Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.
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!
Jo writes:
We are expecting a daughter in July. Our sons are Christopher “Chase” Edmund and Gareth “Gage” Francis.
Chase and Gage both have fun names that (as typical little boys) they love, but they also have formal names for if they prefer that when they’re older.
I’m struggling to name our little girl in a similar way! I like Charlotte or Scarlet shortened to Lottie, however my husband isn’t keen. He prefers Dorothy shortened to Dolly, but I don’t like this. Do you have any suggestions?
Please read on for my response, and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Dear Jo –
Congratulations! How exciting to be expecting your third.
There’s plenty of good news here. The style gap between Dolly and Lottie is tiny, and the same is true for Dorothy and Charlotte. (Though Scarlet has a slightly different vibe.) And since you’ve established a pattern that you both appreciate, this feels a little more straightforward than naming with a blank slate.
The challenges remain, though. First, it’s tough to pin down the point of disagreement. Beyond that, you have to like two names equally well – the formal name and the nickname. Plus, parents who find themselves miles apart on style know that they need to compromise. Since you’re basically on the same page, it can be difficult to explain why Dorothy is a better choice than Charlotte, or vice versa.
Let’s look at some traditional, feminine names with fun, modern nicknames and see if any of these feel like a better fit.
Cecilia or Cecily, called Cece – Cecilia charts between Charlotte and Dorothy in terms of popularity. Cecily falls outside of the current Top 1000, but feels like a familiar name. Chase, Gage, and Cece sound just right together.
Everly, called Evie – I’m taking a chance with a modern, not-at-all-traditional girls’ name. Dorothy belongs to a long list of three-syllable girls’ names ending in -y or -ie. So do modern possibilities, like Everly, Bellamy, and Romilly. Other Ev- names include familiar Evelyn, but also some rarities. If you like Evie – or are surprised that you don’t have Everly! – it’s a direction to explore.
Genevieve, called Gigi or Vivi – Genevieve qualifies as traditional and vintage, but it feels fresh and new, too. Vivi feels like a lively and unexpected nickname. Gen works, too. But Gigi might be my favorite, as French as Genevieve herself. Love Gigi but not sold on the formal name? Georgia – and Georgiana and Georgette – are options, too.
Josephine, called Josie or Posey – I’m not sure if your formal name is just Jo, or Joanna or Joelle or Josephine. But if it’s not Josephine – or, really, even if it is! – I wonder if you’d consider naming your daughter Josephine. It’s not quite like having a junior, but it might make for a sweet connection between your names. Because Josephine claims so many great nicknames, there’s plenty of opportunity to avoid confusion.
Louisa, Louise, or Luella, called Lulu or Lou – As with Evie, there’s more than one formal name that works for Lulu or Lou. Louisa and Louise lean traditional, while Luella feels more vintage. All of the options seem like possibilities.
Matilda, called Tilly or Millie – I can imagine Charlotte’s sister answering to Matilda. It works with Dorothy, too. Nicknames include Tilly and Millie. Are those too vintage with Chase and Gage? I’m not sure, but it’s worth consideration.
Scarlett or Susannah, called Scout – If there’s a downside to so many of these choices, it’s that they feel like nicknames – while Chase and Gage do not. Scout strikes me as a better equivalent, but it’s tough to pin down the best formal name. Would Scarlett called Scout overcome your husband’s dislike of Scarlett? Susannah, Samantha, and lots of other S names work, too.
Theodora, called Tori, Tess, or Dolly – Reversing the elements of Dorothy gives us Theodora, the Kansas farmgirl’s elegant aunt. Theodora comes with plenty of nicknames – Thea, Thora, Tori, Tess, Teddie, Dolly, Dot. Some feel more modern, while others carry a vintage vibe. I really like Chase, Gage, and Tess together.
I’m struggling to find a favorite on this list! I do wonder if you might do better to work backwards, choosing the everyday name first. Maybe something like:
- Bree, short for Briony
- Isla, short for Isabelle
- Lola, short for Eloise
- Mila, short for Millicent or Matilda or Margaret
But I’m going to turn this over to the readers now, because I know they’ll have fantastic ideas – and honestly, I could go on forever!
Readers, what would you suggest as a sister for Christopher “Chase” Edmund and Gareth “Gage” Francis?
Elizabeth with Bess as a nickname.
Irene or Corinne with Rina as a nickname.
Rosalind with Rosie or Lindy as a nickname.
Mirabel with Mira as a nickname.
Penelope with Pink as a nickname.
Best wishes!
Love your boys’ names! We have a Gareth (nicknamed Bear), and also an Edmund (no nickname). I’m not sure where Christopher ranks right now, but Gareth is in that sweet spot of being completely outside the rankings without being unknown.
On those lines, I like the idea of Susannah nn Scout from the list. Both the “rare but familiar” first and the “unexpected but trendy nickname”. And I think Scout fits the style of Chase & Gage in terms of being a fun, active name.
If you want something more feminine, what about Daisy? It’s a cute stand alone name in its own right. There are a bunch of formal name options that work with it – Margaret and Marguerite of course, but you could also follow the pattern of your boys and pair it (unexpectedly) with a D name (Damaris, Deborah, Dierdre, Dorothy . . .). If your objection to Dorothy-called-Dolly is the Dolly part, maybe Dorothy-called-Daisy would be a good compromise.
YES YES YES to Scarlet named Scout. Definitely fits in with Chase and Gage. What about using Etta?
I LOVE the name Theodora…but I would use Thea as shortened name.
I love the suggestions of using Dottie instead of Dolly.
Other options I love (sorry some are repeats:)
Margaret nn Margo, Maggie or Mae, which I think are all super sweet. Margo would fit great with the boys.
Rosamund/Rosalind Rosie, Rosa, Rose
Francesca, Frankie or Freya
Philipa, Piper –> great one Renee!!
Veronica, Vera (LOVE), Roni, Rooney (as in Rooney Mara), Nica,
Lucia or Lucienne, Lucy
Vivienne/Vivian, Vienne, Vienna or Viv
Ramona, Mona, Nina, Romy
Otilia or Othelia or Odelia, Tilly, Tia, Thea, Dia
Good Luck!!
The suggestion of using Dottie instead of Dolly is actually a fabulous compromise for both you and your husband if you both like the name Dorothy. Or…going back to Theodora (which I prefer…just because I love it so much)… you could totally get away using Dottie as nn as well.
I WISH Abby could post updates, as I really want to see what you decide!!
Hi Kelsey – I do my best to post updates when I get them! And we do get some … but parents are often 3 or 4 months out when they write, so even if they send an update quickly, it’s still going to be a wait! 🙂 – Abby
I love that Chase and Gage are such solid nicknames. They aren’t cutesy, and they seem like they could easily be given names.
Ren – short for Renata, Renee, or Regina
Gwen – short for Gwendolen or Gwenyth
Nell – short for any of the Helen names. Helen, Helena, Ellen, Eleanor…
Jem – short for Jemima
Mae (or May) – short for Mary or Margaret
Yes to everything Renee said! Love the suggestion of Phillipa nn Piper, and Abby’s suggestion of choosing the everyday name first and finding a formal name to fit. If you like Lottie and he likes Dolly, I wonder if you both might like Dottie? Dottie could be short for Dorothea or Theodora if you like those better than Dorothy.
Some other suggestions:
Theresa nn Tess
Susanna nn Summer or Sunny (she is expected to come mid-summer, after all)
Good luck! Happy name hunting! 🙂
How about Margaret called Daisy or Maisie? Bridget (or any B-name, really) called Birdie?
I have a Georgia nn Gigi and a Harriet nn Hattie, and I (obviously) love them both! But My favorite for you is Josephine nn Posey! Love!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Christopher and Gareth, Chase and Gage, feel like names that NEVER come up as suggestions here. Their nicknames feel like a bit of a stretch ( I think we would have tried to sway you to Kit and Rhett), but somehow you’ve done something wonderful and unexpected! Their full names will never date them on a resume, and their nicknames have already arrived, they’re clearly the kids, the cool kids.
So it’s tough to suggest names that aren’t the names that we want to see people use, the ones that come up all the time that want to be revived! I feel like what you’re looking for is the next wave, or rather, the names hiding in plain sight that don’t have any sparkle on them yet. I like tons of Abby’s suggestions, but I feel like Susannah needs to be Susan nn Scout (love) and maybe Theodora is Dolores nn Dolly or Lola? I may be totally off-base here, but here are my suggestions…
Marlena nn Arlo
Phillipa nn Piper
Melanie nn Nelly
Beverly nn Vee
Regina nn Reese
Jacqueline nn Jett
Alannah nn Layla
Tiffany nn Finn
Kathleen nn Kiki
Gloria nn Lola
Belinda nn Bella
Danielle nn Ella
I really like the Christopher, Gareth, Phillipa / Chase, Gage, Piper set for you! Can’t wait to hear what you land on.
Love these suggestions! All of them; your unexpected nicknames are wonderful. 🙂 Christopher, Gareth and Kathleen / Chase, Gage and Kiki are my favorite pairing, but I would suggest Lena as a better fitting nickname for this exercise, since Kiki doesn’t really translate to adulthood as well as Chase and Gage.
I am focusing on the long A sounds of your sons’ nn’s.
I would go with a 2 or 3-syllable girl’s name that shortens to a 1 or 2 syllable long A nn.
Elayna/Elena nn Lane or Lanie
Lorena
Helena
Linnea
Marlena (there is a great song by the Wallflowers called Three Marlenas)
Adalia nn Dale
Victoria, nn Tori or Vicky
Winifred, nn Winnie
Francesca, nn Frannie, Frankie, or Chessie
Adele, nn Della
Susannah/Suzanna, nn Zan or Zannie
Rosalie/Rosamund, nn Rosie
I have a Ceridwen, nicknamed Cate. Your Gareth made me think you might like that kind of name.
Elaine or Lydia, nicknamed Lainie?
Esther, nicknamed Tess? Or Tessa?
Bridget, nicknamed Bea?
Meredith, nicknamed Mae or May?
Vanessa, nicknamed Nessie or Tess?