Alright, so people often say “Goldie” is too much of a nickname…but isn’t [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] equally out there with it’s whimsical nature?
I would only ever use the name with the intention of the child going by [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]. So why not use the name you plan to call them outright? If you have a full name with a nn you use, I’d love your thoughts, as I do not!
I really do not care for Mary/Mari or the pronunciation of Mary-gold vs Mare-ih-gold or Mare-uh-gold.
But the full name sure does look beautiful and have a wonderful literary tie to LM [name_m]Montgomery[/name_m]!
I don’t think either is too much or unusable! People have been using out there nickname names & long nature names for a long time now. [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] is especially usable to me since it utilises the familiar and traditional [name_f]Mari[/name_f]- beginning with a more whimsical second half.
I personally don’t like [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] for a few different reasons and definitely prefer [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], but if you plan on only calling her [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] and never [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] then I don’t see the need to put the latter on the birth certificate!
You’re right that [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] and [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] are about equally “out there”.
So if you would want to have the child called [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] all the time, I would suggest you use [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] and not [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] if you really don’t like one of Marigold’s intuitive nicknames and one of the common pronunciations of that name.
I don’t have a nickname really, so I don’t know whether I’d want just the nickname or a full name for options.
Maybe you’d like [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] as a middle name with a different first name, and then using the nickname [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] at home?
I adore both [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] and [name_f]Marigold[/name_f].
I would personally use [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] because I think it offers the child some versatility throughout a lifetime. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] , [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] , [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] , [name_m]Ari[/name_m] , Marg, [name_f]Meg[/name_f] , [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] could all be nickname options. And I like that it gives a girl options to feel out who she truly is
The only positive I could see for putting [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] on the birth certificate is if she ever found [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] or [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] too out there she could always choose to go by the traditional [name_f]Mary[/name_f].
However I 100% agree that [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] and [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] are equally out there (in fact I would say [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] is a little more out there than Goldie) and if you dont love [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], then absolutely just put [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] on the birth certificate.
These are the things that I think through because a lot of the bigger names have so many avenues with nicknames. I like Margo and Goldie as derivatives but that’s it!
Some names like Katherine to Kate are more clear cut without ending up with a plethora of separate names, many of which are not ones that resonate with me. It’s all so foreign to me!
I haven’t heard that [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] is too much of a nickname to use, but if some people think so, I wonder if it would have anything to do with Goldilocks? Not that it’s a bad association, but not particularly positive either.
fwiw, I think it’s a really lovely vintage nickname, not “too much” at all
When I was little the next door neighbor had this big beautiful dog named [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]. It will always be a pet’s name for me.
As a flower name like [name_f]Lily[/name_f] or [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] does feel quite whimsical and nature-y, maybe a little hippy-dippy, but still like a name for a human.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] my two cents. People’s pets have middle names now so who’s to say where one category ends and the other begins.
I don’t think [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] is too much of a nickname - no more so than [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_f]Posy[/name_f], [name_m]Charlie[/name_m], [name_f]Jamie[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] etc. and I’m more of the opinion that if it feels substantial enough, use what you’re going to be calling the child - unless, as you say, if you love the full name.
[name_f]Goldie[/name_f] definitely can be used as a name in her own right and has a long extensive history of being used with famous associations such as [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] Hawn. In Jewish communities we have Golda/Golde so for me [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] just works as a name in her own right. Yes she’s a little out there but names are so different nowadays I wouldn’t be surprised to encounter a [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]. Furthermore in the UK vintage nicknames with the ie ending are all the range so for me [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] would be more expected over [name_f]Marigold[/name_f].
Personally I love [name_f]Marigold[/name_f]! I love nature names and [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] really appeals to me. A name that oozes sunshine But if you just want [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] go with her.
@lucy_halo1 Same here. I have a no-nickname name. Perhaps thats why I am so drawn to it for my own children. It feels fun to play around with!
@LibelluleClaire Here’s the clencher : I Like the middle name and prefer to gift her that as a second option before even [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] as a first
@Greyblue I completely agree with this. I find it funny how people get very bent out of shape for names that are “dog names” like [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] or [name_f]Ruby[/name_f], when they make perfectly fine human names. I like the more Aussie style of names that feel laid back and fun – even like [name_f]Coco[/name_f], [name_f]Dot[/name_f], etc!
@tori101 You made them both sound so lovely, as you always do. You have a gift with this!
If it helps at all, I named my child the nn version of a more formal name because that was the name I truly loved. The nn version is what is on her birth certificate and is what we call her. However, I’ve always said if she wanted to go by the other version there’s no reason she couldn’t. Now, Marigold is a little bit more of a difference from Goldie than my child’s name is from their formal version, but still, I just don’t see why one has to give their child the name that isn’t the one they truly love just because it seems you have to check some box or fit some parameter. Goldie Hawn has gotten by just fine after all! Maybe, if anything, just give her a more traditional middle name so when she is older it gives her another option if for some reason she isn’t feeling the Goldie. I know several people who primarily go by their middle name. Goldie is darling. So is Marigold, but it seems just as whimsical too, so if it’s nots the name you love, what’s the difference? Might as well just use Goldie. And that way too you won’t have to constantly be saying “but her real name is Marigold.” If people ask you can simply say “it’s just Goldie.” And leave it at that. It’s always worked for us. Or it’s followed up with “that’s the name we actually loved so that’s the name we gave her” and the conversation usually doesn’t need to go farther than that.
And regarding the pet name aspect, just think of how many dogs are named Lucy for example. Yet we meet many little girls and women named it as well. Lots of dogs have human names, try not to let that one hinder you too much.
[name_f]Beautiful[/name_f] sound advice! We LOVE her middle name (more than Marigold), so I feel like she has options there. I just love all that you said. To be vulnerable, it is always HARD for me to name a girl because I have not ever liked or resonated with my own name. Boys I love love love naming and it’s easy peasy!! So thank you for this thoughtful response, it was very kind and helpful.
[name_f]Marigold[/name_f] and [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] are both gorgeous and totally usable. I think [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] is so lovely!
We gave our daughter a long name even though we mostly call her by her nickname because we wanted her to have options - nicknames are often very “cutesy” and may not feel appropriate later in adult life / in a professional setting. I always tell people: remember you’re naming a person, not just a baby. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you feel that an adult person in a professional setting would be comfortable going by just [name_f]Goldie[/name_f]? If so, great. If not, [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] might be the better option.
I’ve met a girl name [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] in USA once! It’s a cute name! I will say, [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] does give your child more options if you want it as a name to grow into. However, I think [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] is a greart name + has a lot of uniqueness to it!
But if you just want [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] go with her.