Bothered by common nickname

[emma9216]

....................

[ashthedreamer]

Is there a nn you could use that isn't Maddie? While I love Madeleine, I quite strongly dislike the predictable Maddie, sweet though it used to be. I absolutely love the nn Leni (Lenny) for it, though, and if I used Madeleine, that's the nn I would use. I don't know what name you have picked out, but is there a possibility that you could do something like that? Something like Madeleif would be harder, I would think, but you could always use Della/Adele/Elle, etc. over Maddy/Maddie.

My style seems to lean toward more mainstream, personally, but some non-top 1000 names, off the top of my head:

Eleni
Lyra
Emmeline
Arianne
Cordelia
Eliska
Zenobia
Zinnia
Adelise
Aveline
Edeline (LOVE Edie for this!)
Adaya
Elila/Alila
Adelia
Clementine
Imogen
Ophelia
Viola
Violetta

Editing to add a few more:

Aurelia/Aurelie
Mercy
Astrid
Milena
Coraline
Maren
Vienna
Magdalena
Calista
Wren
Azalea
Louisa
Magnolia
Margot
Elora
Ariadne
Ramona
Alessia
Anais
Geneva
Sylvie
Adela
Seraphina
Aida (I say this like the opera, ah-EE-dah)
Katerina
Belle (although this is so close to the Isabella/Bella craze...)
Beatrix
Persephone
Tallulah
Poppy
Calliope
Flora
Valencia
Evelina
Sabina/Sabine
Shoshana
Aislinn
Elodie
Blythe
Cecily
Evolet
Georgina
Emiliana
Opal
Guinevere
Rosalia
Aviva
Jordana
Ariadna (love this! It's the Polish form of Ariadne/Ariana, I believe)
Etta
Zelda
Allegra
Briseis
Adalina
Josefina/Josephina
Eleanora
Pippa
Lula
Elisheva
Marguerite
Aoife
Georgiana
Sybella
Mirabelle/Mirabella
Demetria
Mischa
Bliss
Niamh
Adah
Hermione
Joelle
Monet
India/Indira
Seren
Madelaine (I know you have a Maddy name already, but I find this so stunning! I think Laine/Lainey would be nice nns, or even Del/Della/Adele/Adela...)
Morgana
Pandora
Kezia
Eowyn
Odette
Alaia
Dinah
Odessa
Adora
Ekaterina
Lavinia

Good luck!

[namelover77]

Allegra
Isadora
Ophelia
Sylvie
Bryony
Tallulah
Aisling
Anneliese (was only in the top 1000 once in 2005)
Bronwen
Carlotta
Carys
Clarise
Dinah
Emmeline
Fern
Honora
Irina
Jessamine
Junia
Lyra
Lavinia
Melinda
Margo
Novella
Octavia
Parisa
Persephone
Rosaline
Rowena
Roxanne
Soleil
Susanna
Tamsin
Theodora


And etc.

[flick]

Personally, I think having a more "common" nickname could be to her advantage. Having a unique name is wonderful, but as a child, kids sometimes want to blend in and being able to be "Maddy" when she's little, might be a good thing.

Here are some suggestions:

Rosamel
Tullia
Araminta
Nerissa
Kerensa
Lilimore
Laelia
Cressida
Elisheva
Ilythia
Alodia
Xenia
Ginevra
Evita
Sidonie
Sunniva
Rosanna
Kadri

[lori johnson]

Welcome to Nameberry, Emma!

This link might help: http://www.nancy.cc/2011/05/16/girl-...-the-top-1000/

[elisabeth rae]

If you love the name, go for it. It sounds like you're worried about her experience with a common name. If she is bothered by it, she can be sure to not go by Maddie. It also gives her a great alternative if she does want a more common name Welcome!

[violetgray]

Georgianna
Seraphina
Sophronia
Jacinda
India
Bellamy
Calliope
Magdalena/ Maddelena
Elisabetta
Cecily
Coralie
Amelie
Seren
Louisa
Alessia
Elowen
Selah
Briar
Arden
Adair
Arabella
Scout

I don't think it takes away from its uniqueness. From what Ive seen people only call someone a nickname unless their prompted to, especially in school. If you dont introduce or refer to her as Maddie than the majority of people wont either and if they do at least she'll know as well as her friends/family that shes not another Madison or Madalyn and once she gets older she can correct them.

[gwensmom]

I understand what you mean about a name seeming common because you've seen it in books or on boards. I would look at the number of babies born with certain names within the 1000 list because it is very, very few once you get up there. It may help open up some more options for you while still maintaining the originality or unexpectedness you prefer.

[nat108]

It would help to know what the name is. Maybe we could suggest a nickname you haven't thought of

And "common" is relative. I've worked and volunteered at daycares, summer camps, and schools. Many of the top names are not common to me, I might know one or two kids with the name. I've only known one Emma and one Maddie

[gblondie]

I can that I wouldn't name my child a name that I only liked. I think it would bother you always that it wasn't a name you love. As for nicknames, I think the child will use the nickname that you adopt for her. IE my name is Natacha but I go by tash not nat, or tasha. My daughter is Geneva - we call her neva for short as I would never want her to get Gen, or Genny. I would be surprised if she one day wanted to go by anything other than Neva.