Right now I’ve got a little crush on the name Contessa (as well as the nicknames [name_u]Connie[/name_u] and [name_f]Tess[/name_f]/[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]) but I’m not completely sure that it’s usable. What are everyone’s thoughts? Is it pretty or pretentioius?
Thanks,
[name_f]Pansy[/name_f]
Contessa is Italian for “countess” so it’s an aristocratic title. It would be like naming your child [name_f]Princess[/name_f], [name_f]Queen[/name_f] or [name_m]Duke[/name_m]. It’s pretty and pretentious. 
Have you considered [name_f]Constance[/name_f] or Italian names like [name_f]Constanza[/name_f] and [name_f]Concetta[/name_f]?
@mischa - Yes, I know it’s Italian for “countess”, that’s why I worry it might sound pretentious (which it probably does). LOL. I came across it when I was doing a search for a full name for [name_f]Tess[/name_f] and thought, “Hey, that’s actually really pretty!” [name_f]Constance[/name_f], [name_f]Constanza[/name_f] and [name_f]Concetta[/name_f] don’t really appeal to me but thank you for the suggestions!
There is another name you might like - [name_f]Quintessa[/name_f]. It has the same princess-y vibe without the prentention.
It’s a bit like naming your kid [name_m]Marquis[/name_m]. Not quite as obviously royal as [name_f]Princess[/name_f] or [name_m]Duke[/name_m], but with a bit of a snobby vibe. That being said, I don’t think it’s overwhelmingly pretentious.