giving a name necklace
Four things make a name necklace a gift they'll wear every day: the name they actually go by, spelled exactly their way, in a metal that goes with the jewelry they already wear, and ordered in time. Here's each one, on real designs.
the name they go by
If everyone calls her Katie, a necklace that says Katherine can feel like it's for someone else. Use the name people say to her face. It changes the piece too: the letters stay 4.2 mm tall either way, so a short name makes a smaller, lighter pendant, and a long one runs up to the 44 mm limit.
All drawn at the same scale, in classic script, 14K yellow gold.
| name | width | 14k gold | silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katie | 35 mm | 2.2 g, about $520 | 1.8 g, about $35 |
| Katherine | 44 mm | 2.6 g, about $560 | 2.1 g, about $35 |
| Josie | 33 mm | 1.9 g, about $485 | 1.5 g, about $35 |
| Josephine | 43 mm | 2.5 g, about $545 | 2.0 g, about $35 |
| Eliza | 32 mm | 1.8 g, about $480 | 1.4 g, about $35 |
| Elizabeth | 44 mm | 2.8 g, about $580 | 2.2 g, about $35 |
Pendant only, weighed from each design's 3D file. Prices are rough: they follow the quotes Shapeways gave us in September 2026, and Shapeways sets the real price when you upload the file. In 14K gold the short name came to about $40 to $100 less; in silver the price barely changes. Up to 14 characters fit, so a first and middle name or a double name like Mary-Kate works too.
or not a name at all
For a mom or grandma, the word you call her can mean more than her name. For someone who likes quiet, simple jewelry, a single initial says it in one letter. The designer draws any of these the same way it draws a name:
22 mm wide
35 mm wide
29 mm wide
40 mm wide
All drawn at the same scale, in classic script, 14K yellow gold.
| pendant | width × height | 14k gold |
|---|---|---|
| K | 22 mm × 14 mm | 1.4 g, about $440 |
| Katie | 35 mm × 14 mm | 2.2 g, about $520 |
| mama | 29 mm × 5.2 mm | 1.5 g, about $450 |
| grandma | 40 mm × 13 mm | 2.4 g, about $540 |
Mama, nana, grandma, mimi, abuela and more, measured ·every initial A to Z, measured
spell it their way
A scratch can be polished out, a wrong letter can't. Plenty of names are said the same and spelled two or three ways, and none of them is rare. Here's how many US babies got each spelling from 1940 to 2025, in the Social Security name data:
- Kaitlyn 166,689 · Katelyn 134,049 · Caitlin 112,143
- Katherine 517,669 · Catherine 427,635 · Kathryn 352,552
- Brianna 264,799 · Briana 97,120 · Breanna 82,375
- Sarah 927,885 · Sara 371,966
- Hailey 181,434 · Haley 159,253
- Allison 318,505 · Alison 116,175
- Lindsey 157,539 · Lindsay 130,306
- Kristen 218,747 · Kristin 179,142
- Zoe 160,518 · Zoey 115,332
- Madeline 163,493 · Madelyn 109,016
If you're not sure, look at how they sign a card or write their name online. Type it with the capital letter and any accent exactly as they do: the designer takes accents (Zoë, Chloé, Renée), hyphens, apostrophes and spaces. The drawing you see is made from the same outline as the 3D file, so it's your proof: what's on the screen is what gets cast.
a metal they'll wear
- Match what they wear now. Look at the rings, earrings or watch they put on every day: white metal, yellow or pink. That's the color to pick.
- Solid, not plated. All four metals here are solid all the way through, so nothing wears off. Plated name necklaces are cheaper, but the gold layer can rub through.
- Sterling silver is the affordable choice. It darkens a little over time, and a polishing cloth brings it back.
- 14K gold (yellow or rose) is the sturdy everyday gold. 18K is a deeper yellow, a little softer and heavier.
a lettering that suits them
There are six letterings, from a flowing classic script to round, bold letters. A loose signature style feels personal but reads less plainly; rounded and handwritten are the easiest to read. They're all the same size, so choose by look.See all six side by side, or type their name in the designer and click through them.
the chain
The file is the pendant only. It has two jump rings with a 1.9 mm hole that take any chain up to 1.5 mm thick, so you add a chain yourself. If you don't know their length, 18 inches (45 cm) is the usual choice for a name pendant: it rests around the collarbone. How big the pendant looks on the neck.
Because the chain comes separately, have the pendant sent to yourself, not straight to them. Then you can thread the chain, check the spelling one last time, and wrap it.
give yourself time
The file reaches your inbox in a minute or two. The pendant takes longer: Shapeways* makes each piece to order, casting it in metal and polishing it by hand, so it isn't sitting on a shelf ready to ship. They show the production time and shipping options before you pay. Check them against the birthday or holiday before you order, and leave room for the chain to arrive too. How ordering the file from Shapeways works, step by step.
castmyname doesn't sell or ship anything. We send you the file for free, you order from Shapeways and pay them directly.
try it on their name
find their name · compare the six letterings · how big it is · mama and nana necklaces · initial necklaces