See the results of this poll: Mily??
Respondents: 42 (This poll is closed)
- Yes! : 28 (67%)
- NO!: 14 (33%)
[name]Martha[/name] [name]Imogen[/name] L. could totally be nicknamed Mily. I wouldn’t claim it was just short for [name]Martha[/name] (I dislike [name]Molly[/name] for [name]Mary[/name], [name]Sally[/name] for [name]Sara[/name], and [name]Jack[/name] for [name]John[/name] too tho, so it is just preference). I think nicknames should have something to do with the name. While this would lock you in to using an I initial middle, [name]Martha[/name] [name]Imogen[/name] is nice.
I think nicknames really can be anything you want. My fiance’s family has nicknames for their family members that are in no way related to their names. It could be your special thing with your daughter. The initials work, so I think it works, but honestly, you may meet her and want to call her something totally different.
I think it could work.
My niece and nephews initials spell out their nicknames–NYC ([name]Nicole[/name]) and [name]ZAC[/name] ([name]Zachary[/name]).
You could also be Maly or [name]Marly[/name] or [name]Marty[/name]
It works given the initials for sure, and nicknames don’t have to be bases soley on the first name. On the [name]Martha[/name] thing though, that’s my mom’s name, while she never went by a nn other than [name]Marty[/name] by one of her gmas, she tried hard to make [name]Emmy[/name] work as what she wanted to be called when she got her first grandbaby (It didn’t fit her so she just ended up as Gramma). I think her logic was “M” leads to the affectionate [name]Emmy[/name]. [name]Just[/name] throwing that out there. I also had a good friend [name]Meredith[/name] that went by “M” prn [name]Em[/name] with a lot of her friends.
Nicknames can be absolutely whatever you want. You don’t need any formal tie to a nn, contrived or natural. My son [name]Antoine[/name] is currently nicknamed [name]Jean[/name]-[name]Pierre[/name]. You can call [name]Martha[/name] ‘Mily’ or you can call her the [name]Bishop[/name] of Toledo, it’s all good.
I will say that in a family of [name]Kai[/name], [name]Martha[/name] and [name]Zephaniah[/name] [name]Kai[/name] definitely seems like the odd man out.
I keep wanting to say ‘mealy’ because there isn’t a second ‘l’. With the initials, the nickname [name]Milly[/name] works yes.
Yes! That was what I wanted to say (apart from what your little [name]Antoine[/name] is called, but oh so adorable!). When my baby is born I want to call him/her by their full name, but I’m sure a nickname will come up. My friend’s daughter [name]Antigone[/name] is nick named Monkey. Not at all linked to the name, but to her personality.
Mily works though, it’s ok. I just feel that nicknames should be organic.
Hmm… The Bishop of Toledo does have a certain ring to it. Kai’s full name is Hezekiah so he’s got the Biblical roots, too. He’s not outnumbered, I promise. 
I do agree with you, blade, ottilie, and dindlee. A nickname should come on it’s own. I would like to make sure I have a good solid option or two before I meet her though.
I don’t love having the words Mal or ill in the nickname for whatever reason. Which is why nicknames like Maly and Milly don’t resonate with me. I was thinking that Mily is quite similar to Lily and that’s why it was a reasonable way to spell it out without being youneek.
Thanks for all the feedback so far!
Another option I have consider is Mila. I think out of all of them Zeph, Kai, and Mila look the best together.
I promise, she would be the only [name]Bishop[/name] of Toledo in her class.
I think [name]Mila[/name] is a lovely, and very modern, diminutive of [name]Martha[/name], and would fit very well with her brothers’ names.
I like [name]Miller[/name] to get to [name]Millie[/name]. I love both.
Sure, you can use Mily as a nn for [name]Martha[/name]. I don’t find it very intuitive, personally, and I never see much point in nicknames that have as many syllables as the original name, but that’s just me.
I do think the spelling will get irritating, though; if I saw ‘Mily’ I would totally think ‘[name]Miley[/name]’ pn, with a long ‘i’, or ‘Meely’, never ‘[name]Millie[/name]’.
That is exactly why I had to ask. I don’t love [name]Miley[/name]. I was hoping the reach from [name]Lily[/name] to Mily wouldn’t be too drastic…now I am reconsidering. Same syllable names aren’t my favorite either but, there can be exceptions that work well and have been tested (i.e. [name]Lawrence[/name] nn [name]Larry[/name], [name]Mary[/name] nn [name]Molly[/name]). Again perhaps, [name]Martha[/name] nn Mily is a reach too far…
The alternatives jjust don’t seem to work well for me either though:
[name]Mae[/name]- FIL dog’s name
[name]Marty[/name]- Too masculine for me
[name]Matty[/name]/[name]Mattie[/name]- My brother’s nn and my neice goes by [name]Maddie[/name]
[name]Marlo[/name]- I have a nephew named [name]Milo[/name]
[name]Mare[/name]- [name]One[/name] syllable and I love it but, it seems no one else does…
I think [name]Mae[/name], [name]Mare[/name], Mily and [name]Mila[/name] are the best options so far. I am open to other suggestions as well though. I adore [name]Martha[/name] so something will have to give.
What about Mazzy…?
A nickname can be anything, that’s the point of a nn.
I voted “No” before reading your post. After reading your post, I say “Yes,” since you are leaning towards [name]MIL[/name] initials. Also, other posters are correct that nicknames can be anything.