itās true and Iām trying to be self aware about it but I hate it 
[name_f][/name_f]
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[name_f][/name_f]
Yay this is good news thank you!
[name_f][/name_f]I wasnāt sure about [name_f]Nina[/name_f] when I started this post but itās growing on me, I used to get called āStephaninaā sometimes so it makes some kind of sense 
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[name_f][/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f] thatās so funny
Itās true about freshness and cycles of popularity, unfortunately because itās me Iām stuck with her in the dated millennial context 
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[name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] nn Toffee
[name_f][/name_f]I really like [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] for same reasons you listed. Voted for [name_f]Effie[/name_f] as nickname, but also love [name_f]Fifi[/name_f], [name_f]Nettie[/name_f] and [name_m]Ness[/name_m]
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[name_f][/name_f]
Iām glad someone likes [name_f]Nettie[/name_f]! It makes sense to me because the [name_f]French[/name_f] form is Etiennette!
I feel relatively neutral towards [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f]. I prefer short names but beyond that, I havenāt given the name much thought. I suppose this tends to happen to names weāve had high exposure to, which have also gone out of fashion.
[name_f][/name_f]I think the sound and rhythm is pleasing and likeable though. [name_f]Tiffany[/name_f] and [name_f]Bethany[/name_f] had peaks around the same time but neither were as popular as [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] or for as long. [name_f][/name_f] [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] has a very similar sound profile for the current generation though, just with a softer first syllable and mythological appeal.
[name_f][/name_f]I donāt know that I would change my view of a name so drastically by nickname alone. I think people make a name, not the other way around. I had a wonderful, wise, and peaceful [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] in my life so that is already a positive for the name. I could imagine a graceful, stylish woman like [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] Hepburn named [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] and it totally overhauls any prior perceptions.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f][/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]More thoughts on nicknames
[name_f][/name_f]Iāve been in a similar position with my name. Mine is dated to my parentās generation and Iāve never been a big fan (think something like [name_f]Sandra[/name_f] or Brenda). I always went by my full name as I disliked the common nicknames. A few years ago we moved to a new city and I had a chance to try out a new nickname with people I met. There were nicknames I liked in theory but struggled to see myself owning, as in, I felt self-conscious for trying to wear them. I didnāt want a total reinvention, just an adjustment that would suit me a bit better.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]In[/name_f] the end I landed on my initial in long form. For instance, Ess, rather than S. I would really get behind that kind of nickname for anyone. It may be unexpected but itās so straightforward, I donāt feel like you need to explain how you got there or why youāre changing it up, or why you want to be perceived differently because itās always been your intial. Itās more like reclaiming the initial in itās fullness.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]So[/name_f] my absolute favourite ideas are Ess/Essie from your initial and [name_f]Effie[/name_f] which is very clearly shortened from Steph/Stephie. I would also add Esti/Estie/Esty into the mix as the first two letters in your name. Stess is quite interesting if youāre after something slightly intriguing, arty, original ā Iām liking it more and more but I get if it feels like it belongs to your dad.
[name_f][/name_f]Names like [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Nina[/name_f] (and [name_f]Annie[/name_f] actually) that are commonly used as full names in their own right end up sounding like aliases rather than nicknames for [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] which is something Iād want to avoid.
[name_f][/name_f]Re: [name_m]Ness[/name_m] [name_f][/name_f]- I think [name_m]Ness[/name_m] could work with your friend Ess depending on your friendship dynamics, itās one of the more relaxed and natural sounding nickname options on your list and follows on from Stess, but I wonder if you need to rename yourself with everyone already in your life. It depends what youāre wanting out of this change. Would a change with some people suffice?
[name_f][/name_f]I have found it statisfying to use my new nickname with just the new people I meet, and now I have a few mum friends in my life who just know me by my new nickname. Iām not asking my old school friends Iāve known forever to call me something else, or my parents, or my in laws or my husband. I might bring it up at some point in the future, but three years into the change, itās still an ongoing adjustment to hear the new name and hear it as mine. I still feel a mix of surprise, hesitation, and excitement every time someone calls me the name.
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]You[/name_m] could do a soft change with some people and see how it goes. E.g. āIāve started to use the nickname ___ but Iām still responding to [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] and you can still call [name_f][/name_f] me that.ā
[name_f][/name_f]I hope some of this helps you clarify your thoughts in some way, and best of luck with the change however you decided to do it!
[name_f][/name_f]
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[name_f][/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]@kachenka[name_f][/name_f] thanks SO much for this really reflective reply! [name_m]You[/name_m] make some great points. [name_m]The[/name_m] issue of nicknames-that-are-also-names feeling like aliases[name_f][/name_f] rather than nicknames[name_f][/name_f] really explains something that I have been feeling but havenāt been able to articulate [name_f][/name_f]- using [name_f]Nina[/name_f] or [name_f]Annie[/name_f] would feel like moving into the territory of those names in their own right rather than experimenting within the existing space of my own name. It would feel like a switch[name_f][/name_f] rather than a riff[name_f][/name_f], you know?
[name_f][/name_f]I think if I didnāt have an Ess in my life Iād already have chosen Ess/Essie (especially because my middle name is an E! ). [name_f]Esti[/name_f] etc is fun, sparkly, but feels more labored to say, somehow. [name_f]Effie[/name_f], although the clear winner above, feels on the little-girl side to me, perhaps a little too cute. Maybe the [name_f]Ephie[/name_f] spelling would feel less froufrou but I fear flying too close to [name_f]Elphie[/name_f] as in Wicked[name_f][/name_f].
On whether to change with everyone, I have some experience of this dilemma because my other half goes by his nickname to me and most of our friends, but his full name at work, with family, and with other friends. And itās starting to drive him a little crazy. He hates his name for personal reasons but doesnāt feel like he can change to the nickname in every context. Iāve known him as the nickname for most of our relationship so having to call him the full name to people who donāt know the nickname feels like Iām talking about someone else entirely. [name_f]So[/name_f] confusing! Personally I wish he would commit to the nickname at least with my side of the family so I donāt have to use the full name so much, but of course itās up to him.
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Hence[/name_m], me putting a lot of thought into this potential new name for myself. I started by intentionally going by Stephanie-in-full in a couple of new contexts which I prefer to [name_f]Steph[/name_f]. But Iām not sure Iāll ever get my family to drop [name_f]Steph[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]- except for the occasional Stess!! [name_f]So[/name_f] maybe that is the answer. āIntriguing, arty, and originalā does sound appealing. I probably prefer the softer [name_m]Ness[/name_m] but itās a bigger leap to make. But I think Iām landing around those two
Thanks again for your personal insights, itās so fascinating to hear about other peopleās nickname journeys!
[name_f][/name_f]
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to answer question 3:
[name_f][/name_f]I have a neutral opinion on [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] as a name but ultimately because I have a combination of positive and negative feelings about it, and neither are strong enough to fully influence me, if that makes sense? on the one hand, I think every [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] Iāve known has been someone I get on really well with, and so my associations with the name are generally good. unfortunately, the sound doesnāt sit right with me. itās the āStephā sound which feels heavy to me and reminds me a bit of a staph infection[name_f][/name_f]. even [name_f]Melanie[/name_f], which has the same ending and the same millennial vibes feels significantly lighter as a name.
[name_f][/name_f]for number 4:
[name_f][/name_f]I could actually see [name_f]Effie[/name_f] being a somewhat trendy nickname which could offer [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] new life! [name_f]Stevie[/name_f] is becoming trendy in the US, though I think parents would be more likely to go with [name_f]Stevie[/name_f] on its own than [name_f]Effie[/name_f]. I donāt like [name_f]Effie[/name_f] for myself, but Iād be pleasantly surprised to meet a little [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] āEffieā!
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I like Stephanie. It has a definite 80s feel but is a very old name, like your examples of Louisa and Eleanor, and probably older than Josephine.
What I like about it - itās long, second-tier classic, elegant and regal, but sweet and energetic because of the ending sound. There are a few ways to shorten it affectionately. Itās common in modern times but wouldnāt have felt out of place in the past thousand years or so.
I love the idea of Stephanie āStellaā, it feels like an endearment (due to Stellaās meaning) that also has the bonus of playing off the shared āstā sound. I also voted for Ettie because it feels very vintage to me and I like anything that brings out Stephanieās vintage/classic side, and Annie because I like Annie in general. None of those really ring ā21st centuryā however.
The nicknames (Steph and Stevie included) definitely make Stephanie feel more versatile.
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@SparkleNinja18[name_f][/name_f] I do see the āmedicalā vibes 
[name_f][/name_f] not a big āStephā fan in general because idk, it just feels so stuck in one vibe/era and itās one that doesnāt suit me. [name_f]Effie[/name_f] and [name_f]Stevie[/name_f] are both cute for sure.
This is such a nice point! It actually incorporates my initials nicely too which might mitigate the fact it feels like a name in its own right?
[name_f][/name_f]I really like [name_f]Ettie[/name_f]. I guess Iām not looking for ā21st centuryā coded so much as, in line with current tastes rather than stuck in the past, so [name_f]Annie[/name_f] and [name_f]Ettie[/name_f] fit that bill.
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