[name]Adelaide[/name] nn Lady - I have always liked the name [name]Adelaide[/name]
[name]Ainslie[/name]- This is pretty, but not my favorite
[name]Amelie[/name] nn [name]Millie[/name]- The name [name]Amelie[/name] is awesome and I love the nn [name]Millie[/name]
[name]Annabel[/name]/le nn [name]Belle[/name] - [name]Annabel[/name] is a great name, classic!
[name]Aurelia[/name] nn [name]Elia[/name], [name]Lia[/name] - I like this name, not quite my style, but it’s pretty
[name]Aurora[/name] nn [name]Rory[/name], [name]Ora[/name] - Great choice and the nn potential is good
[name]Beatrix[/name] nn [name]Trixie[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it!
[name]Connolly[/name] nn [name]Nolly[/name], [name]Ollie[/name] - I like it better on your boy list!
[name]Coralie[/name] nn [name]Cora[/name], [name]Ora[/name] - [name]Coralie[/name] is pretty, I personally like the name [name]Cora[/name] better as the full name
[name]Eleanor[/name] - [name]Adore[/name] it, pretty and feminine without being over the top, very classic
[name]Esme[/name] - I do like this name, but it might become popular because of the Twilight Series
[name]Helen[/name]/a - I prefer [name]Helene[/name]
[name]Henrietta[/name] nn [name]Hattie[/name], [name]Etta[/name] - Not sure how I feel about the name [name]Henrietta[/name], I think of a chicken, sorry
[name]Irene[/name] - Nice
Illyria - Very interesting, I have never heard this name, it is beautiful, people might have a difficult time saying it though
[name]Iris[/name]- Pretty
[name]Isla[/name]- Nice, but not my favorite on your list
[name]Ismene[/name] - That’s one that I have never heard of, interesting
[name]Lorelei[/name] nn [name]Rory[/name], [name]Leila[/name] - I think [name]Lorelei[/name] is a fantastic name and the nn options you have are really good!
[name]Loretta[/name] nn [name]Etta[/name] - you have much better ones on your list
[name]Mariposa[/name] nn [name]Posey[/name] - unsure of my thoughts on this one
[name]Merida[/name] nn Airie - I like the name [name]Merida[/name] a lot, I think it’s beautiful, not quite sure I get the nn though
[name]Mirabel[/name]/[name]Mirabelle[/name] nn [name]Mira[/name], [name]Bell[/name] - Great choice!
[name]Noelle[/name] nn [name]Noe[/name], [name]Elle[/name] - It’s okay
[name]Ophelia[/name] nn [name]Fee[/name], [name]Lia[/name], [name]Posey[/name] - I love the name [name]Ophelia[/name]!
[name]Paloma[/name] - it’s okay
[name]Penrose[/name] nn [name]Posey[/name] - not so much my style
[name]Primrose[/name] nn [name]Rosie[/name] - not so much my style
[name]Prudence[/name] nn [name]Prue[/name], [name]Rue[/name], Tuppence - I like [name]Prudence[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]- I actually love the name [name]Sophie[/name], it has gotten really popular it seems, but still an absolutely beautiful name!
[name]Theodora[/name]/[name]Theadora[/name] nn [name]Teddy[/name], [name]Theo[/name]/a - I think this is the name that I like the least
[name]Victoria[/name] nn [name]Vicky[/name] - [name]Victoria[/name] is a beautiful name
[name]Viola[/name] nn [name]Vi[/name] - I think [name]Viola[/name] is probably my favorite of your list, it’s an awesome name and not too popular!
@emmabobemma
Thanks for your response! Actually [name]Antigone[/name] was the one who was buried alive while her sister, [name]Ismene[/name], was refused her plea to be buried with her. I love the suggestion of [name]Vita[/name] as a nn for [name]Victoria[/name] (which I honestly have to admit I don’t love but keep on my list more because of the fact that it was my SO’s mothers name. I could totally get behind [name]Vita[/name] though). Thanks!!
@sp11
[name]Ami[/name] as a nn for [name]Amelia[/name] is really intriguing. Thanks!
@kala_way
I really appreciate you explaining why you don’t like [name]Esme[/name] - I never saw the asthma/eczema connection but it’s always good to know that others do/might. Thank you.
@jtucker
After you mentioned [name]Henrietta[/name] reminds you of a chicken I had to look it up. I don’t think I’ve seen [name]Sesame[/name] [name]Street[/name] since I was 6 and would never have known about her. Between [name]Annabel[/name] the cow, ([name]Charlotte[/name] the Spider - which used to be on my list) and now [name]Henrietta[/name] the chicken I feel like I’ve got a zoo. That totally made my day. (And actually I think [name]Henrietta[/name] the chicken might make me love the name more - after all she did read “Great Eggctations by [name]Charles[/name] Chickens”). Thank you!
[name]Adelaide[/name] nn Lady - I really like this name, but I don’t know if I’d want to be called ‘Lady’ once I started getting into my teenage years
[name]Ainslie[/name] - Feels like a modern [name]Ashley[/name]. I knew a girl named this, so it has a very specific image in my mind which is hard to shake. It’s one of the better female surname names, but I prefer [name]Hadley[/name]. Also, I’d just spell it the traditional way with the y, as it feels more stream lined.
[name]Amelie[/name] nn [name]Millie[/name] - The movie is one of my favorites and I love the rhythm and sound of this name. [name]One[/name] of my favorites.
[name]Annabel[/name]/le nn [name]Belle[/name] - This is such a sweet, sweet name. I love the poem [name]Annabel[/name] [name]Lee[/name] too, so that also helps.
[name]Aurelia[/name] nn [name]Elia[/name], [name]Lia[/name] - I love [name]Aurelie[/name] and [name]Aurora[/name] and think that they rank a bit higher for me than [name]Aurelia[/name] in therms of sound and rhythm. However, I can see myself actually using [name]Aurelia[/name], whereas [name]Aurelie[/name] and [name]Aurora[/name] remain guilty pleasures. It keeps growing on me
[name]Aurora[/name] nn [name]Rory[/name], [name]Ora[/name] - Absolutely love. If I could have renamed myself as a child, I would have been [name]Aurora[/name] hands down. It was my absolute favorite name for my entire childhood. Maybe because of that, I feel as though I could never really use it now. Not sure why.
[name]Beatrix[/name] nn [name]Trixie[/name] - On my list. I know it’s getting more popular, but it’s just such a darling yet substantial name
[name]Connolly[/name] nn [name]Nolly[/name], [name]Ollie[/name] (SO’s family name and mn) - I liked this better on your boys list, but think that it could be a good mn
[name]Coralie[/name] nn [name]Cora[/name],[name]Ora[/name] - Also on my own list. The nn [name]Cora[/name] is starting to feel pretty stale to me though, so I’m searching for something else
[name]Eleanor[/name]/Eleonor/a nn [name]Elle[/name], [name]Nora[/name] - I’ve been hearing [name]Eleanor[/name] a lot more recently, which makes me happy
[name]Esme[/name] - I never fell in love with this name, but I think it’s fine enough
[name]Helen[/name]/a - very nice
[name]Henrietta[/name] nn [name]Hattie[/name], [name]Etta[/name] - cute yet frilly
[name]Irene[/name] (my mom’s name, which she hates the English prn for) - I agree that the non-English pronunciations are gorgeous, where the English one is just so-so. Still a beautiful name with a wonderful meaning
Illyria (thanks @[name]Ottille[/name]) - This is very pretty,
[name]Iris[/name] - This was my best friend in high school’s middle name and she chose to go by it exclusively during college. I like the image it gives me, but not the sound for some reason
[name]Isla[/name] - Have always liked this name!
[name]Ismene[/name] - A bit of a guilty pleasure, along with [name]Ione[/name]. I don’t think it would work very well in an English speaking country
[name]Lorelei[/name] nn [name]Rory[/name], [name]Leila[/name] - Very charming name. I also like the nn [name]Lila[/name] (prn: LYE-lah)
[name]Loretta[/name] nn [name]Etta[/name] - Makes me think of the wild west
[name]Mariposa[/name] nn [name]Posey[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Posey[/name]! The full name seems so heavy to me (which is weird, given its meaning), but I think it could grow on me
[name]Merida[/name] nn Airie - Too closely tied to the movie, imo. Unless you’re using it to reference the place that is
[name]Mirabel[/name]/[name]Mirabelle[/name] nn [name]Mira[/name], [name]Bell[/name] - I would use [name]Mirabel[/name], as it makes it seem less like a translation of ‘look pretty’
[name]Noelle[/name] nn [name]Noe[/name], [name]Elle[/name] - Pretty sound, but not as interesting or exciting as many of your other names
[name]Ophelia[/name] nn [name]Fee[/name], [name]Lia[/name], [name]Posey[/name] - Gorgeous, but it has such a sad image in my mind from the play that I just cannot shake
[name]Paloma[/name] - I would be so happy to meet a little [name]Paloma[/name]!
[name]Penrose[/name] nn [name]Posey[/name] - Prefer [name]Primrose[/name]
[name]Primrose[/name] nn [name]Rosie[/name] - Absolutely ravishing name, but I would probably use it as a mn
[name]Prudence[/name] nn [name]Prue[/name], [name]Rue[/name], Tuppence - I adore [name]Prue[/name].
[name]Sophie[/name] (my mn and the first name of both of my maternal great-grandmothers) - This name oozes class and beauty to me. It’s my very sophisticated much older cousin’s name, so I’ve always held this name on a bit of a pedestal
[name]Theodora[/name]/[name]Theadora[/name] nn [name]Teddy[/name], [name]Theo[/name]/a - [name]Thea[/name] is cute, but I don’t love the sound of [name]Theodora[/name].
[name]Victoria[/name] nn [name]Vicky[/name] (my SO’s deceased mothers name) - I would use for the family reference, no question
[name]Viola[/name] nn [name]Vi[/name] - I love the character from Twelfth [name]Night[/name], but sadly all I can think of is large violins. Maybe that’s not a bad thing?
I really like [name]Annabel[/name], [name]Helen[/name]/a, [name]Henrietta[/name], [name]Lorelei[/name], [name]Mariposa[/name], [name]Mirabel[/name], [name]Noelle[/name], [name]Sophie[/name], [name]Victoria[/name] and [name]Theodora[/name]. All of those sound so lovely! I especially like the nn’s of [name]Rory[/name] and [name]Posey[/name] and [name]Etta[/name].
@raptreverie
thanks for your detailed thoughts. I considered [name]Lila[/name] for a while but it’s the [name]German[/name] word for purple and is pronounced [name]Lee[/name]-la which, considering most of my family speaks [name]German[/name] would feel a bit odd.
@mayday_fridaybabe
Thanks for your thoughts. I really love [name]Rory[/name], [name]Posey[/name] and [name]Etta[/name] as well - so much in fact I wish I could see them as full names but they are just solidly some of my favorite nn options instead.
Thank you everyone for your responses. They really helped me think about the names I love in a new light. You [name]Rock[/name]!