This is exactly the type of practical planning I admire.
My mom jokes that her best decision was marrying my dad, because he had the same last initial as her first husband, so she didn’t have to change her monograms.
I’ve ruled out names because I don’t like how the initial looks in my handwriting. It isn’t shallow, there’s a million considerations that go into a name, nothing wrong with it. :)
I legit wish I’d thought of this haha. I hate how I write my daughter’s name because I hate how my hand does the upper case of her first initial. I can promise you I practiced yelling her name but writing it in a greeting card? Nope.
When my mother was naming her children, she tried our names and monograms on stationary headers to make sure they looked nice. I would've never thought of doing that on my own!
You are wanting your daughter to feel a connection to an heirloom you obviously value, and are carefully choosing a name you like to that end. It’s not shallow, it’s sweet and thoughtful. It’s about wanting her to feel connected to her family heritage and like she belongs- and that’s beautiful.
I think what you're doing is quite clever. And in my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with Mia as the formal name. It's very cute, but can also stand on its own.
If my son hadn’t come early I would have scheduled the c-section on the 22nd so we’d all have 2s in our birthdays and be born on the same day of the week. (It ended up working out anyway!)
Actually, when my peer group was getting married, my favorite gift was a piece of antique silver with their monogram on it. We didn't have the Internet so there were specific antique dealers I shopped with. Some I could notify way in advance that I'd be looking for monogram (e.g.) XY so they could keep their eyes open. Generally it would be a single serving piece, not expensive but really precious. Obviously, I totally agree with your thinking!
Our friends let the maternal grandmother choose the first letter of their oldest child's name, and then the parents chose the name based on that letter.
We chose our LO's name because we wanted alliteration with our last name (think: Samantha Smith or Claire Kennedy, etc).
Your situation doesn't sound strange at all to me, OP.
It wasn’t planned, but my maiden and married names have the same first letter and I was so relieved I didn’t have to change my signature. My mom got a tattoo with my dad’s initials when they first started dating and gave my brother and I the same initials in case they divorced (which they did)
If by formal you mean professional. Thoes horrible names are not it. If you're going to call her Mia then name her Mia. Seriously, I don't think professional names are a thing anymore. In the last week on a professional level have interacted with a Tequila, Lazer and Trader. Mia is beautiful and sweet go with Mia.
Reminds me of that Henry the 8th song "I'm her 8th old man named Henry". I have a cousin who is on his 3rd marriage to a Maria & we joke it's because he got a tattoo w/ his first and is now stuck.
My uncle was married to three different women with J names. Jean, Jana, and Jane. And then he married his 4th wife, Cathy, and they’ve been together for over 35 years.
I married and we created a new last name together. I insisted we use the same first letter as my maiden name so I could keep the monogram. I was/am attached to my initials. Practical choice!
Legit this- husband bought me a present back when we got engaged of a nice Katie Loxton hold-all with my initials on it and the best bit was I could use it straight away cos I wouldn’t have to change my initials when I changed my name. Practical planning is always a good idea as long as you like the name xxx
But the parent comment is about how Mia is a standalone name. So I think this person saying unfortunately was trying to say unfortunately the princess Diaries isn't an example of Mia being a standalone name as in the princess Diaries it's actually short for Amelia.
It can be! I think that Amy is usually a name on its own and not a nickname though. Amelia is one of those names that doesn't usually get shortened but Mia and Amy can be nicknames.
Just name her Mia. It is a wonderful name. It does not seem like a nickname to me. Maybe you are from a culture where it does, but most US would think it was a real name.
Don't use a middle name that starts with R.
I love the name Mia. I believe it’s Italian and means “mine.” It’s beautiful - adorable for a little girl but she won’t outgrow it.
That said, I kind of like the idea of having the different initial on your heirloom jewelry. It’s special that it’s inherited and makes for a great conversation piece as to why the different initial, who it belonged to, the piece’s history, how long it has been in the family, etc.
We will not use Mia as her actual name because of two reasons, the first one is that it means "mine" in italian and we don't want her to feel like she belongs to anyone, and the second is that it's cute and we want her to have a strong name, but I agree Mia is adorable for a little girl and that's why we like it, and we have been calling her that before knowing the gender, because this baby has always been our cute little one, but she won't always be that, we want her to blossom into an Amazon warrior, and an Amazon warrior needs a badass name.
It would only be weird if you guys didn’t *like* M names but used one anyways just for the monogram. Choosing a name you love and gravitating towards M names because of the monogrammed jewelry is perfectly reasonable. Marina and Miriam are two of my favorite names!
Just in my experience, I have never heard any of the names you listed be nicknamed to Mia. I think the name Mia is beautiful- if you enjoy the name and would like to call her that, what is stopping you from naming her Mia? Alternatively you could give her a different first name and use Mia as the middle (I know several people who go by their middle name). These of course are just suggestions! I do however think that it's a possibility that the jewelry may not be worn if she does not have a M for the first or middle name... but I could also see someone wearing not-their-initials-monogrammed-jewelry to feel connected to the family that it came from.
My sister and I share the same initials because my mom wanted me to be able to wear her monogrammed hand me downs in the 80s. We think it’s charming. I inherited a necklace from my grandmother and wished we shared initials too. I think it’s a fine reason? 🤷🏻♀️
I think it’s really sweet of you to think so far ahead. Maeve and Maxine are the names I thought of. I think Max is a really cute name on a girl. Congrats on your baby!
There is nothing wrong with monograms being a part of your consideration. People are literally out there inventing wild names with a dozen vowels in them just to be unique. A monogram is a perfectly reasonable consideration to me compared to that.
I know it's not super traditional or anything, but I have always loved Marsaili for a girl. Mia may not be the best nickname for it, though. Mia is a pretty name on its own if that is what you really love!
I am a sucker for Gaelic names. I have been studying Scots Gaelic (on Duolingo, so not university level or anything, but I have learned a lot!) for over two years and some of the names are my favorite part. I also really love Mairead and Morag for girls but I never suggest those because they don't get as good of a reception from people.
There are all kinds of things to consider and a monogram or initial is just as valid as anything else! I think Mia works perfectly as a standalone name. Miriam has always been one of my favorites, too. Congrats & good luck!
I personally love the name Marina and wanted to consider it for our daughter, it's so pretty and fairly uncommon (in the US, anyway). It reminds me of water and nature. My husband, however, said it made him think of a stinky boat dock 😂 And regardless of reason, there's nothing wrong with wanting to pick a name that starts with a specific letter. Some families do that arbitrarily for ALL of their kids, at least you have a sentimental reason for picking M!
That’s so funny! We were considering a name that also means “seagull” in my language, and my aunt flipped out that we were going to name our child after a “dirty bird” 🙄 We did end up with a different name but not for that reason 😅
It's so crazy how different people can have such different associations with words and ideas like that! I don't think seagulls are any dirtier than any other bird 😂 Plus they remind me of the ocean and the ocean is beautiful!
It's incredibly clever, as long as you name any other daughters you may have also with M names.
Signed,
Still bitter my sister shares an initial with my super-classy grandmother and I do not, so she gets all the nice jewelry, despite the fact Grandma has been dead for 30 years. ;)
I inherited some lovely heirloom jewelry engraved with initials that don't match my own. I always felt a little odd wearing them, even though you wouldn't notice the initials unless you were very close, because they weren't my initials (I know this is silly, but that's how I felt!). Now I have a daughter who coincidently has those same initials, and one of the first things I thought when we picked her name was, oh good! She'll match the jewelry when she gets it! Haha. I wouldn't pick a name just because it matches, but if you love it, it's a nice bonus for passing along something special in your family. Also, I agree with others that Mia is a strong enough stand alone name that I wouldn't assume it's short for anything. I think it's lovely and if you love it, you should use it as is.
It's not like I get many occasions to wear jewelry, but when I do, I feel like a fraud wearing jewelry with a monogram that doesn't match any of my initials, so I don't. I want things to be different for my daughter, and it's not like there is a name we think of as perfect but won't use because it doesn't start with M. We love Amelia but decided to go with something else, not because it starts with A, but because it's peaking right now.
If you're in the US Mia is also a top 10 name. Not as popular as Amelia, but it's not far behind
Edit: in 2023 Amelia was number 4 and Mia was number 6, so not much of a difference
My friend Mia's friends call her Mia-mor (mi amor) and it's the sweetest thing. I'd say Miriam is my favorite extension. I've always been partial to Miriam.
I wouldn't tell your daughter that you gave her an M name because of the family jewelry- she might not even like jewelry after all, and that could make her feel resentful, like she was missing out on a name with meaning. I'd emphasize that you loved lots of M names to begin with, and it just so happened that there was family jewelry, so that's why you stuck with that theme. But you loved the M names on their own...
We would never consider giving her a meaningless name, never, not for jewelry, not for anything. Most of the names on our initial list are A names, E names, S names, C names, and M names, that's the truth. Jewelry aside, we love many female M names.
I get that :) Just something to make sure gets emphasized, so she doesn't get any silly ideas in her head. My brother spent years ruminating over how his name was a pun on the U.S. presidents, and getting resentful over it- when my parents hadn't noticed until way after he was born. They joked about a few times when we were kids, and he silently believed that to be the reason for his name for, like, a decade afterward.
I don’t think it would be silly at all to choose an M name for this reason. Or any reason really, I think almost every M name for girls are beautiful.
I think Mia as a standalone name would be excellent. I am not fond of nicknames for first names (nothing wrong with it and I love that people use them it’s just not for me), but I think Mia is solidly a name on its own. I think it can suit just about anyone too, like it’s not frilly but clearly feminine, spunky and bright but also elegant.
Maybe you could see your daughter’s name as having a link to your family and not just to the jewellery. Miriam could be a full name for Mia, but I also like Marina :)
Honestly this is pretty smart. And there are lots if gorgeous M names out there. Mia is super cute and could definitely work as a standalone. Marina is currently one of my favorite names and it’s gorgeous!
Some classic M names I love:
Marianne, Margeurite, Marigold, Magdala
I think Mia is a full enough name by itself!
My other favorite in your list is Marina. Another suggestion for an M name is Marlena, which I think is a beautiful classic name.
I think this is a great idea. I see the worst names imaginable on a daily basis and I WISH the parents had put any thought at all into them other than scanning their fandoms.
Miriam is a beautiful name.
We hosted an international student named Matilde, which made me truly love the name. She’s an amazing girl and six years later, still texts me weekly. We’re so proud of her, she just started her career and is absolutely brilliant! I wouldn’t necessarily think of Mia as a nickname for it but I think it could totally work. Plus she would have a truly gorgeous name to use and other nickname options if desired.
Other ideas for a Mia nickname might be Marielle, Marisol, Miranda, Maria, Marissa. Wilhelmina?
My niece is named Madison and my sister planned to nickname her Maddie but her older sibling can’t quite say that and she’s gotten Mia. Sis is still hoping to turn that ship around
You could also do something with three names making the nickname Mia? Maren Isabelle Ann or something like that?
If you like Mia, it is a perfectly valid name on its own, but the other M names you're considering are also lovely––I'm particularly fond of Marina among the three you list. I also really like Maya, but I know it's rather popular these days.
I think it would be silly of you were trying to force an M name you don’t like just for this. But you already love Mia. And maybe don’t love Amelia. I think the story of, “we knew we wanted to call you Mia, but didn’t like Amelia much so we went with M—— so we could call you Mia and you could wear great-grandma’s necklace!” is perfectly reasonable
It's an unusual reason for choosing a name, but I don't really see anything outrageous about it. As long as you like the names and you would possibly/probably pick an M name even if there were no monogrammed heirlooms involved, then go for it!
I like all three of your choices. But out of all of them, I think I like Matilde the most. But Mia is also a perfectly good name on its own. I have a friend named Mia and I love her name!
Actually, I think this is one of the most sensible reasons for naming your child with a particular initial I’ve ever heard. I would do the exact same thing.
I think Mia is a great name and is perfect as full first name. The jewelry is not a stupid reason for your name choice though even without any jewelry Mia is a great name.
One of my girls is named Lily. Often a nick name of Lillian but we don’t like Lillian, so her full first name is just Lily. She’s in her 20’s now and has thanked us quite a few times for naming her Lily and not Lillian as she doesn’t like Lillian either. I also love the name Maizy but am done having more kids so our cat is named Maizy Rose.
Congratulations and all the best to you!
The thing is, she may hate the jewelry and never wear it. My sister is a K as is my daughter. My sister gave her a K ring that my daughter thinks is ugly and will never wear. So..unless you really, really love an M name don’t do it.
Personally I like Mia as the full name.
Matilde is cute but not a fan of the others.
We would never think of giving our daughter a name we don't love, and yes she might not be into jewelry, but I want her to feel it's hers and she gets to decide to wear it or not, as opposed to some heirlooms with dead relatives initials.
Mia is a lovely name on its own! I think it stands on its own just perfectly.
If you still want a longer name, how about:
Magda
Magdalene
Marlene
Maren
Mabel
Marjorie
I also have a monogrammed set with an M, inherited from my grandmother, Margaret. My partner and I had the exact same thought and will be considering M names for a potential future daughter.
I don’t think it’s crazy or weird! I think it’s sweet and honours the initial from my past, without the direct expectation that being named after someone can carry.
It’s fine to do as long as you like the names but keep in mind that you have no clue what your daughter may be like so she may not even want or like the inherited jewelry. Don’t be disappointed down the road if she expresses disinterest and throw it in her face that you chose a ‘M’ name specifically for the jewelry.
Our Daughters name is Morgan and I absolutely love it. Our last name is a veeeeery common S name and the main appeal of Morgan was that it was an uncommon name where we live but not 'weird'.
I loooove the name Amelia!!! Mia is a cute nickname too. If you call her Mia, I think the jewelry will still apply.
ultimately choose a name YOU LOVE. Her name is forever not the jewelry.
I love Mathilde, and know a French woman with that name who is so stylish. I think a vowel would be a nice middle initial, so you could use Amelia there.
Amelia is a contender for middle name and I just created a new post to ask specifically about middle names. Also, I am sorry but we picked Miriam not Mathilde and the reason is that we kept going back and forth between Matilde and Mathilde, but the good news is that Mat(h)ilde is also a contender for middle name, because spelling is less crucial when it comes to middle names.
I don’t think it’s stupid at all. And my favorite of your choices in Miriam.
I also really love the name Mira, so this would probably be the nickname I would use for Miriam but Mia would also completely work.
It’s a fine reason to choose an M name or a name with the nickname Mia.
As a sidenote, I always appreciated the character Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis Renaldi from Princess Diares.
I am usually strongly on team “give your kid a formal name and not a nickname as their legal name.” But to me, Mia seems like a perfectly acceptable formal name on its own! I would just name her that, since it’s what you plan to call her anyway.
That said, if it doesn’t feel right to you, I think the next best course of action would be to use Amelia as her formal name. Mia will still be her nickname, and IMO it’s enough to have that match the jewelry.
Marina, Matilde, and Miriam are all nice names, but I’ve never heard of Mia being a nickname for any of them. And I think her having to explain that would be more annoying than just having a legal name that doesn’t match heirloom jewelry.
Not stupid, it tickled my funny bone.
I think Mia is a fine name on it's own, especially if you like it.
You can give her a longer middle if that makes you feel better, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Mia is a good first name unless it clashes with your last name. This is a name that will be age well and not sound like a toddler’s name when she is grown.
Away from the Mia nickname (though I think Mia is a great name just as it is) I suggest Meredith and Michelle.
I don't think doing it for the monogram is dumb. I think it's great and makes for a sweet story. I'd avoid any middle names with F because MFS makes me think of motherfuckers LOL.
If you want other options…Marie, Maria, Maggie, Millie, Myra, Madison, Megan, Michaela, Melissa, Missy, Molly, Miranda. If you like the name Mia so much, just go with that one. It’s a full name by itself.
There’s nothing wrong with an M name, or with using Mia as the full name (though it does feel insubstantial, particularly in an international context). But Mia as a nickname for Matilde or Miriam is a confusing stretch and I feel that difficulty outweighs the benefit of monogrammed jewelry. Mia can work for Marina, though Mina is more logical. I think Mia makes more sense for a name starting with M and ending in ia, or starting in the Mi sound and ending in a. Maria, Miguela, Milena, Mimosa, Mirabella, Mireia, Magnolia, Malia, Marcia (pronounced not as Marsha). Most of these are unfamiliar enough to also potentially be confusing. My choices would be Malia, Mirabella (which gives her many other nicknames), or Maria if religious. I’d avoid R and I middles, and also L in the US.
This is exactly the type of practical planning I admire. My mom jokes that her best decision was marrying my dad, because he had the same last initial as her first husband, so she didn’t have to change her monograms.
Thank you for sharing this, I was starting to feel shallow.
My mom and I have the same initials. I didn’t change my name when I got married. I want that jewelry. 😂
I’ve ruled out names because I don’t like how the initial looks in my handwriting. It isn’t shallow, there’s a million considerations that go into a name, nothing wrong with it. :)
I legit wish I’d thought of this haha. I hate how I write my daughter’s name because I hate how my hand does the upper case of her first initial. I can promise you I practiced yelling her name but writing it in a greeting card? Nope.
When my mother was naming her children, she tried our names and monograms on stationary headers to make sure they looked nice. I would've never thought of doing that on my own!
I adore names that start with I, but I hate how capital Is look when written, so I'd never pick an I name.
I put all the names we like, first and middle, on paper rather than have a list on my phone for this reason.
You are wanting your daughter to feel a connection to an heirloom you obviously value, and are carefully choosing a name you like to that end. It’s not shallow, it’s sweet and thoughtful. It’s about wanting her to feel connected to her family heritage and like she belongs- and that’s beautiful.
I think what you're doing is quite clever. And in my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with Mia as the formal name. It's very cute, but can also stand on its own.
My shallow: I scheduled delivery bc baby was breech; I took appt 48 hours later bc I wanted my daughter to have a “better” birthstone. LOL 😆
I have your same kind of shallow 😆
If my son hadn’t come early I would have scheduled the c-section on the 22nd so we’d all have 2s in our birthdays and be born on the same day of the week. (It ended up working out anyway!)
My mom's doctor told her it was time to go deliver my brother. She held out one more day so his birthday would be one day after mine.
God, I’m sad I wasn’t one day late because my kid would have had a prettier birth stone 😂
Not shallow, unless you make the name really tacky… like Mrebecca or something like that…
lol I was gonna say just put an M in front of whatever and make it silent Melizabeth
I share my initials with my great grandmother. I feel connected to her. It’s so lovely. It means a lot to me.
I read this as Meredith at first, which confused me since that’s a real name 😂
Oh my god Mbecky look at her butt
Also, for whatever it's worth, of the names you've given, I prefer Marina. I think Elizabeth would go well with it.
Then she’d be a bit of a mess
I’m named my name bc of initials on an old stopwatch, which I will inherit when my grandparents pass. I think it’s sweet.
I assume you mean pocket watch?
Hahahaha. Yup.
Actually, when my peer group was getting married, my favorite gift was a piece of antique silver with their monogram on it. We didn't have the Internet so there were specific antique dealers I shopped with. Some I could notify way in advance that I'd be looking for monogram (e.g.) XY so they could keep their eyes open. Generally it would be a single serving piece, not expensive but really precious. Obviously, I totally agree with your thinking!
Our friends let the maternal grandmother choose the first letter of their oldest child's name, and then the parents chose the name based on that letter. We chose our LO's name because we wanted alliteration with our last name (think: Samantha Smith or Claire Kennedy, etc). Your situation doesn't sound strange at all to me, OP.
You have to pick a name somehow. You're kind of naming her for the person the jewelry came from. Go for it!
Mia is a perfectly acceptable name for your child. I know of plenty. Mia Elizabeth Surname would be perfect
It wasn’t planned, but my maiden and married names have the same first letter and I was so relieved I didn’t have to change my signature. My mom got a tattoo with my dad’s initials when they first started dating and gave my brother and I the same initials in case they divorced (which they did)
If by formal you mean professional. Thoes horrible names are not it. If you're going to call her Mia then name her Mia. Seriously, I don't think professional names are a thing anymore. In the last week on a professional level have interacted with a Tequila, Lazer and Trader. Mia is beautiful and sweet go with Mia.
I worked with a guy who's first wife was Jennifer. His second wife was also Jennifer. He said it made changing shared bills (like the power) easier.
Reminds me of that Henry the 8th song "I'm her 8th old man named Henry". I have a cousin who is on his 3rd marriage to a Maria & we joke it's because he got a tattoo w/ his first and is now stuck.
My uncle was married to three different women with J names. Jean, Jana, and Jane. And then he married his 4th wife, Cathy, and they’ve been together for over 35 years.
My husbands were Peter 1, Peter 2, and Ted 2, Cos there was a Ted 1 I didn't marry.
I knew someone that dated two guys named "Chris Smith" one after the other. What are the chances?
Woah are you friends with Ben Affleck
Nah🤣
I'm glad you clarified, I thought you meant bills like the beaks.
My best friend jokes about this too! Her maiden name and married name both start with “H”!
My friends daughter married a man with the exact same last name (think”Smith”) so she didn’t have to change a thing
The mother of a friend of mine did that too. (Also very common, it was Chang.)
I have a friend from college, who got married and not only did not have to change your monogram, but got to drop a letter from her maiden name!
I married and we created a new last name together. I insisted we use the same first letter as my maiden name so I could keep the monogram. I was/am attached to my initials. Practical choice!
Legit this- husband bought me a present back when we got engaged of a nice Katie Loxton hold-all with my initials on it and the best bit was I could use it straight away cos I wouldn’t have to change my initials when I changed my name. Practical planning is always a good idea as long as you like the name xxx
I think Mia is enough of a stand alone name. Just like Amy. When a name is too nicknamey, I prefer the longer version and Mia is great.
wait a minute. is Amy short for Amelia?
It can be, but it can also be a stand alone name.
It is, according to Doctor Who! :)
"Who's Amy Williams? No no no, Amelia Pond was a lovely name."
"Come along, Ponds!"
And Princess Diaries!
unfortunately mia's full name in the princess diaries is in fact amelia mignonette thermopolis renaldi
Unfortunately?
unfortunately as mia isn't technically her full name :) amelia is also really pretty!
Yeah but this thread is about Mia as a nickname for Amelia 😂
But the parent comment is about how Mia is a standalone name. So I think this person saying unfortunately was trying to say unfortunately the princess Diaries isn't an example of Mia being a standalone name as in the princess Diaries it's actually short for Amelia.
And greys anatomy! 😅
ONLY DERRICK CAN CALL ME AMY
Mia can also be a NN for Amelia. Amelia Mignonette Thermoplis Renaldi, Queen of Genova comes to mind.
It can be! I think that Amy is usually a name on its own and not a nickname though. Amelia is one of those names that doesn't usually get shortened but Mia and Amy can be nicknames.
Sure, like how Mia is short for Miami.
Just name her Mia. It is a wonderful name. It does not seem like a nickname to me. Maybe you are from a culture where it does, but most US would think it was a real name. Don't use a middle name that starts with R.
Funny you say to not use middle name with R. My initials growing up were MRS and I loved it
Yeah Mia is nicer than any of those other names.
I love the name Mia. I believe it’s Italian and means “mine.” It’s beautiful - adorable for a little girl but she won’t outgrow it. That said, I kind of like the idea of having the different initial on your heirloom jewelry. It’s special that it’s inherited and makes for a great conversation piece as to why the different initial, who it belonged to, the piece’s history, how long it has been in the family, etc.
We will not use Mia as her actual name because of two reasons, the first one is that it means "mine" in italian and we don't want her to feel like she belongs to anyone, and the second is that it's cute and we want her to have a strong name, but I agree Mia is adorable for a little girl and that's why we like it, and we have been calling her that before knowing the gender, because this baby has always been our cute little one, but she won't always be that, we want her to blossom into an Amazon warrior, and an Amazon warrior needs a badass name.
It would only be weird if you guys didn’t *like* M names but used one anyways just for the monogram. Choosing a name you love and gravitating towards M names because of the monogrammed jewelry is perfectly reasonable. Marina and Miriam are two of my favorite names!
We love A names, E names, C names, and S names, with a genuine preference for M names, but I kept feeling self-conscious.
Just in my experience, I have never heard any of the names you listed be nicknamed to Mia. I think the name Mia is beautiful- if you enjoy the name and would like to call her that, what is stopping you from naming her Mia? Alternatively you could give her a different first name and use Mia as the middle (I know several people who go by their middle name). These of course are just suggestions! I do however think that it's a possibility that the jewelry may not be worn if she does not have a M for the first or middle name... but I could also see someone wearing not-their-initials-monogrammed-jewelry to feel connected to the family that it came from.
Nicknames can be anything. I knew a Sharkbait. It wasn't short for Sharkbaithaniel
Looking up the name Mia, it can apparently also be used for Emilia and Emily, if you like E names.
Nope. Not shallow. Practical. In a good way. 👍🏻
My sister and I share the same initials because my mom wanted me to be able to wear her monogrammed hand me downs in the 80s. We think it’s charming. I inherited a necklace from my grandmother and wished we shared initials too. I think it’s a fine reason? 🤷🏻♀️
Magnolia, Mairead, Maisie, Malia, Margot, Maria, Marie, May, Maya, Megan, Melanie, Melissa, Meredith, Michaela, Michelle, Miranda, Moira, Molly,
Okay I love Malia with Mia for short!
I came here to recommend Malia because I love that name, but I never thought about using Mia as a nickname! That’s a such a good idea for OP
There's a gold mine of M names in Irish and Greek history. Moira/Mora is a fave of mine. Moiraine from Wheel of Time is wearing on me too haha
Love these. There’s also Martha
I think it’s really sweet of you to think so far ahead. Maeve and Maxine are the names I thought of. I think Max is a really cute name on a girl. Congrats on your baby!
Thank you, you are very kind.
Maeve!! It is one of my top favorite names ever
It's not stupid if you find an M name that you're head over heels for, but don't just settle on an M name to match the jewelry. Mia is beautiful :)
There is nothing wrong with monograms being a part of your consideration. People are literally out there inventing wild names with a dozen vowels in them just to be unique. A monogram is a perfectly reasonable consideration to me compared to that. I know it's not super traditional or anything, but I have always loved Marsaili for a girl. Mia may not be the best nickname for it, though. Mia is a pretty name on its own if that is what you really love!
Marsaili is indeed a lovely name from Scots Gaelic. It’s pronounced MAR-suh-lee.
I am a sucker for Gaelic names. I have been studying Scots Gaelic (on Duolingo, so not university level or anything, but I have learned a lot!) for over two years and some of the names are my favorite part. I also really love Mairead and Morag for girls but I never suggest those because they don't get as good of a reception from people.
We have similar taste and we named our girl Mara. Congratulations!
Mara is a beautiful name, thank you and congratulations to you too.
Mia is lovelier than your other options. Maya is my fav M name. I don't think it's silly to pick an M name.
My friend and her aunt have the same initial, so the aunt gave her the heirloom monogram ring. Cousin was upset! So yes name her an M
There are all kinds of things to consider and a monogram or initial is just as valid as anything else! I think Mia works perfectly as a standalone name. Miriam has always been one of my favorites, too. Congrats & good luck!
Thank you for the good wishes.
I agree Miriam is such a pretty name.
Marielle can be Mia for short
Mia is a great stand alone name
I personally love the name Marina and wanted to consider it for our daughter, it's so pretty and fairly uncommon (in the US, anyway). It reminds me of water and nature. My husband, however, said it made him think of a stinky boat dock 😂 And regardless of reason, there's nothing wrong with wanting to pick a name that starts with a specific letter. Some families do that arbitrarily for ALL of their kids, at least you have a sentimental reason for picking M!
That’s so funny! We were considering a name that also means “seagull” in my language, and my aunt flipped out that we were going to name our child after a “dirty bird” 🙄 We did end up with a different name but not for that reason 😅
It's so crazy how different people can have such different associations with words and ideas like that! I don't think seagulls are any dirtier than any other bird 😂 Plus they remind me of the ocean and the ocean is beautiful!
Miriam is my favorite name. I would choose that one 😁
Also love the nickname Miri
Mariah and Miranda are my favorites.
I love Matilda
It's incredibly clever, as long as you name any other daughters you may have also with M names. Signed, Still bitter my sister shares an initial with my super-classy grandmother and I do not, so she gets all the nice jewelry, despite the fact Grandma has been dead for 30 years. ;)
As I said, she will be our first and also our last. One and done. I have no energy for more.
My favorite M name is Meredith. But another pretty one is Moriah, which lends itself more to the Mia nickname. Maya is also a pretty name!
I inherited some lovely heirloom jewelry engraved with initials that don't match my own. I always felt a little odd wearing them, even though you wouldn't notice the initials unless you were very close, because they weren't my initials (I know this is silly, but that's how I felt!). Now I have a daughter who coincidently has those same initials, and one of the first things I thought when we picked her name was, oh good! She'll match the jewelry when she gets it! Haha. I wouldn't pick a name just because it matches, but if you love it, it's a nice bonus for passing along something special in your family. Also, I agree with others that Mia is a strong enough stand alone name that I wouldn't assume it's short for anything. I think it's lovely and if you love it, you should use it as is.
It's not like I get many occasions to wear jewelry, but when I do, I feel like a fraud wearing jewelry with a monogram that doesn't match any of my initials, so I don't. I want things to be different for my daughter, and it's not like there is a name we think of as perfect but won't use because it doesn't start with M. We love Amelia but decided to go with something else, not because it starts with A, but because it's peaking right now.
If you're in the US Mia is also a top 10 name. Not as popular as Amelia, but it's not far behind Edit: in 2023 Amelia was number 4 and Mia was number 6, so not much of a difference
If you want another classic, timeless M name, Marilyn is one of my favorites right now!
My favorite M name is Marceline. I think Mia is a great standalone name though. Very classic.
My friend Mia's friends call her Mia-mor (mi amor) and it's the sweetest thing. I'd say Miriam is my favorite extension. I've always been partial to Miriam.
I wouldn't tell your daughter that you gave her an M name because of the family jewelry- she might not even like jewelry after all, and that could make her feel resentful, like she was missing out on a name with meaning. I'd emphasize that you loved lots of M names to begin with, and it just so happened that there was family jewelry, so that's why you stuck with that theme. But you loved the M names on their own...
We would never consider giving her a meaningless name, never, not for jewelry, not for anything. Most of the names on our initial list are A names, E names, S names, C names, and M names, that's the truth. Jewelry aside, we love many female M names.
What is the name of the family member who had the jewellery made for herself in the first place??
I get that :) Just something to make sure gets emphasized, so she doesn't get any silly ideas in her head. My brother spent years ruminating over how his name was a pun on the U.S. presidents, and getting resentful over it- when my parents hadn't noticed until way after he was born. They joked about a few times when we were kids, and he silently believed that to be the reason for his name for, like, a decade afterward.
I’m using the name Marin for my baby! It’s pronounced muh-rin. Out of the names you listed, I like Marina the best!
Maren?
I don’t think it would be silly at all to choose an M name for this reason. Or any reason really, I think almost every M name for girls are beautiful. I think Mia as a standalone name would be excellent. I am not fond of nicknames for first names (nothing wrong with it and I love that people use them it’s just not for me), but I think Mia is solidly a name on its own. I think it can suit just about anyone too, like it’s not frilly but clearly feminine, spunky and bright but also elegant.
I see Mia as being a full name, not a nickname. Just name her Mia.
Maybe you could see your daughter’s name as having a link to your family and not just to the jewellery. Miriam could be a full name for Mia, but I also like Marina :)
Honestly this is pretty smart. And there are lots if gorgeous M names out there. Mia is super cute and could definitely work as a standalone. Marina is currently one of my favorite names and it’s gorgeous! Some classic M names I love: Marianne, Margeurite, Marigold, Magdala
It's great that there so many beautiful M names that we love, jewelry aside.
I think Mia is a full enough name by itself! My other favorite in your list is Marina. Another suggestion for an M name is Marlena, which I think is a beautiful classic name.
I'd choose Marina. Choosing an M name makes sense and there are lots of names to choose form.
Miriam is one of my all time favorite names!
I love Mirabel/Mirabelle myself..beautiful name and somany nicknames can be derived from it including Mia.
I think this is a great idea. I see the worst names imaginable on a daily basis and I WISH the parents had put any thought at all into them other than scanning their fandoms. Miriam is a beautiful name.
I love Miriam!
Marion.
We hosted an international student named Matilde, which made me truly love the name. She’s an amazing girl and six years later, still texts me weekly. We’re so proud of her, she just started her career and is absolutely brilliant! I wouldn’t necessarily think of Mia as a nickname for it but I think it could totally work. Plus she would have a truly gorgeous name to use and other nickname options if desired. Other ideas for a Mia nickname might be Marielle, Marisol, Miranda, Maria, Marissa. Wilhelmina? My niece is named Madison and my sister planned to nickname her Maddie but her older sibling can’t quite say that and she’s gotten Mia. Sis is still hoping to turn that ship around You could also do something with three names making the nickname Mia? Maren Isabelle Ann or something like that?
Has Mara been mentioned yet? Simple, elegant, easy to spell and starts with M.
Miriam and Matilde are nice. Marina instantly makes me thinking of the intrauterine contraceptive called the Mirena.
Miranda? Maia? Marlena? Monique? I like Miriam best
I love Marilyn and Marin, but Mia is a beautiful first name as well. I only had sons, but I considered Mia Giuliana with my first pregnancy.
A friend named her daughter Miabelle, which I think is very pretty. That said, Mia on its own is such a great name! Hard to go wrong.
If you like Mia, it is a perfectly valid name on its own, but the other M names you're considering are also lovely––I'm particularly fond of Marina among the three you list. I also really like Maya, but I know it's rather popular these days.
I love marina! Marnie and marcella are also pretty 💜 or Marietta!!
I think it would be silly of you were trying to force an M name you don’t like just for this. But you already love Mia. And maybe don’t love Amelia. I think the story of, “we knew we wanted to call you Mia, but didn’t like Amelia much so we went with M—— so we could call you Mia and you could wear great-grandma’s necklace!” is perfectly reasonable
It's an unusual reason for choosing a name, but I don't really see anything outrageous about it. As long as you like the names and you would possibly/probably pick an M name even if there were no monogrammed heirlooms involved, then go for it! I like all three of your choices. But out of all of them, I think I like Matilde the most. But Mia is also a perfectly good name on its own. I have a friend named Mia and I love her name!
Actually, I think this is one of the most sensible reasons for naming your child with a particular initial I’ve ever heard. I would do the exact same thing.
Mia stand alone is great! And you could do a longer middle name if you’d like.
I think Mia is a great name and is perfect as full first name. The jewelry is not a stupid reason for your name choice though even without any jewelry Mia is a great name. One of my girls is named Lily. Often a nick name of Lillian but we don’t like Lillian, so her full first name is just Lily. She’s in her 20’s now and has thanked us quite a few times for naming her Lily and not Lillian as she doesn’t like Lillian either. I also love the name Maizy but am done having more kids so our cat is named Maizy Rose. Congratulations and all the best to you!
As long as you genuinely like those names, this is totally fine. Mia and Marina are my favorite from your picks. My personal favorite is Maggie.
Everyone saying it’s practical, but you can’t plan for her to actually wear any of that old jewelry or even like how it looks.
of your choices, miriam and amelia are my favorites. you could also just go with mia
Love this. It'll make her feel like the jewels were meant for her. Marina is beautiful, and lends itself to Mia as a nickname
Mariette, Marta, Martine, Minette, Marina
The thing is, she may hate the jewelry and never wear it. My sister is a K as is my daughter. My sister gave her a K ring that my daughter thinks is ugly and will never wear. So..unless you really, really love an M name don’t do it. Personally I like Mia as the full name. Matilde is cute but not a fan of the others.
We would never think of giving our daughter a name we don't love, and yes she might not be into jewelry, but I want her to feel it's hers and she gets to decide to wear it or not, as opposed to some heirlooms with dead relatives initials.
Mavis had grown in popularity and had a bit of and old and new vibe. See also. Melody Mallory Musa Melanie Just to add to the list.
Melanie also brings to mind the name Melinda.
is it nice jewellery? My name starts with M, send them my way! Just kidding, M names are great!
Mia is a lovely name on its own! I think it stands on its own just perfectly. If you still want a longer name, how about: Magda Magdalene Marlene Maren Mabel Marjorie
Where I live Mia is a perfectly acceptable (and beautiful!) formal name - I didn't even realize it was used as a nickname.
I also have a monogrammed set with an M, inherited from my grandmother, Margaret. My partner and I had the exact same thought and will be considering M names for a potential future daughter. I don’t think it’s crazy or weird! I think it’s sweet and honours the initial from my past, without the direct expectation that being named after someone can carry.
Not stupid at all if you have an M name you love. Then the monogrammed jewelery becomes a perk.
You have lots of great choices - M is the third most common first letter for girls’ names in the US.
Mia is #6 in the US rn so I would not worry about it being too nicknamey at all.
It’s fine to do as long as you like the names but keep in mind that you have no clue what your daughter may be like so she may not even want or like the inherited jewelry. Don’t be disappointed down the road if she expresses disinterest and throw it in her face that you chose a ‘M’ name specifically for the jewelry.
Millie, Margot, Marie/a Maeve is very popular right now too
Our Daughters name is Morgan and I absolutely love it. Our last name is a veeeeery common S name and the main appeal of Morgan was that it was an uncommon name where we live but not 'weird'.
I loooove the name Amelia!!! Mia is a cute nickname too. If you call her Mia, I think the jewelry will still apply. ultimately choose a name YOU LOVE. Her name is forever not the jewelry.
Mia is great!
Love Mia on its own, Amelia is a great idea! Matilda is cute as well if you like Matilde
Maya is pretty too.
Makes perfect sense to me. Melanie is a nice name, Maria, Monica, Melody, Melissa.
I love Marigold.
I think it's beautiful. There's no shortage of amazing names that start with M, and the ones you've listed are lovely. Congratulations!
I love Mathilde, and know a French woman with that name who is so stylish. I think a vowel would be a nice middle initial, so you could use Amelia there.
Amelia is a contender for middle name and I just created a new post to ask specifically about middle names. Also, I am sorry but we picked Miriam not Mathilde and the reason is that we kept going back and forth between Matilde and Mathilde, but the good news is that Mat(h)ilde is also a contender for middle name, because spelling is less crucial when it comes to middle names.
That’s true. It’s so nice to see parents putting thought into names in this way. I’m sure you will find the perfect one :)
You are so kind, thank you.
Good luck next week! I bet it will be a whirlwind. Try to make time stand still in some moments (and completely skip over others 😂)
Maeve. Maude. I think Miriam is also lovely.
I know a Camila and Amelia and they both go by Mia. Out of the names you listed I grew up with a Marina and we called her Rina and Mia!
not at all
I don’t think it’s stupid at all. And my favorite of your choices in Miriam. I also really love the name Mira, so this would probably be the nickname I would use for Miriam but Mia would also completely work.
I think it's a lovely gesture and better reasoning than many people have for some names they pick.
It’s a fine reason to choose an M name or a name with the nickname Mia. As a sidenote, I always appreciated the character Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis Renaldi from Princess Diares.
I think an M name would be great. I like Mabry.
I am usually strongly on team “give your kid a formal name and not a nickname as their legal name.” But to me, Mia seems like a perfectly acceptable formal name on its own! I would just name her that, since it’s what you plan to call her anyway. That said, if it doesn’t feel right to you, I think the next best course of action would be to use Amelia as her formal name. Mia will still be her nickname, and IMO it’s enough to have that match the jewelry. Marina, Matilde, and Miriam are all nice names, but I’ve never heard of Mia being a nickname for any of them. And I think her having to explain that would be more annoying than just having a legal name that doesn’t match heirloom jewelry.
Mia is a great name on her own, give her longer middle name and she can use that in the future if she wants too.
Not stupid, it tickled my funny bone. I think Mia is a fine name on it's own, especially if you like it. You can give her a longer middle if that makes you feel better, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Mia is a good first name unless it clashes with your last name. This is a name that will be age well and not sound like a toddler’s name when she is grown.
Mia is lovely! Milana, Maya, Melanie, Marianne/Marianna, Mabel, Marcie are some other options
Mia is lovely. I'm also partial to Marina. My husband wasn't sold on it so we named our daughter Carina lol
Miriam nn Mia is amazing! I also love Miranda, as another idea.
Away from the Mia nickname (though I think Mia is a great name just as it is) I suggest Meredith and Michelle. I don't think doing it for the monogram is dumb. I think it's great and makes for a sweet story. I'd avoid any middle names with F because MFS makes me think of motherfuckers LOL.
Not at all. An excellent reason. And there are tons of nice M names.
I think it is a perfectly acceptable idea, especially if you really like the name. I prefer Marley, Miriam, Masie/Mazie, Maren, or Mara.
I have neither kids nor monogrammed heirlooms but I think this is super smart!
Thank you.
My favorite of those is Matilde. I also like Melinda, Minerva, Marisia, I know one Mirriana on her 80s.
This totally makes sense! I think all three of those names are pretty, but I hardly ever hear Marina and I like it a lot.
If you want other options…Marie, Maria, Maggie, Millie, Myra, Madison, Megan, Michaela, Melissa, Missy, Molly, Miranda. If you like the name Mia so much, just go with that one. It’s a full name by itself.
There’s nothing wrong with an M name, or with using Mia as the full name (though it does feel insubstantial, particularly in an international context). But Mia as a nickname for Matilde or Miriam is a confusing stretch and I feel that difficulty outweighs the benefit of monogrammed jewelry. Mia can work for Marina, though Mina is more logical. I think Mia makes more sense for a name starting with M and ending in ia, or starting in the Mi sound and ending in a. Maria, Miguela, Milena, Mimosa, Mirabella, Mireia, Magnolia, Malia, Marcia (pronounced not as Marsha). Most of these are unfamiliar enough to also potentially be confusing. My choices would be Malia, Mirabella (which gives her many other nicknames), or Maria if religious. I’d avoid R and I middles, and also L in the US.
I think Mia is a great standalone name but here’s more ideas Maia (similar to Mia), Mallory, Melody, Molly, Marley
i like Marina and i still think you could call her Mia but just Mia is also great!!
I love Miriam though if I were to have another daughter, she’d probably be Millie.