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HelpBetty
WDYT of the name Betty?
I've noticed Betty is often used on its own. In fact, at its peak, it was more popular than Elizabeth. Do you think Betty can stand alone?
I've noticed Betty is often used on its own. In fact, at its peak, it was more popular than Elizabeth. Do you think Betty can stand alone?
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Thank you for presenting this: I love when derivative pet names "overshadow" their source and obtain independence. In such a scenario - if my legal name (as in the US) were Betty, I might use Elizabeth as a nick name (at any given time), and only the few who might hap to know my facts & figures would know.
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I'm not really a fan of it, but I think it's substantial enough to stand on its own, kinda like Gwen.
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I think so. It has a history of being used that way, so it seems legit. I still *prefer* it as an nn for Elizabeth, though.
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My sister has the name Betty, and so does my grandma. I don't like it with their middle names, but its decent.
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I think I'd like to meet a little Betty, but I really prefer Betsy. I prefer both as a nickname for Elizabeth. I don't know why, but I just don't like nicknames on their own (with the exceptions of Eliza and Sally, well, sometimes Sally. Sometimes I prefer it as a nn for Sarah even though I don't like Sarah).
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I think it's better to have a name that offers more possibilities rather than fewer. Name a girl Betty and she's stuck with it, even if a serial killer named Betty lives in the same town. If she'd been Elizabeth, she could have reinvented herself with no fuss. Even Bettina is preferable - could be Betty, Bettina or Tina!
I've got a niece named Laine and a friend named Vickie. They both report that in times of stress, people who don't know them that well call them Elaine or Victoria - and that they've often just kept walking, 'knowing' that whoever was being called, it wasn't them. Tricky if it's your boss who needs to tell you that you're late for your disciplinary hearing or your mother's just died.
I've got a niece named Laine and a friend named Vickie. They both report that in times of stress, people who don't know them that well call them Elaine or Victoria - and that they've often just kept walking, 'knowing' that whoever was being called, it wasn't them. Tricky if it's your boss who needs to tell you that you're late for your disciplinary hearing or your mother's just died.
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Name changes for bad association
Why would someone need to change their name just because another person with it does something bad? Gosh forbid if there’s ever a serial killer with my name I won’t just go and change it. Why let the awful person own it?
Why would someone need to change their name just because another person with it does something bad? Gosh forbid if there’s ever a serial killer with my name I won’t just go and change it. Why let the awful person own it?
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That's a good point. I have a cousin named Jenny, and new teachers would always try to call her "Jennifer". No matter how gently she corrected them, some people in positions of power don't take well to being corrected. She said there were at least a couple of teachers over the years that she felt resented her a little.
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I hate when domineering people do that with names! Sadly, many adults do that to children with names frequently.
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I love Betty, but only as a pet name
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I love it, but only as a nn for Elizabeth. Nicknames as given names was a trend for a while. You hear it a lot on people who were young in the 50s and 60s. Thankfully, you don’t see it as much now.
I could also see it as a nickname for Bethany, Bernadette, or Benedetta.
I could also see it as a nickname for Bethany, Bernadette, or Benedetta.
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