Love the name, but not the nickname

artsymamma

Have you found a name you love, but not so much the obvious nickname?

We have had a name on our list for a while which we love, and have really circled back to as our favorite. We love the name, the meaning, literary characters with this name, and it has special significance in a lot of ways. 

2 family members have said "you know everyone will call him ___ for short"

And I don't love the nickname. It's not bad or something to be teased about, it just has a different connotation than why we love the main name. 

What are your thoughts? 

Is there a way to avoid the "short" version as he grows up? Or am I thinking too far ahead and overthinking this?

Thoughts?

Knottie1433187098

Yes, you will use the full name and correct people when he’s a young child. He will when he’s school-aged. He will continue to as an adult. His spouse will. Etc. I have a friend whose husband goes by a full name and that’s just that with a gentle reminder here or there. I’m also a teacher and there are always some kids who go by full names and it’s nbd as long you you/they don’t mind the occasional correction. There’s not a guarantee “everyone will call him…” especially if people are corrected. Go with what you love. 

artsymamma

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I appreciate it ♡

inthewoods23

Yep, totally nothing wrong with having the intention that the full name is his name and that he doesn't go by the nickname.

I always have to remind myself that some guys do go by the name Nicholas and not always the short version of Nick. Growing up I don't think any of the kids I knew went by Nicholas. It was always Nick.

Do consider that as he grows he may choose on his own that he prefers the nickname and that's okay. Kids often go by nicknames at school but are fine being called their full names by their parents/grandparents. That's pretty common.

mb0112

Agree that you can set the tone of using full name and saying he doesn't go by "nickname," but you might find he likes the nickname and chooses it when he is old enough to have an opinion. So don't name him that if the nickname would bother you. 

dobiemom11

My mother almost chose a different name for me, because she doesn't like the nickname commonly associated with it.  Ironically the only people who call me that nickname are my maternal grandmother and aunts/uncles.  It is now just a little reminder that I am spending time with that side of the family when I hear it.  

I think the descriptions above should help curb the nickname when he is younger, but as people mentioned, he may choose to go by it later.  

turtletaylor0522

My brother’s name is Hamilton and my mom had to work pretty hard to enforce it when he was a baby. Everyone wanted to call him Hammy. Now he’s 22 and introduces himself as Hamilton and everyone calls him that. It’s not a name with a common nickname (because it’s not a common name in itself) like Michael/Mike, but I don’t think you’ll end up with a NN kid if you call the baby by the full name and introduce them that way all the time. 

baker_bee

That’s a hard one because my husband always introduces himself by the full name but inevitably people still call him the nickname. Usually it’s people that we don’t see very often that call him that. None of our close friends or family call him the nickname but coworkers, family friends, and casual acquaintances tend to resort to the shortened version. Even after gentle and not so gentle reminders. Personally if I didn’t like some of the versions someone could easily come up with for a name, I would avoid it because there will always be those people that can’t seem to get it right whether they are being intentionally  obnoxious or just thick headed.