Shaughnessy or Shawn for girl’s name???
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Topic: Shaughnessy or Shawn for girl’s name???
Posted By: leanne888
Subject: Shaughnessy or Shawn for girl’s name???
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 3:30pm
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Hi there
My husband and I like the name Shawn for a girl, but I thought Shaughnessy might make it a bit more obvious on paper that she's a girl (although I think Shaughnessy is actually a boy's name originally?) and we can call her Shawn for a nickname. We like non-gender specific first-names paired with girly middle-names for girls. I was thinking Shaughnessy Belle... (Belle is after my GG grandmother) I also kinda like the idea of shortening Shaughnessy to Shaughness or Shawness or some such spelling. Has anyone heard of that name before - or any other spellings for Shawness or Shaughnessy? Or do you have any other suggestions for names that sound like Shawn or Shaughnessy or Shawness? We don't like Shawna. Shawnee is ok. Thanks for your help. |
Replies:
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 3:39pm
Since I have 3 boys if I was to have a girl she would have a real girly name, lol
I like Belle for a middle name. Do you have any other children & if so what are their names. Does any of the S.... names go with your surname? |
Posted By: leanne888
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 3:44pm
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We have an almost 2 yr old daughter: Taylor Renee.
Really stuck on the name Sean (or variations of) at the moment. Even if we have a boy - he'll be Sean :) Just like the way it sounds. |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 3:52pm
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My DH wanted Samantha for a girl, we had a boy so he got called Samuel, lol.
I like unusual names & you have 9 months to decide, or is it less? 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 4:20pm
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I love Shaunessey Bella for a name. My cousin's daughter is Shawnie (not sure of spelling) and I always thought that was quite a neat name. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: leanne888
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 5:39pm
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I'm due on May 3 - so less than 2 months now. Better get serious about choosing a name ;)
Shawni/Shawnee/Shawnie is a name we're considering. I had initially picked out Sienna Belle, but hubby has just informed me that he's not overly keen on Sienna. |
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 6:09pm
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I would probably just call her Shawn as Shawnessey is a very long name for a little kid.
It is also really expensive to get long names on anything! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 8:44pm
I  Sienna Belle - but then I'm slightly biased
I like Shaughnessy Belle, it's pretty. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: wellymummy
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 8:52pm
| friends have a wee girl called Shaughan |
Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 9:51pm
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My DP is 'Sean' as it's a variation of 'Jean' and 'Ian' which are his parents names. I think its also a variant of 'John' His mother calls him 'Seanus' I call him 'Seanikus'
I have never thought of using it for a girl. However Sean use to date a girl called 'Shawnika' made me giggle - although I think it's a pretty name. ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!) 
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Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 05 March 2010 at 11:36pm
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Sean is the Gaelic form of John.
How about Shauna? I've known a few females with that name. |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 8:15am
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I like Shaughnessey - don't really like Shawn as to me that is misspelt, as I think it should be Sean or the american spelling of Shaun.
I like Shauna that's nice. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Mumma2b
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 9:09am
I used to look after a little girl called Shaunghnessy. But i know her name was spelt differently... but can't for the life of me remember how it was spelt. 
I love it, it's a beautiful name. But agree that it's a very long name. Especially when they have to learn to write their name. Coz yes they would be called Shawn as a nickname... but at some point ie Primary School they need to be able to write their 'actual' first name... I too love Sienna Belle. Belle is a very pretty girly name
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Posted By: kiwikid
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 9:45am
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Please dont be offended but Shaunghnessy sounds more like a surname to me rather than a first name and I've never come across it in either NZ or the UK (as a first name).
However I do know a Shauna and think that it would be a nice compromise. Taylor Renee flows so nicely and I think Shauna Belle (or Shauna Rose even) has a lovely feel too. ------------- 
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Posted By: kiwikid
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 9:46am
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Oh silly me I see you mention in your original post you dont like Shawna!!!!
Sorry! -------------
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Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 11:54am
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I don't really like Shaugnessy sorry, but thats jmo. I like Siobhan which sounds like Shaun.
I love the middle name Belle (thats my middle name hehe) ------------- 
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Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 12:21pm
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How do you pronounce Siobhan? ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)
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Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 12:22pm
| Sha-vorn |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 12:46pm
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My cousin is called Siobhain (they are irish) I call her Sio -Bane to piss her off .
what about Shawnia ,or Sharnia ? Is there any easier ways to spell Shaughnessy ? ------------- 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 12:49pm
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I looked the name Shaughnessy up and they also suggest Shawnice (Shawn-eece) and Shaunessy (so without the G) -------------
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Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 1:38pm
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Ok i've been thinking about this since yesterday, lol.
Personally I can't see how Shawn can be classed as a non-gender name. Regardless of how you spell it, it's still a boys name. But maybe it's just me as I've never heard of Shaughnessy being used as a first name before either. 
I don't mean any offence,I'm just giving my opinion.
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Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 1:55pm
| I have heard of a girl called Shaunie I don't know if it was short for something else. Others names for girls I have heard that are usually boys names are Johnie, Frankie and Stevie. I LOVE Stevie for a girl but DH despises it so that will never happen! |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 2:10pm
| Another possible name is Sian. It's s welsh variation. Pronounced 'Shaan' I believe |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 4:43pm
Yeah I have to agree on this one, Ive never heard of it, but it doesnt sound like a first name..or a girls name..no offence as well ------------- |
tishy wrote:Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 4:54pm
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i agree with the others above.. no offense intended either!!
i grew up with spelling my name every day and also with a girl with a name normally for boys and she was always put on the boys list and always it was assumed she was a boy until people met her.. really irritated her!:) personal choice of course  ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 5:11pm
Heh, my little sister is called Siobhan, and I call her Sio bane too. -------------
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Posted By: kellie
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 5:12pm
It can also be pronounced See-Arn It is a lovely name. |
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 5:44pm
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the deputy principal at my school was Mrs Shaughnessy and I spent far to much time in her office so couldn't name a child after her I quite like Shawnee though and I think Belle is a beautiful name! ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 7:59pm
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I disagree - I think variations of Shawn and Shane are non-gender specific. I am aware of girls named both of these names.
I really like Shaughnessy, but agree that it could be spelt so much easier for a little one to learn. Is that spelling important to you or your heritage? I quite like Chaunessy, Shaunacy, Shaunacee or equivalents? I think the first one with a C looks quite feminine when written. ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 9:11pm
I was going to suggest this too....didnt know it was Welsh. I always thought it was Irish....but you'd know better than me Tishy
I think Sian is a lovely name but I also dont like Shaughnessy. JMO |
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 11:22pm
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I think with Shaughnessy , its the G that might make the spelling difficult , without the G it might be easier Shaunessy -------------
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 06 March 2010 at 11:24pm
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another one I found (I googled girl names that sound like Shawn ) was Shawnae -------------
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 2:02am
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Hmm not really a fan, sorry... I think you would be setting her up for a lifetime of getting irritated when people inevitably spell her name wrong, and having to repeat it and spell it out constantly. One of my best friends name is Carlamia (which seems a normal name to m enow, but in the 70s and 80s ina sea of karens, louise and kellys, it was weird) and when I was preg with #1 she begged me to give baby a name s/he wouldn't hae to explain, repeat or spell. JMHO though, not everyone wants to name their kids vanilla names! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: kiwikid
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 2:07am
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Actually without the G does make it a lot easier to read on a page and instantly recognise how to pronounce it... still not a name I'd choose but its nothing to do with me and if you and your DH love it then that is all that matters!!!
Sian is lovely, as is Siobhan, I guess I like quite traditional names and have never really understood the point of 'making up' a name - however all kids 'become' their name in a very short time, good friends called their little boy Lance and at first it felt like a 40 yr olds name but actually within weeks it was very natural and he owned that name IYKWIM. -------------
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 5:38pm
i'm with them on this one... and also fats about setting them up with a name they will get irritated about having to spell and explain. i know that it is fun to give your kid a unique and unusual name but will they really thank you for it at the end of the day. i agree too that the length of the name can be a hard thing for little kids and if you give them a long name but call them a shorter version then they still have to have the long name at school and such. so i would probably give them the shorter version that you want to use instead. i always liked Ronnie as a girls name though, so you can discount everything i said if you want... lol! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 6:13pm
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I know someone (with an unusual name) that called her kids Sandra, Jack and Emma coz she never wanted her kids to have to spell their names or get annoyed with people not saying their names right. she also had (a hard-to-spell) maori last name so was really glad when she got married and her husband had an easy last name
in saying that DPs name is a boring common last name so i want to name my kids with a different (strong) first name to balance out the last name ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 7:42pm
| my gf and i were discussing this today. she (sapphira) and her brothers have unique names. her cousins have "normal" names. she wants to name her kids rather top 20 names, while the cousins have some out-there names for their kids. funny how things work out. |
Posted By: Delli
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 7:52pm
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I really like the name Shawn for a girl And I like Shaughnessy. I don't think you will be burdening her with a long, hard to spell name - no doubt your kid will grow up to be intelligent enough to spell her own name
Anyway, I have quite a common name and people still ask me how to spell it - is it with an E Y, or just a Y, or an I E..... And they often call me Tracey instead - even people who KNOW my name is Stacey, they just forget. It's in the same league as calling a girl Charlie, which I also happen to like
But it's just different peoples tastes in names! I think it's great! Other people don't. In the end it's your choice ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 8:15pm
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she might be able to spell her name, but it doesn't mean others will , and from someone who always had to spell her (sur) name for people , it gets annoying and I always wished I had a name that needed no explanation
I don't know what it is , but Shaughhnessy makes me think of an irish pub, Shaunessy on the other hand doesn't , Shaunessy Belle is even kinda cute, not my cup of tea, but cute none the less . Im not a fan of Shawn for a girl , I think their are some names that can be passed off as feminine, I read Shawn as Shorn , and to me thats masculine sounding , mind you , i don't like the name Shawn for a boy either, I know too many Shawns and they are all bumheads (no offense to anyone related to or that has themselfves , a Shawn /Shaun or Sean ) -------------
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 8:15pm
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double post -------------
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Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 8:19pm
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I prefer Shawn to Shaughnessy, but can't say that I've heard it used for a girl. Doesn't mean you can't though! I have a good friend whose Canadian and she's called Shawna.
------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 8:23pm
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do you know that Orson Welles called his daughter Christopher ?
now thats different ! -------------
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Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 8:33pm
bahahahahahaha My DP is a 'Sean' I always liked Elliot for a girl but I could not get Sean to agree to it. And the only way I could get him to agree to Violette was by spelling it the French way, because whenever he saw it spelled Violet he said he could only see the word Violent. ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)
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Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 9:36pm
| Its been bugging me who it was that I knew called Shauni, and its just clicked so I had to post....turns I did not actually know them....its was the character Shauni McClain in the first seasons of Baywatch played by Erika Elanik....I am suprised all those Hoff fans on OB had not mentioned it! |
Posted By: Daizy
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 9:40pm
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The name Shawn for a girl has really grown on me since the start of this thread. I really quite like it just on its own and I am sure spelling with a 'w' as opposed to a 'ea' or a 'u' makes it slightly girlier.
I am also quite fond of nicknaming it Shawnie, I just love baby names with the added 'ie' at the end. Thats just my two cents worth. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 07 March 2010 at 10:24pm
yeah Pepsi, pretty slack really ! -------------
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Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 3:45am
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My ex's brother's female friend was called 'Sean-Marie' I remember when she introduced herself as Sean I had to clarify that she just said 'Sean, sean as in the male name?' LOL! But after a while I quite warmed to it, although personally I would go for Siobhan or Shavaughn (sp?) myself coz I love that name, I can think of a few variations of cutesie names that could come from them 'shaz, shazzy, vaughny, vonnie, shazza, sabby ....ahh the list is endless'.
But I'm odd, so maybe don't pay attention to little old me ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: BuzzyBee
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 4:11am
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I just remembered, if you're looking for non-gender specific names but want people to be able to tell she's female initially then what about....
Antonia? ....Toni for short? If I had a girl Antonia was on my very long list of girl names, Antonia Siobhan ...will keep that in mind for when I'm 35 and decide I'm getting older and am ready for another lol! ------------- Single Mum to a darling wee boy of 3 years :) |
Posted By: Lexidore
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 7:50am
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I quite like the name Shawn for a girl, I started liking it after seeing Shawn Johnson in the gymnastics at the olympics and to me seeing it spelt with a W automatically makes me think girl but thats just me.
We had to think of a non-gender specific name when I was pregnant (and overdue) for a plane ticket for next April because at the time we didn't know what we were having and my dad came up with Alex, this name wasn't on our lists for bub at all, and then when I was in labour we were talking about how Alexandra/Alexander would actually be a cool name and so she ended up Alexandra when born... sorry not sure my point except that maybe Alexandra/Alexander are great names I like the idea of having a long formal name that can be made into a cute kid name.
Sorry my comment really doesn't help at all... but also just needed to add mmmm hofff ------------- 
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Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 10:07am
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lol - Shawn Sean Shaun - Still seems like a boy's name to me ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 10:33am
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yeah same here , jm2c.... -------------
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 10:46am
elliot for a girl is soooo cute! I just love the name elliot but DF hated it.... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 12:14pm
Me too. Plus I know way too many guys called 'Seanie' to ever think of it as a female name. Also I've always known Shaughnessy to be pronounced 'Shock-nessy' not a name I would give a boy or a girl
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Posted By: ?Lolly?
Date Posted: 08 March 2010 at 1:07pm
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Makes me think of the lock ness monster heh ------------- Captain Chaos (5) & the Trouble Monsters (2!)
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Posted By: shawnk
Date Posted: 18 March 2010 at 12:01pm
hi think you should pick shawn as a girls name my name is shawn and i love it it really sticks out and people always say to me they think it is a very unique and lovely 
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Posted By: sweetpea
Date Posted: 18 March 2010 at 1:02pm
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Not my cup of tea. ------------- http://daisypath.com"> 
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 18 March 2010 at 1:45pm
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the more i read through the thread the more i liked it but Chaun would seem more girlie to me but im strange and prefer some letters to others. I always have to spell my name to people but it doesnt bother me as i would have preferred my name spelt with an i instead of a y (Terry-Anne). The only reason i have Anne on the end is because my nana had a huge moan about Terry being a boys name. I would much prefer to have been Terri but even if people shortened my name to that apparently my nana insisted on correcting them. I like people shortening it to TA now tho. -------------   
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 18 March 2010 at 3:45pm
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...I always thought you're initials were WR and X *blush* I thought your first name might be Wendy , or Winifred , or Winona ... -------------
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Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 18 March 2010 at 8:01pm
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Haha no nothing so exciting just a forum name thats followed me since i developed my first car crush -------------
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