long fancy girls name to match other DC...

[hedgiemum]

I have daughters named Genevieve (Gigi) and Celestine (Celeste), and a son named William (Billy).
I'm now pregnant with DC4, another girl.
We're seriously considering;

Violet / Violette - only problem is what to shorten either to (Vivi would be confusing alongside Gigi.) Don't like Letty.

Ottilie - nn Lottie/Lotta since Tilly wouldn't work well with Billy! Any other ideas what it could be shortened to?

Marianna - nn Mimi (DH's favourite as named after his late mother). Tennysons depressing poem puts me off a bit. Also concerned that wouldn't match well with our surname, a Mc name of 3 syllables.

Evangeline - but Evie would be confusing with Gigi. Know of any other nn's?

Emmanuelle - nn Esme or Emmy. (My favourite because a family name on my side) but yes we do know the 70's soft porn connotations. Does it really matter??!

If you have a minute, which do you think "goes" best with my other children, or can you think of anything better? (Francesca has bad associations for me; DH doesn't like Josephine; DH is Irish but we don't want a traditional Irish name; DH doesn't want anything that sounds Scottish; meanings are important to us, as is being unusual (for girls).

Why have 'long,fancy names' and then shorten them? Why not just call them by their proper name or name them the shortened version?

from your new short list, Emmanuelle is my favourite.

what about
Robina (Ruby/Robin for short)
Constantia
Clementina
Fenella
Josephine
Serena
Felicity
Florian
Thomasina
Alicia

Emmanuelle is really awful (sorry!) and I think would be more likely to lead to a nn of Elle than Emmie. Middle name territory only!

I don't like Evangeline either. It's a bit whiny to me. Which pronunciation of Ottilie would you use (Oh-Til-ee, or Oh-til?) I like the latter, which doesn't need a nickname

I think Seraphina might be a bit difficult to carry off, and if your dh likes very "baby" nns, then Fifi does beckon. Gigi, Cissy, Billy and Fifi would be a bit much! And a pity when you have done out of your way to chose "fancy" names. I'd look for something which can't be shortened to a "i" ending.

If you like angels, what about Angelique? I'm reading a book about a Hepzibah (which means "my delight is in her") known as Hepzi. dd has a friend Miriam (nn Mimi) which is a version of Mary, so good Christian connection there. I like Susannah (Sue, Susie, Sukie, Anna), although the latter names are perhaps a bit too English (would go well with Billy, but not your girls names so much, as you have a bit of a French theme there).

Adelaide

hi Solowitch - Ariadne has nice sounds, it just reminds me too much of the nutty writer lady in Hercule Poirot books. I thinks its cool though, just not for me.

hi hf12 - because I have a name of one sylable, which can't be shortened and it very over-used and DULL. My middle name is similarly short and dull (as was my maiden name!) So my children have options with their names - including a much more normal middle name so that they can switch to that if they prefer.

hi bettybeetroot - hurrah, a vote for Emmanuelle!!! Of other suggestions, love Felicity, but its already in our family.

hi nooka - I'm ignorant- didn't know Ottilie could be pronounced oh-til! Interesting... The thing with babyish nn's is that DH is going to do that with whatever name we choose for a girl. But it is only him that calls Celeste "Cissy", and I agree with you, something that the rest of us shorten to a non-I ending would be ideal. Couldn't have Emmanuelle shortened to Elle, as we have 2 nieces called Ellie already!

hi seeker- I read Adelaide on a thread here last week actually, and its gorgeous. I'm just worried that she'd go through life correcting people "no, NOT pronounced like the Aussie city". Pronounced properly, with Adele as nn, it is beautiful. do you know of any alternate spellings, I couldn't find one online, or do you think people would be more aware of pronounciation than I assume?

You're all fantastic at this!

Adelheid is the flemish version of Adelaide.

I'm not suggesting you use Adelheid btw, I think both Adelaide and Adelheid are too difficult to pull off unless you are foreign. But both very lovely names.

Still think Seraphina (shortened to Phina or Phine or Sera)
Delphine or Josephine.

Antigone - nn Tiggy.
I love this name but it's too 'fancy' for us.

hi belgo, thanks for all your lovely suggestions. I love Josephine but DH really, really doesn't like it. (He never tells me why he doesn't like things though, which is frustrating.)
Still mulling on Delphine... not sure if I like the meaning & etymology enough to go for it.
I'd love to be able to get away with adelaide, but think you're prob'ly right.

I've only heard of Antigone and Persephone on mumsnet, and when spoken, they are very pretty names. Dreadful when written down though.

Wasn't Adelheid Heidi's full name in the book? Was a clara also, which is nice.

I scrolled down to suggest Seraphina, but very much beaten to it! Dh vetoed for us as he says too poncey, but he is a caveman who wants Shirley ffs! I must ban Billy Bragg for a while...

However, most colleagues said Sera sounds like Sarah and most people would assume that was the baby's name if shortened.

Verity?
Lucia?

Yolande?

Ophelia?
Ariadne?
Apollonia?

Sorry to hijack but could I just ask how Violette is pronounced as DC2 is due in 5 weeks and our name of choice is Violet but somehow Violette seems to look prettier and possibly fit me shortening it to Lettie better.

Again sorry for the hijack hope you dont mind!

From your last shortlist I like Seraphina or Ottilie.

Claire xXx

Solowitch - I love Ariadne!

yes you're right Helen. I hadn't realised that before.

I like the name Heidi as well. Dh veteod both Heidi and Adelheid.

Was Ariadne the girl in The Borrowers?

I like Delphine.

What about Hephsibah? Hepsi for short. Although there's a girl who helps at a toddler group with that name and I once called her Hezbollah by accident

I don't know Helen, but I believe she was possibly a goddess.

Minerva another godess name. Minnie for short.

That was Arrietty

I like Abitheah (Abbey-thay-a?)

Ariadne was the woman who gave Theseus the ball of wool so he could escape the Minotaur in Greek mythology. It was also ds's girl name - no idea it was becoming so popular!

hi claireykitten - because Violette is the French form, I've assumed it is pronounced Vee-o-lett rather than vie-oh-lut. I've kind of made that up in my head though - and my French is only the schoolgirl variety so I could be wrong. Either is really pretty, imo.

2helen - yes, I agree with you about Sera. I'm playing around with a Raphie-type nn. Is Adelheid pronounced as it looks, or a bit more like Adelaide? Verity is my sisters new baby's name - I love it! (I have 4 siblings, DH has 3, so a lot of names are already taken!)

arctic - not keen on Y names, not sure why.

marthasmummy - not keen on ophelia as I find her annoying in Hamlet. Never really heard Appollonia before - does it sound a bit apple-ey. Mind you, Polly cute nn.

boco - Delphine seems to be a lot of people's favourite of the things that have come up on this thread. hmmm. Not keen on Hephsibah - lol at Hezbollah!!! Did the mother hear?!

Laetitia? It is latin for happiness. Lette is a sweet shortening.

Or what about other goddesses - Hera? Athene (wisdom)?

Delphine also lovely.

Not Antigone, poor lass came to a sticky end and will be endlessly reminded of it by the dwindling number of classics scholars who delight in flashing their knowledge (speaks the bitter voice of experience...)

I Like Lette, but not Laetitia.
Have a good friend called Athena which is a fab name but too closely associated with her for me to want to use it (not that she'd mind). Hera too short for me.
Agree about Antigone.
ANOTHER vote for Delphine? hmmm.

Someone else came up with Abithea too, I've never hear it before, and its pretty, but know quite a few Abi's and have nephew called Theo (=bad).