Has anyone successfully gone through life and maintained the name [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or does every [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] eventually get a nickname? [name_f]My[/name_f] daughter is nearly TWO months old without a name. I desperately want to name her [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (Johnson) but my husband does not like [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and suggested swapping them. [name_f]My[/name_f] hesitation is that she will become [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] or [name_f]Liz[/name_f]. We are also considering [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] but I also don’t like [name_u]Izzy[/name_u]. Please help.
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You can definitely do [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] without a nickname! I’d just introduce her as full [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], and correct anyone that tries to use a nickname
However, sometimes nicknames come about naturally, and there’s no control over that. Have you considered any other nns for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] you can use?
Some ideas:
[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Liza[/name_f]
[name_f]Birdie[/name_f]
[name_f]Betty[/name_f]
[name_f]Betsy[/name_f]
[name_f]Bess[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]
Best of luck!!
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there have been plenty of elizabeth’s who have just gone by elizabeth!! nicknames are far less common now without introduction, and if you introduce her as elizabeth it is what she’ll be. liz and lizzy are also somewhat passé, and neither are common anymore. some other nicknames to consider if you were to want one:
- [name_f]Elle[/name_f]
- [name_f]Ella[/name_f]
- [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
- [name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
- [name_f]Liza[/name_f]
- [name_u]Lisa[/name_u]
- [name_u]Zaza[/name_u]
- [name_f]Beth[/name_f]
- Bethy
- [name_f]Betty[/name_f]
- [name_f]Bette[/name_f]
- [name_f]Bess[/name_f]
- [name_f]Betsey[/name_f]
- [name_f]Tess[/name_f]
- [name_f]Lily[/name_f]
- [name_f]Libby[/name_f]
- [name_f]Ibby[/name_f]
- Ibb
- [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]
- [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]
- [name_f]Elise[/name_f]
- [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]
- [name_f]Zibby[/name_f]
- [name_f]Belle[/name_f]
- [name_f]Bessie[/name_f]
- [name_f]Lilibet[/name_f]
- [name_f]Lettie[/name_f]
- [name_f]Elisa[/name_f]
- [name_f]Elize[/name_f]
- [name_f]Bizzy[/name_f]
- [name_f]Buffy[/name_f]
- [name_f]Lissy[/name_f]
apologies for the numbers out-of-place, it’s been edited from the names you don’t like (ie liz)
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[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is absolutely possible without a nickname! So so so gorgeous. Plus, there are myriad other nicknames aside from [name_f]Liz[/name_f] to love. [name_f]Bizzy[/name_f], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Bessa[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Lil[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Libby[/name_f], [name_f]Lib[/name_f], [name_f]Zibby[/name_f], [name_f]Belle[/name_f] …etc!
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I’ve known several Elizabeths, a few with nicknames, some with none - there were two in particular that I’d never think of nicknaming!
[name_f]My[/name_f] suggestion would be either to always call her [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] - or to find another nickname that’s tolerable so she’s got the option?
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Thank you so much everyone! I sincerely appreciate the responses. This does put me somewhat at ease if things go in this direction.
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I love [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]! I know a few Elizabeths who go by nicknames, but also several who just go by [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. If you’re okay with other nicknames, here are some suggestions.
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
[name_f]Elle[/name_f]
[name_f]Beth[/name_f]
[name_f]Betty[/name_f]
[name_f]Betsy[/name_f]
Thank you! I am feeling better and better. I don’t mind some of these nicknames honestly so I am thinking [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] could work. Going to do my best to convince my husband on [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and if it doesn’t work I will probably relent.
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i was almost an elizabeth but my dad had the same concern! funnily enough, they went with madeline which always got shortened to maddie (he didn’t like that either!)
i absolutely love elizabeth and think it’s perfectly wonderful as a name in itself. i know several elizabeths that don’t go by any nicknames and rarely have to deal with people shortening it themselves! that being said, there are some really sweet nicknames for elizabeth, if you chose to go that route. my favorites are: libby, elle, biz, beth, eliza, and birdie.
I know multiple Elizabeth’s who go by their full name. Plus, if she did want a nickname there are countless other options: [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Liza[/name_f], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], Libby… [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is a nice choice and you can’t go wrong with a classic.
I was almost an [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]! And it would have been just [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and no nn.
I know of several Elizabeth’s without a nn and think it could work.
Understand your concern about [name_f]Liz[/name_f] or [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f]! The beauty to me of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is that it has sooo many nicknames! Some of my favs [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Libby[/name_f], or even just E!
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] is lovely too and one of my favorites. I will say too that [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] is my favorite spelling!
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How about [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or [name_f]Clarissa[/name_f] [name_f]Isobel[/name_f]? [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_m]Johnson[/name_m] is a little plain, and her middle name won’t come up that often.
Claire-Elise … as one name or…
Liza-Claire
Lyssa-Claire
I know 6 Elizabeth/Elisabeths that go by their full name, but only 2 that use nicknames (one [name_f]Liz[/name_f], one Leeza). So I think it is totally fine. That said, there are a lot of cute nicknames for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]!
The [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] I know goes by [name_f]Eliza[/name_f].
If it helps I know an [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and two [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] - one goes by full name, other goes by [name_u]Eli[/name_u] / [name_f]Ela[/name_f], last goes by [name_f]Betta[/name_f]
I know two Elizabeth’s one went by her full name just fine that’s how she introduced herself and everyone just followed suit whilst the other went by [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] out of personal choice (that’s how she introduced herself).
In terms of my preferences I prefer [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] since it seems a lot less popular which is something that matters to me but if you don’t care about popularity (and its the name that you and your so can agree on) it is a really nice combo too. If I were to use it as a full name my favourite nicknames would be [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] (one of my favourite stand alone names as well) and [name_f]Libby[/name_f] (I knew someone that was called this as a stand alone and once I found out it was a nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], it was the nickname I gravitated towards most)
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She likely won’t get [name_f]Liz[/name_f] or [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] unless you introduce her that way or she decides as a child or teen that she wants to be called that (and it’s her name so she should get to chose her nn then if she wants). Sometimes nicknames happen organically and you might surprise yourself by calling her a nickname often totally unrelated to her actual name!
However if you introduce her as [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and always call her that as a baby and young child then I doubt other adults other than family will nickname her. You could name her [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] to avoid a nn since it’s already a shortened but the sound isn’t the same and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is really such a classic beautiful name (it’s been consistently on the naming charts for 100 years!)
I actually want to mention how much I respect you taking your time to choose a name. I thought we had to choose one before I left the hospital and i still feel like we named my daughter very hastily.
One last thing, for interest sake I know two Claires who were both called “Claire Bear” all the time as kids (but I grew up in the 90s). I’d take [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] over that any day haha. I have actually read on here from some Claires that they dislike their name because there are no nicknames!
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Thank you so much for this. I don’t know that I ever would have let it go on for as long as it has if we hadn’t visited [name_f]Iceland[/name_f] this summer. We were speaking with some locals and they told us that when a baby is born the family typically takes 6 months or longer to decide the name. Whenever I get stressed about my nameless daughter it helps me to remember this 
I have known people who go by their given name, [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. That was my intent when I named my first daughter, [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. It worked until the fifth grade when her teacher stared calling her [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] second daughter was named [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] and is still known by her given name as an adult. So the answer is……it is difficult to control. In my opinion, the problem with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is the fact that it is four syllables and the natural tendency is to want to shorten it. With [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], there is no difference between saying the formal name and a nickname like [name_f]Katie[/name_f], both two syllables.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorite nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is [name_f]Libby[/name_f]. Another idea is to use a form of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. I love the name [name_f]Elise[/name_f]. [name_f]Elise[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is a fabulous name. You could use [name_f]Lise[/name_f] as a shortened form or Lisi as a nickname. Pronounced LEE SEE. It has the S sound and not the Z sound. Of course that could be a nickname for [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], especially spelled with an S.
I think [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] would work as a full name on its own, I think [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is a really cute nickname though! I love the suggestion of [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f] or [name_f]Ella[/name_f]. I also love [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], could be a full name or use [name_f]Bella[/name_f] or [name_f]Belle[/name_f].
Other similar ideas:
[name_u]Esme[/name_u] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Elsie[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_f]Cara[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Beth[/name_f]
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]
Good luck!