I need an elegant/stately name with a snappy/brisk/sleek nickname

I have a character in a completed manuscript (which is what’s making this so hard!) named [name]Bernadette[/name] “[name]Brett[/name]” (named after a wealthy grandma, but goes by her nickname almost exclusively) which suites her perfectly… but unfortunatly I have to change it for various reasons. Can you think of an elegant name suitable for a senator’s daughter but with a snappy/brisk/sleek nickname? The nickname doesn’t have to be totally obvious (ie. I’ve thought about [name]Isobel[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] “[name]Ivy[/name]”).

If it matters she’s 17, short-ish blonde hair and green eyes, petite, studious but extroverted, capable, and too mature for her age. She’s very much in the public eye and aspires to be a photo journalist.

Also I’d like to stay away from R and J names if possible because they are names of the other main characters.

Thanks so much, this is totally stressing me out!!

[name]Cornelia[/name] nicknamed [name]Cori[/name] or [name]Nella[/name]! [name]Victoria[/name] nicknamed [name]Tori[/name] or [name]Ria[/name]! [name]Ariella[/name] nickname [name]Aria[/name]! [name]Louise[/name]/[name]Louisa[/name] nicknamed [name]Lou[/name]! [name]Rachel[/name] nicknamed [name]Ray[/name]!

Besides Victoria and Isabella, perhaps…

[name]Alexandria[/name] nn [name]Alex[/name]
[name]Ambrosia[/name] nn [name]Amber[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] nn [name]Charlie[/name]
[name]Eleanore[/name] nn [name]Ellie[/name] or [name]Elle[/name]

[name]Antoinette[/name] ([name]Andie[/name], [name]Netta[/name], [name]Toni[/name])
[name]Nicolette[/name] ([name]Nick[/name], [name]Colt[/name])
[name]Georgette[/name] ([name]Geo[/name], [name]Georgie[/name])
[name]Marietta[/name] ([name]Marty[/name], [name]Rhett[/name])
[name]Violette[/name] (Oli)

[name]October[/name] nn [name]Toby[/name] (cool one I heard the other day)
[name]Claudia[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Georgina[/name]
[name]Henrietta[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name]
[name]Adelaide[/name] nn [name]Dell[/name]
[name]Francesca[/name] nn [name]Chess[/name]

Those kind of had the same feel for me as [name]Bernadette[/name]. I’m not so good with nicknames, I usually end up just taking what I hear. Sucks you couldn’t use [name]Brett[/name], that sounded perfect. Good luck though :slight_smile:

Oh, and I like pp suggestion of Nicolette nn Colt.

I’ll give it a go…

[name]Evelyn[/name] nn [name]Evie[/name]
[name]Katherine[/name] nn [name]Kate[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name] nn [name]Liv[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] nn [name]Lulu[/name] or [name]Luce[/name]
[name]Rebecca[/name] nn Bex
[name]Caroline[/name] nn [name]Carrie[/name]

[name]Loretta[/name] / [name]Coretta[/name] nn [name]Rhett[/name]
[name]Aloisia[/name] nn [name]Lola[/name]
[name]Ernestine[/name] nn Ness / [name]Nessa[/name] / [name]Nesta[/name]
[name]Theodora[/name] nn [name]Theo[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name] nn [name]Romy[/name]
[name]Bernice[/name] nn [name]Berry[/name]
[name]Maxine[/name] nn [name]Max[/name]
[name]Frances[/name] / [name]Francine[/name] nn [name]Frankie[/name]
[name]Mabel[/name] nn [name]Mab[/name]
[name]Camille[/name] / [name]Camilla[/name] nn [name]Cal[/name]

[name]Francesca[/name] nn [name]Frankie[/name]
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] nn [name]Wil[/name]/[name]Minnie[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] nn [name]Nel[/name]/[name]Nelly[/name]
[name]Priscilla[/name] nn Cil
[name]Cordelia[/name] nn [name]Dell[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name] nn [name]Harry[/name]
[name]Henrietta[/name] nn [name]Henry[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name] nn [name]Viv[/name]/[name]Neve[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name] nn [name]Viv[/name]
[name]Tallulah[/name] nn [name]Lou[/name]

~[name]Jasmine[/name]

[name]Cordelia[/name] ([name]Cordy[/name])
Brynnley ([name]Brynn[/name])
[name]Felicia[/name] ([name]Lia[/name])
[name]Prudence[/name] ([name]Prue[/name], [name]Rue[/name])
[name]Darissa[/name] ([name]Issy[/name])
[name]Narcissa[/name] ([name]Nissy[/name])
[name]Zenobia[/name] ([name]Zen[/name])
[name]Florentina[/name] ([name]Flo[/name], [name]Tina[/name])
[name]Valentina[/name] ([name]Val[/name], [name]Tina[/name])
Novabelle ([name]Nova[/name])
[name]Patricia[/name] ([name]Trixie[/name])
[name]Clementine[/name] ([name]Lemon[/name])
[name]Quintessence[/name] ([name]Quinn[/name])
[name]Cadence[/name] ([name]Cady[/name])

[name]Marguerite[/name] ([name]Rita[/name])
[name]Lucinda[/name] ([name]Lou[/name], [name]Lucy[/name])
[name]Susan[/name] ([name]Sukie[/name])
[name]Patrice[/name] ([name]Reese[/name])
[name]Frances[/name] ([name]Frankie[/name])
[name]Marietta[/name]/ [name]Henrietta[/name]/ [name]Juliet[/name] ([name]Etta[/name])
[name]Amanda[/name] ([name]Andie[/name])

I like the [name]Isobel[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] nn [name]Ivy[/name] idea!

[name]Katharina[/name] nn [name]Kit[/name]?

Wow thank you so much for your responses everyone! I like a lot of the ideas, my favorite possibilities are:

[name]Cornelia[/name] “[name]Nell[/name]” I really like this but I already have a character named [name]Nell[/name].

[name]Eleanore[/name] “[name]Elle[/name]” is cute but I think [name]Elle[/name] is too feminine, or maybe too [name]Elle[/name] Woods for a blonde character.

I love [name]Antoinette[/name] and [name]Andie[/name] but I think [name]Andie[/name] is a little too playful. I need something more serious.

[name]Nicolette[/name] is one of my favorites and I love the suggestions of [name]Nic[/name] and [name]Colt[/name], but I think [name]Nic[/name] might be too generic and [name]Colt[/name] is too country.

[name]Georgette[/name] is another one I love for her, but don’t think any nickname fits.

I really like [name]Toby[/name], but can’t think of a full name (I can’t use [name]October[/name] for this character, maybe for another book though, it’s very cool.)

[name]Francesca[/name] is one of my favorite suggestions, but [name]Chess[/name] and [name]Frankie[/name] don’t feel quite right.

[name]Liv[/name] is a great nickname, but I dislike the popularity of [name]Olivia[/name]. Maybe [name]Lavinia[/name]? .

[name]Love[/name] [name]Theodore[/name] “[name]Theo[/name].” Definitely a possibility. [name]Toby[/name] might even work for [name]Theodore[/name] as a stretch.

[name]Romy[/name] or [name]Remy[/name] would be great for her (I actually love these!) but too many similar sounds of her best friend’s name.

[name]Wilhelmina[/name] is love! Unfortunately one of my other characters is [name]Willa[/name].

I really like [name]Penelope[/name] for her, I think I’d use [name]Penn[/name] ([name]Poppy[/name] is my favorite for [name]Penelope[/name] but doesn’t suite her).

[name]Genevieve[/name] is great, but don’t like any of the nicknames for her.

[name]Cordelia[/name] is awesome and I do really like “[name]Cordy[/name].” I worry though that it’s too playful for her.

[name]Clementine[/name] and “[name]Lemon[/name]” are really cute! That is a close fit. [name]Lemon[/name] reminds me of [name]Hart[/name] of [name]Dixie[/name] though, that’s the only place I’ve ever heard it, and that [name]Lemon[/name] and my [name]Brett[/name] have a couple similarities.

I like [name]Quinn[/name], but is it too Glee? Maybe [name]Quincy[/name]. But I don’t like [name]Quintessence[/name], would [name]Jacqueline[/name] work in a stretch?

[name]Juliette[/name] would be wonderful. I’d use “[name]Jett[/name]” but that starts with a J, which I’d like to avoid. Ette/[name]Etta[/name] is cute, and while I love it I think it’s too old fashioned for her nickname.

[name]Reese[/name] is another nickname I love even though it starts with an R which I wanted to avoid. I’d consider it if I found the right full name.
I love [name]Katharina[/name] and [name]Kit[/name]. But is [name]Kit[/name] too close to all the [name]Kat[/name]/[name]Kate[/name]’s in YA lit these days?

I love the suggestions for [name]Rhett[/name], that would fit perfectly, but my little brother is named [name]Rhett[/name]. He was mad that I used the similar [name]Brett[/name] for a girl, lol!

The suggestions that are closest to what I’m looking for are:

Nicknames without a full name that fits: [name]Toby[/name], [name]Liv[/name], [name]Quinn[/name]/[name]Quincy[/name], [name]Reese[/name]… but I’m not sure that any are quite, I don’t know, classy enough?

Names I like but don’t have a nickname that fits: [name]Nicolette[/name], [name]Georgette[/name], [name]Juliet[/name]/[name]Juliette[/name], and [name]Katharina[/name].

The ones with both full name/nickname potential: [name]Penelope[/name] “[name]Penn[/name],” [name]Cordelia[/name] “[name]Cordy[/name],” [name]Clementine[/name] “[name]Lemon[/name],” though I still have reservations about all of them.

I do still like [name]Isobel[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] “[name]Ivy[/name]” but is [name]Ivy[/name] strong and snappy enough?

Geez it’s hard to rename a character you’ve spent years with!! Thanks again everyone! If you have any more ideas please post!

[name]Tabitha[/name] nicknamed [name]Toby[/name]!

I just read your feedback on the names already considered and I want to suggest the nn [name]Kessa[/name] to go with [name]Francesca[/name] (over [name]Chess[/name] or [name]Frankie[/name]). I know a [name]Francesca[/name] nn [name]Kessa[/name] and she has many of the personality qualities you described.

I will say that I love [name]Isobel[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] nn [name]Ivy[/name]!

[name]Ivy[/name] is definitely snappy to me. I’ve seen Upstairs, Downstairs, the new version, and the maid [name]Ivy[/name] is a spunky jazz girl.
[name]Livia[/name] could be for [name]Liv[/name], if you don’t like [name]Lavinia[/name], or even [name]Elizabeth[/name] as a stretch.
[name]Quintessa[/name] instead of [name]Quintessence[/name]?
I knew a [name]Georgette[/name] who went by [name]Gerry[/name], but that doesn’t seem like the nn you’re looking for.
For a new suggestion, I like [name]Evangeline[/name] nn [name]Eve[/name]/[name]Eva[/name]/[name]Evie[/name].

I know a [name]Felicity[/name] who goes by [name]Flick[/name].

[name]Christabel[/name]/[name]Christobel[/name] nn. [name]Toby[/name]?
[name]Abrietta[/name] nn. [name]Brett[/name]…unless the nn of the original character was the problem.
[name]Albertine[/name] nn. [name]Bert[/name]…?
[name]Eugenia[/name]/[name]Eugenie[/name] nn. [name]Gene[/name]?
[name]Melanie[/name] nn. [name]Lane[/name]

What about [name]Cressida[/name] nn [name]Sid[/name] or [name]Ida[/name]?
[name]Vivienne[/name] nn [name]Viv[/name]?
[name]Carlotta[/name] nn [name]Carly[/name] or Lot?
[name]Emmeline[/name] nn [name]Em[/name] or [name]Emmy[/name]?

My first thoughts were [name]Augusta[/name] and [name]Gus[/name] or [name]Dorothy[/name]/[name]Dorothea[/name] and [name]Dot[/name].

Ooh, [name]Charlotte[/name] nn [name]Lottie[/name]?