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Some names are forever linked to a diminutive form.  We expect Katherine to answer to Kate.  If you’re introduced to Joe, you’ll assume Joseph appears on his birth certificate.

Those aren’t the only options, of course.  Katherine could just as easily prefer the feline Kit, and Joe could be short for Giacomo or Joachim.  Or they could be just plain ol’ Joe and Kit.

But what about names that don’t feel quite substantial enough to write on the birth certificate, but aren’t clearly connected to any given name?

Here’s one that suffers from that challenge: what’s to be done about Coco?

Make no mistake, Coco appears on birth certificates.  Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon have a daughter called Coco Hayley.  Courtney Cox transformed her childhood nickname into her daughter’s given name, Coco Riley.  74 girls received the name in 2010.

If that’s not your style, there are options aplenty.  I scribbled these down from an AppMtn Facebook post a few weeks ago – a few ideas of what to put on the birth certificate if you’d like to call your little girl Coco.

This makes today’s installment of Fetching Names the very first crowd-sourced post.

Colette – The ever so stylish Mademoiselle Chanel started out life as Gabrielle.  Putting Colette on the birth certificate stays faithful to Coco’s français roots.

Constance, Consuelo – The two names aren’t actually related, but they have a lot in common.  Constance comes from a Late Latin name meaning steadfast.  William the Conqueror had a daughter called Constance, and the name has been in use in English ever since.  Consuelo is a different kind of virtue name, drawn from the Spanish word for consolation, a title of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora del Consuelo.  Another powerful William – William Vanderbilt – gave the name to his daughter in 1877, in honor of her half-Cuban godmother.  Both carry a certain upper crust polish, a strong anchor for Coco.  Consuelo’s o-ending makes her especially fitting.

Coralie, Coraline – Some co- names, like Cora and Coral, feel complete without a short form.  But the French Coralie – from the Latin for coral – and the modern rediscovery Coraline open the door to the nickname Coco.

Cordelia – Here’s one of my favorites, Lear’s loyal daughter from Shakespeare’s enduring play.  She’s instantly recognized as a given name, but is rarely heard – she’s been missing from the US Top 1000 since 1950.  The name’s origins have been attributed to Welsh myth, and Cordelia may have been worn by a fourth-century saint and an early medieval queen.  Cory and Delia are logical nickname options, but Coco lends some spirit to this vintage choice.

Corisande – If you’re leaning towards literary rarities, Corisande goes even farther than Cordelia.  Like Cora, she probably traces back to the Greek word for maiden, or possibly corazon, Spanish for heart.  She’s first heard in a medieval romance, then traveled from Spain throughout Europe thanks to opera.  Benjamin Disraeli used Corisande for a character in one of his lesser known works.  The name starts to surface in the sixteenth century, but has all but disappeared by the twentieth century.

Cosima – Supermodel mama Claudia Schiffer and director Sofia Coppola both gave this name to daughters born in May of 2010.  Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson gave the name to her firstborn back in 1994.  Plenty of variants have seen use over the centuries, including Cosmo.  They all sound a bit spacey, but cosmos actually comes from the Greek word for order.

Gioconda - Looking for an Italian heritage choice rarer than Gianna?  The joyful Gioconda was is another name for Leonarod da Vinci’s masterwork Mona Lisa.  She would be tough to wear in American English, but nicknames abound, including Coco and her style cousin, Gigi.

Jacoba - Jacob is everywhere, and short form Jake is tremendously likeable.  But the feminine form has never really caught on, not even after actress Cobie Smulders made the name a small-screen staple.  Like the idea of honoring a Jake?  Jacoba, nn Coco, could be an interesting avenue.

Jericho – In most cases, Coco is a nickname that spices up a rather demure, lady-like appellation.  Not so with Jericho.  The name of one of the oldest inhabited cities in the history of man, Jericho appears in the Old Testament and the daily news alike.

Nicola – Names from Nicholas are plentiful, with Cole currently in the Top 100 and Colin just outside.  Nicola – or Nicole or Nicolina or Nicolette - all have the “co” sound required to inspire Coco as a short form.

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas!  Are there other ways to get to Coco that I’ve left out?