I am looking to honour my late grandmother who was called [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] (not short for anything, and she didn’t have a middle name). Funnily enough, she didn’t really like her name as it was ‘always the old dears in films that were called [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]’, but I personally love it (plus the meaning 'pledged to God… as we are both Christians).
I can’t make myself love [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], however much I try, plus DH is [name_m]French[/name_m] and the ‘th’ doesn’t sound right (it becomes more [name_f]Els[/name_f]-[name_f]PET[/name_f]).
Have considered [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] or [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], with [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] as a nickname, but feel that they are too far from [name_f]Elsie[/name_f].
Favourite girls names are [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], Amélie, [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], Clémentine, Chloé.
Name doesn’t have to be [name_m]French[/name_m] (we live in [name_f]England[/name_f]), and we would more than likely favour an English spelling over a [name_m]French[/name_m] one ([name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] vs. [name_f]El[/name_f]éonore for example). However, would want to make sure that name isn’t completely unheard of in [name_f]France[/name_f] or impossible to pronounce over there!
I know that we could use just [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], but I don’t normally like nicknames on the birth certificate… it’s just that my grandmother was so very special that it makes me love the name! In regards to siblings, a boy would be either [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] or [name_m]Albert[/name_m] (which both sound fine with [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] [name_f]IMO[/name_f]…), a girl would most likely be [name_f]Mary[/name_f] (but [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] and [name_f]Mary[/name_f] sound far too sing-song like, and if we ever had a third then my perfectionist ways would oblige me to choose another ‘y/ie’ name!)
Please help! (DH thinks I’m crazy worrying so much!!)
I don’t think that [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is too far at all! The ‘th’ at the end might be a problem for your husband though… Maybe [name_f]Elizabet[/name_f]?
You could always use [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] as a middle too. I like [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]! I also think that [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] would be a fine name by itself. It’s becoming a more popular full name, so it’s not even really a nickname any more!
[name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is a diminutive of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], the same way [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] is. [name_m]Both[/name_m] names stray fairly far from their original though.
My suggestions are
[name_f]Eilis[/name_f]- Irish form of [name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Elin[/name_f]- Scandinavian form of [name_f]Ellen[/name_f].
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]- A [name_m]French[/name_m] form of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f].
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]- Another [name_m]French[/name_m] gem.
I like the suggestion of [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], which feels fresh and sweet and in line with your other favorites.
Rearrange the letters and go with [name_f]Elise[/name_f]? As others have said, [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] makes sense, or [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f], or [name_f]Elisa[/name_f]. I’ve always been partial to [name_f]Ilsa[/name_f] myself.
I absolutely adore [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]! I know what you mean about nicknames but I kind of see [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] differently. I guess if feels like a full name to me. I think it is perfect with the other types of names you have. If you must use a longer form, [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] would be my pick.
My grandfather’s mother was [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]! I agree with you, its a hard name on its own because it sounds so nickname-y. Honestly, anything [name_f]EL[/name_f]- can make a good long name for [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], but some are better than others.
Normally, I would spell [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] with a z- its how my sister spells it- but have you considered [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]? Or [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f]?
I also wouldn’t shy away from it as a hyphenated name! I read that in france its very popular for girls to have hyphenated first name (I dont know how accurate that is though because Im over in the states,). So you could choose something like [name_f]Marie[/name_f]-[name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]-[name_f]Juliette[/name_f], or (my favorite when pronounced clenem-teen), [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]-[name_f]Clementine[/name_f]
I have [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nn [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] on my list so I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch at all, but since it feels like a stretch to you, I second the suggestion of spelling it [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. I also second [name_f]Elise[/name_f] and [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]. [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] is another name I think would work great as a full name for [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]. I think another berry might actually have an [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] nn [name_f]Elsie[/name_f].
