Just Lizzie, not Elizabeth

[JJB3]

We're having our first baby (a girl). My husband suggested Lizzie as soon as we found out the gender. He has loved it since childhood and has been hoping that I'll officially agree to it. The only "problem" is that he hates the formal name (Elizabeth). (I've noticed that he hates most names that start with the letter E.) To be fair, I'm not too keen on Elizabeth either. I've just been thinking that Lizzie as an official name might look a bit unprofessional to other people, but he doesn't care about what other people think. He's of the opinion that we shouldn't give our child a first name that we dislike just to appease other people. Thoughts?

Lizzie McGuire. I don’t like it.

If you don't like Elizabeth why would you put it on the BC. Nobody bats an eyelid at Eliza, Beth, Betsy, Libby, Lily, etc.

If she decides she wants to be Elizabeth or something else when she's older, she can always change her name.

We've even had a PM called Liz.

I have a Victorian great-aunt who was a Lizzie too.

Lizzie short for Aliza?

Yes another one here my Scottish grandmother was a Lizzie. I like it and wish it was my name.

I’m Lizzie (Elizabeth)

It's not a great name full stop. Elizabeth is a good name. Any nn used as full name sounds rubbish. I've got a friend who used a nn instead of full name. Child is now grown and has changed their name to the full version and goes by a different nn.

Lizzie is lovely. Both my DS have three letter names on their birth certificate. They are usually shortened from the full version. DH and I are always called by the abbreviation of our names so we decided on that approach for our DS. I love both of their names and can’t be doing with what looks proper on the birth certificate.

Also. As per quite a few instances on here. We never discussed names with anyone else as we didn’t want anyone else’s opinions as obviously they’re all different 😆

I think it's fine. No-one cares that it's not the longer name. She will be called Lizzie by everyone. 0.05% of life is official/forms/admin and yes she will be asked if it's Elizabeth, but the vast majority of the time it won't matter. We had a prime minister called Liz (albeit briefly).

Bliss ?

lizzie for nn

Otherwise I can only think of Lysistrata!

or Lisianthus

Lizette? Or Melissa can be shorted to Lissie?

I called my older 2 shortened versions of their names and the middle hates having a more formal version that's on her birth certificate/passport. So with the youngest, I went for the short name only and she's constantly asked if it's the longer version. You can't win, in honesty!

You hate Elizabeth…. Then why would you call your dad Liz or Lizzie?

Liza or Lizzie.

Lizzie is sweet enough.
It is similar to calling a child Kate, Bridie, Vicky, Nancy, Jack, Harry or Annie. All are very well known names their own right.

I’m an Elizabeth, I go by Liz. Nobody has ever assumed I’m an Elizabeth or called me Elizabeth since primary school (over 40 years ago), so I don’t think that correcting people will be a problem.

My bf named her first dd after me, but dislikes Elizabeth. Her dd is ‘Lizzie’ on her birth certificate. She’s an adult now and has an extremely professional job. I don’t think that her name has ever held her back. (Personally,I always hated being called Lizzie when I was a child)!

I knew a Lizbeth when I was growing up.

She’ll be forever explaining that her name isn’t Elizabeth and that her parents gave her a nickname.

For the same reason that someone might hate Margaret but decide to call their daughter Maggie or hate Katherine but decide to call their daughter Kate. They're two separate names that look and sound completely different.

If lizzie is what you both like then use it.
It is ridiculous to put a name on the birth certificate that you don't like and will never use because some people have weird rules about what is and isn't acceptable for a name.

Fuck that. Use the name you love.

My name's in the same vein as Lizzie in that it's a common shortening of a more traditional name. It isn't an 'ie' name though, so it sounds less of a pet name, which means it isn't always assumed it isn't my full name.

I suppose she could call herself Liz when she's an adult if she thinks Lizzie's a bit cutesy.

I go back and forth on this because you might not be bothered about having to say “It’s just Lizzie” every so often but it might bug her.

Some nicknames have made it well into the Top 100 and people don’t assume it’s the longer version anymore - but the last stats say there were less than 10 Lizzie’s/Lizzy’s registered in 2023 compared to nearly 700 Elizabeth’s/Elisabeth’s. I think people are going to make assumptions and it could be a hassle for her.

Personally I would put Elizabeth on the BC even if it isn’t a particular fave - a young close relative is apparently an Elizabeth but everyone in her life including myself has always referred to her as Lizzie, as that was what she was introduced as from birth and afaik it’s never caused any issues. But I think she might be grateful for the longer option as an adult. Also so many girls go through an Austen P and P phase as it keeps being remade 🤣 - so she might like Elizabeth “ Lizzie” Bennett and appreciate the same.

I totally agree. Plus, if OP and her husband put Elizabeth on the birth certificate, I can almost guarantee that they'll come across certain people who will refuse to call their daughter Lizzie. There's always those impolite and obnoxious people that refuse to use the preferred diminutive/nickname and insist on calling someone by the name that is on their birth certificate. 🙄 Those people are even more likely to do so if they know that it bothers the parents or person with the name.

OP, I would put Lizzie on the birth certificate since you hate Elizabeth. It gives those type of people less of an opportunity to call your daughter a name that you hate.

My DD in her twenties has been Lizzy since the day she was born and never uses Elizabeth - apart from professionally as she thinks it sounds better in official documents. But all teachers / doctors etc use Lizzy.
I use a shortened version of my name but professional email is my bc name - it has been good in the past having the distinction - means people rarely track me down on organisational emails or find my social media

Go for it. I’ve never understood the point of giving a child a name you have no intention of using.