If you love a name can you avoid people using one of its popular NN?

KatieKim0815 · November 2013

We love the name Theodore. And would probably use that as the name and call him Theodore or Theo. we don't share names with family but a cousin of ours said she happened to love the name coincidentally and my mother in law said "I love the name Ted"! Is there any way we could use the name Theodore and avoid people calling him Ted as a baby or should we just scratch the name all together?

MamaFantastic · November 2013

my son has a similar style name (longer, older sounding) and he is ONLY called by his full name. literally the only person who ever calls him by the common (undesirable to us) nickname is his pediatrician... and my kiddo doesn't even respond to it. the doctor might as well be saying "can you take your shirt off, Marshmallow?" it's like it doesn't even click that the doctor is trying to communicate with him

so yes... in our case, we did successfully avoid (so far) the common nickname for our son's full name.

zoopsiedaisy · November 2013

That's a concern of ours too. We love the name Russell. Not Russ or Rusty (which I'm not even sure if that's spelled right). My husband has gone by a nickname that got started in high school which honestly would be fine if that happened. But for the most part we want him (if its a boy) to go by Russell. I'm nervous about correcting people but it makes perfect sense to just be polite and say actually its Russell. Great idea for a thread!

kateleestar · November 2013

My legal name is Katherine, but my parents HATED the name Kathy. (Lol, my dad still gets so mad.. Ha.) They called me Kate as a kid, I went by Katie in school... I think if you decide to call him theo, then that's what other people will pick up on and call him that too.

Theo is cute!

strawberrytree · November 2013

I think if you have another nickname you want him called by you should be able to avoid it. Just correct people who try to use Ted and say "Actually, we will call him Theo." People will follow your lead (unless they're total jerks!).

amhah09 · November 2013

Yup. You just have to be adamant about correcting them. I have a friend whose son is Harrison and she has always corrected people who tried to call him Harry and eventually he would correct them himself. He told them "my name is not Harry, it's Harrison."

I've corrected a few people on my son's name (Hudson) from calling him HUD, but it may be easier since it isn't a common nickname.

Dixon813 · November 2013

When my youngest brother was born (I was 12) my parents named him Robert and when people called him Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robby, etc. they politely said his name is Robert.

We have a boys name that many will want to nick name but we'll have to correct (if we have a boy) and tell people we use the full name.

It definitely can be done!

abbeylanecb · November 2013

My second little boy is Charles and we all call him Charlie, despite my in laws wanting to call him Chuck!

patunia7321 · November 2013

I have an easily nicknamed name and it was never used, everyone calls me by my full first name. I think people end up using whatever name you do. Also, Theo makes more sense to me as a nickname for Theodore so I think it will work out for you. I like it

RocksInTheWater · November 2013

Theo and Ted are such different nicknames for Theodore that I think people will call your son whatever you do (Theodore or Theo). My brother and cousin both have names that are commonly shortened. They've never been called the shorter names to this day and they are in their 20s.

It's funny, my H goes by Ted but his legal name is Edward.

MandaRose921 · November 2013

My cousin named her son Anthony but does not want NN Tony or Ant. She told the family they prefer Anthony and since everyone calls him that, most other people catch on.

MrsL13 · November 2013

Yeah I would just correct them. My daughters name is Lia. Short and simple. And my MIL try's to call her Little Lia Lou Who. Which makes me so mad. And my SIL who is 9 try's to call her Lee Lee and I correct her all the time. Her name is one syllable. It's not hard to just call her by her name.

irisheyez7 · November 2013

My name is Meggan and I loathe being called Meg. I always just simply and politely correct them and normally they just call me Meggan. Accept for a few guy friends of mine, they just call me Meg to get a rise out of me ;-) I would think most people would gladly call him Theo instead of Ted. When he gets older he can choose whatever name he prefers to go by.

ZebNMichelle · November 2013

I'm Michelle and my mom would not let people call me Shelly.

MommyByDesign · November 2013

My daughter is Victoria. We've called her Tori since the second she was placed on my chest. I abhor the nickname Vicky, and wanted to be sure she wouldn't be called it!

Almost 7 years later and NO ONE calls her Vicky. At school she is mostly Victoria, and at home and with friends, she's Tori. :-)

maelic · November 2013

You can try, of course, but it's out of your hands once your kid gets a little older. For all you know he'll prefer Ted to Theo.

Israfel · November 2013

I think it depends on the name. Some names just lend themselves to nicknames so easily that you'd have a hard time with people not shortening them-- names like Bethany to Beth, Tyler to Ty, Stephanie to Steph... Just because they roll of the tongue so easily. Names like Theodore to Ted are not as much of an issue I think, because there isn't that natural shortening-- people usually have to be told-- I'm Theodore, but I go by Ted-- before they would automatically use that type of nickname.

Mamamonzo · November 2013

spasticfantastic said:
my son has a similar style name (longer, older sounding) and he is ONLY called by his full name. literally the only person who ever calls him by the common (undesirable to us) nickname is his pediatrician... and my kiddo doesn't even respond to it. the doctor might as well be saying "can you take your shirt off, Marshmallow?" it's like it doesn't even click that the doctor is trying to communicate with him

so yes... in our case, we did successfully avoid (so far) the common nickname for our son's full name.

Hahah marshmallow!!!

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