Jennifer Garner

[Matilda]

Are you all pronouncing Sarah/Sera the same? To me, they have very different vowel sounds.

I love the name Serafina and have considered it for future children, but don't like Sera or Fina as nicknames. I'd either have to use the full name all the time, or use Sofie/Sophie as a nickname.

[Deleted]

By the time the girl starts talking she might be telling them what to call her anyway. LOL. That's what I did. My nickname is not a common one for my name and I made it up myself at the age of 2. Only family uses it though.

I still want a picture! Violet is such a Jen clone, and I want to see if this one is in the same mould.

[Beyle]

Jan 15, 2009 23:37:07 GMT -4 Yossarian said:

OT: I think Jocelyn was originally a boy's name as were Courtney, Leslie, Ashley and Kerry. It would be really interesting to trace how these names managed to shift from male to female.

Topic: I'm with lpatrice on the nickname thing. I was christened one name but my parents have always called me by another name. Actually, what they call me is the Russian dimunitive on my real name but in English my real name and my nickname don't have an obvious connection so it just makes life difficult for me. I guess Sera and Seraphina are obviously connected but, still. If you want a Sera or a Sarah call her that! Why make it more complicated? It's not like Vicky and Victoria where one is a nickname and one more formal. Sera is a name in its own right!

And if I'm not mistaken, Christian was originally a woman's name (during the Middle Ages). I cannot remember when that changed.

Oh, and I agree about the Seraphina and Sera issue. I kind of wonder if the spelling of Seraphina will create problems for some people. I have a first and last name that many people mispronounce even though they're easy names.

[Deleted]

I like the name Seraphina/Serafina. I think it's a pretty name that's unusual without being kre8tiv. I met a Seraphina once and everyone called her by her full name. I think it's phonetically pretty and whenever this person is mentioned, you know which Seraphina it is as there really aren't many around.

Sarah on the other hand, I know so many of them that they have to be differentiated by their last name in conversations or someone always has to interrupt to ask, 'Which Sarah?'

So I'm all for them not shortening her name. I understand having family nicknames but it would be unfortunate if they actually introduced her as 'Sera' and actually encouraged people to call her 'Sera' and not 'Seraphina'.

[Deleted]

Jan 17, 2009 17:48:49 GMT -4 @dorisboris said:

I like the name Seraphina/Serafina. I think it's a pretty name that's unusual without being kre8tiv. I met a Seraphina once and everyone called her by her full name. I think it's phonetically pretty and whenever this person is mentioned, you know which Seraphina it is as there really aren't many around.

Sarah on the other hand, I know so many of them that they have to be differentiated by their last name in conversations or someone always has to interrupt to ask, 'Which Sarah?'

So I'm all for them not shortening her name. I understand having family nicknames but it would be unfortunate if they actually introduced her as 'Sera' and actually encouraged people to call her 'Sera' and not 'Seraphina'.

Even if her parents shorten her name, she can (when she's older) demand either the full name or a different variant (I had a friend who did this when she went to college).

[Deleted]

Jan 17, 2009 19:11:29 GMT -4 @spordelia said:

Jan 17, 2009 17:48:49 GMT -4 @dorisboris said:

I like the name Seraphina/Serafina. I think it's a pretty name that's unusual without being kre8tiv. I met a Seraphina once and everyone called her by her full name. I think it's phonetically pretty and whenever this person is mentioned, you know which Seraphina it is as there really aren't many around.

Sarah on the other hand, I know so many of them that they have to be differentiated by their last name in conversations or someone always has to interrupt to ask, 'Which Sarah?'

So I'm all for them not shortening her name. I understand having family nicknames but it would be unfortunate if they actually introduced her as 'Sera' and actually encouraged people to call her 'Sera' and not 'Seraphina'.

Even if her parents shorten her name, she can (when she's older) demand either the full name or a different variant (I had a friend who did this when she went to college).

I think this is what will happen.

I don't get it if Jen and Ben are saying call the kid "this" or "that" in terms of nicknames. I always figured nicknames evolve naturally on their own.

However, how do we know Jen and Ben are even asking that the kid be called "Sera"? It just seems to have come from an online report with a source saying something. But sometimes, well actually often, the sources turn out to have just been made up.

[Karrit]

Jan 17, 2009 19:22:05 GMT -4 @ds1 said:

However, how do we know Jen and Ben are even asking that the kid be called "Sera"? It just seems to have come from an online report with a source saying something. But sometimes, well actually often, the sources turn out to have just been made up.

That came from me. A good friend of mine works at the church that sponsors the pre-school that Violet attends. She told me that Ben told her they call her Sera (not sure of the spelling.)

I know that anyone can say anything on the internets, so I am neither offended nor surprised that anyone would question the source. I know I would too, unless I actually knew the person!

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2009 10:52:23 GMT -4 kateln said:

Jan 16, 2009 2:07:56 GMT -4 bitca said:

I think it's kind of a gray area. Take for instance, the name William. 90% of the time, that kid isn't going to be called William, but most likely Billy or Will. But then when he grows up, he'd probably rather go by Will, Bill or William. Neither of my kids go by their full first name, they have "kid" nicknames. It's like calling your kid "Peanut" when they're little and then calling them their actual name when they're a grown up and they hate being called "Peanut", or whatever. (My uncle is a Robert. Went by "Bobby" when he was a kid and now he's "Rob." Yeah, I don't know. My name can't be shortened.)

But, um, there's no excuse for the Seraphina/Sera part. That's just a shorter version.

For me it's about intimacy. I'm a Katherine--and with major stuff I go by "Katherine". At work it's "Kate" and with friends and family it's "Katie" or another nickname depending on our friendship (an ex-bf called me "Grace" for example--it was a joke)

Katelyn, I was just coming here to post that exact same thing. I am also a Katherine that has gone by a shorter version my entire life. I like both my full name and my shortened name, and go by an even SHORTER name with my super close friends. It is nice to have a shorter casual nickname, but a longer mature name when you want to be all serious and what not.

And Bitca, you can too shorten your name.

Yoss, you know I love your name.

I personally like Seraphina, I think it is very melodic. But does it pass the Supreme Court test (when testing out baby names, place Supreme Court Justice in front of the name to determine whether it is silly)? Supreme Court Justice Seraphina Affleck? No. Supreme Court Justice Sera Affleck? Maybe.

[monopoly19]

There was a Supreme Court Justice Lucius Quintus Cincinattus Lamar. I don't think Seraphina's name will hold her back if that's really what she wants.

[Shanmac]

By the time the girl starts talking she might be telling them what to call her anyway. LOL. That's what I did.

So did my niece. Some of our family members used her middle name as a nickname for her since it's a family name, and she's decided (at age 3) that that's what she wants to go by. Her sister still calls her by her "real" name (her given first name) most of the time, but almost everybody else calls her by her middle name. She's cute -- if you ask her what she wants to be called, she'll tell you, "I'm (Middle Name), OK?" I like her middle name better anyway. So maybe the littlest Affleck will eventually decide for herself what she wants to be called.

In any case, I think Seraphina is really pretty.