I recently decided to drop [name]Grace[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Alice[/name] from my work-in-progress list as first names, because they were #8#59, and #37 respectively last year in the UK, and I want to avoid something that popular. I preferably don’t want any names in the top 100 as firsts on my list.
So I’ve been thinking of adding [name]Lucinda[/name] or [name]Lilia[/name] (not so sure about the latter, really), which placed at #915 and #299 last year, but then I realised that the common nicknames for them - [name]Lucy[/name] and [name]Lily[/name] - are both in the top 25. Likewise, I love [name]May[/name] as a first name theoretically, but there are so many [name]Ellie[/name]-[name]Mae[/name]s, [name]Rosie[/name]-[name]May[/name]s and [name]Lily[/name]-[name]Mai[/name]s etc around, I’m not sure how I feel about it.
If you’re someone who likes to avoid very popular names, what do you think about using names that have very popular nicknames, or names that are generally tacked on to another name at every possible opportunity (e.g. [name]May[/name], [name]Rae[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Belle[/name] etc)? I’m really torn here!
I hadn’t thought of the whole popular names and unpopular nicknames thing, but either way I’m not sure if it would feel like there’s constantly a common name you’re trying to escape from, be it a full name or a nickname. For example, I could use [name]Eleanor[/name] with the nickname [name]Nora[/name] or [name]Lore[/name] rather than the more common [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name], but even so you still have the popularity of [name]Eleanor[/name] niggling in the back of your mind.
I like the idea of using [name]May[/name] as a nickname, as I do really like [name]Mabel[/name] too, but my ideal would probably be to use it as a name on it’s own. But I feel like [name]May[/name] would get lost in a sea of [something]-Mays her whole life.
I think [name]May[/name] as a first name is fine, although I do associate this whole [name]Lily[/name]-[name]Mae[/name], [name]Ellie[/name]-[name]May[/name] the chaviest thing ever and I can’t stand it, there’s seriously no need.
I think popular nicknames help ground uncommon names and make them all the more usable. A lot of the names I love have more common nicknames such as [name]Arabella[/name], [name]Matilda[/name] with the nicknames [name]Bella[/name] and [name]Tilly[/name]. However, I wouldn’t use the nicknames all the time for fear of people thinking they are just [name]Bella[/name], [name]Tilly[/name] etc.
It’s kind of the reason why I leave the name [name]Theodore[/name] off my list because [name]Theo[/name] is so common as a given first name. I appear to not like it for boys but it’s ok for girls.
Or something different…[name]Zan[/name] for [name]Alexandra[/name], for example. Look up Russian names and their diminutives. That might change the way you see nicknames.
I have a daughter called [name]May[/name] and I’ve actually never met anyone with [name]May[/name] as a part of their first name- it doesn’t seem to be that popular to have double-barrelled first names here in Australia.
People often comment on her name and how lovely and old-fashioned it is.
I also know a girl and a woman both called [name]Rose[/name] and think it is just beautiful on its own.
I do see your problem because I also keep names off my “Official List” which I otherwise love, because I predict they would quickly be shortened to a common name such as [name]Ella[/name], [name]Ellie[/name], etc. To me, nicknames matter. I know, it’s nice when a cute one that you like just happens organically, but most of the time that doesn’t seem to be the case and I don’t want to be the crazy mother that goes around hissing “It’s [name]Eleanor[/name]! Please do not call her [name]El[/name]!” Still, thelikelihood that school friends and such would turn [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name] into her most-often-used name would probably put me off it. Fortunately I love lots of names and there are plenty that either don’t carry such obvious diminuitives, or else they carry ones I don’t mind and even like.
