Our 4 month is named [name]Miller[/name]. And we love the name. She just seems like a [name]Miller[/name].
However, our original intention was to nickname her [name]Millie[/name]. I’m torn. I can’t decide which I like better.
Also, I have considered that other little girls (ages 4-10) may like the name [name]Millie[/name] better and think [name]Miller[/name] is strange. I know it’s tough out there on the playground with little girls and making friends and I want to give her the best shot at it.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Should I start her with [name]Millie[/name] as a little girl then let her change to [name]Miller[/name] if she likes when she is older? Or stick with [name]Miller[/name]?
Why can’t you call her both? I don’t have children yet, but if my first daughter is [name]Isabelle[/name], she will most likely go by [name]Isabelle[/name] and [name]Bella[/name] predominantly, but also [name]Ella[/name], [name]Belle[/name], and a plethora of other cutesy nns (baby, girly, honey, sweetheart, sparrow, etc.). Then again, I’m a huge fan of nicknames, haha.
Many parents I know have several things they call their children. I think it would be perfectly normal and fine to call her both [name]Miller[/name] and [name]Millie[/name]. [name]Even[/name] [name]Milla[/name]/[name]Mila[/name], if you like. I think if you call her both now, she can decide when she gets a little bit older which she prefers. While I think [name]Miller[/name] is more mainstream for boys, if the girls grow up knowing [name]Miller[/name], they won’t really think it’s that strange, kwim?
If she feels like a [name]Miller[/name] to you, you should go with that. Down the road when she has her own choice in the matter, she may prefer [name]Millie[/name], but if you’re not sure you want that nickname, I wouldn’t use it out in public. Once the name is there, it’s hard to change it. --This is coming from an [name]Annie[/name] who still gets called [name]Anne[/name] by family and high school friends.
anniebee, you do make a good point that once the name is out there you can’t change it.
I guess my conflict is that I keep saying, “her name is [name]Miller[/name]…and she’s a girl”. But saying “[name]Millie[/name]” sounds untrue to me, as if I want to say, “but her real name is [name]Miller[/name]”.
Yes, I’m overthinking this.
i read something that kids these day will not be made fun of for their names these day!!! dont worry come on its 2011!!! everyone had different and unique names dont worrry!!! but do what your heart tell you to call her look at her and call her millie for an entire week and see then what you like
I really love [name]Millie[/name]! But I think you just have to pick what feels right. I think nns are often more organically grown into. And I’m sure she’ll have an opinion one way or the other when she gets old enough. I know I definitely demanded my parents call me certain versions of my name at different phases in my life.
I would give it some time. Like the pp mentioned, I also think nns tend to be more organically grown into. If [name]Millie[/name] just doesn’t sound right to you or seem right to you, let it go for now. Maybe [name]Mille[/name] (pr. Mill) would be more natural for you to give her as a nn–you never know. I personally really like the name [name]Millie[/name], but I understand your plight. My mother named my older brother [name]Matthew[/name], and loved the full name. Now he much prefers going by just “[name]Matt[/name]”, which I think is bastardizing his beautiful full name…I almost always call him [name]Matthew[/name] (and since I’m his only little sister, I get away with it!). Years ago I even made up my own flip-side of the nn [name]Matt[/name]: ‘Thew’. I used to call him Thew-Thew and he hated it! Now when I call him Thew, he (proverbially, at least) rolls his eyes but will answer. Goes to show ya…you never know, and you definitely cannot always control what nns other people will call your child by…and it may not even matter quite so much to you as she gets older.
If I am deducing correctly, you’d rather use [name]Miller[/name], but you are worried that people think she’s a boy and you thought about using [name]Millie[/name] before birth. First, I adore [name]Miller[/name] and [name]Millie[/name], so they’re both cute and original. If you really dig [name]Miller[/name], then stick with it. If people ask, you could always tell them that [name]Paul[/name] McCartney has a grandchild named [name]Miller[/name] ([name]Stella[/name] McCartney’s) or you could put bows on her. But my niece [name]Emily[/name] had a boyish haircut and people were always mistaking her when she was young too. C’est la vie with young kids!
Thanks for everyones help. I think I’m going to try using [name]Millie[/name] for 2 or 3 months and if it still feels weird we can go back to [name]Miller[/name].
I guess I really WANT to like [name]Millie[/name] but my brain keeps saying [name]Miller[/name]. So maybe I just need practice.
I’d call her both and as she gets older she will decide. Great name, btw! It’s at the top of my boy list but I originally intended it for a girl because of the nn [name]Millie[/name]/ [name]Milly[/name].
I do this with my 10.5 month old daughter but in the reverse. We call her [name]Bay[/name] (and she doesn’t have much hair so I sometimes have to tell people she’s a girl) but I want to tell people her full name is [name]Bayard[/name], even though I’m sure they don’t care.
I know I definitely demanded my parents call me certain versions of my name at different phases in my life.