Could Bess be a nn for any other name than Elizabeth?

[julietbat]

My dp and I are really struggling for girls' names but we think we might have found a name we both like - Bess. I have a bit of a thing about calling a child by a shortened version (dp doesn't and thinks I'm being silly) but I'm not really keen on Elizabeth as the 'proper' name. Can you think of any other name we could use where it wouldn't be ridiculous to shorten it to Bess?

Thanks

Bethany/ Belinda/ Beatrice perhaps? Struggling a bit tbh!

Bess is really sweet and would translate into adulthood, is a well known accepted name but not common. Great name! Why not go with Elizabeth though? It is quite a good regal name, and I guess wont be used much if she actually going to be Bess? Then if she marries a prince or something she can wheel it out.

There were 21 babies registered as Bessie last year, apparently, and 8 registered as Bess (according to the ONS stats accessible via a link on one of the other threads, the one called 'Offensive Baby Name threads?' or something... I am currently obsessed with checking the ranking of all of our shortlist - more than 250 last year? cross it off!). So you wouldn't be alone! Agree re. v. sweet and unusual name - lovely.

Totally making this up , but, what about Esther ?

I like Bess. Not Bessie.

I think that Elizabeth is lovely name. No reason you ever had to call her by it.

I like Elizabeth too, and it has so many variants

Beth, Betty, Elle, Betsy

Also people use Tess as a name in its own right so why not Bess? And there are lots of names shorter than Bess which are accepted names ie May, Amy etc

Betsy?

Bethany?

I prefer names that can't be shortened as I like the concept of one name... job done but most like a formal name and nickname.

Fact is once they are teenagers they will automatically take the shortened version/ nickname anyway.

If you both like it why not go for it and not try to fit it into a longer version?

Bessica

Thanks for the suggestions. I think Elizabeth or Beatrice are the best options. I don't mind either, they just don't jump out at me - but then if she's not really ever going to use them I suppose it doesn't matter. But it would give her choices later in life if she didn't like Bess.

maniacbug - I like the idea of checking the stats. I also have a bit of a 'thing' about not choosing something popular. But then we completely screwed up with dd - she's Ava Rose and we thought we'd found a lovely and unusual combination (we both teach at secondary level so in our realm they are unusual!) but looking around at names coming up Ava is way more popular than we ever believed. Oh well. It still suits her down to the ground though .

Elspeth or Annabeth could work too?

Bess is such a beautiful name - and on my list. Great choice. I would personally go for Elizabeth

I know a Bessolina. I've only ever heard her being called Bess. It was only when I saw her name written on something formal after knowing her for a couple of years that I found out what it was short for.

Personally I like Elizabeth - it was our first choice if ds1 had been a girl and we would have shortened it to either Bess or Beth.

if you dont like elizabeth then i would say dont put a long form because others seem a bit contrived for the nn bess?