I love [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] but don’t think I’d use it if that were her only name, and nicknames Lizzy/Libby/Ellie all feel too common.
Lately I’ve been loving [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] called [name_f]Elise[/name_f] but I’m wondering if it’s too stretchy?
I know the solution is to spell it [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], so the [name_f]Elise[/name_f] is already there, but I just love the z spelling so much more!
What do you think? Is [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] called [name_f]Elise[/name_f] just two different names? Or a natural nickname?
I don’t think it’s the most natural nickname, mainly because as you pointed out, there are a number of more common nicknames for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. However, I don’t feel like they’re two totally different names, either, as [name_f]Elise[/name_f] did originate as a short form of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f].
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I think most people will expect [name_f]Elise[/name_f] is her full name, but I don’t think they’d be totally shocked or confused to learn it’s short for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. If you love both names, I think it works to give you the best of both worlds.
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[name_m]Other[/name_m] less common nicknames for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] could be [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], [name_f]Betsy[/name_f], [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Bebe[/name_f], [name_f]Ebbie[/name_f], or [name_f]Zibby[/name_f].
I think it could work if you just wanted to call her [name_f]Elise[/name_f], but I’d also be sure that you’re okay with other people calling her by other, more intuitive nicknames. Most people are just going to resort to Ellie/Lizzy/Libby/Beth rather than [name_f]Elise[/name_f], especially if she doesn’t always go by [name_f]Elise[/name_f]. Totally think it works, just something to keep in mind.
I agree with the other berries that it’s not the most natural nickname, but I do think it works! Most [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers say [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] the same way (at least, I think they do?), so sound-wise I don’t think there’s a huge difference between [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] for the full name. I do think it could work though you may face the assumptions the others have mentioned. If you’re open to other nn ideas for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], I think [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Zizi[/name_f], [name_f]Sisi[/name_f], [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Bess[/name_f], [name_f]Betsy[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], [name_f]Zibby[/name_f], and Liesey (lee-see) could all work too! But [name_f]Elise[/name_f] is very lovely and I wouldn’t feel any type of way if someone I knew in real life named their daughter [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nn [name_f]Elise[/name_f]!
I absolutely adore the name Elise, but IMO they’re really just two separate names.
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Maybe others have had more luck than me at ‘engineering’ nicknames, and if you CAN engineer nicknames then I don’t think it’s too stretchy at all.
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But for me choosing the nickname didn’t really work - once you’re dealing with the day to day busy-ness of parenting, changing poopy nappies and rushing between activities etc, all sorts of random things pop out your mouth and then there’s whatever other people choose to call your child too.
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I had planned my daughter Robyn to have the nn Bobbie, I’d heard it as a nn for Roberta and thought it was pretty cute. But in reality she gets called Bobbin, Bobster, Robbie, Robs, Robster-Lobster, Robbie-Roodle-Chicken-Noodle, etc… unfortunately although it’s not my fave, Robbie has become the most commonly used nn (that I’ve heard friends call her) because starting with the R like Robyn is just more intuitive.
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So I don’t think Elise will stick unless you’re constantly consciously making the effort to call her Elise instead of Elizabeth and then it’s kinda like… well, why name her Elizabeth at all if Elise is what you’re wanting to call her?
Elizabeth “Elise” makes sense to me. No more stretchy than Libby.
I guess I’d just consider: would you always call her Elise or would you use Elizabeth? Would you want her to be Elise to others besides you? Would you mind if a different nickname stuck instead?
I think [name_f]Elise[/name_f] is a stretchy nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] however I do not feel it’s too stretchy I could envision [name_f]Elise[/name_f] being a nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. However maybe [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] would be more intuitive with the nickname [name_f]Elise[/name_f].
[name_f]Elise[/name_f] is a nn for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], just as [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] is. In fact, my goddaughter is [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], nn [name_f]Elise[/name_f] so it just seems natural to me.
As an aside, I’ve never met an [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] who was [name_f]Libby[/name_f] except in books.
If you want to call her [name_f]Elise[/name_f], why would you name her [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]? I understand loving a very “nickname-y” nickname such as [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] or [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] and wanting a formal name to fall back on, but I don’t quite understand the reasoning with [name_f]Elise[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Elise[/name_f] could work as a nickname for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but you can’t always guarantee that a nickname is going to stick exactly the way you want for a completely different human being with their own life. If you want her to be called [name_f]Elise[/name_f], I think you could, but at that point I don’t understand why her name would legally be [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f].
Also, I love [name_f]Elise[/name_f] (much more than [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but that’s beside the point). I think it’s a lovely name!
Summary
FWIW I have a friend with a longer “formal” name, but her parents always planned for her to use her “nickname” (which is pretty commonly used as a standalone name) instead. Our whole life, especially in college, she always struggled with deciding which name to put on school forms, what to use for applications etc. where her legal name wasn’t necessarily required. I remember her having a whole dilemma about which name would be used on our graduation program and even on her diploma, because she didn’t feel like her legal name was part of her identity at all. I think it’s definitely worth considering why you want your child to have essentially two first names. I think the idea of having a “formal” name and “everyday” name seems like it makes sense in theory, but at least in my experience, it’s seemed to cause a bit more confusion than otherwise. [name_m]Just[/name_m] something to think about!
Fair enough! I have plenty of friends with nicknames who also have never faced this problem. Everyone has different experiences, and this specific example stood out to me because it did end up being a problem. Her parents gave her name X while literally never intending for her to go by name X and always go by name Y instead, and she never understood why her parents gave her that name if they preferred name Y anyways (which is very much a regular, not nickname-y name).
Obviously nicknames are extremely popular and a lot of people have one, but I think it’s still a fair thing to consider.
[name_m]Ive[/name_m] always said this, but to me, [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_m]William[/name_m] are the names that as long as the nn mildly resembles the name, it works. There’s so many nicknames for those names. With that being said, I think [name_f]Elise[/name_f] works amazingly.
I see nothing wrong with this. [name_f]Elise[/name_f] is a diminutive of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. It’s no more confusing than [name_f]Peggy[/name_f] for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_m]Chuck[/name_m] for [name_m]Charles[/name_m]. And in my experience, people will use the nickname offered. I’m a [name_f]Cathryn[/name_f] who detests [name_f]Cathy[/name_f]. [name_m]The[/name_m] few times someone tried to call me [name_f]Cathy[/name_f] I simply said I preferred [name_f]Cat[/name_f] and they never called me [name_f]Cathy[/name_f] again.
and then there’s whatever other people choose to call your child too.