I would like to honor my mom, [name]Susan[/name], should we have another girl someday. She’s not overly fond of her name but it goes back as many generations as I can track and I want to maintain that tradition in some form. I would use it in the middle name spot but was thinking of going with [name]Sue[/name] since both my girls have one syllable middles ([name]Rose[/name] and [name]Joy[/name]… [name]Both[/name] names that honor family). Sounds like a no brainer, right? It was , until my husband informed me that he can’t stand the name [name]Sue[/name]! It’s a bad association for him. He doesn’t think of my mom as [name]Sue[/name], since he calls her mom, his mind does not go to her. So here is the challenge… Finding a one syllable name to honor [name]Susan[/name] that is not [name]Sue[/name].
Or, should I break the one syllable rule and go with something like [name]Susannah[/name] if I can get hubby on board? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
I suppose [name]Ann[/name] or a mispronounced [name]Sanne[/name]/[name]Zanne[/name] would work as one syllable. But I would probably break the one-syllable habit in favor of keeping the real tradition of honoring family (particularly in a way that you both like). [name]Suzanne[/name], [name]Susannah[/name], [name]Sukey[/name], [name]Suzette[/name], or the original are all fun and pretty.
You could spell it differently to make him think of it in a new way? [name]Sioux[/name] is pronounced [name]Sue[/name].
If your mom doesn’t like [name]Susan[/name] much, would she still feel honoured by your using it? If I didn’t like my name I don’t think I’d want it passed on. [name]One[/name] suggestion is to get her to choose another name, preferably a family name, that she loves- she would feel honoured that you let her help make such an important decision.
I like the idea of keeping to one-syllable middles. It sounds a bit nicknamey, but what about Suze? Or perhaps you could use the longer [name]Susan[/name] variant as a first, if you find one you love enough.
I agree that if she doesn’t like her name, it’s not the best way to honor her. What’s her favorite flower? What month was she born? Talk to her and see what she would like maybe? My mom is also not fond of her name, but her favorite flower is the jonquil. She would be thrilled if I gave a daughter the middle name [name]Jonquil[/name]. Not so much if I gave her the middle name [name]Sheron[/name].
@ellenelle I like the suggestion of [name]Suzette[/name]. I might even consider that as a first name with the nn [name]Etta[/name] or [name]Ettie[/name]… Hmmm, that will require mulling.
@bonfire and Caty [name]Beth[/name], good point that my mom may not want it passed down since she doesn’t love her name. It’s just that its been in the family so many generations, I feel a responsibility to continue it in some capacity. I will for sure have a conversation with my mom about her thoughts when the time is right. We don’t usually see eye to eye with names so I will tread carefully 
I’m still torn if I need to keep the one syllable theme going or not. My husband thinks I’m nutty for even calling it a theme, more coincidence in his book, but now it just seems like something that ties my girls names together.
Suze
[name]Zuzu[/name] shortened to Zuz
I think us name nerds focus on themes a little too much while others don’t even notice such things. It being that it’s their middle names, I don’t think it’s such a big deal to give your next daughter more syllables in the middle. Focus more on finding something you love.
Other than the more common variations of [name]Susan[/name], have you thought of [name]Shoshana[/name] or even [name]Zanna[/name]?
I agree, though, that if she doesn’t like her name, consider what others have suggested, such as her birth month or favorite flower or maybe even her favorite names (that is, if you like them!! :)).
Here’s the thing. Someone is going to break this naming tradition. If not you, it could well be your daughter – who it sounds like you want to saddle with a middle name neither your husband nor your mother will like (or feel particularly honored by). Is it really worth using a name nobody likes just to carry on a tradition that has to end sometime? What if you do use [name]Sue[/name] and your daughter ends up not using any form of [name]Susan[/name], or having all boys, or not having kids at all? Choose a name everyone is enthusiastic about.
If you do really want to reference [name]Susan[/name] in some form, how about looking at its meaning, [name]Lily[/name]? Lille is the one-syllable French form, and it would make a cute, sleek middle name.
Yes, my first thought was [name]Lily[/name], since [name]Susan[/name] means “lily.” Lille is also a good suggestion if you want to keep it one syllable! Or [name]Lys[/name] or Lis, from the French word for lily.
My first thought was [name]Lily[/name] as well. It’s not 1 syllable but it is short. My mother is also [name]Susan[/name] and we talked about using [name]Lily[/name] in the middle spot if we had a girl. It was finding something that would honour [name]Brenda[/name] (my [name]MIL[/name]) that was the problem. [name]Glad[/name] we didnt’ have a girl, lol.
I love [name]Susannah[/name]. I would use it if I could but [name]Susan[/name] is my stepmonster’s name and no way would I name a baby after her. [name]Sue[/name] is also my [name]MIL[/name]'s name (actually a nickname, she is [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]) but I still couldn’t use it. So I envy you, is my point!
I love the sweet simplicity of [name]Sue[/name]. So rare nowadays. But I understand your husband hates it. And I know how that can be! I like [name]Susie[/name] too, as a nn for [name]Susannah[/name].
[name]Susannah[/name] is such a beautiful, classic, and underused name. If you have a chance to use it I would.
Susara or Suzara have been not an uncommon names in South [name]Africa[/name] for hundreds of years…particularly good if you have a [name]Sarah[/name] to honor, too. Susa or Suza are shortened variations.
As a [name]Susan[/name], I hate being called [name]Sue[/name]. It’s a legal term, not my name 
I like the suggestions of finding something you like, or going to a different form of [name]Susan[/name], such as [name]Susannah[/name] or [name]Shoshana[/name]. I had [name]Shoshana[/name] on my list, with nn Shoshie.
[name]Susan[/name]
I am also a [name]Susan[/name] that hates being called [name]Sue[/name]! I was almost always called [name]Susan[/name], with the occasional nicknames of [name]Zuzu[/name]/[name]Susie[/name]/Sushi by close friends.
I like the idea of using [name]Susannah[/name] if you can get your husband to agree. I also love previous posters’ suggestions of using [name]Lily[/name] to honor your mother. Since you said your mother isn’t fond of her name, it’s a nice way of honoring her.
Unfortunately, [name]Lily[/name] is not a usable name for us but it is a nice idea. I do think this all warrants a conversation with my mom to see what she would feel honored by.
@caty_beth, oh so true that we name nerds read so much into themes and patterns that most people would not notice. My husband thinks its absurd to have to stick with one syllable middles just because we have two daughters with them. I suppose he would be in the majority with that sentiment, present company excluded
It sounds like a good idea to talk about it with your your mother to see how she really feels. I happen to adore the name [name]Susan[/name]. If your mother is amenable… I think using it in the middle would add a sophisticated touch to the overall name. If the name flows better with [name]Susanna/name, that would be an awesome choice too.