I was talking baby names with a friend and we began talking about names that are versatile- names that can suit a variety of personalities.
I’m curious to get some other opinions. What names do you consider to be most versatile? In other words, which names do you think can suit anyone from a sales clerk to a supreme court justice (any occupation), or a spunky tomboy to a girly-girl (any personality type)?
This discussion was prompted when we began discussing the name choice another friend of ours gave her son: [name]Buddy[/name]. While I thought this was a cute name, I felt it didn’t really suit a boy as an adult.
So, what do you think? Which names do you find to be most flexible/versatile? Are there any names that you think could suit just about anyone, regardless of personality or occupation?
Here is an example to show you what I mean:
[name]Margaret[/name]- I have always thought that [name]Margaret[/name] is a great name because there are so many different forms that can be used to fit the name to the person. If the girl’s personality is formal and feminine, she could stick with [name]Margaret[/name]. If her personality is more sporty/tomboy-ish, I could see her going by [name]Marge[/name] or [name]Maggie[/name]. If she wants a more retro feel to her name, she could use [name]Peggy[/name]. Plus, if she ends up as a lawyer, doctor, teacher (formal occupational position), she could stick with [name]Margaret[/name]. But, if she’s an artist, designer, stylist…a trendy/hip (not that doctors, lawyers, and teachers aren’t hip…hopefully you get the gist of what I’m trying to say) occupation, she could go by something funkier like [name]Maisie[/name].
I agree with you about [name]Margaret[/name]. For me, [name]Elizabeth[/name] is the most versitile name because it has so many different nicknames that suit different personalities. [name]Elle[/name] is sweet and sophisticated, [name]Eliza[/name] is vintage and spunky, [name]Lilibet[/name]/ [name]Lily[/name] is cute and kind of original for an [name]Elizabeth[/name] considering all the [name]Lizzie[/name]'s out there. I even knew an [name]Elizabeth[/name] who was really into sports and went by [name]Billy[/name] which is nms but it suit her very well. I also think [name]Caroline[/name] ([name]Carol[/name], [name]Carly[/name], [name]Carrie[/name], [name]Callie[/name]) and [name]Georgia[/name] ([name]Georgie[/name], [name]Gigi[/name], [name]Gia[/name]) are very versitile
I tink very classic names that lend themselves to a number of nicknames are the most versatile. [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] have both been mentioned - I also like these…
[name]Penelope[/name] - [name]Penny[/name], [name]Nell[/name], [name]Lola[/name], [name]Elle[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name] - [name]Vicky[/name], [name]Torie[/name], [name]Tora[/name], but I love it as a full name, no nicknames.
[name]Evangeline[/name] - [name]Evie[/name], [name]Angel[/name], [name]Lina[/name], [name]Evan[/name], [name]Angie[/name]…
I think [name]Katherine[/name] is pretty versatile.
I love my daughter’s names because I think they will age well. For example, we call [name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Charlie[/name] but as a teenager, she may go by [name]Char[/name] & as an adult maybe she will stick to [name]Charlotte[/name]. I think it’s very versatile. I think as for boy’s names, you need to give a boy a strong, male name because a name like “buddy” may be cute then but in the future, I can’t see that being very fitting.
[name]Catherine[/name]- [name]Cathy[/name], [name]Kate[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]- [name]Alice[/name] or Lissy for a more girly girl, and [name]Ally[/name] for more of a tomboy
[name]Rose[/name]- I know a ‘[name]Ro[/name]’, but then you could go by [name]Rose[/name] or [name]Rosie[/name] too.
I think most of the “classics” fit this description. Classic names have been given to a large number of people over the years, often to parents and children. When a mother and daughter share a name, it is much easier to give seperate nicknames to seperate the two. Take [name]Meryl[/name] Streep, for example. Her given name is [name]Mary[/name] [name]Louise[/name] Streep. Her eldest daughter, [name]Mary[/name] [name]Willa[/name] Gummer, goes by the familiar form, [name]Mamie[/name]. [name]Meryl[/name] Streep’s mother was also named [name]Mary[/name]. These nicknames arise to differentiate members of the same family with the same name. And with so many nicknames, it can suit a wide range of personalities.