I like [name]Libby[/name]. [name]One[/name] of my grandmother’s religious names was [name]Liba[/name]. (pronounced halfway between Libba and Leeba).
[name]Libby[/name] seems a fairly direct reference as they go, without being hard for any English speakers to say.
But [name]Libby[/name] feels quite youthful and nickname-ish. NOBODY locally is going to know what to make of [name]Liba[/name] because that’s my side of the family sort of name and I’ve moved far, far from that community and intermarried and its just strange here.
Now I know [name]Elizabeth[/name] is the general/classic/lovely long form. And I do admire [name]Elizabeth[/name]. But in my family it traditional to match initials. [name]Hence[/name] why I’m always on here yammering about [name]Lilac[/name] and so on.
Is there another way to [name]Libby[/name]? Does [name]Lilibet[/name] sound just as young or younger than [name]Libby[/name], or does it sound serious enough to be a formal name? Wasn’t quite thinking of anything as wacky as, say, Ladybird.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Livia[/name]? [name]Livy[/name] and [name]Libby[/name] sound quite similar to me so I definitely see it working. I think [name]Livia[/name] is lovely and strong and a great formal name for [name]Libby[/name].
I think [name]Liberty[/name] is cool in the rock star sort of way… we’re really far from rock stars though and I don’t think it works for us. Thanks though. It is almost like a virtue name - I could see it working for somebody else.
Another option is to combine an L name with a B middle name, like:
[name]Lilly[/name] [name]Beth[/name] - [name]Libby[/name]
[name]Lillian[/name] [name]Blythe[/name] - [name]Libby[/name]
I like [name]Lilibeth[/name] (does that sound more “real” than [name]Lilibet[/name]?) and [name]Lily[/name] [name]Beth[/name]/[name]Lillian[/name] [name]Blythe[/name] etc. a lot. The LB first/middle thing would open up my options a lot, thank you for that thought.
Makes me wish [name]Lily[/name] wasn’t so crazy-popular, though. Or rather, that a couple people we knew wouldn’t get mad about people using “their” names if they’re going to pick such popular ones. (Furiously defensive of [name]Isabella[/name] [name]Rose[/name] or [name]William[/name] [name]James[/name] as “theirs,” you get the idea) Have to decide how much drama I want to buy, I guess.
Honestly, I love [name_f]Libby[/name_f] as just the name itself and not a nn. If you’re worried about it coming across as too young I actually know a woman who’s probably late thirties-early forties with this name and it doesn’t come across as childish when you meet her.
Also, there’s always the name Libba like the author Libba [name_u]Bray[/name_u].
I like Adnamaliag’s suggestion of Libba. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] could work as a full name for [name_f]Libby[/name_f]. But I also think [name_f]Libby[/name_f] can stand on it’s own.
[name_f]Lilibet[/name_f] really makes me think of the [name_f]Queen[/name_f] Mum. It is fun… but nicknameish.
[name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_f]Lisbet[/name_f]?
So many good [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] variations. Some of my favorites are sort of off-the-wall:
Lizaveta
Elixabete
[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
…or L-something with a B middle name.
[name_f]Linnea[/name_f] B.
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] B.
[name_f]Lillian[/name_f] B.