The ābitterā meaning for Mary/Molly is actually disputed. Another theory says it means ābelovedā. The problem with a lot of baby name books/sites is that they only give one possible meaning (and for some reason, usually the most unflattering one).
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[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] always trips me up. I know intellectually that it is pronounced the same as [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], but in my head it is āis-O-belā. The bold is accurate in just how emphasized I feel like there is on the o.
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I personally know a lot of people who have named their child [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] in the last 3-4 years. The thing is, the kidās full name isnāt [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]. For a lot of these people, I feel like they used [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] as a nn, but it was a bit of a stretch. Some examples I have seen are: [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Carmella[/name_f], [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] & [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. I guess it just bugs me that they donāt just name their kids [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] if they wanted to use the name so bad, rather than using a name where the nn hardly works.
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felicity isnāt a cute name. iāve never thought it is and i donāt see that ever changing.
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i know iāve been on nameberry for too long because Ellie seems like a perfectly normal nickname for all of these to me 
(except maybe Carmella)
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i totally agree! ellie completely works for all of those names! (even carmella imo)
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Thatās what I was thinking! I donāt see any reason why it wouldnāt work for any of them actually. They all have the āellā sound in them, so why not!
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[name_f]Luna[/name_f] is an awesome name but itās become practically unusable b/c of itās popularity. It was my favorite name when I was like, 12, so it feels a bit childish?
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my view on this is many parents do this to give their kids options. this may be an unpopular opinion, but nickname names donāt really grow with the kid (depending on the name, for example Beth might grow better than Mimi would) and naming your child Katherine and calling her Kittie gives her the option to go by Kate or Katherine or not when sheās older, rather than being stuck with Kittie. This is my experience, as my parents gave me a nickname name, which I feel really doesnāt suit me, and causes people to view me as less serious or something, so i choose to socially go by what wouldāve been my full name.
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Iām curious to know what names you find the nn [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] DOES work for, because imo the names you listed all work.
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Good question! I do think Elizabeth works well, even though thatās one I listed. Elliana & Eloise are my personal favorite for the nn Ellie though. But for me, something like Carmella or Elena, seems like a stretch. If that makes sense. I really have no problem with other people doing it, but I would personally play it safe with something a little more obvious.
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Interesting! [name_f]Elliana[/name_f] i can see being an āobviousā choice because of the āEllieā sound at the beginning but Eoise seems about as much a stretch as [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. But I can kind of see what you mean I guess 
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I much prefer [name_f]Gail[/name_f] as a nn for [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] than [name_u]Abby[/name_u]
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I think people that do this are thinking of naming a person, not a baby. [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] can grow up to be [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], [name_f]Livvy[/name_f], or [name_f]Via[/name_f]. If [name_f]Via[/name_f] is on the birth certificate and she ends up preferring [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], now thereās paperwork and complications to change it.
I have an āold ladyā first name and a classic established middle name with lots of nickname options. [name_f]My[/name_f] parents intention was to call me one of those nicknames which I went by until about 16 when I wanted to use my first name. Iām so glad they did that instead of just naming me the cutsie nickname.
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Hot Take:
Using a middle name typically associated with the opposite sex as the first names?? Literal perfection??
Ex.
[name_m]Lucien[/name_m] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Lacey[/name_f] [name_m]Samuel[/name_m]
[name_f]Hera[/name_f] [name_m]Luke[/name_m]
[name_u]Kitty[/name_u] [name_u]Arlo[/name_u]
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The only reason yāall like [name_m]Rainer[/name_m] and dislike [name_m]Gunnar[/name_m] is because of the words rain and gun respectively when really none of the names are even remotely [name_f]English[/name_f].
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But isnāt that fair? [name_m]Just[/name_m] because it has nothing to do with the meaning doesnāt mean that sound doesnāt still have that association in [name_f]English[/name_f]. Especially [name_m]Gunnar[/name_m], with all of the violence happening across the world and especially shootings in the news right now, I think it makes sense for [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers to have that association. It doesnāt mean the name itself is bad or that other people are wrong for liking it, but I donāt think itās wrong to make that connection either. [name_m]Casper[/name_m] sounds like ācaspaā which means dandruff in Spanish, is a Spanish-speaking person wrong for being put off by that?
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^ Agreed. For example I donāt like the name [name_m]Eben[/name_m] because of its meaning in my first language - does it originate from my first language? No, I know the name itself has another meaning, but the word meaning is my own first association and thatās why I donāt like it for myself 
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I donāt like [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f] Paltrow but I feel like looking back [name_f]Apple[/name_f] is not that bad.
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Youāre right thatās itās completely fair to be put off by a name because of this. What isnāt fair, in my opinion, is that when someone who doesnāt have that association because they have a different background asks for opinions on a certain name and gets this association shoved in their face in every single reply, even if theyāve repeatedly said they donāt mindā¦ Iāve seen it happen 
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