Hi Jennifer!

I absolutely love your site and come here with all my baby name questions!

Me and my husband already have a son, Leo, and are expecting a girl next year. We have narrowed our choices down to Regan Mckenley or Chloe Makensie. We like both names since my Dad was the one who picked them out before he passed away.

We are just wondering if there are any nicknames that we could use for Regan while shes young? Or do you think its too abnormal of a name? Since I grew up with the name Isabel I realize how formal it sounds every time it is said.

Isabelregan

Dear Isabel,
 Personally, I’m not a fan of the name Regan. First and foremost it reminds me of the girl in the movie The Exorcist. Now, I realize that is because of my age and younger people may not make that connection. It also reminds me of the past-president of the U.S. Ronald Reagan. I know there are many Ronny-enthusiasts out there to this day, but I am not one of them.

If you decide to stick with the name and are considering nicknames, you could call her Ray or R.J. (I took your last initial from your email). Other than that, I have no ideas. Sorry!

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.