We’re looking for a Greek first name that works well in [name_f]English[/name_f] and Greek. Please help us decide between
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] or [name_f]Zoe[/name_f]
She will have a hyphenated surname. I prefer long first names.
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If you prefer long first names, [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] seems like a no-brainer.
Zoe is gorgeous but a big part of the appeal is that it’s so short, sleek and simple.
It sounds like you’d prefer a substantial name with presence — [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is perfect! I like it with [name_f]Sia[/name_f] for short.
Good luck 
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While I prefer [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], if you like long names with strong Greek associations, [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is the right call. [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] is a beautiful name, but less obviously Greek to people who aren’t as familiar with name.
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Thanks [name_f]Katinka[/name_f]! I ought to have added that while I prefer long names, Australians shorten names. Thus we were worried about how [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] would end up being shortened especially when she is young.
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Do you like any of the nicknames for [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]? There’s [name_f]Ana[/name_f] and [name_f]Stasia[/name_f] of course, but I’ve met a girl called Stasi (stay-zee) and I think thats super cute!
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I don’t mind [name_f]Sia[/name_f] or [name_f]Stasia[/name_f].
Not so keen on [name_f]Ana[/name_f] due to a previous negative experience.
[name_f]My[/name_f] mum is against [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] because it would be shortened.
As a [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], I rarely went by anything other than my given name. [name_m]Don[/name_m]’t get me wrong, people have tried to nickname me, but my mom was very adamant that I was [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]. Friends and family call me [name_f]Cat[/name_f]/Catie, but I’m still pretty selective about who! I’ve also met multiple Elizabeths with no nickname. I know nicknames may feel inevitable for long names, but you don’t have to use one if you don’t want to!
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That’s an excellent point [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]!
My friend is named [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f], so this caught me off guard haha! Both names are gorgeous, [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] is more familiar and [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] stands out more.
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I love [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f], but you are right, Australians shorten almost every name!
You could always remain firm that she does not have a nn, or introduce her with your preferred nn, but I would go with [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] if you want to avoid any nickname issues altogether
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Anastasia is great!
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I like [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] as I feel it feels more timeless to me. I also prefer longer names but enjoy nick names.
My favourite nickname for [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is [name_f]Asia[/name_f] or [name_f]Sia[/name_f]
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I love [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f].
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That’s honestly a tough one. It sounds like even though you love [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] that she’s never really going to be called that, so am I right in saying your options are more realistically [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] or [name_f]Ana[/name_f]/Sia/Stasia?
I would lean towards [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] since I’m not really a fan of [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]-based nicknames 
But if you like one of the [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]-based nicknames then I think you can easily control the nickname she gets. [name_f]My[/name_f] friend has a [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], but they have only ever called her [name_u]Penny[/name_u] (if I wasn’t a name nerd I think I would honestly have forgotten by now that her legal name is [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]).
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If you prefer longer fns, then [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is the obvious choice! [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is gorgeous and far less expected than [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] anyway. That one gets my vote! 
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Since you prefer long names, I’d stick with [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom was always very strongly against me having a nickname (and evvveryone tried to give me one), but here I am today still being called by my full name.
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I LOVE [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]! It is such a grand, beautiful name. There’s also the more Russian nickname of [name_f]Nastya[/name_f]. Others would be [name_f]Stacie[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Tia[/name_f], or maybe even [name_f]Nadia[/name_f]. I don’t know anything about name popularity in Australia, but where I live [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] is very common.
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I love [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f], but the big appeal is all the nickname options. If you don’t plan on nicknaming, it’s a lot of name to wear. Beautiful, and certainly not undoable, but a lot.
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Both are great choices. Personally, with a hyphenated surname, I’d go for the short and energetic [name_f]Zoe[/name_f]! I wonder if there’s a middle ground name that would appeal, given that [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] and [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] are at different length extremes, but I’m not too familiar with Greek names outside the ones commonly used in [name_f]English[/name_f], so I can’t suggest any with similar sounds. But I think they make a great complimentary pair as either
[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] or [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f].
I’d go with the latter combo, that way you don’t have to worry about [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] getting shortened, and you can call her [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] as a sort of reverse nickname when you want to use her beautiful long, middle name.
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I love both but if you prefer long names, go with [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]!
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