Shortening of Caroline

[eenybeeny]

I want to call a girl (if I have a girl) Caroline BUT I want it shortened to Caro. It's a common 18th century thing and I am really into the Georgians. BUT When I say it to people they think I am saying Carol. Which is my Mom's name btw. How can I avoid this?

People will call her Caz or Cal anyway.

Just shorten it to what you want and be prepared to correct people if necessary. People will always mishear things; I'm 32 and still seem to spend half my life asking people not to call me certain derivatives/wrong versions of my name, and even then a few people will insist on using an unwished-for version.

I like Caro btw.

UD is right - everyone will call her Caz anyway!

But does it matter what people think? If people close to you get it wrong then you can correct them, and if someone else gets it wrong, it doesn't really matter.

Eventually she will decide what she wants to call herself, and then it's up to her to deal with.

dd is danni-ella, shortened to ella, now and then at school she gets called danni and just corrects people.
If youre happy to correct them then go ahead.
MiL is caroline btw but we call her caz.

Although I do know a Caroline (quite posh) who is always Caro, never Cal or Caz.

my cousin is a Caroline and it's never shortened !

She will get called Cal if she's lucky.

It might be Cazza

Cazza

Caro is pretty, but i think people will hear "Carol" and call her that. "Carly" is a common shortening of Caroline

If you like older-fashioned names, how about Carrie? I have heard that as a shortening for Carmen before and would work for Caroline as well. I do think Caro is prettier though.

I know a Caro, and no-one called her Carol. I really like it!

my sister is a Caro but came up with it 'naturally' if that makes sense

I'm not sure that trying to impose a nickname ever really works. Caroline is lovely though.

I think it only works if you are Really Posh, so that when you say Caro it sounds a bit "Carr-eau" (bray a bit when you say it) and not "Carr-OH".

agree Ca-ROW is less attractive than CA-reau

[brays]
[blushes]

just returned from my parents, who showed me a pic of my grandparent's grave- apparantly grandma's name was Caroline, but I never heard her called that-she was always Cissie- no idea why or if this is one of the rarer pet versions of Caroline. Think it's quite nice.

I know a Caroline who's Cara & one who is Caroline, never heard a Caz, it's horrible. You could use Cally as well.

I like the name Caroline but I wouldn't shorten it at all.

Although Cally was someone out of Blake's Seven.

I think if you just use the short form you prefer, people will soon get used to it. My friend's DD is always known as Carrie and it wasn't till she started school that I discovered she was actually Caroline.

Is CarrieMumsnet really Caroline?

I've a friend called Cali, also shortened from Caroline.

I have a SIL and that her name and she gets shortened to Caro.

my dsis is a Caroline and only shortening is Caro, most of time she is Caroline but never Caz, Callie etc

i'm a Caroline, was a Cassie for a while to mu mum and dad only when very young! Now it's just Caroline. FWIW I think Caroline is rather a fab name!

Lina?