Nickname problem??

[tummytickler]

Hi all.
I love the name Mildred, always have done (since my 'Worst Witch' under the duvet with a torch days!). Surprise surprise dh also loves it!
I am actually surprised it is not more popular as so many people grew up with and loved the Worst Witch books and Roald Dahl names (Charlie, Sophie, Matilda) seem to have gone wild! But hey ho!
Anyway we would love some opinions on Mildred please.
Also - the one thing that puts us off is the nickname Millie! Is it inevitable do you think?
Thanks!

I think it's quite cool in an old lady kind of way.

But Yes I think dd becoming Millie is somewhat inevitable

i don't think it's necessarily inevitable.
if you ALWAYS use the full name then everyone else will IMO.

my DP is Robert, and until he was at secondary school everyone used his full name.
he then decided that Bob was ok as a nickname and now some people use that.
but he is never ever Rob.

soooo, yes and no really. cos if your daughter decides that she does like Millie as a NN then there isn't much yhou can do about it.
but i do think that people will take your lead and call her what you call her for the first few years at least!

I really like Mildred,it makes me think of Yootha Joyce though,but that is a good thing in my book.I don't think it is inevitable that it will be shortened,if you always use the proper name.

Hard to avoid Millie.
Mild and Dred aren't great alternatives!

I don't like the name at all - it comes across as dreary to me.

wrt nicknames, the only thing you can do is always call her by your choice of nickname so that when she goes to school, that's what she uses.

Ah, Yootha - just to prove that unusual names are nothing new!

nicknames can be difficult, but end up being in the control of the child. My dh has a name that is often shortened but he doesn't like it - he's always telling people not to use the shortened version. You would think most people can't pronounce 4 syllables! And my ds2 is called Benedict. From a very early age he would tell people "my name is Benedict, not Ben" and people don't, although it has been rather harder since he started school. People do tend to assume....

I think if you like Mildred, go for it. I'm sure she will put people in their place if they call her a nickname she doesn't like. You will have to prepare yourself for the possibility though of her choosing to call herself Millie. Nothing you will be able to do then.

Lovely name!

You wouldn't need to shorten it - Mildred rolls off the tongue nicely imo.

Don't like Mildred as it ends with a thud and reminds me too much of a cross between Mildew and dread...not nice fluffy words really. But that is just a personal view. Perhaps a less common nickname could be Milla, Mil or Red?

All I can think of is George and Mildred. It just seems so old. I think it would definitely be shortened to Millie.

I'm not keen on it. Nasty kids at school may call her Mildew. Millie is lovely though.

IMO Mildred is just one of those old lady names that should be left to rot. I like most old lady names, indeed my own daughter has a old lady name, Mildred is just plain awful - sorry.

But as far as nn goes, I would recommend Red, its tres cool.

I agree with the poster who said everyone will follow your lead as regards to name/nn. I have a sister called sophie, my mum was adamant she would never be called 'Soph' and told anyone who called her it that had she wanted her daughter to be called 'Soph' she would have christened her it. It did seem to do the trick as not only did no one call her Soph but my sister also learnt the phrase and repeated it in my mothers absence.

In the words of Dr Ross, you set the tone.

Not mad on Mildred (always makes me think of mildew) but on the Worst Witch theme, I bloody love the name Maud!

I like Mildred - you could always make sure people shorten it to Mils instead of Millie. I used to know a Mils - real name Amelia - but I rather liked the abbreviation.

Oh I like it. As above if you use Mildred other people will too. My friends children all have three syllable names but are never shortened.