[name_m]Hi[/name_m] all. I’m just two weeks shy of my due date and still unsure about what to name this babe.
If it’s a girl, our front runner is [name_f]Adeline[/name_f]. I like that it’s a feminine name that still sounds somewhat grounded thanks to ending with a consonant sound. It’s a name that works well with our last name and with the middle name we want to use and it also sounds good alongside the names of our first two children.
My only hesitation is that I really do not like the nickname [name_f]Addie[/name_f]/[name_f]Addy[/name_f]. I’m fine with no nickname at all, after all, we’d be naming her [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] because we like that name, but [name_f]Addie[/name_f] seems like such an obvious diminutive that I’m wondering if it will be hard to shake.
To be honest I think it would be. [name_m]How[/name_m] do you feel about the nickname [name_f]Edie[/name_f]? Because Eadlyn (pronounced ee-de-lynn) has those qualities without [name_f]Addie[/name_f].
Your child will give herself her own nickname when she goes to school, either out of her own options or based on what her friends call her. You can’t predict it, but no doubt it’d be [name_f]Addie[/name_f]. If you’re 100% not comfortable with your [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] being called [name_f]Addie[/name_f], then I say no to [name_f]Adeline[/name_f].
I’m in the U.S. and I know many girls who go exclusively by [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], etc. I usually come here to argue that nicknames can be avoided. I have to admit, though, that while I don’t know any Adelines, every one of the Madelines I have known goes by [name_f]Maddie[/name_f].
You don’t like [name_f]Addie[/name_f], but she might. If you absolutely can’t stand the idea of someone calling her [name_f]Addie[/name_f], you might want to keep looking.
[name_f]Adeline[/name_f] is such a lovely name! I do think people will try to shorten it with a nickname, so if you want to avoid [name_f]Addie[/name_f], my suggestion would be to be provide an alternative nickname – perhaps [name_u]Allie[/name_u]/[name_f]Ally[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], Aidy, [name_f]Della[/name_f], [name_f]Alla[/name_f], [name_f]Lina[/name_f], [name_f]Ana[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Andi[/name_f], [name_f]Dina[/name_f] or Liddy.
You could just correct those who shorten it to [name_f]Addie[/name_f]. Perhaps [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] would be a cute nn for [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] though?
You might consider [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] or [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] which have a similar sound but no [name_f]Addie[/name_f] (although personally I like [name_f]Addie[/name_f]).
I love the name [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] with the nn [name_f]Addy[/name_f], it’s spunky and cute if she turns out to be a tomboy, depending on her personality. She can just tell everyone what she wants to be called.
Tons of family members are probably going to call her [name_f]Addy[/name_f] unless you tell every single person you don’t like it.
You could always go for the girlier version of [name_f]Addy[/name_f], which is [name_f]Adele[/name_f].
My rule: if you don’t love associated nicknames, it’s okay to still use the name and call your child by the preferred name and hope it sticks.
If you hate associated nicknames, scrap the name.
If you’re at a playground and introduce your daughter as [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] and a well meaning mom says “nice to meet you [name_f]Addie[/name_f]” are you going to be annoyed. [name_m]Will[/name_m] you say something or vent about it to your husband later? Or do you just keep referring to her as [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] and know that if you spend significant time with this mom, she will eventually follow suit.
If your daughter choses to go by [name_f]Addie[/name_f] on her own will you try to talk her out of i? [name_m]Will[/name_m] you be devastated? Or will you shrug and say I never would have picked that, but I’m glad she picked a name for herself she identifies with and now that she’s getting older I agree it fits her.
I agree with other posters that there’s a strong chance an [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] would end up getting called [name_f]Addie[/name_f], so, if you hate [name_f]Addie[/name_f], you may need to seek out another name.
I think it is possible to use just the full name, but it does mean you may need to sometimes correct people who say “[name_f]Addie[/name_f]”. It’s likely this will sometimes happen, though hopefully most people will take the cue from you. I agree with pps who said it depends how much this is a problem for you. I know an adult [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] who is always [name_f]Deborah[/name_f] and never [name_f]Debbie[/name_f] or [name_f]Deb[/name_f], and who has always just corrected people who try to shorten it. It works fine for her. I’ve also known Elizabeths and Susans who go by their full name. If your [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] did have a nn I much prefer [name_f]Edie[/name_f] which I think works fine for [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], but you would have to suggest it as it won’t arise naturally.
I love [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] nn [name_f]Della[/name_f]!! Or what about [name_u]Del[/name_u], [name_f]Adele[/name_f], [name_f]Lina[/name_f], [name_f]Dellie[/name_f], [name_f]Linny[/name_f] (these are in order of my favourites however [name_f]Della[/name_f] is by far my favourite).
Thanks everyone for your feedback. I’m not sure I’m any closer to a naming decision, but I do really appreciate all the responses.
Unfortunately, I don’t really like any other nicknames for [name_f]Adeline[/name_f]. With some exceptions I think I’m maybe just not that into nicknames. I feel like we choose a name because we like that name, not some alternate variation of it.
Having said that, I think if my daughter eventually decided she wanted to be called [name_f]Addie[/name_f], I’d be ok with that. What I’m not OK with is everyone else automatically truncating her name to a nn I don’t like. I don’t mind correcting people, but there will be a point (like when she starts school) that I’m not around to correct people all the time. I guess I would just have to let it go eventually and stop trying to control what people call my daughter but maybe the easier thing for me personally would be to just pick another name.
[name_f]Adeline[/name_f] is one of the few names my husband and I agree on and it works with our other children’s names, etc. We may just need to go back to the drawing board though.
[name_m]How[/name_m] are you pronouncing it? [name_m]Add[/name_m]-uh-lyn or add–uh-line? [name_m]Add[/name_m]-uh-lyn could go by Lynnie/Linney. Either name offers [name_f]Adele[/name_f], [name_f]Adela[/name_f], or Dela.