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Help[Opinions] Sally - and some question regarding nickname names
I can't get this name out of my head right now. What do you think of Sally? Too cutesy?
Anything it could be short for? I like Sarah nn Sally which is weird because it doesn't make much sense and I generally strongly dislike nicknames that don't make sense unless they have a really long history and are well known such as Margaret nn Maggie and Katherine nn Kate.
I don't know if Sarah nn Sally is established enough to work, I think most people might not know that Sally is a nickname for Sarah whereas most people know that Maggie is a nickname for Margaret. I also don't really feel comfortable using the overused Sarah which I like but not nearly enough to ever call my daughter by it, so she'd definitely always be Sally. I do like Sarah, but I like Sally much more so Sarah would never be used. I like Sara even better but it's my cousin's name and Sarah nn Sally has some history whereas Sara nn Sally seems even more far fetched.
I always seem to have this problem with nickname names, but I guess what it comes down to is that I'd rather use a cutesy name on the birth certificate than one I don't really like and that I would never use anyway. Also there's the danger of my child going by the full name later on even though I don't really care for it all that much (I do care for Sarah, but not for Samuel or Jessice, see below).
On the other hand I wonder if it's selfish to not give a child a more serious name. Well, I guess many names in the top 100 aren't that serious. Also one of her middle names would be Elise and the other most likely Jane (both honoring) or Sinead (Irish for Jane) so she'd have something to use if she didn't like a nickname name.
I just can't seem to make up my mind on nickname names.
Others I like:
Sam - dislike Samuel and can't warm up to Samson
Jessie - dislike Jessica and can't warm up to Jessa, Jessamine or Jessamy etc
Do Sam, Jessie and Sally work as full names in your opinion? Why or why not? What about Penny and Max?
Do you have the same problem with any of your favorites? I'd like to hear your opinions on this.
Anything it could be short for? I like Sarah nn Sally which is weird because it doesn't make much sense and I generally strongly dislike nicknames that don't make sense unless they have a really long history and are well known such as Margaret nn Maggie and Katherine nn Kate.
I don't know if Sarah nn Sally is established enough to work, I think most people might not know that Sally is a nickname for Sarah whereas most people know that Maggie is a nickname for Margaret. I also don't really feel comfortable using the overused Sarah which I like but not nearly enough to ever call my daughter by it, so she'd definitely always be Sally. I do like Sarah, but I like Sally much more so Sarah would never be used. I like Sara even better but it's my cousin's name and Sarah nn Sally has some history whereas Sara nn Sally seems even more far fetched.
I always seem to have this problem with nickname names, but I guess what it comes down to is that I'd rather use a cutesy name on the birth certificate than one I don't really like and that I would never use anyway. Also there's the danger of my child going by the full name later on even though I don't really care for it all that much (I do care for Sarah, but not for Samuel or Jessice, see below).
On the other hand I wonder if it's selfish to not give a child a more serious name. Well, I guess many names in the top 100 aren't that serious. Also one of her middle names would be Elise and the other most likely Jane (both honoring) or Sinead (Irish for Jane) so she'd have something to use if she didn't like a nickname name.
I just can't seem to make up my mind on nickname names.
Others I like:
Sam - dislike Samuel and can't warm up to Samson
Jessie - dislike Jessica and can't warm up to Jessa, Jessamine or Jessamy etc
Do Sam, Jessie and Sally work as full names in your opinion? Why or why not? What about Penny and Max?
Do you have the same problem with any of your favorites? I'd like to hear your opinions on this.
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Replies
you're overthinking it all...
Sara and Sarah are the exact same name minus a silent letter. They are pronounced exactly the same, and there is no difference between Sara/Sally and Sarah/Sally. If your cousin being named Sara would prevent you from using Sara, then it should, by rights, also prevent you from using Sarah.
Sally has been a nickname for Sarah for hundreds of years. Most people know this. Or rather, many people know this, but very few people care. Sally has been used on its own for centuries also, with no ill effects. Just use Sally if you like it that much.
Sam and Jessie do work as full names and have for a very long time. Penny and Max are much more common as full names than as nicknames and most people wouldn't assume they were short for anything. However, Penny and especially Max are very common names for dogs.
Sara and Sarah are the exact same name minus a silent letter. They are pronounced exactly the same, and there is no difference between Sara/Sally and Sarah/Sally. If your cousin being named Sara would prevent you from using Sara, then it should, by rights, also prevent you from using Sarah.
Sally has been a nickname for Sarah for hundreds of years. Most people know this. Or rather, many people know this, but very few people care. Sally has been used on its own for centuries also, with no ill effects. Just use Sally if you like it that much.
Sam and Jessie do work as full names and have for a very long time. Penny and Max are much more common as full names than as nicknames and most people wouldn't assume they were short for anything. However, Penny and especially Max are very common names for dogs.
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First off I adore Sally! It was my grandmother's full name (her mother named her after a family tree Sarah nn Sally but didn't like Sarah so it was just Sally) and I really want to use it some day. It's a bit old and I can't quite make up my mind on whether I love it enough to use it as a first name or would only be brave enough to use it as a full first name. I like Sarah okay but have known so many Sarahs that I'd never use the name. I think Sally is fine on it's own and not too cutesy, a nickname like Sal or even Lee could be adopted later in life if she absolutely hated it, or from the middle names.
Sam always seems a bit short for a full first name to me but then I do like Samuel and even Samson okay. Max is fine as a full first name, Penny is a bit odd but still nice. I dislike Jessica and have met one or two Jessies and think it's fine on its own.
I love nicknames Lena, Marnie, Ben, Alec and Tom on their own but not sure I'd use them alone (well Lena I will, it's another family name).
Sam always seems a bit short for a full first name to me but then I do like Samuel and even Samson okay. Max is fine as a full first name, Penny is a bit odd but still nice. I dislike Jessica and have met one or two Jessies and think it's fine on its own.
I love nicknames Lena, Marnie, Ben, Alec and Tom on their own but not sure I'd use them alone (well Lena I will, it's another family name).
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I think that Sally and Sarah diverged long ago. I'd be amazed to meet a Sally who had Sarah on her birth certificate! And I find Sally sparkly and feisty; not cutesy at all. And Sally Jane Elise would be glorious.
I dislike all Sam names, male and female. I don't mind the Jess- names but I don't like any of them enough to use.
Penny is like Maggie - a natural progression from Penelope (and of course from Margaret). I've never met a Penny who wasn't a Penelope (or a Pnina) but I've known gazillions of both Sarahs and Sallys, but never a Sarah-known-as-Sally. Ever!
Max, like Sally, has been around long enough to stand alone proudly and convincingly. I prefer Max to all the longer forms and would use it happily.
I dislike all Sam names, male and female. I don't mind the Jess- names but I don't like any of them enough to use.
Penny is like Maggie - a natural progression from Penelope (and of course from Margaret). I've never met a Penny who wasn't a Penelope (or a Pnina) but I've known gazillions of both Sarahs and Sallys, but never a Sarah-known-as-Sally. Ever!
Max, like Sally, has been around long enough to stand alone proudly and convincingly. I prefer Max to all the longer forms and would use it happily.
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I've been thinking about it, and I've actually never known a Sally who wasn't "just Sally." Same with Penny, although that surprises me less since Penny spent decades being more popular than Penelope.
I think Sam, Jessie, Sally, Penny, and Max all work on their own. I no longer buy into the idea that there's anything wrong with a nickname name, as long as the name meets my criteria. For a nickname name to work for me, it has to have a long, well-established history of use on its own (like Annie, Sally, Penny, Jessie, Max, Molly) and/or not be babyish (like Sam, Bram, Drew, Mira, Cole, Elle, Della, Anya).
I simply will not put a name I don't love on a birth certificate, so this is an unproblematic naming issue for me. If there's a longer form I love, like Jessamine or Jessica for Jessie, I'll use it. If there isn't, I'll go with the nickname name. Any Sam of mine, for example, would just be Sam.
I think Sam, Jessie, Sally, Penny, and Max all work on their own. I no longer buy into the idea that there's anything wrong with a nickname name, as long as the name meets my criteria. For a nickname name to work for me, it has to have a long, well-established history of use on its own (like Annie, Sally, Penny, Jessie, Max, Molly) and/or not be babyish (like Sam, Bram, Drew, Mira, Cole, Elle, Della, Anya).
I simply will not put a name I don't love on a birth certificate, so this is an unproblematic naming issue for me. If there's a longer form I love, like Jessamine or Jessica for Jessie, I'll use it. If there isn't, I'll go with the nickname name. Any Sam of mine, for example, would just be Sam.
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Sally's not cutesy. It has enough background to stand alone. I would not feel cheated out of a "serious" name if I were Sally. It's just not very formal, but that's okay, because it's not too childish or informal.
Salma, Rosalba, Salome. I'd rather just Sally by itself. I think Sarah nn Sally is alright, but doing that does seem cutesy. Sarah does not need a nickname.
Sally Sinead and Sally Jane are both great combos.
Plain Jessie, Sam, and Penny bother me a little bit. Plain Max and Sally don't. I don't know why - Jessie, Sam, and Penny just seem more like nicknames.
I like Rick but not Richard, and Charlie but not Charles, and Tom but not Thomas. I think I'd be willing to use the full names, and just trust that I wouldn't have to hear them often. That's what I'd rather, if it were my own name. Max is a fave of mine but I'd use it by itself. Penny is a fave of mine too, but I'd use Penelope to get it.
Salma, Rosalba, Salome. I'd rather just Sally by itself. I think Sarah nn Sally is alright, but doing that does seem cutesy. Sarah does not need a nickname.
Sally Sinead and Sally Jane are both great combos.
Plain Jessie, Sam, and Penny bother me a little bit. Plain Max and Sally don't. I don't know why - Jessie, Sam, and Penny just seem more like nicknames.
I like Rick but not Richard, and Charlie but not Charles, and Tom but not Thomas. I think I'd be willing to use the full names, and just trust that I wouldn't have to hear them often. That's what I'd rather, if it were my own name. Max is a fave of mine but I'd use it by itself. Penny is a fave of mine too, but I'd use Penelope to get it.
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My mother's name is just Sally and she doesn't like it at all. She was going to be named Sarah, but her dad forgot and just told the nurse Sally (well, first he tried to name her Piglet, but the nurse put her foot down. Yes, really).
I would rather give my child a full name to fall back on, even if I didn't love it as much as the nickname. Sam, Penny, and Jessie are way too insubstantial for full names. Sally and Max are probably okay, but I personally find them too cutesy.
I don't really have a similar problem as I tend to dislike nicknames in general -- in fact, I have the reverse problem for a bunch of names where I like the full name but none of the nicknames.
I would rather give my child a full name to fall back on, even if I didn't love it as much as the nickname. Sam, Penny, and Jessie are way too insubstantial for full names. Sally and Max are probably okay, but I personally find them too cutesy.
I don't really have a similar problem as I tend to dislike nicknames in general -- in fact, I have the reverse problem for a bunch of names where I like the full name but none of the nicknames.
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I always say the same thing when the name Sally is mentioned: it's my niece's name, and I think it's "serious" enough. It suits her. Coincidentally, Jesse is my brother's name, and it's not short for anything, either. I know you were asking about the female version, but I just thought I'd mention it.
I think Sam is fine on its own, too. It's not a silly name, so why not?
I think Sam is fine on its own, too. It's not a silly name, so why not?
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