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Baby names

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Nickname Ebby

16 replies

Dragonrider · 20/04/2009 20:39

Hey, This is my first post and I have a rather odd problem so please bear with me.
It is important to me that dd has a name which can be shortened to Ebby when she gets here. I would like to sort-of name her after my grandmother Ebba (Swedish) who was like a mother to me after my mum died. She was known as Ebby which is a nickname dp and I both love, but we're struggling to find a ''proper'' name which can be shortened to Ebby. We have ruled out Ebba partly because we want her to be her own person, but also because we don't think it's a very nice name. We also don't want Ebby as the proper name as it wouldn't give dd many options of alternatives if she hates it, and I could imagine she would want a more ''grown-up'' and English sounding name when she is a bit older. I'm English, dp is German and we live in the UK, so the name also has to sound ok in English and German.
We've been racking our brains trying to think of another name which could be shortened to Ebby but haven't come across any. So we're trying to come up with a list of first and middle names with the initials E... B... I really like the names Esme and Bryony but I don't think they go together well with dp's second name (which is 2 syllables, very german sounding and begins with L). Pleeeease help with E or B names or names with Ebby as a nickname, we're running out of ideas.

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basementbear · 20/04/2009 21:31

Why can't you just give her the name of your choice as a "proper" name but then have Ebby as a nickname? I have a family nickname which is nothing like my actual name - and my best friend is the same (these are actual names rather than silly nicknames like "curly" or "freckles" I mean!)

IheartNY · 20/04/2009 21:34

How about Emily Beatrice?
Ebony as first name?

I think you could probably get Ebby as a nickname from something like Elizabeth though. My DS is Teddy short from Edward which is a standard nn but is not any closer to the actual name than Ebby is to Elizabeth iyswim!

Leannabanana · 20/04/2009 21:37

i can definitely see Ebby as a NN for Elizabeth....

Shitemum · 20/04/2009 21:42

Give her a first name you like and Ebba as her middle name, then call her Ebby.

jkklpu · 20/04/2009 21:45

Yes, Elizabeth, or how about Elspeth, which is more unusual? Tbh, call her anything beginning with E and some consonants in the middle and you can shorter it to Ebby anyway. She'll be called by others whatever you call her. My sister's known by everyone except work people by the name she gave herself in her earliest attempts to pronounce Laura: it begins with L but, otherwise, has no resemblance.

Shylily · 20/04/2009 22:10

Why not Ebby? You could spell it Ebi.
People make up all sorts of names these days and it sounds much better than many - I like it as a 'proper name'.
'Ebbe' is a real name - it's a variation of your grandmother's name - you could just anglasise the spelling.
I don't know how to put links in properly but the website below gives you 'names that sound like ...' so it might help.

www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Ebbe

vess · 21/04/2009 05:22

I know a dog called Ebony, and she's Ebbie for short. She's an ebony-coloured spaniel.
Sorry, not much help. How about Ebba as a second name?

BabyValentine · 21/04/2009 13:07

Rebecca?

pranma · 21/04/2009 14:48

I know a little girl called Ebony and it is pretty think

jumpingbeans · 21/04/2009 14:50

Ebay

frazzledoldbag · 21/04/2009 15:06

Elspeth? shortened to Ebby?
or Evangeline
or Elizabeth

or just call her whatever you like as her proper name and call her Ebby at home. My DD1 has a proper name, but at home we all call her Ga-Ga. (and she is 8 and this has been going on for years! - her real name is in no way related to / doesn't start with the same letter as Ga-Ga - nothing like it in fact!)

Dragonrider · 22/04/2009 06:33

Thank you for all the comments We've now pretty much decided she's going to be Bryony and now just working on a middle name. It doesn't work too well in German and it doesn't logically shorten to Ebby but we love it

OP posts:
RachieB · 22/04/2009 14:26

Bryony is lovely

tassisssss · 22/04/2009 14:32

Hey my ds is called Cameron but we often call him Sploond! Call her what you like and nickname her Ebby!

littlemissm · 26/04/2009 10:35

I hava a Ebony & we sometimes shorten it to Ebby

lunamoon2 · 26/04/2009 18:54

I was thinking Ebony as well.

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