I’m having (more) difficulty deciding between these names. We like everything about these names, but it’s come down to one major choice for the fiance and I.
[name]Julie[/name] Lahey (not my actual last name, but close enough) definitely does not have a great flow, but is PREFERRED.
[name]Julia[/name] Lahey obviously has the better flow and the nickname [name]Julie[/name], but why give a person a name when they’ll be called something else?
We do [name]LOVE[/name] both names, but do have a slight preference for [name]Julie[/name]. So honest opinions, which would you use?
[name]Julia[/name], nickname [name]Julie[/name]. This way you get to use both names and she has more options when she grows up. Also, it flows better (though I agree this doesn’t matter)
“why give a person a name when they’ll be called something else?” - keep in mind that there’s a really big chance that if she’s [name]Julie[/name], people will assume she’s formally [name]Julia[/name] and vice-versa — the names are almost interchangeable in people’s minds. Then, people may call her [name]Jules[/name] or something else anyway. Unless we are talking about a truly independent nickname ("[name]Margaret[/name]/[name]Greta[/name]") I think this is a non-issue.
Based on flow alone? [name]Julie[/name] Lahey. Because I keep getting caught up on the -ah at the end of [name]Julia[/name] and the La at the beginning of Lahey. For purely selfish reasons, though? [name]Julia[/name]. It’s so classy and classic and regal and beautiful. I would love to meet (or have!) a [name]Julia[/name]! (And honestly, [name]Julie[/name] sort of just pales for me. Which is the real reason I would use [name]Julia[/name]. :))
But honestly, as for a full name with a nickname thing, why do you have [name]Alexander[/name] on your list, and not just a nn for it (which, I assume, at some point, he’ll get a nn, whether it’s [name]Alex[/name], [name]Lex[/name], [name]Xander[/name], Skandar, [name]Alec[/name], etc.!)? It gives options, and the full name looks good on a resume! I mean, I have a full name and I wish I had a nickname–I would have liked to have options, too. I’m a big proponent of options, but that comes from years of disliking my own name.
I’d say [name]Julia[/name] Lahey, too, for exactly the same reasons sugarplum lists. Unless the nn is totally independent of the formal version, or sounds substantially different (like [name]Jack[/name] from [name]John[/name]), why not have the full name? People will assume she has something longer than [name]Julie[/name]. She might really like having the more formal option to put on resumes, etc. and having other nickname options like [name]Lia[/name]. I see [name]Julia[/name] as a win-win. More flexibility for [name]Baby[/name], and you get to call her your preferred name all the time.
I also have a slight preference for [name]Julie[/name] over [name]Julia[/name], but I think if I used the name I’d go with [name]Julia[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name] because I do like that it gives options. But I could also see how [name]Julie[/name] might be easier if you really would always call her [name]Julie[/name]. But I still think I’d go with [name]Julia[/name].
Because of your last name, [name]Julia[/name]. [name]Julie[/name] Lahey sounds like “yodelahehoo!” [name]Julia[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name].
I think [name]Julie[/name] can stand on her own though, without a more formal name. [name]Julie[/name] [name]Christie[/name], [name]Julie[/name] Delpy, [name]Julie[/name] Andrews… all fabulous ladies.
[name]Julia[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name]. Tucked in the middle, the [name]Sylvie[/name] won’t be in constant use, but it will give you the cheery French IE sound.
My sentiments exactly. I prefer [name]Julia[/name]. It is so classic and elegant. [name]Julie[/name] seems more cutesy. However, if she will be called [name]Julie[/name], I would name her [name]Julie[/name].
I agree with this also. However, my choice would be either [name]Julia[/name] or [name]Juliet[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name]. I can’t see naming [name]Julia[/name] only to change the a to an e for a nickname, even though it does shorten it by one syllable.
[name]Every[/name] [name]Julie[/name] I’ve known got called [name]Jewel[/name]/Jool/[name]Jules[/name] as much as [name]Julie[/name] anyway, so don’t think you’re sidestepping a nickname by calling her [name]Julie[/name].
[name]Juliana[/name] or [name]Juliet[/name] is more appealing to me than [name]Julia[/name], and won’t run into Lahey the way [name]Julia[/name] does. [name]Julia[/name] Lahey smushes when I say it.
I prefer the full version of [name]Alexander[/name] to any of it’s nicknames. If I preferred [name]Alex[/name] over [name]Alexander[/name], I’d probably be worrying about that as well. As it stands though I love the full [name]Alexander[/name] well well WELL over the nicknames, so it doesn’t make using “[name]Alexander[/name]” an issue for me. With the names I’m asking, I prefer the nn by a mile. (Totally see the point you’re going for, just the “resume” thing wasn’t an issue when picking [name]Alexander[/name] over [name]Alex[/name].)
[name]Julia[/name] doesn’t need a nickname! I know plenty of [name]Julia[/name]'s that don’t go by [name]Julie[/name] or any other nn and it’s fine. My personal [name]Julia[/name] would use the nickname [name]Julie[/name] by me though, because I absolutely adore it. I’m getting the impression that people think using [name]Julia[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name] is not a good option? If that’s the case I would stick with [name]Julie[/name], as I’d be devastated if I didn’t get to use it at SOME point, ya know?.
Well this is a lot to think about! I seems the consensus is that [name]Julia[/name] is a better name and [name]Julia[/name] nn [name]Julie[/name] is a bit ridiculous? With the last point in mind I’'m probably leaning towards [name]Julie[/name] then, just because I really would be devastated if I never got to use that. Thanks for the opinions everyone.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Julie[/name]. I prefer [name]Julie[/name] actually. It is a great name, and used to be at the top of my girl’s list. (Make sure to read her ‘[name]Julie[/name] of the Wolves’ when she’s older! It was my favorite book for years once I’d discovered it, and that’s not even my name.)
That being said I would still use [name]Julia[/name]. It took me years and years and dozens of references before I resigned myself to want to use the full [name]Julia[/name] version, knowing I would mostly be calling her [name]Julie[/name]. But I do think for her sake, just in case there comes a time in your daughter’s life where she doesn’t want to go by [name]Julie[/name] (though I don’t know why she wouldn’t) it’d be better to have the full version to fall back on. I also agree with others that people will probably assume her full name is [name]Julia[/name] either way, not that that is a bad thing nor would it change what they called her.
I respectfully do Not agree with anyone who said that using [name]Julie[/name] as a nn for [name]Julia[/name] is ridiculous. I don’t even understand the reasoning behind that… Sure the names are the same length when spelled but nn’s are generally used as a way to shorten a name verbally, which [name]Julie[/name] clearly does, by an entire syllable. Not to mention that [name]Julie[/name] has been a well-known and commonly used [name]Julia[/name] nickname for decades and, may I venture to guess, forever? It’s not as though you’re making something up and trying to get people to inherently call her that. [name]Even[/name] if the situation were reversed and you wanted her to be “Only [name]Julia[/name]” there would still be many people who would call her [name]Julie[/name] a time or two by nature. Go with whichever one you and your husband feel the best about, but my personal advice is to use [name]Julia[/name] on the forms and always call her [name]Julie[/name] on a day to day basis. Good luck! =]
I really love the name [name]Julia[/name], and I love the nickname just as much. I actually considered the name and how it would go with a few middle names and realized that [name]Julia[/name] flowed with a lot more middles than just [name]Julie[/name]. Besides, if you put [name]Julia[/name] on a birth certificate, you can still call her [name]Julie[/name]. But if you put [name]Julie[/name] on her birth certificate, you may wish you could change the “e” to an “a”.
[name]Julia[/name] does have more zest to it than [name]Julie[/name].
I think having [name]Julia[/name] nn. [name]Julie[/name] is more versatile.
I was going to say [name]Julie[/name] for [name]Julie[/name] Andrews but she is a [name]Julia[/name]! To my utmost surprise.
[name]Julia[/name] fits better your surname and allows for a zesty([name]Julia[/name]) or more tame version ([name]Julie[/name]) and for the exotic [name]Lia[/name].
[name]Julia[/name] is such a classic that I don’t think you could go wrong.
I prefer [name]Julia[/name]. It always sounds slightly more feminine to me. Plus, [name]Julie[/name] seems a little bit more dated whereas [name]Julia[/name] seems more timeless.
I would definitely do [name]Julia[/name] and call her [name]Julie[/name]. I see what you mean about why use a name if you’re going to call her another, but I think using [name]Julia[/name] gives her the option of not having a nn when she’s older. I’ve had several students over the years that stopped using childhood/common nicknames(a [name]Kate[/name] who started going by [name]Katherine[/name], for example) when they got to high school because it suited their personalities.
I adore the name [name]Julie[/name]. It feels like a perfectly legit, and lovely, full name choice. On the other hand, I see no problem whatsoever with naming her [name]Julia[/name] and saying [name]Julie[/name].
I’m a little in love with a previous poster’s suggestion of [name]Julia[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name], nn [name]Julie[/name].