If you named your DD Abigail (or know someone who has), do you call her Abby?

[Anonymous]

I have an Abigail who goes by Abby. VERY popular name, but I'm fine with that. I'd prefer not, but we knew that when we named her. She is 4. My other DD also has a common name. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you like it, go for it. Most people think they're choosing something different only to find that the following year everybody is on to it! We chose a name for DC1 that was traditional but not very common, only to find that she is the only one in her class that is doubled up (and the other family thought they were also going for something uncommon)!

Sure, it's possible for kids with less common names to meet others with the same name and even be in the same class. But if the name is statistically less common as well, it's unlikely for this to happen repeatedly (in every class, in every summer camp, in every college dorm, etc.) My child's name isn't in the top 1000 names, but we still run into others occasionally, once in the same swim class of 5 kids. But I'd expect the frequency of such meetings to continue to be rare.

Name popularity also does change, but the dramatic rises are not random. Check out http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/5 for info on the fastest rising names of 2008. All have distinct ties to names in pop culture:

Aaden
Khloe
Allisson
Marley
Cayley
Miley
Marely
Marlee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for something less common, Abby is not a great choice because so many Abigails use it. One way to look at it is total numbers. Last year there were 14,901 Abigails born (versus 1,315 girls named Abby). If half of the Abigails use Abby as a nickname (a fair assumption, in my experience), then the total girls called Abby is over 8,000. In everyday use, that makes Abby as popular as Sarah, Grace, Taylor, Brianna, Lily, Hailey, Anna, Victoria, Kayla, Lillian, Lauren (names #20-30 on the social security list).

Traditionally, Abby is a nickname, so I don't see it as a classic name (unlike the pp). From www.behindthename.com:

ABBY
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English
Pronounced: AB-ee [key]
Diminutive of ABIGAIL

What other names are you considering?

We went with a less traditional name for our daughter, a name I have loved for years and I have only met 2 other people in my life with the name (one a guy). I also have a less traditional name that I love. So I am all for the uncommon names. But, looking at the list of the common names you selected, I have to say I don't know a ton of people with those names even though they are so popular. I guess Lauren is an exception. But I don't know a TON of Laurens. I say if you love the name Abby go for it. Yes it's common but it's not as if every little girl in her class will be named Abby.

[Anonymous]

I know two little girls named Abigail - both go by Abby. I might actually go with Abigail that way she can pick the full or short version - maybe when she gets older she'd want to go with something more formal. That gives her the option.

By the way, I'm Cassi - someone posted earlier that they knew a Cassie who was annoyed that people assumed it was short for Cassandra. I've only had that experience a few times - and it doesn't bother me at all (except for one time when a 5th grade teacher INSISTED I was wrong - jerk!). Furthermore, I'm not a huge fan of the name Cassandra, so it's all good.

[Anonymous]

Abby was not popular growing up, but thats my name. Plain and simple. No Abigail here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Abby was not popular growing up, but thats my name. Plain and simple. No Abigail here.

I have a cousin like - she's just Abby. We still call her Abigail sometimes for the hell of it. Popular or not, I like the name.

[Anonymous]

What other names are you considering?

LOL!!!!

i know two Abbys....both are under a year old. just sayin'

[Anonymous]

I know about 5 Abby's too under age 15...one is Abigail but the nickname is spelled, Abi.

[Anonymous]

Mom of a teenage Abigail who insists on "Abigail," never Abby/Abbie, thank you very much . I chose the name when it wasn't as popular, feeling it could go either sporty (Abbie) or more refined (Abigail).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These days there are more names that were previously "nicknames" that are being used just as first names now. Think Lucy and Molly for example, those used to be nicknames but now people are using them as first names. But I don't think Abby is one of these. I would think it was strange if a child was called Abby and their real name wasn't Abigail.

Abby is the very first name listed in our name your baby book. For the years 2000-2008, the SSA shows Abigail is #6 at 136,094 births or 0.7468%. This is not even 1%. Abby is #191 for the years 2000-2008 with 15,894 girls named Abby, which is .0872%. Not so strange to be named Abby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These days there are more names that were previously "nicknames" that are being used just as first names now. Think Lucy and Molly for example, those used to be nicknames but now people are using them as first names. But I don't think Abby is one of these. I would think it was strange if a child was called Abby and their real name wasn't Abigail.

Abby is the very first name listed in our name your baby book. For the years 2000-2008, the SSA shows Abigail is #6 at 136,094 births or 0.7468%. This is not even 1%. Abby is #191 for the years 2000-2008 with 15,894 girls named Abby, which is .0872%. Not so strange to be named Abby.

Not so strange, but it is a rather recent phenomenon. Abby as a name reached its peak in 2001-2003 and has fallen since then, wheras Abigail reached its peak in 2005 and hasn't dropped as much. I think that for the most recent births the difference between the popularity of the names would be more obvious.

[Anonymous]

I am Abigail and i go by abbie ha. My parents wanted to spell it diffrent than the usall abby so i am just abbie. But i get called babs or babigail alot too which is funn!

[Anonymous]

I have a friend named Abby and her formal name is not Abigail. But all other Abby's I know are formally Abigail. But if you like it who cares. If it's the name you love then you should use it.

[Anonymous]

Just don't name her Ahbee, Abbie, Abbey nor A'bie and we'll all be happy.

[Anonymous]

There's an Abigail in my son's 3 year old class, and she never goes by Abby. Abigail suits her perfectly -- both the name and the little girl are adorable.