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Fay
This is a long time favorite. Is it too fragile sounding or fairy like? Which spelling do you prefer? I like Fay and Fae (much prefer Fay, though) but Faye looks heavy and wrong to me, kind of like Maye and Raye look weird to me as well. I guess it could grow on me, though. Opinions?It is weird to me that this name seems to have disappeared completely. It is not even in the top 1000 anymore and even though Faye made the top 100 in Ireland it seems completely obscure, as if it has disappeared. I also never hear it as a middle name anymore.

This message was edited 11/6/2012, 11:51 AM

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I love how delicate, dainty, and rarefied yet strong and brassy Fay is, as well as the fact that three simple letters convey such a medley of qualities.
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Once I knew a Tessa Fay, that spelling, and I thought it was charming. She was named after one of her identicall twin aunts, Chloe and Fay.Fae looks dreadful to me, even worse than the overdecorated Faye - I've never met a Fae, but I did know a Faye once who was large and heavy and flat-footed and used to stride around, dominating her surroundings!I think it would be safer as a mn, in case its bearer became an Olympic shot-putter.
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Fay is lovely. I don't think it's too fragile sounding. I like both Fay, Fae, and Faye. I think Fay is probably my favorite spelling.I live in the U.S. Despite being rare as a first name for little girls these days, Fay / Faye is still used regularly as a middle name here.
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I live in the U.S. also, and I can't remember when I have seen Fay or Faye as a middle name. What part of the country are you in, if you don't mind saying?
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California. Fay / Faye / Fae isn't nearly as popular of a middle name as Kay, May / Mae, and Rae, but I still see it here and there in the BAs.
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Me neither. I never see Fay at all here. Ray, May and even Kay but never Fay.
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I actually prefer the spelling Faye, it makes the name seem more complete to me. Fay is also lovely, whereas Fae feels a bit too modern and trendy (maybe because it's only a letter away from Rae, which I dislike for being too generic, imo). Maye and Raye, though, look weird and wrong to me.It's one of my favourite names and should be used more often, both as first and middle. I don't find it fragile in a helpless sort of way, more like delicate and refined but also very strong.
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Fragile-sounding describes it exactly. I don't like it because of that. Faye is uber-blond, has pale skin, and could shatter if you look at her wrong.
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I think Faye looks the best. The only explanation I have is it just looks "right" to me - more complete. Also Faye seems more inviting while Fay and Fae seem cold and distant. I think the name is a beautiful forgotten gem. The "fairy" quality makes it more endearing to me but I wouldn’t describe the name as fragile.
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I adore Fay(e). Simple and so, so sweet. I like the meaning. I met the sweetest little blonde haired, huge brown eyed two year old named Fay last year and fell for it. It doesn't sound too fragile to me. I also knew a 25ish year old Faye and she carried it off just fine- she was definitely not fairy like or fragile, very horsey and practical and down to earth.Spelling wise I do prefer Faye, for no reason other than it looks complete to me. Raye and Maye look ridiculous and awkward, so i have no idea why faye is the except but for some reason it is. My brain jsut prefers the look of it. I also like Fay. Fae looks odd to me, and a little less substantial.It's high on my list of mn's, as I have a whole bunch of fn's I love more, but I'd be willing to consider Fay(e) for a first name too if the child's father was in love with it. I love pairing it as a mn in combos where it can be part of a double nn - eg Adeline/Adelaide/Aderyn/Adelie Faye nn Addie Faye, Eirlys Faye nn Aerie Faye etc.I'd pair it with a longer, frillier mn to balance out it's short and sweet factor. Maybe:
Fay(e) Anneliese
Fay(e) Vivienne
Fay(e) Seraphine / Seraphina
Fay(e) Calanthe
Fay(e) Dulcinea
Fay(e) Evangeline
Fay(e) Talitha
Fay(e) Ariana
Fay(e) Jemima
Fay(e) Genevieve
Fay(e) Louisa
Fay(e) Amaia / Amaya
Fay(e) Aurelia
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I dislike it unless it is as a nickname for something like Faith, or Fable. Even then though I don't really appreciate it. For me it just seems incomplete, I don't know why but there's something stopping me from liking it when I like other names similiar to it: Rae, Kay. I hate the spelling Fae - it looks wrong to me. Fay looks like it is seriously missing something, to I guess Faye would be my favourite, the four letters make it look better. But that's just my opinion. As a middle name I could forgive it as I can imagine it will suit many long names to go in the middle stop.
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