I love the name [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. I really, really do. It’s classic, sweet without being cutsey and ages well, it has a beautiful meaning and would be a way to pass down my own middle name. It just feels like the right name.
But the problem is that it is a nickname… it’s that question of “am I okay with putting a nickname on a birth certificate?” that comes up every time! I don’t know if I am - but none of the longer options are working for me.
Obvious choice would be [name_f]Anne[/name_f], but I’m not sure, because while it’s classic, it is very plain. It’s my middle, and while I love it now for its significance I really hated it when I was young - and that was just as a middle, never mind how she would feel about having it as a first!
As for the others - I really liked [name_f]Anna[/name_f] but I work with kids and so see about a dozen Annas every week… Same goes for [name_f]Hannah[/name_f]. [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] sounds like a sneeze, [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] etc feels too elaborate, [name_f]Anya[/name_f] just doesn’t feel right and while [name_f]Aine[/name_f] is lovely it’s too tied to one culture here for me to be totally comfortable with.
The only other contender was [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] which I love in its own right, but [name_f]Annie[/name_f] as a nickname seems like a stretch.
Tell me I’m missing an option! What else could [name_f]Annie[/name_f] be short for?! Help!!
ATM [name_f]Annie[/name_f] as she stands is feeling like the best option, but even then how do you balance it with a middle name?! [name_f]Joy[/name_f] would have been first pick until someone pointed out to me that [name_f]Annie[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] sounds like “any joy?” which is a common slang here for “how are you getting on with that?” Haha. If we were to stick with [name_f]Annie[/name_f], do you have any suggestions for an alternative?
Okay, first off, let me tell you that I adore [name_f]Annie[/name_f].
Secondly, I would implore you to please not put [name_f]Annie[/name_f] on the birth certificate. I know three people with “nickname” first names and they hate it. People are constantly telling them they filled out forms wrong because they needed to write their “legal” name, or getting their names wrong anyway. Plus, what if she wants a different option later on? I know a [name_f]Sally[/name_f] whose first name is [name_f]Sara[/name_f] and she is SO [name_f]GLAD[/name_f] her parents gave her that option. (Same with [name_f]Liz[/name_f], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_u]Allie[/name_u], [name_f]Janie[/name_f], etc.)
Personally, I love [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_f]Anna[/name_f]. I suppose [name_f]Anna[/name_f] is kind of popular but I guess that is regional? They are classics, though. And you would be calling her [name_f]Annie[/name_f] Anyway. PLUS, I really think [name_f]Anne[/name_f] is fresh and surprising now as a first name (Kind of like [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and [name_f]Rose[/name_f], or other names previously/currently considered “filler” middles.)
I don’t think [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] is a stretch. It’s one of my favorite ways to get [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. Besides [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] would be my only suggestion off the top of my head. I’m sure other berries will come in with some good suggestions though
In short, don’t give up on [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. But my advice would be to try to find a more formal first name for the birth certificate.
I’m an advocate for [name_f]Anne[/name_f], myself. One of the things I love about bumping the “plain filler names” to the first name spot is that you can go all out for the middle name without it being weird. Something like [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Octavia[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], or [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f] is actually quite striking. (None of those are really that out there, but you get the idea.)
[name_f]Susanna[/name_f] nn [name_f]Annie[/name_f] works though. I’m also not opposed to seeing [name_f]Annie[/name_f] on a birth certificate. I know several ladies who are just [name_f]Katie[/name_f] and they don’t seem to mind.
[name_m]Even[/name_m] some names with just ‘an’ in them could work, although if you feel [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]'s a stretch, these are probably more so: [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f], [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f], [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f], [name_f]Evanthe[/name_f], [name_f]Miranda[/name_f]…
You can get [name_f]Annie[/name_f] from pretty much any name with the ‘an’ sound in it, and there are a lot of them about. [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] is a good choice.
What about [name_f]Annette[/name_f], [name_f]Anya[/name_f], [name_u]Andrea[/name_u], [name_f]Arianne[/name_f]/ [name_f]Arianna[/name_f], [name_f]Anita[/name_f], [name_f]Annika[/name_f], [name_f]Nancy[/name_f]?
This is hard - I have this exact dilemma, right down to wondering if [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] could work. [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] is one of my top names anyway, but I always preferred [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] as a NN … but I can’t very well have a [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] and an [name_f]Anne[/name_f], can I?
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is a diminutive and though I do like it, I always wanted a “proper name” with [name_f]Molly[/name_f] as a nickname. But there are a lot of people who love having diminutives as first names, or people who have formal names and hate it… there’s no good way to know how your [name_f]Annie[/name_f] would feel, so I don’t think it’s wrong to name her [name_f]Annie[/name_f] if you love it the most. [name_f]My[/name_f] vote is for [name_f]Anne[/name_f], though, which has the same apple-cheeked, plaid skirt in the fall, summer on Cape Cod feel as [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. [name_f]Anna[/name_f] is beautiful but so ubiquitous where I live, and somehow it seems easier to go from [name_f]Anne[/name_f] to [name_f]Annie[/name_f] than from [name_f]Anna[/name_f] to [name_f]Annie[/name_f]. Most Annas I know are just [name_f]Anna[/name_f]. And [name_f]Susanna[/name_f], though a personal favorite, seems like a bit unnecessary if you’re only using it to get to [name_f]Annie[/name_f].
Some names that just have the “an” syllable feel contrived to me, even though I know [name_f]Annie[/name_f] is a legit nickname for them. Maybe an [name_f]Anne[/name_f] compound or variation would work:
[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Annalie[/name_f]
[name_f]Annella[/name_f]
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]
[name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f]
[name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Cecile[/name_f]
[name_f]Anna[/name_f]-[name_f]Maria[/name_f]
I love Annie. I know a girl named Annie and she has no problems with her birth certificate or her name in general, same goes for the girls that I know named Katie, Rosie, and Allie, they are all fine with not having formal names. So, I think Annie is just fine. Other than Annie, I love both Anna and Anne, I think they both give off the sweetness that Annie has. Susanna is pretty and I don’t think its too much of a stretch.
I love [name_f]Annie[/name_f]! I’ve had this dilemma, too, and have decided to use [name_f]Annie[/name_f] as a nickname. I think going from [name_f]Anne[/name_f] to [name_f]Annie[/name_f] makes the most sense, but I really don’t like [name_f]Anne[/name_f] (it’s much too plain). [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Susanna[/name_f], [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] and [name_f]Marianne[/name_f]. [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] make the most sense to me, but you could use any of them.
Since you love [name_f]Susanna[/name_f], and [name_f]Annie[/name_f] makes sense as a nickname from that, I’d go with [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]. [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] is a pretty perfect name, I have to admit.
If I were naming her, she’d be [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. There are so many splendid namesakes, and I think there’s an elegance in its simplicity.
An [name_f]Annie[/name_f] I know is actually [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f].
[name_u]Love[/name_u] the name [name_f]Annie[/name_f], and I think it would be super cute- however, in my opinion, I think it would be a better idea to give her a longer first name on her birth certificate, even if you never use it. I have a friend named [name_f]Annie[/name_f] that loves her name, but always wished she could have had the first name [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f]!
I have a few suggestions for first names that could give you [name_f]Annie[/name_f], but I think [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] is beautiful and if that is a name that you truly love I think you should go for it!
Ideas:
[name_f]Annalise[/name_f]
[name_f]Annabelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Annabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Annika[/name_f]
[name_f]Vivianne[/name_f]
[name_u]Andrea[/name_u]
[name_f]Adrianne[/name_f]
[name_u]Aidan[/name_u]- could be cute for a girl
[name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Danielle[/name_f]- [name_f]Annie[/name_f] or [name_u]Danny[/name_u]
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Angela[/name_f]
Some of them are a bigger stretch than others but all cute!!
Thanks berries - I love that [name_f]Annie[/name_f] is getting such a lovely reaction! When I mentioned it to my family they hated it - I know they’ll come around, but your reaction has really reassured us. I think we’re decided now that we’re far more comfortable having a formal name even if we don’t use it often, just so [name_f]Annie[/name_f] can have it to fall back on later in life - so that’s one big thing sorted!
Now it’s just choosing which! Thank you for all the suggestions - some of them are brilliantly creative - [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] and [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] were some of my favourites! At this stage though, [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] are the serious contenders.
For [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] - the more I say [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f], the more it makes me smile… I don’t know. We also realised that [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] goes perfectly with [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] which we would love for a future boy… [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] and [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. It just sounds right (and now that I’ve thought about that repeating “an” sound another girl could be [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]! [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Nell[/name_f] and [name_u]Nat[/name_u]!) [name_f]My[/name_f] worry is just that if my family hate [name_f]Annie[/name_f] enough they’ll start calling her [name_f]Susie[/name_f] from the cradle… I don’t love it but I would accept it if she chose it for herself when she’s old enough to make her own choice, but I don’t want to be arguing about it from day one! We’re also still a little worried it seems like too much of a stretch (although if my
grandad [name_m]Robert[/name_m] who goes by [name_u]Bertie[/name_u] can make it work…!)
[name_f]Anne[/name_f] would simplify the issue a lot, and we do really like it - not as much as [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] but it does feel like it makes more sense and would solve the [name_f]Susie[/name_f] issue. It is also my middle name and we have a few Anns in our family so it would have a more direct connection, which is a really lovely thought - and it throws up so many more exciting options for a middle name! She could even have two middles - [name_f]Anne[/name_f] — [name_f]Joy[/name_f] (although it’s not very exciting we actually like [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] in that spot, after a relative - and [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] does feel like a mouthful). It would probably mean throwing out [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] but that’s not so much of an issue for us right now.
So [name_f]Anne[/name_f] vs. [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]! What do you think?
That’s what we’re thinking. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is staunchly no-nickname and I didn’t like that there was so little flexibility in it to create a nickname - luckily my name does fit me, but what if [name_f]Annie[/name_f]'s doesn’t? I’d like her to have something she can adapt.
I love [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] so much - it was vetoed fairly early on though! I hadn’t thought about using [name_f]Annie[/name_f] as a nickname for it!
[name_f]Susanne[/name_f] nn [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is amazing!!! If we went with [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] and she decided to go by [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] instead of [name_f]Annie[/name_f] later on I don’t think I’d even care, it’s so fun! I also agree with you on [name_f]Anna[/name_f] feeling ubiquitous, I see so many of them around here.
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f] needs to make a comeback! I just read Sense and Sensibility and thought if [name_f]Elinor[/name_f] ([name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]) is coming back, [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] should too!
Thanks berries - I love that [name_f]Annie[/name_f] is getting such a lovely reaction! When I mentioned it to my family they hated it - I know they’ll come around, but your reaction has really reassured us. I think we’re decided now that we’re far more comfortable having a formal name even if we don’t use it often, just so [name_f]Annie[/name_f] can have it to fall back on later in life - so that’s one big thing sorted!
Now it’s just choosing which! Thank you for all the suggestions - some of them are brilliantly creative - [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] and [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] were some of my favourites! At this stage though, [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] are the serious contenders.
For [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] - the more I say [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f], the more it makes me smile… I don’t know. We also realised that [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] goes perfectly with [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] which we would love for a future boy… [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] and [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]. It just sounds right (and now that I’ve thought about that repeating “an” sound another girl could be [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]! [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Nell[/name_f] and [name_u]Nat[/name_u]!) [name_f]My[/name_f] worry is just that if my family hate [name_f]Annie[/name_f] enough they’ll start calling her [name_f]Susie[/name_f] from the cradle… I don’t love it but I would accept it if she chose it for herself when she’s old enough to make her own choice, but I don’t want to be arguing about it from day one! We’re also still a little worried it seems like too much of a stretch (although if my grandad [name_m]Robert[/name_m] who goes by [name_u]Bertie[/name_u] can make it work…!)
[name_f]Anne[/name_f] would simplify the issue a lot, and we do really like it - not as much as [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] but it does feel like it makes more sense and would solve the [name_f]Susie[/name_f] issue. It is also my middle name and we have a few Anns in our family so it would have a more direct connection, which is a really lovely thought - and it throws up so many more exciting options for a middle name! She could even have two middles - [name_f]Anne[/name_f] — [name_f]Joy[/name_f] (although it’s not very exciting we actually like [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] in that spot, after a relative - and [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] does feel like a mouthful). It would probably mean throwing out [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] but that’s not so much of an issue for us right now.
So [name_f]Anne[/name_f] vs. [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]! What do you think?
[name_m]Both[/name_m] are great choices. Could your surname make the decision? [name_f]Anne[/name_f] is simple and abrupt. [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] is longer and more playful. [name_m]How[/name_m] many syllables is the surname?
I have been brainstorming how to incorporate [name_f]Anne[/name_f] into a full name (to honour [name_f]MIL[/name_f]) to use the nn [name_f]Annie[/name_f] for awhile too I also love all the love it’s getting!
I also love all the love it’s getting!