My husband and I love the name [name_f]Molly[/name_f] but, though we are aware it can be used as a stand alone name, we would prefer something more formal as her first name so we could nn her [name_f]Molly[/name_f].
Neither of us is a huge fan of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. We don’t like the meaning of [name_f]Mallory[/name_f] so would not use that either. Also don’t like [name_f]Marigold[/name_f].
Any ideas? Or have we virtually eliminated all options? 
If you aren’t going to use the name [name_f]Molly[/name_f] was originally a nickname for, just use [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. Why try and find a name you have no intention on using?
[name_f]Amalia[/name_f]? 
That’s all I can think of. Maybe a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] variant, like [name_f]Maria[/name_f], [name_f]Mariana[/name_f], or [name_f]Mariah[/name_f]? I would do [name_f]Amalia[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f], honestly, though.
Maybe [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]? I think [name_f]Amalia[/name_f] as previously mentioned is your best bet
I would just use [name_f]Molly[/name_f].
[name_m]How[/name_m] about Malala?
What about Magali/Magalie?
Some of these are a stretch, but I think they could work for [name_f]Molly[/name_f].
[name_f]Emmeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Marguerite[/name_f]
[name_f]Marilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Romilly[/name_f]
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]
Millicent
Margalit
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f]
[name_u]Marian[/name_u]/[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]
[name_f]Maureen[/name_f]
[name_f]Amelie[/name_f]
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f]Mahalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maribel[/name_f]
What about [name_f]Marisol[/name_f]? I’ve always liked that name.
[name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_f]Emmanuella[/name_f]?
My best friend growing up was just [name_f]Molly[/name_f], and it’s never held her back.
That said, I think “[name_f]Amalia[/name_f]” is an absolutely genius idea. And frankly, what’s wrong with [name_f]Mary[/name_f], the original formal name? It seems the most obvious way to get to [name_f]Molly[/name_f].
[name_f]Marisol[/name_f] could work nicely.
Other suggestions:
[name_f]Margalo[/name_f], [name_f]Morrigan[/name_f], [name_f]Mallory[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], [name_f]Marilou[/name_f], [name_f]Medora[/name_f], [name_f]Meliori[/name_f], [name_f]Melody[/name_f], [name_f]Melodia[/name_f], [name_f]Melosa[/name_f], [name_f]Meliora[/name_f], [name_f]Melior[/name_f], [name_f]Meriol[/name_f], Mariol, [name_f]Merona[/name_f], [name_f]Milano[/name_f], [name_f]Moana[/name_f], [name_f]Moanna[/name_f], Mosella, [name_f]Molara[/name_f], [name_f]Molita[/name_f], [name_f]Monserrat[/name_f], [name_f]Montaine[/name_f], [name_f]Montagne[/name_f], [name_f]Montserrat[/name_f], [name_f]Morgana[/name_f], [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f], [name_u]Morocco[/name_u], [name_f]Magola[/name_f], [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f], [name_f]Madrona[/name_f].
To be honest, I think you should just stick with [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. It’s a perfectly viable stand-alone name, and it’s the name you’ve agreed on, so trying to find a more formal name would likely just be complicating things. I’ve never heard of [name_f]Molly[/name_f] being a nn anyway, except for [name_f]Mary[/name_f] which is rarely used anymore.
I’ve known a lot of Mollys (I was born in the 80s) and not a single one of them had a different name on their birth certificate. I understand most reservations about using a nickname as a full name, but I think this is one that has long since grown past its roots and become a name in its own right.
[name_m]How[/name_m] on [name_f]Earth[/name_f] is [name_f]Molly[/name_f] not “formal enough” to be used as a full name? It is a full name. I would find it more weird to name her something like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], but only call her [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. My cousin is a [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] “[name_f]Molly[/name_f]” and she honestly wonders why her parents even bothered with [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], as no one has ever called her that from the time she was born, yet every first day of class at school she had to explain she was [name_f]Molly[/name_f], not [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], and all official forms have this full name on it that she never uses and doesn’t even like. She has started the process of changing her name to [name_f]Molly[/name_f], as having [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has just become silly and unnecessary over the years.
I would use [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Molly[/name_f], but if [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] isn’t your thing then I don’t know if another flower helps. [name_f]Amalia[/name_f] is really great idea and feels “formal.”
I do think that [name_f]Molly[/name_f] has passed into the category of names that are accepted as “real names,” but I totally get it if you’re having trouble picturing “Dr. [name_f]Molly[/name_f]” or “[name_f]Molly[/name_f], Esq.” and so on. A friend of mine has a [name_f]Molly[/name_f] who is about 8 now, but I still won’t be able to picture it on an adult until her [name_f]Molly[/name_f] is grown up. [name_m]Just[/name_m] can’t wrap my brain around it. TBH, I still can’t quite comprehend that my [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is [name_f]Peggy[/name_f], just [name_f]Peggy[/name_f], though it seems she has been fine for nearly 60 years. Either way you choose will work out. [name_m]Just[/name_m] do what you think is best for your daughter.
Good luck!
I think [name_f]Molly[/name_f] is a wonderful name. It’s a nn that has been used as a full name for so long I think it has enough history and weight and to be a formal name!
I think that it would give your daughter more grief to have to constantly explain that [name_f]Molly[/name_f] is just a nickname for _____ than to go through life being just [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. A lot of people are even surprised to hear that the name [name_f]Molly[/name_f] was ever a nickname for [name_f]Mary[/name_f] or [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] because it’s been a stand-alone name for so long and it’s a bit of a leap to get to [name_f]Molly[/name_f] from those names.
There are plenty of doctors, lawyers, engineers, researchers, etc. with the name [name_f]Molly[/name_f]. I don’t think it would hold anybody back. Another option would be to consider a hyphenated name like [name_f]Molly[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f]. I once knew a [name_f]Molly[/name_f]-[name_u]Rae[/name_u].
My aunt was called [name_f]Molly[/name_f], but her name was [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. I think any form of [name_f]Mary[/name_f] name would work. What about [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]?
There have been Mollys who were just [name_f]Molly[/name_f] on their paperwork in my family for about 100 years.
However they picked [name_f]Molly[/name_f] when they got to [name_u]America[/name_u] - and nickname-names were in then. They were Miriams and Malkas. [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] is probably much more intuitively [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] or [name_f]Miri[/name_f] or something but [name_f]Molly[/name_f] could work. [name_f]Malka[/name_f] actually does sound very much like [name_f]Molly[/name_f] (the first syllable is like [name_f]Molly[/name_f] not like [name_f]Mallory[/name_f]) but I will eat my hat if it comes back into fashion. Quite clunky, though I don’t mind it as its a family name, you should have seen my husband’s face!
[name_f]Malika[/name_f]/Malaika could work.
Here are some more ideas. Sorry you have been lectured so many times. You’re the parents and if you think that [name_f]Molly[/name_f] isn’t the best given legal name, it’s totally your choice. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] you end up deciding on something you love, and come back and post in the “birth announcements” section to let everyone know what you picked in the end.
[name_f]Marilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Melissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Maliah[/name_f]
[name_f]Malina[/name_f]
[name_f]Melisende[/name_f]
[name_f]Mallory[/name_f]
[name_f]Mandala[/name_f]
[name_f]Marilyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Melanie[/name_f]
[name_f]Melody[/name_f]