call her Giovanna. Especially not in this country, where she's going to get called 'Jee-oh-var-nah'.

If you like Nina, go for Nina.

MadameCh0let · 11/04/2008 10:56

The Russians use it as a short form for their equivalent of Antonia.

I love the name Nina, it is modestly beautiful. LIke Ellen, Leah, Jane, Joy, Eve

I think Nina does stand alone. I hate Janine for example. Possibly Antonia on the birtch cert gives more options in the future. Antonia, Ana, Nia, Tonia, Nina....

But the nicest one is still Nina! Although Ana is nice too.

MadameCh0let · 11/04/2008 10:58

PS another way of 'getting to' Nina would be for example

Naomi Georgina nn Nina

constancereader · 11/04/2008 10:59

Nina is a lovely name.

cyteen · 11/04/2008 12:22

There is a Polish name, Yanina, that shortens to Nina. But mostly I think it stands alone, and is all the better for it. An underrated name IMO.

LouiseAnn · 11/04/2008 12:35

My Husband's auntie, is Nina, short for Adrienne. Not sure why...

MaryAnnSingleton · 11/04/2008 12:54

Nina - a lovely name (my bf's dd's name)

brrrrmmmm · 11/04/2008 12:55

Nina and her Neurons? (CBBs)

Shitemum · 11/04/2008 12:57

A friend just called her daughter Nina, her mother is Russian and that's her name.

BTW Nina does not mean 'little girl' in Spanish - that's Niña.

PrincessPeaHead · 11/04/2008 13:01

I have a russian friend who has called her daughter nina too
It is a name in its own right, not usually a diminutive
Lovely name, I think.

morningpaper · 11/04/2008 13:02

we nearly called DD1 Saturnina

an old catholic saint

would have shortened to Nina

but then DH read Hanif Kureshi's Intimacy and it put him off?!?!??!

Joash · 11/04/2008 13:03

My friends name is Nina and in her case it's shortened from Antonina (which I think is gorgeous). She is of polish decent and went from being Antonina KR(polish surname) to Nina (very common surname) Such a shame.

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