So we are down to our short list:
[name]Eloise[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Sonja[/name] [name]Lee[/name]
[name]Elise[/name] [name]Taylor[/name]
and something struck me… I dont like all the nicknames for these names… can they be avoided or are some inevitable?
[name]Eloise[/name] [name]Jane[/name]: We like the nn [name]Elle[/name] and possibly [name]Elsie[/name], but I HATE “weezie” and am not a fan of “Ello” or other variations either. [name]How[/name] safe are we from these offenders?
[name]Sonja[/name]: there really isnt a good nn, but I am not sure she needs one. I am not a fan of [name]Sonny[/name]. [name]How[/name] likely is she to be shortened to [name]Sonny[/name]?
[name]Elise[/name] feels pretty safe… we like [name]Elle[/name] or [name]Elsie[/name] again. “Lisey” would be the only other thing I can think of… dont love it but its not miserable.
I knew a [name]Sonja[/name] (I think she spelled in [name]Sonya[/name] though) and I only ever heard people shorten her name to Sone (rhymes with cone) and never [name]Sonny[/name]. Most if the time people used her full name.
[name]Eloise[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] should be fine. [name]Elle[/name] is the most intuitive nickname.
I love how different we all can be, [name]Eloise[/name] is on my list primarily for the nickname weezie! I think it’s adorable and spunky. However it’s not the most obvious nickname for [name]Eloise[/name] so I wouldn’t be worried about it. I actually wonder if I wouldn’t end up calling her “Elo,” “elos” or just “Lo” given how I typically shorten names.
Yeah, I definitely don’t like Weezie either, all I think of it [name]Lil[/name] [name]Wayne[/name]. ([name]Lil[/name] Weezy is his secondary name) I’d never heard of Weezie as a nn for [name]Eloise[/name], so you’re safe there imo.
Honestly, so long as you offer and alternative nickname, you should be fine. Once she enters school, and she likes other nicknames, you really have no control though. So keep that in mind, she may like Ello, Weezie, [name]Sonny[/name], and Lisey when she gets older and you can’t control that. So if that doesn’t bother you, then awesome.
I think [name]Elise[/name] is the safest, [name]Lise[/name] is a common nn for it too, or [name]Lili[/name].
[name]Just[/name] my input, I think [name]Eloise[/name] [name]Jane[/name] is the best sister combo to [name]Lucia[/name] [name]Marie[/name]. [name]Elise[/name] would be good, but not with [name]Taylor[/name].
I have a friend named [name]Sonia[/name] and she’s pretty much always [name]Sonia[/name]. We occasionally called her Soni (Rhymes with [name]Ronnie[/name], rather than [name]Sonny[/name] which rhymes with honey) but I don’t think it needs a nickname.
I’ve never heard of Weezie for [name]Eloise[/name]. I’ve heard names like [name]Lola[/name] being thrown around for it though, but if you call her [name]Elle[/name] it should be enough to ward off the ones you don’t like as you have a nickname in place already. Same for [name]Elise[/name].
I think [name]Eloise[/name] is really cute. I think Weezie is pretty random and no one would use it unless they were joking. I love [name]Elise[/name]. I could see [name]Lise[/name] or Lisey being used as shorts by family. [name]Sonny[/name] would not cross my mind as a nickname for [name]Sonja[/name]. I think most nicknames are family led. My name is similar to [name]Elise[/name]. My family uses my nickname but my friends don’t. I had one friend in college who called me by my nickname but that was because her cousin had my name and nickname, so she was familiar with using it.
The only ones I think are unavoidable are [name]Elle[/name] for [name]Eloise[/name] and (maybe) [name]Elle[/name] for [name]Elise[/name], simply because the syllable is right there. Weezie and [name]Sonny[/name] are not natural to me and if I heard them I would think more family/close friend nickname and not something for everyday friends, if that makes sense.
I wouldn’t be tempted to call an [name]Eloise[/name], Ello, as it sounds off. [name]Elsie[/name] seems like it would be more a mispronunciation for [name]Elise[/name] rather than a nickname and doesn’t seem natural for [name]Eloise[/name] either (meaning, basically, it’s very easily avoidable/someone would have to be intending for it to be a nickname, for it to be one).
Nicknames I think wouldn’t be avoidable
[name]Eloise[/name] – [name]Elle[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name]
[name]Elise[/name] – [name]Elle[/name], [name]Lise[/name], Lisey
[name]Sonja[/name] – [name]Son[/name], Sone (like someone mentioned rhyming with cone)
Bad NNs can most definetly be avoided if you nip them in the bud when you hear them. If a Mother said to me, “Sorry, but please do not call my daughter [name]Sonny[/name] because I don’t like it” I would never dream to let it slip again.
The only way you cannot avoid them, is if little [name]Sonja[/name] prefers to be called [name]Sonny[/name] (or Weezi, or Lisey)and she makes it known to others.
If you really hate a nn and you wouldn’t like it if you child decides to go by that name, I would avoid using it just incase.
To be honest, you can’t avoid nicknames. You might be able to avoid certain nicknames while she’s little but when she’s old enough to choose for herself, you’re at the mercy of what she likes. I go by [name]Ally[/name] to most people even though my hates it. I tell people to call me [name]Alyssa[/name] when she’s around. She really liked that my calls me [name]Alyssa[/name] instead of [name]Ally[/name]. I don’t mind [name]Alyssa[/name], it’s just that [name]Ally[/name] is easier for most people to understand.
I think non-obvious nicknames (like Weezy, lol) can be avoided easily by the name-bearer!
I think obvious nicknames can be avoided with a lot of effort by the name bearer.
I think teasing can’t be avoided and just has to be dealt with.
By name-bearer I mean, your kid. [name]Just[/name] because you hate [name]Sonny[/name] doesn’t mean your kid won’t absolutely love it in 20 years. That can’t be avoided. And it’s impossible to control what people call your kid outside of your presence. For all you know your 3 year old might be called [name]Sonny[/name] by her entire nursery class because of an over-eager attendant.
My rule is always, don’t use a name if you absolutely detest the nicknames-especially the obvious ones.
This is the reason we eliminated [name]Eloise[/name] from consideration. [name]Both[/name] my husband and I have asthma, as does our son. If DD has asthma and struggles with it like we all have, I would HATE to have anyone call her Wheezy. That would just break my heart. I’m a little more sensitive about this than most would be, I admit, but it’s a deal breaker for me.
Asthma aside, I agree that plain hating a nickname might make me eliminate a name from contention. [name]Just[/name] not loving a potential nickname probably wouldn’t, though.
I think people pick up on what you call your child as long as you are consistent. Lots of kids don’t go by nicknames these days. I’ve known little ones named [name]Katherine[/name], [name]Victoria[/name] and [name]James[/name] (all of which have obvious nicknames) that have gone exclusively by full name. Of course, once the child is older, he or she may choose a nickname. But while they’re little, I think its very much up to you.
I chose my children’s names planning on calling them by their full names and never had any problems with family or friends. They are adults now.
My son decided to be “[name]Josh[/name]” in middle school and we complied but until then, we used his full name at home and in school. My daughter still uses her full name as a married woman with children. Her only nickname was “[name]Pixie[/name]” for about 3 or 4 years covering the end of high school and the next couple of years and that has nothing to do with her name!
Choose the name you love! [name]Don[/name]'t worry about the nickname unless YOU want to use one that you like.
[name]Eloise[/name]: I think a nickname could easily come out of this. If you call her [name]Elle[/name] from a young age, other nicknames can be avoided.
[name]Sonja[/name]: I don’t see this getting shortened, just because [name]Sonja[/name] isn’t very common and there aren’t very any distinct nicknames.
[name]Elise[/name]: I knew an [name]Elise[/name] growing up who we called Lisey.