I like [name_f]Dolores[/name_f], but my husband isn’t a fan.
I don’t really like [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] or [name_f]Gwendoline[/name_f].
I think [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f] could work if you pronounce it right. I think it’s pretty, but I do think “[name_m]Black[/name_m] [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]”
Any other ideas for a formal first that works for nickname [name_f]Dolly[/name_f]?
[name_f]Dolores[/name_f] is great.
I like [name_f]Dolly[/name_f] as a nn for [name_f]Donatella[/name_f] or Belladonna. Maybe [name_f]Adalia[/name_f]?
I’ve seen [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] nicknamed [name_f]Dolly[/name_f].
For some reason my first thought was [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]. You could always use [name_f]Dolly[/name_f] as a pet name without a connection to her given name. [name_m]Doll[/name_m] is used as a term of endearment, so why not [name_f]Dolly[/name_f]?
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] is great, but a friends of ours are using it for their daughter! [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] is a great idea! I want the nickname to have some connection to the actual name so that I can encourage the extended family to use it as well without pushing them to use a specific endearment. If [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] works does [name_f]Adele[/name_f]?
A lot of these are streches, I know:
[name_f]Dominica[/name_f]
[name_f]Feodora[/name_f]
[name_f]Holliday[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
[name_f]Marigold[/name_f]
Nymphadora
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f]
[name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]'s best for me. I adore [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f] flowers though.
[name_f]Dorothea[/name_f]'s all right, I like it much more than [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f]'s nice but [name_f]Dolly[/name_f]'s beginning to be a stretch compared to [name_m]Teddie[/name_m] or [name_f]Thea[/name_f].
[name_f]Dulcia[/name_f] could work
[name_f]Dulcinea[/name_f]'s a bit much
[name_f]Doveva[/name_f] ([name_f]Do[/name_f]-veh-VAH) could work, I think. And by that logic I should probably extend workability to [name_f]Davida[/name_f] (da-VEE-da), but I think the do- sound at the front really helps make [name_f]Dolly[/name_f] feel semi-plausible.
These might be stretches (and really depend on how you pronounce the name):
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f] (duh-li-la)
[name_u]Kendal[/name_u] (ken-doll)
[name_f]Madeline[/name_f] (ma-duh-line)
[name_m]How[/name_m] about …
[name_f]Odelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Adala[/name_f]
[name_f]Cyndal[/name_f]
[name_f]Darlene[/name_f]/[name_f]Dalene[/name_f]/[name_f]Dalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Amidala[/name_f]
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Idalah[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalene[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalia[/name_f]/[name_f]Natalie[/name_f]
Magdala
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]
[name_f]Dalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Delia[/name_f]
[name_f]Adele[/name_f]
I know I heard of another one that I thought was a unique way to get to [name_f]Dolly[/name_f] but it escapes me right now…
I love [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f]!!
I’m reading [name_f]Anna[/name_f] Karenina right now and there’s a character named [name_f]Darya[/name_f] who’s called [name_f]Dolly[/name_f]. Not sure if it’s a common Russian/Slavic diminutive or just a name for this character though.