I have a bit of a problem, my husband and I cannot agree on how to spell our 2.5 yr old daughter’s nickname. Her full name is [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f] [name_u]Rylie[/name_u] and we’ve been calling her the same nickname since she was born. However, recently I seem to have fallen out of love with her full name (which is a different story) and I was searching for a way for me to love the name again. Now my husband wants to keep the nickname spelling of [name_f]Gwynna[/name_f], while I’m leaning towards Gwena. In addition to that, our family members tend to spell the name however they want without taking what we want into consideration. My brother calls her [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u], my sisters call her [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], my parents call her [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f] [name_u]Rylie[/name_u], and his family uses [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] and [name_f]Gwynna[/name_f] interchangeably. All in all it is just a confusing mess and I would really like her to have a specific name and specific spelling so it can all be consistent. So I guess my question to you all is, do you guys prefer Gwena or [name_f]Gwynna[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f]? Or are there any other nicknames that could work that would make me love my daughter’s name again? Please help!
Before anyone asks or points it out, as much as we all try, everyone in our family continues to pronounce her name “gwen-ith” rather than the correct pronunciation of “gwin-eth”. We’ve essentially given up on that fight so that is why I think Gwena or [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] could be a viable nickname for our daughter’s name.
I always wonder about this. People have commented on other threads that [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] is a nn for [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f], though it seems like if you want to use [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], it makes more sense to use [name_f]Gwenyth[/name_f].
I think as her parents, before it goes any further, you should just pick what you prefer and tell everyone which one to use. As she’s learning to spell and write her name she’ll need it to be one or the other. My personal preference would be [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u]/[name_f]Gwynna[/name_f], because as much as I love [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], I don’t love Gwena, and I just think consistency in spelling between her full name and nicknames is best.
I personally love Gwena, I think it’s a feminine twist on [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], and if it’s a name you love, then stand your ground. I know 2 Gwyneths, one who goes by [name_f]Ginny[/name_f] and another who goes by [name_u]Gwyn[/name_u]. I think [name_f]Ginny[/name_f]'s kind of cool, and it’s just a vintage vibe that I’m just in love with.
Some other nicknames that might make you fall in love with your daughter’s name: [name_f]Gia[/name_f], [name_f]Gigi[/name_f], [name_f]Etta[/name_f], [name_f]Nettie[/name_f], Inna, [name_u]Wynn[/name_u], or [name_f]Winnie[/name_f].
What about [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Gwyneth[/name_f]? I knew of a [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] who went by [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] once. On The Wonder Years, [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] [name_m]Cooper[/name_m]'s real first name was [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f]. It might help to drive home the correct vowel pronunciation, since I don’t think anyone would pronounce [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] Wennie.
Between [name_f]Gwynna[/name_f] and Gwena, I think I prefer [name_f]Gwynna[/name_f]. I just like it better visually, and again it might help people with that first vowel.