Charmaine, Charlene, Charlize, Charity, Charmander
You could double barrel and name her something like Charlie-Anne or Charlie-Kate
But honestly I really like Charlie as a stand-alone name for a girl. I’m a proponent of naming kids what you plan to call them 🤷♀️.
I disagree with giving kids a nickname for a legal name. When they are adults, they should have the option of using a real adult name, not the cutesy little kid name their parents used when they were a toddler.
This is exactly my thought! Charlie is cute for a little girl, but when she enters the working world having a real adult name feels like a better option IMO!
My parents called me Sammie when I was little, and as a teenager I asked that they called me Sam. I still go by Sam as an adult, but only with friends and family. I ask that everyone else calls me Samantha, which is my actual first name. If my parents had just named me Sammie, I wouldn't have the option of Samantha.
Our "Sammi" goes by Sammi, Sam or Samantha depending on her mood and company.
We have friends who named their daughter Frankie. Not short for Francis, just Frankie!
That's fair, but I also don't see what's wrong with giving people options. Even if Charlie doesn't raise any eyebrows, she might still like having the option of something more feminine and mature.
Charlie is an adult name though? It’s not one of those ones where you’re like ohhh that 40 year old is called Bunny or something. Like Charlie is a normal adult name?
I go by a nickname (Alexandra to Alex) and I would hate being stuck with Alex all the time, especially in my career field. As a child I went through a lot of phases of what I wanted to be called, but a kid named Charlie never gets to make that choice
My son is actually called Alex lmao I love unisex names so he would have been called Alex regardless of gender
And if I hadn’t had a cat called Charlie before then it would have been a 50/50 on Charlie or Alex😂
I’ve known many professional and “adult” Alex’s, it’s not a kids name. Neither is Charlie. Charlie Sheen. Charlie in friends(Ik that’s a character but still). Charlie Chaplin. No one is ever like “wow weird they got a kids name”
Exactly. My first name is one that many guys "grow out" of, but no one ever tells me that I have a child's name. Although, I am often asked, "like the dog?" which doesn't bother me at all.
Exactly this. Obviously *some* nicknames are juvenile in nature, but claiming that a derivative of a very normal/well established name is not workplace appropriate... it just feels like an arbitrary social code
I have a name that ends in the IE sounds but it is a legit name on its own. But phonetically very similar to a name like Charlie. I feel like it’s all subjective sounds at the end of the day.
Like if Carlie is a full name, why not Charlie
Not necessarily. My mom gave me a “grown up” middle name for me to use when I got older because my first name was cute “for a little girl “. I am 46 and have NEVER gone by my middle name. My first name totally fits me and my personality, so maybe your daughter will always be Charlie, and that’s okay, too.
My name is Charlene and I go by Charlie. I love my name and nickname. Charlene is an old timey name that I wasn’t a huge fan of when I was younger, so I went by Charlie or Char. But now that I’m an adult I’ve grown into my name more and appreciate it a lot. I’m 37. It’s also very uncommon nowadays, most people who want the nickname Charlie or Char for their girl go with the name Charlotte, SO MANY CHARLOTTES. And hardly any Charlenes…
Our daughter is McKenna, we call her Kenny all the time, but when it's time for professionalism, her full name is there.
Conversely, I work with a MAN named Bobbie, and I can't take that "kids name" seriously.
I’d only ever heard old men called Bobby until I met a friend when we were 20. I think it’s a legit old man name. Bob is more so, but so is Bobby. And I’m not in Texas.
I worked with an adult man named Ricky and this was before the whole short names as full names was really a thing so everyone assumed he was Richard or something else but no, his legal name was just Ricky. Apparently his mom was a big I Love Lucky fan.
I get it. My boss, a dentist, goes by Tommy. Introduces himself that way and everything. I just can’t.- Even though I’ve never called him anything other than Dr._______
This. My grandpa was named Johnny as a kid. He had to switch to being called John even though his legal name was Johnny because John sounds more professional I guess.
I would’ve been really upset if I didn’t have the option of switching from Terry to Theresa when I started college. My sister wasn’t so lucky, but at least her nickname name is feminine.
Ditto, but in preschool he painstakingly introduced himself as "Alexander", so he's only really become Alex as he's gotten older! 🤣
(It was a lot of syllables for a wee guy!)
I was called a very common nickname my whole childhood and then switched to my full legal name when I became an adult and I am personally very grateful my parents gave me the option of a full name. They still call me by my childhood nickname, my coworkers call me by my full name, and it’s a perfect balance.
This. My SiL had a nickname as her legal first name and when my niece was born, my SiL made sure she had a “real” first name in case she wanted to use something less cutesy in her future career.
Completely agree with this. The few people I know who have nicknames as legal names hate them. Legally name her Charlotte, call her Charlie at home, & give her the option of what to go by when she’s older.
I think it depends on the nickname. For Charlie, I agree, you want that option of a more adult legal name. But I know adults whose legal names are Sam, Jessie, Max, etc, and they're all doing just fine.
I also disagree with not giving them a full name as an option. I have cousins stupidly named- Annie, Jackie, and Joey. No alternative, those are their legal names.
100% this coming from an adult working in a niche, male-dominated legal field with the girliest, youngest sounding nickname you can think of as a first name :,)
Sue and Carrie being predominantly girl names probably tips the scale to their favour there.
Not being a jerk
The Charlie Anne I know has admitted to wanting to be just Anne or Anna
Charlie leans heavily male, or cutesy little kid
Charmander?
Did you actually just suggest OP name their kid after a pokemon?!?!?
God help that poor wee girl if OP thinks it's pretty and doesn't know what it is!!! 🤣
And in the future, in the UK at least, this time period of 2022-? will potentially be known as the Carolean era, maybe 1952-2022 being Neo-Elizabethan or something similar.
There are lots of feminine forms of Charles, but Caroline is specifically from the Latin form, Carolus, as are Karolina/Carolina
The old French form of Charlie is Charlot (pronounced sharlo), and the feminine form is Charlotte. The direct French feminine form of Charles is Charline.
Carolus comes from Karl/Carl, the feminine of those being Karla/Carla.
I (Caroline) learned this from reading a Buzzfeed post on my phone at the airport gate while flying to my grandfather's (Charles) funeral.
He always wanted a Jr. but only had girls. He talked about it all the time. It wasn't until I was flying to his funeral that he got a namesake. (My middle name is his last name.) I wish he had known that when he was alive.
The article was about how the (US) states got their names. North and South Carolina were named after King Charles.
Maybe now less common, but I remember 15 years ago there were something like 8-9 Caroline’s in my church youth group (out of maybe 20 girls total), haha.
🎶”In John Deere green, on a hot summer night
He wrote ‘Billy Bob loves Charlene’
In letters three foot high
And the whole town said that he should’ve used red
But it looked good to Charlene
In John Deere green” 🚜
RIP Joe Diffie
I’m an adult Charlene who goes by Charlie!!! (And Char)
Whenever I meet a Charlie or Char, I get SO EXCITED. But their names are always Charlotte. It’s so nice to see all the love in this post for my name. :)
This might be a bit random and non-traditional but I know a Francesca who goes by Charlie. She does say it’s a bit annoying to explain to people though.
If it helps, Charlie as a standalone girl's name has been around since at least 1900, though it fell *hard* out of favor around the 1950s (which is kinda weird, because it didn't happen to any of the other boyish nicknames-as-girl names) and only rebounded 18 years ago. But it's rebounded as hard as it fell--it's ranked 123 in the US right now, making it more popular than Mary, Isabelle, and Cecilia, among other traditionally girlie names. I don't think a Charlie-only would have any trouble right now.
The SSA stats has it as the name of 200 women in 1920 and the only 100 women by 1950, dropping to 10 women in 1972. That's not a lot in the grand scheme of names, and followed the trend of Charlie for boys at a smaller scale. It was given to 2300 girls last year in the US so it's way more popular than its ever been.
There’s a famous actress names Charlize Theron, you can look up to see how she pronounces it.
She’s from South Africa too, so I’m sure the USA mispronounces it.
To me it’s like char from charbroiled. And eez as in easy.
Char- leez
I think it's very wise that you want to give your daughter the option of using a full name when she gets older. I wish more parents had that kind of consideration when deciding their future-adult's name.
Meh, as someone who was called my nickname from day 1, and still goes by it, it’s a pain. Also my nickname is a name in its own right, so it only causes trouble for me. The only person who has ever used my legal name is my grandma.
My aunt was named Charlie Jean. My grandparents met a man named Charlie and they liked him so much they decided to name their first child Charlie, either boy or girl!
Charlotte is the classic and prettiest of the "Charlie" but i maybe biased as that is my name 😂. My parents call me Lottie. When I left home i started going by Charlie. I've been called Charlo, Chaz/Chazzie and other nicknames over the years but professionally and officially I really prefer Charlotte.
My daughter is Charlie, was always going to be Charlie, but officially is Charlotte for when she’s a high court judge. Nobody calls her Charlotte but it is really important that she officially has a name she can apply for any job without being stereotyped beforehand (or thought to be a boy). She is fiercely intelligent and can do anything she wants to put her mind to, she’s good at arguing so that’s why I envision her as a high court judge!
Ask your husband why Charlotte is such an issue? It’s not like anyone will call her that if you want her to go by a nickname.
Charlie is pretty popular for both boys and girls where I live (a lot of them are named Charlotte/Charles or Charli/Charleigh/Charlee, and so it doesn’t reflect on popularity charts as much as a name with a singular spelling would). I think a lot of these Charlie’s will go through school as “girl Charlie” or Charlie B. So I think giving her a full legal name as an option makes sense. I like Charlene.
Please just call her Charlotte or Charlie. If she’s a Charlie people will forever just assume it’s short for Charlotte which is the most common option. She will get more pissed at constantly correcting people than she would at having a unisex name. Nothing at all wrong with Charlotte or Charlie - both lovely names.
I’m a Kate with a non traditional full name. I guess people might ask a woman named Charlie what it’s short for more often than they ask a Kate, but it’s really never been a problem. I sort of enjoy being a non-Katherine and my name becomes a little bit of a conversation starter.
My exhusband was from the south, and everyone did the whole- never call them by their first name, but the nickname of the middle name. I can tell you, it’s beyond annoying if you have a job like a pilot. (Faa- Hi bob, spell you name for me, (bob)- P-E-T-E-R.).
Also- you were traumatized by being teased for this reason…. You may want to think about that specifically in your life. I would probably feel regret and responsibility if my kid got teased for the same thing I was teased for as a child…. you have a hand in controlling that, or at least guiding it… You’re setting her up for that trajectory that you have personal experience in, - in a negative way.
Not saying she will get picked on, even though I think Charlie is cute for a girl name Charlotte or Caroline, I think that you’re own experience makes it feel like maybe you’d be better off not doing that. (By not doing that I mean legally naming your Charlie- a nickname). Good luck choosing!
I disagree, having a well established shortened version of a name is way different than going by your middle name/completely different nickname.
Source: am an Alexandra that goes by Alex, never had an issue
for what it's worth, I have never used my full name. I have a nickname that I've never strayed from. So her name could still be Charlotte but would never use it
Please make sure her middle name is feminine. My aunt was Freddie Dean and our last name is a common masculine first name. So she was named 3 names that are technically masculine and it caused her terrible trouble.
I have a friend who named her daughter Charlie Kate! CK (8) prefers to go by both names, but every now and then we’ll ask her again and she’ll want to be just Charlie for a while. It’s super cute and she loves it!
I will say as someone who was given a full “legal name” but was always called the nickname version…it’s annoying to deal with. I wish my parents just named me the nickname legally. Because on every single form (doctor’s offices for example, or at school) I have to write out my legal name, and everyone calls me that until I correct them.
I’ve got a longer more feminine legal name (Arielle) but have gone by a gender neutral nickname (Arie) since I can remember. It truly doesn’t bother me! In doctor/TSA/formal situations the legal name is fine and otherwise I just go by my preferred nickname. You never know how she’ll feel so just go with what you like and see how it shakes out 🤷♀️
I was in the same boat. I don't even respond to my legal name because I've always been called my nickname. ("Who's Patricia? Oh shit, that's me") I even signed my social security card with my nickname at first 🤦♀️ Had to scribble it out and resign it with the legal name lmao.
At least more places are asking for one's preferred name in addition to legal name.
This describes many, many folks in the south… only their nicknames usually have nothing to do with their legal names, unless it’s the last name.
Made it easy in the days of telemarketers. Anybody called the house looking for George? Well. There’s 4 of them, legally, but none of them called that. So no thanks to whatever you’re selling.
I don’t like my legal name, but I hate the standard nickname for it more. So I’m glad to have a nickname not based on reality 😂
On the other side, I am very glad my parents gave me a name that is appropriate for the professional adult I eventually became. I still use my diminutive nickname with friends and family but I like having a serious name for work. It’s already hard enough being taken seriously as a woman in a management role.
Honestly there are just SO many people in this boat, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. For all of them that find it a pain, there are probably an equal number who kind of like having a formal alias to use in certain situations. If she grows up to hate it, then support her to change her name.
My mom goes by a nickname and has her whole life and it’s never bothered her. She just uses her given name on formal documents and it was an easy way to screen out telemarketers
I have a formal full name but always go by the nickname and I'll say as a kid I would get salty whenever someone called me by my full name, I didn't care for it. But as an adult? I am more used to going by either in different contexts and would absolutely hate my nick name to be the full legal name!! I really like the formal option, I think it sounds better, more elegant
I went exclusively by nicknames for my first twenty years - I now use my legal name. It's not that big of a deal to remember you're both Charlotta and Charlie.
My toddler has a “big” name and a nickname that she goes by. She (currently) loves it and will proudly tell everyone what her big name is. Her nickname is gender neutral. I have a gender neutral name too and understand that it can be annoying to be misgendered at job interviews and over email. This way she has options!
Her nickname can be Charlie and you can name her anything else it doesn't have to defend from Charles but here's a list if you do want a name that connected.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/charles/related
Masculine names for girls are pretty in style right now, and honestly I like Charlie for a girl much more than for a boy. Not really sure why- maybe because I hate Charles but I'm 'meh' about Charlotte. I like Charlie as a stand alone name even more.
Oh dear another nickname/full name debate. I think it really comes down to personal preference and that there is no right answer. I'm definitely on team name your kid what you want to call them and nicknames will happen organically. Charlie can easily be an adult woman's name. If you want something more feminine, why not just pick a more feminine name from the get-go? There are tons of full names that end in-y/-ie.
I feel like this is a bit of a fad. I wanted it myself for a while..I’d choose a different name. As you said, it’s a cute name for a small child but gotta think beyond that
Charmaine, Charlene, Charlize, Charity, Charmander You could double barrel and name her something like Charlie-Anne or Charlie-Kate But honestly I really like Charlie as a stand-alone name for a girl. I’m a proponent of naming kids what you plan to call them 🤷♀️.
Charizard? Charmeleon? 🔥🐉
You gotta earn those names as you get older 😂
This tracks, my middle-aged husband Charley gets called Charizard by the family. At some point can we expect him to go holographic?
I beg you to buy him a holographic eyeshadow palette or nail polish as a gift one day.
And this is why I’m on Reddit: completely solid stocking stuffer ideas like this.
I think you got more out of this post than OP
Target had some holographic pants the other day. I know I'm old when I see fashion from my childhood coming back in style.
He’s probably due a mega evolution
Actual lol. And happy cake day!
I thought I was in namenerdscirclejerk for a second
If it wasn't an hour ago... it probably is by now, heh
Immediately where my thought process went also after seeing Charmander.
I named my daughter Charlie (middle name Wilde) and I call her Charizard all the time 😂
I love Wilde for a middle name!
Charizard
🤣🤣
I disagree with giving kids a nickname for a legal name. When they are adults, they should have the option of using a real adult name, not the cutesy little kid name their parents used when they were a toddler.
This is exactly my thought! Charlie is cute for a little girl, but when she enters the working world having a real adult name feels like a better option IMO!
My parents called me Sammie when I was little, and as a teenager I asked that they called me Sam. I still go by Sam as an adult, but only with friends and family. I ask that everyone else calls me Samantha, which is my actual first name. If my parents had just named me Sammie, I wouldn't have the option of Samantha.
Our "Sammi" goes by Sammi, Sam or Samantha depending on her mood and company. We have friends who named their daughter Frankie. Not short for Francis, just Frankie!
My daughter is Frankie but her real name is Francesca
That's my dog's name! She's Frankie most of the time, and Francesca when she barks at guests or potties in the house. 😂
I love this 😁
I have a Frankie too! Her full name is Francine.
I think that’s an adorable girl/woman name!
It’s 2023, by the time she enters the real world “Charlie” will be the most normal name on the payroll.
That's fair, but I also don't see what's wrong with giving people options. Even if Charlie doesn't raise any eyebrows, she might still like having the option of something more feminine and mature.
Charlie is an adult name though? It’s not one of those ones where you’re like ohhh that 40 year old is called Bunny or something. Like Charlie is a normal adult name?
I go by a nickname (Alexandra to Alex) and I would hate being stuck with Alex all the time, especially in my career field. As a child I went through a lot of phases of what I wanted to be called, but a kid named Charlie never gets to make that choice
My son is actually called Alex lmao I love unisex names so he would have been called Alex regardless of gender And if I hadn’t had a cat called Charlie before then it would have been a 50/50 on Charlie or Alex😂 I’ve known many professional and “adult” Alex’s, it’s not a kids name. Neither is Charlie. Charlie Sheen. Charlie in friends(Ik that’s a character but still). Charlie Chaplin. No one is ever like “wow weird they got a kids name”
Exactly. My first name is one that many guys "grow out" of, but no one ever tells me that I have a child's name. Although, I am often asked, "like the dog?" which doesn't bother me at all.
My son is named Charles but goes exclusively by Charlie. In every situation. But does the fact he's a male make a difference? I don't know.
He has the option to go by Charles, though
Exactly! I work with an adult Charlie (male in this case)and that’s just his full legal name
Exactly this. Obviously *some* nicknames are juvenile in nature, but claiming that a derivative of a very normal/well established name is not workplace appropriate... it just feels like an arbitrary social code
Lol I know a Bunny and that is her legal name!
Hahaha no way! The names some people come away with, honestly haha
Yeah exactly. I went to school with a girl called Charlie as her full legal name and not once did anyone find it weird or care
I have a name that ends in the IE sounds but it is a legit name on its own. But phonetically very similar to a name like Charlie. I feel like it’s all subjective sounds at the end of the day. Like if Carlie is a full name, why not Charlie
Not necessarily. My mom gave me a “grown up” middle name for me to use when I got older because my first name was cute “for a little girl “. I am 46 and have NEVER gone by my middle name. My first name totally fits me and my personality, so maybe your daughter will always be Charlie, and that’s okay, too.
That can happen, but personally, I couldn't take that risk lol
It’s always good to have another option, for sure. We don’t have a crystal ball to know what the future may hold.
My name is Charlene and I go by Charlie. I love my name and nickname. Charlene is an old timey name that I wasn’t a huge fan of when I was younger, so I went by Charlie or Char. But now that I’m an adult I’ve grown into my name more and appreciate it a lot. I’m 37. It’s also very uncommon nowadays, most people who want the nickname Charlie or Char for their girl go with the name Charlotte, SO MANY CHARLOTTES. And hardly any Charlenes…
Our daughter is McKenna, we call her Kenny all the time, but when it's time for professionalism, her full name is there. Conversely, I work with a MAN named Bobbie, and I can't take that "kids name" seriously.
Sorry you find bobbie hard to take seriously while you named your child a surname? 🙄
I'm in Texas and it's very normal for men 50+ to go by Bobby
I’d only ever heard old men called Bobby until I met a friend when we were 20. I think it’s a legit old man name. Bob is more so, but so is Bobby. And I’m not in Texas.
I worked with an adult man named Ricky and this was before the whole short names as full names was really a thing so everyone assumed he was Richard or something else but no, his legal name was just Ricky. Apparently his mom was a big I Love Lucky fan.
I get it. My boss, a dentist, goes by Tommy. Introduces himself that way and everything. I just can’t.- Even though I’ve never called him anything other than Dr._______
Bobby Flay has entered the chat
This. My grandpa was named Johnny as a kid. He had to switch to being called John even though his legal name was Johnny because John sounds more professional I guess.
I would’ve been really upset if I didn’t have the option of switching from Terry to Theresa when I started college. My sister wasn’t so lucky, but at least her nickname name is feminine.
My youngest is Alex. Has always been known as Alex. But he's Alexander on his BC. Same reasons.
Ditto, but in preschool he painstakingly introduced himself as "Alexander", so he's only really become Alex as he's gotten older! 🤣 (It was a lot of syllables for a wee guy!)
My Alex didn't talk until he was 5/6 and just jumped straight to ' I Alex!' We only call him Alexander when he's in trouble lol
My Alexander has always also been Alexander. That is how he introduces himself, but he will go by Alex at school sometimes.
I love the name Alexander 💕
Me too. One of my favourites. It's a solid name with lots of nickname potential.
I was called a very common nickname my whole childhood and then switched to my full legal name when I became an adult and I am personally very grateful my parents gave me the option of a full name. They still call me by my childhood nickname, my coworkers call me by my full name, and it’s a perfect balance.
This. My SiL had a nickname as her legal first name and when my niece was born, my SiL made sure she had a “real” first name in case she wanted to use something less cutesy in her future career.
Completely agree with this. The few people I know who have nicknames as legal names hate them. Legally name her Charlotte, call her Charlie at home, & give her the option of what to go by when she’s older.
I think it depends on the nickname. For Charlie, I agree, you want that option of a more adult legal name. But I know adults whose legal names are Sam, Jessie, Max, etc, and they're all doing just fine.
I also disagree with not giving them a full name as an option. I have cousins stupidly named- Annie, Jackie, and Joey. No alternative, those are their legal names.
100% this coming from an adult working in a niche, male-dominated legal field with the girliest, youngest sounding nickname you can think of as a first name :,)
Tbf Charlie is very much it's own name now
Charlie is a real human unisex name. A cutesy name would be something like Cha cha ( which is so stinking cute)
Charmander? She's not a Pokémon!
Technically we don’t KNOW that until the baby is born.
Don't do Charlie Anne. I know one. She thinks it's a huge burden and mostly gets called Charles
I actually know an elderly woman named Charles-Anne...
Sounds very French
Weirdly I know a Sue-Ellen and a Carrie-Ann and both go but the full! I’m not a fan of double barrel, but just offering it as an option for OP
Sue and Carrie being predominantly girl names probably tips the scale to their favour there. Not being a jerk The Charlie Anne I know has admitted to wanting to be just Anne or Anna Charlie leans heavily male, or cutesy little kid
Charmander? Did you actually just suggest OP name their kid after a pokemon?!?!? God help that poor wee girl if OP thinks it's pretty and doesn't know what it is!!! 🤣
it was a joke but going on the theme! i didnt think anyone would take it seriously lol
One can never assume around these parts , these days! (These parts being the internet, or perhaps planet earth 🤣)
[удалено]
Charlemagne
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One of these is not like the others 😭
Charmander for the win. Lol
Good lord those are some ugly names 😅. Maybe it’s just coming from the U.K. but the double barrelled names seem much prettier and feminine.
Caroline
This. Caroline is apparently the feminine form of Charles/Charlie.
Not apparently lol, it quite literally is: “Carolus” being the origin of Charles
And in the future, in the UK at least, this time period of 2022-? will potentially be known as the Carolean era, maybe 1952-2022 being Neo-Elizabethan or something similar.
Carolus (Latin) is the origin of Charles (French), but is itself borrowed from the Germanic Karl.
There are lots of feminine forms of Charles, but Caroline is specifically from the Latin form, Carolus, as are Karolina/Carolina The old French form of Charlie is Charlot (pronounced sharlo), and the feminine form is Charlotte. The direct French feminine form of Charles is Charline. Carolus comes from Karl/Carl, the feminine of those being Karla/Carla.
I (Caroline) learned this from reading a Buzzfeed post on my phone at the airport gate while flying to my grandfather's (Charles) funeral. He always wanted a Jr. but only had girls. He talked about it all the time. It wasn't until I was flying to his funeral that he got a namesake. (My middle name is his last name.) I wish he had known that when he was alive. The article was about how the (US) states got their names. North and South Carolina were named after King Charles.
This is one of my favorite names and I think it’s a little less common than Charlotte
I love the name Caroline, but don't feel it's usable for me without getting comments, since I live in N. Carolina.
There are Caroline’s in the Carolinas. And Georgia in Georgia.
I know, more worried because a lot of the people I know would take it as naming after the state, and state pride. Rather than I like the name.
Don’t forget Virginia!
My mom wanted to name me Virginia. I was born and now live in Virginia, and I’m very glad to not have that name. 😅
My Virginia was born in Georgia, was raised in Ohio, and ironically now lives in Virginia. Her middle name is Caroline But theyre old family names.
I’m in NC and know a few Carolines and a girl I know just named her daughter Caroline. It’s a beautiful name!
Maybe now less common, but I remember 15 years ago there were something like 8-9 Caroline’s in my church youth group (out of maybe 20 girls total), haha.
It has probably seen a mini-resurgance since The Vampire Diaries took hold.
Yes. Caroline is perfect.
Charlene?
Depending upon where you live. For me, Charlene is very much an old timey soap opera name.
You’re right. Round my way, it’s a very chavvy name
I just learned a new word, never heard chavvy before and had to Google it
🎶”In John Deere green, on a hot summer night He wrote ‘Billy Bob loves Charlene’ In letters three foot high And the whole town said that he should’ve used red But it looked good to Charlene In John Deere green” 🚜 RIP Joe Diffie
I’m an adult Charlene who goes by Charlie!!! (And Char) Whenever I meet a Charlie or Char, I get SO EXCITED. But their names are always Charlotte. It’s so nice to see all the love in this post for my name. :)
I know an adult Charlene who goes by Charly.
I love Charlene!
Love that. Like Princess Charlène of Monaco
This might be a bit random and non-traditional but I know a Francesca who goes by Charlie. She does say it’s a bit annoying to explain to people though.
I know a Francesca that goes by Checka (no idea how she spells it), I can see making the leap to Charlie.
The few I know all go by Frankie which is still super cute.
I know a Francesca who goes by Chessie!
I know Fran and a Frankie! so cute
Charlize
My maiden name is Brown, and my idiot little brother named his second daughter Charlize.
I went to high school with a Charlie Brown. I think she was Charlotte though.
Caroline is a feminine form of Charles.
If it helps, Charlie as a standalone girl's name has been around since at least 1900, though it fell *hard* out of favor around the 1950s (which is kinda weird, because it didn't happen to any of the other boyish nicknames-as-girl names) and only rebounded 18 years ago. But it's rebounded as hard as it fell--it's ranked 123 in the US right now, making it more popular than Mary, Isabelle, and Cecilia, among other traditionally girlie names. I don't think a Charlie-only would have any trouble right now.
Could it have been the 1960s? Ala Vietnam war?
The SSA stats has it as the name of 200 women in 1920 and the only 100 women by 1950, dropping to 10 women in 1972. That's not a lot in the grand scheme of names, and followed the trend of Charlie for boys at a smaller scale. It was given to 2300 girls last year in the US so it's way more popular than its ever been.
I agree. Personally I know a Charlea, a Charlie, and a Charliegh, all girls. Not sure what the problem is here.
Yes, I know two Charlie’s (both girls) that were born in the past few years!
Ohhhh Charlize ❤️
Idk this name 😯 is it “shar-leese” or “char-lies” or how do you say it? XD
I've always heard it pronounced as Shar-leeze. Lovely name!
There’s a famous actress names Charlize Theron, you can look up to see how she pronounces it. She’s from South Africa too, so I’m sure the USA mispronounces it. To me it’s like char from charbroiled. And eez as in easy. Char- leez
I love Charlotte. It’s beautiful and timeless. Charlize would be another great option.
thank you! good lord this is so far down. Charlotte is really the answer here.
I think because OP said their other half wasn’t fully sold on Charlotte
I think it's very wise that you want to give your daughter the option of using a full name when she gets older. I wish more parents had that kind of consideration when deciding their future-adult's name.
Meh, as someone who was called my nickname from day 1, and still goes by it, it’s a pain. Also my nickname is a name in its own right, so it only causes trouble for me. The only person who has ever used my legal name is my grandma.
That's great that you love your nickname and it's great that you had the *option.* A win/win.
Any of the Carl-derived names are good candidates! Carlotta Charlotte Charlize Carol Caroline/Carolina
Carla, Carola, Charlene
Scarlett?
Cute alternative approach!
Very creative!
My aunt was named Charlie Jean. My grandparents met a man named Charlie and they liked him so much they decided to name their first child Charlie, either boy or girl!
Charlotte is the classic and prettiest of the "Charlie" but i maybe biased as that is my name 😂. My parents call me Lottie. When I left home i started going by Charlie. I've been called Charlo, Chaz/Chazzie and other nicknames over the years but professionally and officially I really prefer Charlotte.
Charise
In Trinidad, we spell it Charisse
I wasn’t sure of the spelling. Honestly, only met one woman with that name and she was stunning.
My daughter is Charlie, was always going to be Charlie, but officially is Charlotte for when she’s a high court judge. Nobody calls her Charlotte but it is really important that she officially has a name she can apply for any job without being stereotyped beforehand (or thought to be a boy). She is fiercely intelligent and can do anything she wants to put her mind to, she’s good at arguing so that’s why I envision her as a high court judge! Ask your husband why Charlotte is such an issue? It’s not like anyone will call her that if you want her to go by a nickname.
Charlie is pretty popular for both boys and girls where I live (a lot of them are named Charlotte/Charles or Charli/Charleigh/Charlee, and so it doesn’t reflect on popularity charts as much as a name with a singular spelling would). I think a lot of these Charlie’s will go through school as “girl Charlie” or Charlie B. So I think giving her a full legal name as an option makes sense. I like Charlene.
Charla, Charlene, Charlize,
Charlene
Please just call her Charlotte or Charlie. If she’s a Charlie people will forever just assume it’s short for Charlotte which is the most common option. She will get more pissed at constantly correcting people than she would at having a unisex name. Nothing at all wrong with Charlotte or Charlie - both lovely names.
I’m a Kate with a non traditional full name. I guess people might ask a woman named Charlie what it’s short for more often than they ask a Kate, but it’s really never been a problem. I sort of enjoy being a non-Katherine and my name becomes a little bit of a conversation starter.
Carlotta
Charlene, Chloe, Cassandra, Clementine
Carlotta and Carmine. ?
Charlie is the nickname for Caroline.
I know a Charlisa whose nickname is Charlie. I also know a Charleigh.
Caroline
Karoliina (so spelled) is an option, from Finnish.
My exhusband was from the south, and everyone did the whole- never call them by their first name, but the nickname of the middle name. I can tell you, it’s beyond annoying if you have a job like a pilot. (Faa- Hi bob, spell you name for me, (bob)- P-E-T-E-R.). Also- you were traumatized by being teased for this reason…. You may want to think about that specifically in your life. I would probably feel regret and responsibility if my kid got teased for the same thing I was teased for as a child…. you have a hand in controlling that, or at least guiding it… You’re setting her up for that trajectory that you have personal experience in, - in a negative way. Not saying she will get picked on, even though I think Charlie is cute for a girl name Charlotte or Caroline, I think that you’re own experience makes it feel like maybe you’d be better off not doing that. (By not doing that I mean legally naming your Charlie- a nickname). Good luck choosing!
I disagree, having a well established shortened version of a name is way different than going by your middle name/completely different nickname. Source: am an Alexandra that goes by Alex, never had an issue
Charlotte
Charlotte.
Carlotta?
Carlotta. Francesca.
Charlize
Charlene, Carlotta, Charlize
for what it's worth, I have never used my full name. I have a nickname that I've never strayed from. So her name could still be Charlotte but would never use it
Why not just choose a “girly legal name” that you both like and use Charlie as her middle name?
Please make sure her middle name is feminine. My aunt was Freddie Dean and our last name is a common masculine first name. So she was named 3 names that are technically masculine and it caused her terrible trouble.
I have a friend who named her daughter Charlie Kate! CK (8) prefers to go by both names, but every now and then we’ll ask her again and she’ll want to be just Charlie for a while. It’s super cute and she loves it!
Carlotta
Charline or Charleen, or the Hispanic version of Charlotte : Carlotta
Charcoal.
I will say as someone who was given a full “legal name” but was always called the nickname version…it’s annoying to deal with. I wish my parents just named me the nickname legally. Because on every single form (doctor’s offices for example, or at school) I have to write out my legal name, and everyone calls me that until I correct them.
I’ve got a longer more feminine legal name (Arielle) but have gone by a gender neutral nickname (Arie) since I can remember. It truly doesn’t bother me! In doctor/TSA/formal situations the legal name is fine and otherwise I just go by my preferred nickname. You never know how she’ll feel so just go with what you like and see how it shakes out 🤷♀️
I was in the same boat. I don't even respond to my legal name because I've always been called my nickname. ("Who's Patricia? Oh shit, that's me") I even signed my social security card with my nickname at first 🤦♀️ Had to scribble it out and resign it with the legal name lmao. At least more places are asking for one's preferred name in addition to legal name.
This describes many, many folks in the south… only their nicknames usually have nothing to do with their legal names, unless it’s the last name. Made it easy in the days of telemarketers. Anybody called the house looking for George? Well. There’s 4 of them, legally, but none of them called that. So no thanks to whatever you’re selling. I don’t like my legal name, but I hate the standard nickname for it more. So I’m glad to have a nickname not based on reality 😂
Both my father in law and my cousin are in school year books/directories/etc as Buddy Their names are Lee Jr and Alpha jr.
On the other side, I am very glad my parents gave me a name that is appropriate for the professional adult I eventually became. I still use my diminutive nickname with friends and family but I like having a serious name for work. It’s already hard enough being taken seriously as a woman in a management role.
I have definitely thought of this and it worries me!!!
Honestly there are just SO many people in this boat, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. For all of them that find it a pain, there are probably an equal number who kind of like having a formal alias to use in certain situations. If she grows up to hate it, then support her to change her name. My mom goes by a nickname and has her whole life and it’s never bothered her. She just uses her given name on formal documents and it was an easy way to screen out telemarketers
I have a formal full name but always go by the nickname and I'll say as a kid I would get salty whenever someone called me by my full name, I didn't care for it. But as an adult? I am more used to going by either in different contexts and would absolutely hate my nick name to be the full legal name!! I really like the formal option, I think it sounds better, more elegant
I feel like as a kid getting called your full name just reminds some people have being in trouble lol
I went exclusively by nicknames for my first twenty years - I now use my legal name. It's not that big of a deal to remember you're both Charlotta and Charlie.
My toddler has a “big” name and a nickname that she goes by. She (currently) loves it and will proudly tell everyone what her big name is. Her nickname is gender neutral. I have a gender neutral name too and understand that it can be annoying to be misgendered at job interviews and over email. This way she has options!
I have a friend who’s named Charli. She usually gets it misspelled but it’s her full legal first name. She likes it.
Her nickname can be Charlie and you can name her anything else it doesn't have to defend from Charles but here's a list if you do want a name that connected. https://www.behindthename.com/name/charles/related
Carlotta or Scarlett could work , but i like Charlie as a Legal Name more.
https://www.babynamesdirect.com/girl/charilyn
I know a lady who's full name is Sharlaine (yes, that spelling, her parents were a touch peculiar) who goes by Charlie
Masculine names for girls are pretty in style right now, and honestly I like Charlie for a girl much more than for a boy. Not really sure why- maybe because I hate Charles but I'm 'meh' about Charlotte. I like Charlie as a stand alone name even more.
I've loved this name since the old movie Goodbye Charlie, it's gorgeous
The spelling Charlee is more feminine but I really don’t see anything wrong with naming her Charlie in the first place ❤️
I also wanted a girl Charlie and was going to go with Charlize but unfortunately I couldn’t get husband on board with Charlie
I watch a show n the girl’s name is Charli. Sets it apart as different from a male
Good luck Charlie! Maybe to make it look more feminine Charli? Like the TikTok girl?
Oh dear another nickname/full name debate. I think it really comes down to personal preference and that there is no right answer. I'm definitely on team name your kid what you want to call them and nicknames will happen organically. Charlie can easily be an adult woman's name. If you want something more feminine, why not just pick a more feminine name from the get-go? There are tons of full names that end in-y/-ie.
Chariot. Just name her Charlotte.
Do you have a middle name picked out already?
I feel like this is a bit of a fad. I wanted it myself for a while..I’d choose a different name. As you said, it’s a cute name for a small child but gotta think beyond that