Kate: Need Input on Concerns

JenniferF11 · May 2013

I'm pretty close to picking Emma & Kate at the final names for our twin girls coming in July. But I have some concerns about picking Kate...

Is it uncommon to choose just Kate for the official name on the birth certificate (rather than Katie or Kathleen or Katherine/Catherine)? Will people confuse her name for Katie all the time? Or ask her if her "real" name is Kathleen or Catherine?

Thoughts/opinions appreciated!

evaazalea · May 2013

Yes I do think people will ask if it is short for anything, not a huge deal and I think Kate as a stand alone name is gaining popularity, I would not like Katie on its own though.

neverblushed · May 2013

When I meet someone named Kate, I generally assume that Kate is a nn, probably for Kathrine.

That being said...if I later find out that the person's name is just Kate, I don't think it's weird. It's just less common than using Kate as a nn.

People will call your child whatever you call her. Later when she's in school and away from you, she'll introduce herself as Kate, and they'll call her Kate. I don't think it will be a problem. People may ask her if her "real" name is Katherine, and she'll just say "no, just Kate!" No biggie.

brooksidebride · May 2013

I think Kate is a great name, and can standalone just fine. I personally like it as a first name.

I don't think people will confuse it with Katie necessarily, but people WILL ask her very often if it's her full name. My name is Katy and my entire life I have been asked very often "What's your full name?" or "That's it, just Katy? Or is it short for something else?". With that said, it actually never bothered me to answer that question. In fact, and I'm not sure why, I was always kind of "proud" (for lack of a better word) to answer "Yep, just Katy!" I really like my name. This question has been asked before, and I answered the same way, and someone else who was also a Kate or Katie said the same thing as me: That while she was asked this question often, it didn't bother her, and she was proud to answer that it was her name and not short for something.

ETA: Emma and Kate is a great twin girl name set!

led2009 · May 2013

I worked with a girl named Kate a few years ago. She was very quick to leet everyone know that it was just Kate. One person tried calling her Katie and they were quickly reminded in a no nonsense tone "It's just Kate." After that there was no question. If that's how you and eventually she, introduce her, then that's what people will call her. There might be a few corrections here and there but I don't think it would be that much.

jaytee16 · May 2013

TysMomPlusOne:
Yes I do think people will ask if it is short for anything, not a huge deal and I think Kate as a stand alone name is gaining popularity, I would not like Katie on its own though.

Agree with this. I like Katie as a nn though, so that wouldn't bother me, but if you, or eventually she, doesn't like it, you can correct people, no big deal.

sarack · May 2013

i love the name kate! you will probably get asked, or she will, if it's short for anything, but she can say no.

my friend katie is katie. not short for anything. my dad always called her katherine growing up.

BulgariHeart · May 2013

Yes because Kate is a short name.

fennyann · May 2013

TysMomPlusOne:
Yes I do think people will ask if it is short for anything, not a huge deal and I think Kate as a stand alone name is gaining popularity, I would not like Katie on its own though.

This.

I think it's a cute name.

neverblushed · May 2013

My name is Melissa, but I never go by "Missy." It's just nms.

Rarely, someone who has just met me will throw out "Missy." I just say, "Oh, I just go by Melissa." It's no big deal, and I expect it will be the same for your Kate.

In my whole life, only one person insisted on calling me Missy, even after being corrected, and that was this dude who was a line cook at a restaurant where I was working the summer after college graduation. He could not get his mind wrapped around the fact that I was not Missy. Since it was just a summer job, I let it go.

jaymicans · May 2013

Love Emma and Kate. I think Kate can be a strong stand alone...once people know. You just have to announce it Kate.

JMU_Bride09 · May 2013

TysMomPlusOne:
Yes I do think people will ask if it is short for anything, not a huge deal and I think Kate as a stand alone name is gaining popularity, I would not like Katie on its own though.nbsp;

This

mesekula619 · May 2013

Mollygirl1:
I think Kate is fine as a standalone name. Love the names you chose.

I agree with this. I will add that I think it will grow with her really well. it's a good name for a baby, a teen and an adult. good choice.

sallywacket · May 2013

These days I think anything goes. If you wanted just Kate, I don't think anyone would care. And if they did? Well, they can name their own kid whatever they dang well please.

We crossed Kate off of our name list bc while I LOVE the name Kate, I do not care for the longer forms as much and my personal "rules" say no nn as first name. But that's just a preference for my husband and I. To each his own - if you like it, do it. I don't think people asking her "Is your full name Katherine?" will ruin the child

nearly_klo · May 2013

I'm a kate. Just kate. I get asked if its short for anything sometimes, but it's never bothered me.
I prefer formal names with nn for my girls, but it never occurred to me that kate wasn't a stand alone name. I think that's because Katie is a nn to me.

mandy_marie · May 2013

Personally, I like Kate as a stand alone name. I don't think it's a huge deal to clarify if someone assumes it's short for Katherine... Go for it!

NL105 · May 2013

My best friend in high school was named Katie. As we got older, like 17 and on, people started calling her Kate. She said she didn't mind at all actually because she felt that Katie was a 'younger' name, and Kate sounded more 'mature' . Anyways, when i hear the name Kate anywhere, i assume it is sort for Katie. But i certainly don't think twice about it once i find out that it's just Kate, and not a NN.

blush64 · May 2013

I prefer Kate as a short form of something else. I don't see it as a stand alone name. It is a nice name though and it sounds good with Emma.

klovesp95 · May 2013

I think Kate is a great stand alone first name. I myself am a Katie. Just Katie, as I'm used to saying, because honestly? People always ask or presume when I introduce myself that Katie is a nn. It has never bothered me to have to clarify, perse, but there were periods in my life when I wished I was really a Katherine. People call me Kate on occasion which never bothers me. My best friend is also just Katie and I knew two people whose proper names were Kate. Emma and Kate are a beautiful sibset. Go with it, mama!

kaswanson · May 2013

I think Kate is fine as a stand alone first name. My DH has two cousins (sisters!) named Emma and Kate! Kate is short for Kathryn in her case. Must be common sister names.

xconf143usionx · May 2013

My name is Katherine, but I go by Katie. EVERYONE confuses it with Kate, so I can imagine it works the other way too. And everyone asks me what it's short for, which in my case it is short for something. Also DH's MN is Jake and he hates when people ask him if it's short for Jacob.

But if I met someone named Kate and asked her what it was short for and she said it was just Kate I wouldn't have a problem. I've actually met people named Kate as a standalone name and no one's ever batted an eye upon finding out. I think it's cute and goes very well with Emma.

aessary03 · May 2013

I love your name choices. My daughter's name is Emma Kate. I don't think Kate as a stand alone name is terrible. I love Kate. It's very feminine and classic.

I'm not sure what the obsession is over having formal names. Name your child what you're going to call them. My daughter is simply just Emma or Emma Kate. Every once in a while we get an Em. People try to call her Emmy and it bothers me. If I wanted her to be called Emmy ... that's what I would have named her.

LyndseylovesHugh · May 2013

I know two Kates under the age of 5 that are just Kate, not short for anything. The adult Kates I know are all Katherines or some other formal name. I think that Kate by itself is becoming more commen and I think it is fine as a stand alone name. Also, I have never heard anyone call any of the Kate's I know Katie unless that is actually what they go by. The one I know that goes by Katie I have never heard anyone refer to her as Kate. People will call her what you call her, and what she ultimatly calls herself, I don't think people just often go around giving others nicknames that they never go by.

kendra223 · May 2013

I think Kate is beautiful and grows well. Its fine as a stand alone. DH is "just" Andy. He's had no problems. Every once in a while he will have to say he's not Andrew.. but its not a big deal.

wifeofafarmer · May 2013

I love Kate! If/when we have a girl, we will probably use Kate as a mn (our last name is 4 letters, 1 syllable so I feel like the first name should be a little longer). My best friend is just Kati and sometimes I call her Kate, DH's grandma was a Catherine and went by Katie her entire life and DH's mom has Catherine by her middle name so I'm pretty excited about it.

I agree - I think its a great name that fits a baby, teen and an adult. Great choice!!

notkateanymore · May 2013

I'm a Kate. Just Kate. Kate Elizabeth to be exact. I got called Katie when I was younger sometimes, but not a lot. It's far more common now to be just Kate.

Kate070 · May 2013

I'm a Kathryn, and I go by Kate. A couple thoughts:

I would guess that you'll get asked a lot what her full name is.

I always liked being Kathryn, because it's so versatile. I could go by Kathryn, or Katy, or Kate (or about half a dozen other nicknames).

On the other hand, I do think Emma and Kate sound really cute together.

capulet · May 2013

Joy2611:
MelRC117:
I'm also in the group that just Kate bugs me as a full name. However, it isn't a complete side eye. I have an Eli...just Eli so I shouldn't really talk.
I've always considered Eli a full name. BTN doesn't list Eli as a diminutive of any name. I know it can be, but I suppose its history didn't start that way. Kate has always been a nickname for Katherine (etc) and is growing as a stand alone name - much like Jack.
I just analyzed this entirely too much.

Eli and Elijah are separate biblical characters, so I don't think of Eli as a nickname for Elijah.

My sister's legal name is Katie, which I think is the sort of thing that would bug me if I hadn't gotten used to it my whole life. I am pretty sure a Kate that DH has known since childhood is Kate and not Katherine. I would probably use the full name Catherine/Katherine because I like it, but I wouldn't side-eye anyone for using Kate as a given name.

Kate: Need Input on Concerns

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