UPDATE: Are nicknames necessary?

MichaelaMTP · September 2014

I'm having trouble deciding between Amelia and Aurora. I don't like any nicknames for Amelia, but I love the nickname Rory for Aurora. Sorry for doing the poll after having posted about my names this week. I think I'm having commitment issues. Haha!

Thank you all so much for your input. I think my husband and I have decided to name our LO (if it's a girl) Amelia Maureen. It's his favorite of the two and he was kind enough to revisit the two names he had originally crossed off the list simply because I love them. Perfect compromise. Now to wait 10 more days until we get to see our LO again during the a/s.

strawberrytree · September 2014

Some people are nickname people and some aren't. I'm not, so my kids have names that aren't easily shortened. If you are, a good nickname is important. So all that to say, I think a nickname is only important if you're a nickname person.

MarxieVonTrapp · September 2014

My sisters and I all have names that can be shortened, and I'm the only one who has a nickname. It is what you make of it, until the child decides s/he wants a nickname.

Helenahhandbasket · September 2014

No, of course they aren't necessary.

That being said, there are some names that I did eliminate based on the fact that I hated the common nicknames for them.

queenbone · September 2014

Nope, but they are fun to have.

Beevol · September 2014

If you give your child a name with the intention of using the nm instead, just know that your kid may decide that the full name fits them better and ditch the nm as soon as they can and vice versa if you don't like the nms of a given name but your kid does.

ProfessorMcGonagall · September 2014

I like NNs but I have never had one and it's never bothered me

mustloveerica · September 2014

I never had a nickname. My sisters name is Briana and she spent her entire life trying to get people to call her Bree. But it never stuck and she has always just been Briana. I'm of firm belief you shouldn't name your kid for a nickname because nicknames usually choose themselves.

ravinraven216 · September 2014

I also don't think that just because you don't care for a potential NN you should reject a name you love. The kid is ultimately going to be the one that decides what to call themselves. I'm an Amanda and the name Mandy (or, gods forbid, Mandi) sticks to me like wet spaghetti to a wall. My friends occasionally call me Mamanda, but it's a nickname that developed organically.

allthecheese · September 2014

I voted yes just because growing up my friends all had names that could be shortened and mine couldn't so I never had a nickname and I wanted one so bad!!!

shannm · September 2014

No, not necessary but I love rory and aurora.

ChelsiAnn13 · September 2014

Not necessary at all. I love my daughters nickname. Everything even the weird spelling has meaning. It also allowed me to give her a very strong, more traditional name but keep the tradition in our family of a more unique name or a different spelling at the dry least.

That said I wish her real name was used a lot more. She has a beautiful name and it's rarely used.

DawnJM25 · September 2014

DH is Anthony nn Tony. He NEVER goes by Anthony, but it's on his ID, all official paperwork, etc. He hates having a completely different full name than the nn he goes by. For that reason, he didn't want our kids to have nns at all. We call DD and DS by their given names- no nns.

4N6s · September 2014

Not necessary!!!

honkytonk_kid · September 2014

Definitely not necessary. The only necessary thing would be to consider possible nicknames and maybe decide accordingly if you really hate a common one.

draeray · September 2014

Just because you have a name that you think might have a perfect nickname doesn't mean you'll end up using it.

My DS is Everett. I thought for sure we would call him Rhett for short but nope. We call him a pet nickname instead; Boogie/Boogs. I am sure when he gets older Boogie isn't going to fly so he might be called Rhett but we will revisit it when the time comes.

Don't force anything and something will come or nothing at all.

RayRay007 · September 2014

I know you've decided now but I thought I'd offer my two cents. DD is Amelia. We really hate the name Amy and were concerned some people would call her that. You know what? Nobody has ever called her any variation of her name (except her Pakistani dcp who calls her "ah-mee baba") Her NNs have been pet names given to her by family and close friends like mouse and Miss. If you don't want them called a nickname (ie shortened version of their name) I think you sort of train people in that regard. You can't prevent what pp called organic NNs though. I'm trying to come up with two boys names right now for our twins, being cognizant of potential NNs and thought, why worry about it? They will probably be called Baloney anyway. Seriously, DH has a friend/teammate NNd Baloney. There's also bang bang, salad, Cindy, hammy, tranny (variation of last name, not lgbt related), snods, midget, mini, poutine, etc. anyway, off topic a little. Sports teams have their special NNs. But I would not worry about your kid being called a variation of their name you do not like.