Abigail or just Abby

deedeew80

Hi everyone!  So DH and I had a really hard time coming up with a girls name.  We (I thought) finally decided on Abigail and she would be called Abby.  Well, here we are, 3 weeks from my due date, and my DH says why would we name her Abigail when she will just be called Abby all the time??!!!  He isn't a fan of names with nicknames!  LOL!  Anyway.  I get where he is coming from though.  It just feels like Abby should be Abigail!!  Any thoughts?  TIA!!

elfchique

I'm in the camp of not giving a child that feels like a nickname. For example I love the name Leo, but I'm not crazy about the names Leopold, or Leonidas, yet I'd do it to get the nickname I like. I much prefer to give a full name over a nickname. I do think either camp is acceptable though.  

deedeew80

mj.reilly:

Abigail ? give her a grown up name for when she is older.

I have never really liked / understood the whole "just name them the nickname." I am sooo glad my parents named me Ellen, not Ellie (gag). It gave me options.

 

Yes....my thoughts exactly!!!!  I will definitely try explaining this to DH!!!!!!  I just can't believe he is hitting me with this 3 weeks before baby comes!!!  UGH!!!  MEN!!!

trojas

ABIGAIL. 

Call her Abby all day every day, but name her Abigail. She'll thank you later.  

Sawyerplus1

 I can kind of see where your DH is coming from. We named DD Olivia with the intention to use the nn Livi. It's pretty much all we call her and she is SUCH a Livi to us that sometimes I wonder why we bothered naming her Olivia because when we use it or hear it used, it sounds weird to us.  Actually, now that I think of it, DHs mom was kind of the same way with DH. His name is Robert, but only went by Rob. Apparently she got mad when people called him Robert. 

Anyway, all that said, I would still use Abigail over Abby. I agree that it is nice for her to options as she grows up, and that Abigail could very well suit her better as an adult, if she prefers it. 

BabyRN2009

My name is Abigail, and I am very glad! I went by Abby until I was about 15, then wanted to feel more "grown up" so I made everyone start calling me by my full name instead. Now I answer to either. Nicknames give you and the child options, but that's just my opinion. Congrats on your little girl!!

ablou

My name is Abbey.  NOT Abigail. My mom didn't like Abigail, she liked Abbey. I didn't like it when I was younger, but I love it now.  I think it's distinct, but not yoo-neek. I'm also 32, and it feels like a grownup name to me! 

I have thanked my mom for giving me a cool name.  I never had a cup or a pencil or a bicycle license plate with my name on it, but I do have a Beatles album and the place that has seen kings and queens crowned, married, and buried. It's pretty great. 

FWIW, my first choice girl name (for in the future) is a nickname.  Sophie, NOT Sophia.  I like the idea of continuing the nickname tradition.

taintedblue

Name her Abigail with the nn Abby.

erincjackson

mj.reilly:

Abigail ? give her a grown up name for when she is older.

I have never really liked / understood the whole "just name them the nickname." I am sooo glad my parents named me Ellen, not Ellie (gag). It gave me options.

This! But I do love Abigail! Its on our name list also.

Cramandaberry

Abigail is one of our top girls names. We're not fans of nick names either, but if we name baby Abigail, we'll probably call her Abby. They're both good names.
But I like the idea of giving her a name that she can decide on later (if she wants to be called Abigail or Abby).

lissag24

I'm on the other side and I would name her Abby to be a little different. I really wanted to use the name Penny not Penelope, but DH wasn't on board with that

ahappyrobot

BabyRN2009:

My name is Abigail, and I am very glad! I went by Abby until I was about 15, then wanted to feel more "grown up" so I made everyone start calling me by my full name instead. Now I answer to either. Nicknames give you and the child options, but that's just my opinion. Congrats on your little girl!!

I agree, I think options are important. I'm a Nichole who went by Nicki until I was about 8. I have never been into "cute" and am so glad I had the option to choose to go by a name that better fit my personality. And, in my very honest opinion, cutesy names generally infantalize women.

If you were having a boy, would you want to name him something cutesy like "just" Billy? Or Davey? (I can't think of a little boy nn that can't be further shortened right now, but hopefully you get what I mean).

ThereBeDragons

Abigail. 

I am a Rebecca who was almost just plain Becky. By the third grade I was trying to make my teachers call me Rebecca but Becky stuck until high school. I chose Bekah as my nickname in late high school. I feel like a Bekah. I love Bekah. I also often go by just plain Rebecca. My mom and dad still call me Becky and don't really understand why I prefer Bekah... But I am so incredibly glad they didn't stick me with a nickname as my full name since it never felt quite "right" to me. 

fish000

Give your daughter future options. Definitely Abigail. You just never know how she is going to feel when she grows up.

WifeofaMarine

Another vote for Abigail. My sister's full name is Abigail (love the name BTW). She goes by Abby (always has) to family and friends and Abigail in the business world.

StephanieAmos

I love the name Abigail its so beautiful!I think Abby would be cute as a MN though

StephanieAmos

Nickname I meant

sweetpea2003

Abigail.

One of my pet peeves is the argument that "you should just name a baby what you plan to call them".  No.  I'm sorry, what you plan to call little Abby or Billy or Katie when she is a kid should not be what she is stuck with for the rest of her life.  THe name belongs to the child and I feel very strongly that kids should be given choices on how they want to present themselves... Eg:  Abigail can choose to be Abigail professionally and Abby to friends and family.  And if she hates Abby, she can be Gail or Abigail 100% of the time. 

This is from someone with a "nick-nameish" four letter, one syllable name.  It has driven me crazy sometimes that I don't have a formal name to use at work.  And that people often assume that my given name is the longer, more formal version of my name. 

sweetpea2003

Sawyerplus1:

 I can kind of see where your DH is coming from. We named DD Olivia with the intention to use the nn Livi. It's pretty much all we call her and she is SUCH a Livi to us that sometimes I wonder why we bothered naming her Olivia because when we use it or hear it used, it sounds weird to us.  Actually, now that I think of it, DHs mom was kind of the same way with DH. His name is Robert, but only went by Rob. Apparently she got mad when people called him Robert. 

Anyway, all that said, I would still use Abigail over Abby. I agree that it is nice for her to options as she grows up, and that Abigail could very well suit her better as an adult, if she prefers it. 

Because she won't be 2 forever.  And even if you call her Livi until the day you die, I'm sure she'll appreciate being Olivia when she gets older. 

karen_loy

 Abigail with the nn Abby.

Eilis123

Speaking as an Abigail, nn Abbie, myself - please, please give your child the option of the full name.

I went almost exclusively by "Abbie" until I was an adult, and then transitioned over to Abigail.  The only people who me Abbie anymore are my parents and my husband.

 I can't imagine having to write cutesy "Abbie" on things like my resume, wedding invitations, etc.  Abbie is adorable when one is little, but not very feminine, or sexy, or smart sounding with age.

Besides, Abbie rhymes with all sorts of things (scabby, crabby, gabby, flabby...) that no one should be stuck with for life without a dignified escape hatch.

 

 

Temp982386750004997

My name is Becky, not Rebecca and I can tell you I'd rather have been named Rebecca. I often have to say "it's just Becky" when folks call me Rebecca and in school I would often get forms handed back to me with a teacher saying "you have to put your full name" I even have an old lunch card where the school automatically "corrected" my name for me. I don't dislike my name at all but it would be nice to have the longer version as an option for resume's and school forms:-)

CiderWench

Honestly, I really don't think it matters which one you choose. I like the idea of having options, so I'd probably go with Abigail. I don't think you are doing your kid a disservice by naming her Abby, if that is what you like best.

PhilsWife07

mj.reilly:

Abigail ? give her a grown up name for when she is older.

I have never really liked / understood the whole "just name them the nickname." I am sooo glad my parents named me Ellen, not Ellie (gag). It gave me options.

All of this!

xporcelainangelx

ablou:

My name is Abbey.  NOT Abigail. My mom didn't like Abigail, she liked Abbey. I didn't like it when I was younger, but I love it now.  I think it's distinct, but not yoo-neek. I'm also 32, and it feels like a grownup name to me! 

I have thanked my mom for giving me a cool name.  I never had a cup or a pencil or a bicycle license plate with my name on it, but I do have a Beatles album and the place that has seen kings and queens crowned, married, and buried. It's pretty great. 

FWIW, my first choice girl name (for in the future) is a nickname.  Sophie, NOT Sophia.  I like the idea of continuing the nickname tradition.

 

I agree with this poster. My name on my birth certificate is Abby and I, too, thank my mother all the time for my name. When I was younger it bothered me that I could never find hair clips or bead bracelets with my name but I LOVED not being a Jennifer S. or Laura M. I have never seen Abby as "cutesy" or "not grown up." I have had to explain several times that my full name is not Abigail, mostly for medical situations, and the occassional "No my name is Abby NOT Gabby" but other than that I haven't had any problems.

KatieLG04

DH and I don't agree on this type of thing as well.  He currently loves the name Emma, I tried talking him into Emmeline so there would be more options.  He thought it was silly.  When I was expecting DS, he loved the name Luke, I wanted Lucas.  Same situation, so we went a different path and chose Benjamin since we both liked the full and nickname.  I'm a Kathryn that almost always goes by Katie or Kate.  I'm glad I have Kathryn for professional reasons since I think it looks nicer on resumes.  The first day on the job everyone knows I go by Katie though and that is the end of being formal   I may feel differently when I'm 60 though and prefer my more formal name at that point.  It's nice to have options.  When I was around 3 I went through a phase where I thought Katie was a baby name and demanded to be called Kathryn.  Funny how things change.

g8trkim

Name her Abigail. She may prefer to go by it when she's older. Who knows, she may prefer it when she's younger too.

abbyful

I'm an "Abigail" with nn "Abby". 

I prefer it this way. Even though the only person who ever calls me "Abigail" is my father, I think it's nice to have a more formal/classic name and a nickname.

Pictures29

Abigail! I was glad I was an Allison not just an Allie growing up - at 23 I like using my full name (except with my nephew - I'm Aunt Allie)

BabyBurns

We have an Abigail/Abby I love that she'll have the option of going by either one as she grows up. And I actually try to use both names equally!

Cheerio B

mj.reilly:

Abigail ? give her a grown up name for when she is older.

This. And it honestly might change when LO gets here. DD is Abigail but was going to be Abby. I actually called her Abby on my way into the OR for my c-section. Then I held her for the first time and realized that she wasn't an Abby at all. And I've never called her Abby since.

equestrianqt13

ABIGAIL.

 

There is a reason why so many people have nicknames... because they are given a full name to use once they get older!

 Plus I think Abigail is cuter!

TrendyTina

I would100% name her Abigail.

BlindysWife

ablou:

My name is Abbey.  NOT Abigail. My mom didn't like Abigail, she liked Abbey. I didn't like it when I was younger, but I love it now.  I think it's distinct, but not yoo-neek. I'm also 32, and it feels like a grownup name to me! 

I have thanked my mom for giving me a cool name.  I never had a cup or a pencil or a bicycle license plate with my name on it, but I do have a Beatles album and the place that has seen kings and queens crowned, married, and buried. It's pretty great. 

FWIW, my first choice girl name (for in the future) is a nickname.  Sophie, NOT Sophia.  I like the idea of continuing the nickname tradition.

I'm way tardy for this party, but wanted to chime in. I am also an Abby, not Abigail. It has never bothered me in the slightest. So I don't think it's a big deal use a nn as the full name. I love Betsy, and if we ever use it, she would be Betsy and not Elizabeth. But, other names I prefer the full name with a nn version: example- Norah nn for Eleanor. So personally, I don't think you will be damaging your child by doing one or the other. Go with your gut!