Nicknames & sibling names

nikiaPSU

I'm extremely curious:

1. Why do some parents-to-be focus so much on the nickname instead of choosing a first name they love?
Why name DD Katherine if you like & will call her Kate? Just name her Kate.

2. Why do some parents-to-be choose a name that matches a non-twin sibling? When in life will this matter?

valeriemarie24

I think #1 is not so much about the parents, but giving the kid an option. If later on in life (given your example) a girl named Katherine decides she doesn't like Kate, then she can go by the longer name. I think it also works better in the professional world. I don't have a whole lot of experience in the professional world since I haven't really kick started a career yet, but I do know a lot of judgements by employers and fellow employees are made based off of peoples' names. I've seen it happen so far in the jobs I have had. It's just a fact of life: people judge.

As for your second question, my brain is not yet functioning enough to have a thought out answer for that.

CGless

1. Having a formal name is important in a professional setting. My name is Christine. I went by Chrissy until I graduated university. In an interview I would feel really embarrassed to introduce myself as Chrissy.

2. What is the difference between being twins or siblings? You're still going to be around each other and introduced together as children. I think having names that are somewhat related, maybe same origin or style is nice. Definitely not a must because you will spend a lot more time as an individual adult than a child.

My main take away is you should name your child as a person. Not just a cute baby name but one that will be good for 80 years not just the first 10-20.

mattandlora

I can answer #1 because it was an issue when we named DD. DH and I both loved the name Maggie. However, we think it is very nick-namey and weren't sure how well it would age. There are multiple formal names which can use the nn Maggie. We opted to use Margaret because it is a family name AND because there are many other nn options in case she wants to go by something else when she gets older.

If I were combing through job applications and saw the name Maggie or Kate or Nick, I'd wonder if that was their full name or if they had a formal name. And if they had a formal name, why didn't they put it on the application? Do they not take it seriously? How can I expect them to take the job seriously if they don't take the application seriously? Or maybe it is the full name? If I hire then, will clients wonder the same thing? But if the application said Margaret, Katherine, or Nicholas, I wouldn't think that stuff.

emmy236

1) having a grown up and professional name is important. As someone who works in a very professional line of work, I can tell you its something that is looked at. I personally like names with NN options because it's just that options. You have no idea what personality type your child will have so if they have options, they can pick what fits them. Elizabeth is a great example. A friend of mine went to New York to be an actress and went by Betsy. It was a bit quirky and helped her stand out. After a few years she decided to go back to school and became a pediatrician and goes by Dr. Elizabeth LN. Her name allowed her options as she grew as a person. Many say often, people aren't children long and they will have their own opinions as they grow up.

2) I think it's good for siblings to have some connection to each other name wise. Whether it's family connections, same ethnic origins, theme. If baby #1 gets a beautifully classic name like Charlotte but #2 gets Payzleigh people and your kids will be like "way to drop the ball mom". It's a it thinking through your decisions and thinking long term.

Falchas

I use to think focusing on nicknames was rather silly too, but then we decided to go with my husbands name for our first.  My husband has a very common first name, so we wanted to call the LO by something unique.  After we decided to go the JR. route, it was fun to come up with the various NN's we could get out of his name.  Funny, enough, the one we chose for LO suits him so well, everyone we know uses it.

ksteeb611

all children deserve a full first name. That way, they can decide later what name they would like to use.
it would be odd to have siblings with totally different style names. you likely would not have a son named Charles and another name sawyer..or a daughter named Katherine and another named Skyler

mattandlora

I agree that sibling names should be from the same style. It would be odd to have William, James, Mary, and Ainsleigh