I just discovered this site and am hoping you can help with a dilemma I’m having.
My partner loves the name [name]Isabelle[/name] and really, REALLY wants to use it for our baby girl. I like the sound of the name very much, too, but I’m really turned off by the current popularity of [name]Isabelle[/name]/[name]Isabella[/name]. I know the annoyance of growing up with a hugely popular name and I don’t want to do the same thing to my daughter.
I’ve been talking to him more about the name [name]Isabelle[/name], and it turns out that the main thing he likes about it is the potential for the nickname [name]Izzy[/name]. He wants a little [name]Izzy[/name], and I think it’s cute and spunky, too. I just don’t want it as the given name.
Now I’m hoping that if I can find another name that can use [name]Izzy[/name] as a nickname, I can get him off of the [name]Isabelle[/name] fixation and get him thinking about other possible names. The only other thing I’ve come up with so far is [name]Elizabeth[/name], and that’s also a bit too popular for me. (Oh, and [name]Isadora[/name], but that’s a bit too much of a mouthful with our last name, which starts with a D).
So, any suggestions for “[name]Izzy[/name]” names?
[name]Hi[/name] there! Let’s see…I was going to suggest [name]Isadora[/name], and I actually like [name]Isadora[/name] D____, much like the actress [name]Isadora[/name] [name]Duncan[/name].
What about giving her the initials of I.Z., a Z name, or moving [name]Isabelle[/name] to the middle?
Other names that could, theoretcially, create an [name]Izzy[/name] nickname:
[name]Daisy[/name]
[name]Isla[/name] (stretching it, due to the silent s)
[name]Esme[/name] (EZ-may)
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Isolde[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
Isaly (the last name first trend, but it could work if you’re desperate…)
[name]Isabeau[/name]!
Also [name]Anneliese[/name]? Might be a bit of a stretch.
I also second the suggestion of having [name]Isabelle[/name] as a middle. It’s hard to suggest first names that go well with it because I don’t know what your tastes are. If you like botanicals, how about turning the trend on it’s head and calling your kid [name]Rose[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name]?
Mmm, anyway, I’m not good with suggestions, hope this helps though
Thanks for all the suggestions so far! I do like [name]Isadora[/name], but our last name starts with a D, ends with an R, and is only one syllable. If it were a two syllable last name (like [name]Duncan[/name]) I think it would work better, but [name]Isadora[/name] D__r just sounds kind of clunky to me. Too many d and r sounds going on. It ends up sounding sort of like stuttering.
The idea of using the initials I.Z. is cool. [name]Imogen[/name] has always been towards the top of my list and that could be a way to use it. I’m having a hard time coming up with Z names I like, but I did just start thinking about it…
If it helps you all to make suggestions, here are some of the names I personally like (some my partner likes okay, too, most he has already vetoed, mostly he’s still just obssessed with the [name]Izzy[/name] idea):
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] (think it’s too much of a stretch for [name]Izzy[/name] to be a nickname for this?)
[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Meredith[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name]
[name]Adrienne[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Don[/name]'t know if that helps you with my style or if I’m just sort of all over the place, but there it is. Thanks for the suggestions!
ya know…with [name]Eliza[/name] you could use the nn [name]Lizzy[/name]. [name]How[/name] does he feel about that? Its SUPER close to [name]Izzy[/name]…
I absolutely think you can call an [name]Eliza[/name] “[name]Izzy[/name],” and as [name]Rica[/name] pointed out, it’s really, really close to [name]Lizzy[/name], so it’s not a stretch. [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] is a combo I hope to use someday.
I really like the names on your list, and think [name]Imogen[/name] is great!
The Z names are pretty out there (except [name]Zara[/name] and [name]Zoe[/name]), but I think [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Zelia[/name] D___ is pretty cool, and [name]Zelia[/name] is close to [name]Delia[/name].
My suggestion is to listen to your husband. I would go with [name]Isabelle[/name] or [name]Isabella[/name]. [name]Don[/name]'t worry about it being too popular. [name]Isabelle[/name] is gorgeous and, in my opinion, far prettier than any of the other alternatives suggested to create “[name]Izzy[/name]”. When you hold that precious daughter, I think you will feel a peace that you went with your husband’s heart’s desire in a name. The meaning of [name]Isabelle[/name]/[name]Isabella[/name] is “Pledged to God” and I think of the [name]Queen[/name] [name]Isabella[/name] or the classic [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] character named [name]Isabella[/name]. It truly is a sophisticated name that will carry her through adulthood quite well. Besides, any girl would be proud to also have the option of “[name]Belle[/name]” as her nickname…the Disney [name]Princess[/name] [name]Belle[/name] is a favorite. [name]Bella[/name] means beautiful. There is a reason that quite a few [name]Ivy[/name] League parents and celebrities choose to name their daughters [name]Isabel[/name], [name]Isabelle[/name], or [name]Isabella[/name]…it is a lovely name!
On a personal note, my husband wanted to name our daughter [name]Isabella[/name] and, in hind site, I wish I had listened to him. A Daddy naming his daughter a name as beautiful as [name]Isabella[/name] is a precious thing.
I second [name]Isobel[/name]. I also think you could easily get [name]Izzy[/name] from [name]Eliza[/name], I mean it’s right there in the name, el[name]IZa[/name]. You could also have [name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Izzy[/name] but I personally think any version of [name]Isobel[/name] is fine. Sure, it’s popular but it’s popular for a reason, the reason being everyone thinks it’s gorgeous. And unlike some names just because it is very popular now and might not be in the future (who knows) it’s not like in 20 years her name will shout out ‘I was born in the 00’s’.
So in the end if you both love the name, especially your husband, I wouldn’t worry too much about popularity. If she looks to you like an [name]Isobel[/name]/[name]Isabel[/name]/[name]Isabelle[/name]/[name]Isabella[/name] I say go for it!
I just have to put in a vote for [name]Isolde[/name]/[name]Iseult[/name] and [name]Thisbe[/name] - both such interesting and underused names, with beautiful stories attached to them.
