Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.
RETHINKING A FAVORITE NAME
Stephanie writes:
Our daughter is due at the end of September. My partner and I had planned to name her Annie Grace. Her last name will be five syllables, hyphenated, something like Hunter-Melino.
We agreed on her name pretty early on and haven’t given it any more thought. But we just had a baby shower, and we got cards addressed to Anna and Anne, plus more than one person asked me what her “real” name would be.
I kind of shrugged it off at first, but I keep wondering if I’m not getting it and feel like I need a check-in with someone objective.
While I can see that the difference is slight, I really don’t like the name Anna as much. Annie is what I want to call my daughter, so I don’t see why I should use a name I like less. But I don’t want to make a choice that I’ll later regret.
My partner would be happy either way, but agrees that her everyday name will be Annie.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
THE ONLY RULE IS THAT THERE ARE NO RULES
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your new daughter!
Conventional wisdom says that Anna (or Anne or Annabelle or some other Ann- name) is what goes on your daughter’s birth certificate. Annie is what you call her in everyday life.
There are solid reasons for this. A formal name can signal the gravity of a situation, like a graduation. It can leave room for our children to grow and make their own choices.
But – even though I agree with all of those points – I also think that’s very dated advice.
A few considerations:
- Our world is infinitely more casual in the 2020s than it was in the 1920s, or even the 1980s. My kids put on jeans to dress up. These are not the people worrying that Katie or Charlie isn’t serious enough for a doctor/elected official/what-have-you.
- It overlooks the reality that lots of formal, real names end in the EE sound. Mary and Lucy and Henry all end with the EE sound, but they’re considered classics. Sophie isn’t short for Sophia; it’s the French form. It’s not always obvious what makes one name a full, formal choice and relegates the other to nickname status.
All of this makes me agree with you: if you love the name Annie, and plan to call your daughter Annie? There’s no reason you shouldn’t give her that exact name.
Or wait, maybe there’s one reason. Annie has fewer options than Anna/Anne/Annabelle.
On the plus side: your daughter will never have to correct someone, “please call me Annie.”
But she’ll also never have the choice of introducing herself more formally if she’d like some distance. Annie has fewer options, in many subtle ways, than Anna.
Also worth noting: name popularity data suggests that most of us have opted for Anna or Anne over the years.
- In 2024, 2,700 girls were named Anna, plus another 450 called Anne. Annie was given to 1,564 newborns.
- In 1994, the numbers were a little different. 7,529 girls were named Anna, followed by 1,432 called Anne, and 804 named Annie.
- Going back to 1954, there were 4,000 girls named Anna, 5,298 Annes, and 2, 409 Annies.
- And for good measure, the 1924 numbers are as follows: 13,067 girls named Anna, plus another 3,627 Annes and 7,347 Annies.
In other words? Annie has always been in the mix, but Anne/Anna has always been more common.
I wonder if that’s part of the issue. Sometimes the most common choice can be misunderstood as the right choice.
SO … ANNA OR ANNIE?
My instinct is that there’s not really a wrong answer here. But that won’t help you make a decision.
If I had to put my thumb on the scale, think I’d favor Anna-called-Annie, because:
- It preserves additional choice for your child in the future.
- Annie is such an obvious, easy nickname for Anna that she’ll rarely have to explain it. It’s like shortening Benjamin to Ben – almost automatic.
- While I don’t think the dominant name is always the correct choice, if you’re uncertain, there’s merit to sticking with the more popular option. Why? Because you’ll probably get more positive reactions.
But I suspect this isn’t what you really prefer. So I think it might time for a little thought experiment.
Step One: Flip a coin. Heads, her name is Anna. Tails, her name in Annie.
Step Two: Imagine your daughter, 10 or 20 years in the future, asking why you made the choice you did. What comes to mind?
Step Three: Sit with it – both the feeling of choosing whichever name the coin flip dictates and the explanation that feels right to you.
I kind of think you’ll come down on the side of Annie – and I love that for you!
Readers, what do you think? Would you name her Annie Grace or Anna Grace?
By preference, I’m a longer-name-with-a-nickname person. If I this were my baby, I’d name her Anna.
But I think the OP should name her baby Annie. The only reason she’s even rethinking is the reactions of other people, which I think only begin to matter when they’re pointing out a very serious issue with the name or when there are emotional considerations more serious that style differences.
Annie is a perfectly fine name with a long history of use. It’s less popular than Anna, but the current difference is 2700 versus 1500. To me, that isn’t the same sort of situation as picking a highly unusual spelling of an incredibly common name like Olivia. Realistically speaking, a child given any of the Ann variants will occasionally need to correct as to spelling and version. And the OP doesn’t like the name Anna as well.
I think the solution here is to tell people who ask about the baby’s full name that Annie will be the full name, and then move on, and to not pay any attention to the addressing of baby gifts to Anne or Anna. Once the baby has been named, people will mostly fall in line.
I’m in the formal name camp, though I doubt it would be that big a deal either way. Annie was the name my mother called me occasionally as a little girl. I resisted because I’m just not an Annie. It’s too bright, too chirpy, too informal. It reminded me of a pretty Irish parlor maid in a white cap or of the little girl belting out “The sun will come out tomorrow!” at the top of her lungs. I like the name very much, but I am simply not an Annie. Your daughter might be entirely happy with the name and fit your image of it and her image of it perfectly. Then again, she might be a different kind of kid.
I’d probably suggest you find a longer name you might like that would work in case she, too, decides she’s not an Annie. My suggestions: Anna, Ann or Anne, Annalise, Annabelle, Annabeth, Annika, Anastasia, Andrea, Angela, Antonia, Anthea, Aniston, etc.
Some people know me as Annie as my name is difficult for English speakers to pronounce.
I don’t think Annie has to have fewer options …. there’s no reason an Annie can’t introduce herself as Anne in formal situations if she’d like to.
That is an excellent point, FE!
ANNIE. Choose. Annie.
In my years at French school in Quebec I had two classmates named Annie, (emphasis on the -ee ending when pronounced in French). They did not have longer names. There may have been more Annies in other grades too.
IF you decide you need a longer, more formal name, I wouldn’t use Anna, it’s not longer and only slightly more formal in my opinion. I’d pick Annika, Anouk, Antonia (a friend of mine has an Antonia, nn Annie) or even Eliana… anything that has an AN in it.
But I really like Annie-Grace. It’s sweet and she can be more/less formal by using or leaving off Grace.
Congratulations on your baby girl!
I’ve also known more than one girl named Anne who pronounces that name like Annie. There’s something about the ending e that must confuse some English speakers.
I would just stick with Annie! It’s lovely on its own and people are going to make wrong guesses and assumptions either way. I say, just use the name you love and don’t worry about it.
The answer was clear once you said “Annie is what I want to call my daughter”. That’s what you decided upon, use it. Your daughter’s name should be one you love and want to see/hear millions of times.
If you really want a formal ann name, instead of Anna, which you dislike, check out the list Abby linked of related names instead. You might discover something that you like. Annette, Anita, and Annabel are all nice.
One additional comment – evidently…”Anne” means “grace,” so … in some ways, Grace and Anne together might be redundant. However, many people don’t focus on meanings & I think it is a pretty combination & “Annie” would be lovely!
in fairness, Nameberry’s Substack did make a post concerning this matter, thanks for bringing it up!
I don’t know if my initial comment went through – about growing up with someone named “Catherine Anne” who was called “Annie” by everyone…teachers, friends, friends’ parents, etc.
Maybe Grace Anne called “Annie” would work similarly for your daughter?
Best wishes!!
That’s interesting, Cristina – you’re right that there are LOTS of options.