Full names vs. 'nicknames'

cmjenkies · November 2015

I don't know if this title makes sense BUT I've always liked the idea of my kids names having dual use - as in a shortened version we can use for everyday and an alternative long version for more versatility as they get older (or for when they're in trouble in our house, lol).

- DS is Elijah - but he has been called Eli since day 1
- DD is going to be Lucy but full name would probably be Lucille

Anybody else planning on using a shortened version of their kid's name from the start?

BrittnyS10 · November 2015

I like full names with a nickname option. Unless its like a short name to begin with, like say Lisa, not a bad name, doesn't really have nn options, and isn't a typical nn for a longer name. But take Ellie for instance, it could be a nn for so many other names that I wouldn't just name my kid Ellie because I liked it, rather I would name her Eleanor, Elise, Eloise, etc. and then call her by the nn.

ETA: my SIL named her daughter Ellie (not a nn) which I suppose you could still shorten to Elle if you want to, but there are just so many options for a longer name, but now the longest name she can go by is just Ellie.

AmadorRose · November 2015

I'm not typically a nn person, but DH loved the name Ellie so we've settled on Elena if this nugget is a girl. I think Elena is a beautiful name, so I'll probably call her that even when she isn't in trouble. It'll depend on my mood.

RoseShadow873 · November 2015

Not for me. I hardly ever like nicknames for the full names I like and some of the nicknames I like I don't like the full version of. So that would leave me with picking a full name and using that primarily or picking a nickname and using it as a full name. If I prefer a shortened version of a name I don't see the point in giving the kid the full version. Most people I have met that go by nicknames (Tom, Joseph, Christopher etc.) hate the full version of their names anyway.

Poppy16 · November 2015

This is the only way we know how to name our kids! DS1 is Thomas, but we've literally never called him that, he's always been Tommy (some kids call him Tom). Next kid is Ben (was Benji when he was little). DD1 is Lucy (Lucille), and DD2 is Katie (Katherine). The names I like for this baby are Grace (unfortunately no nn possibilities) or Jonathan if it's a boy. I actually love the name Jack, but DH won't go for just naming a kid a nickname without a formal name attached.

I love the idea that our kids have a lot of options with their names as they get older into teenage years/adulthood.

ivyvines6 · November 2015

Well we chose our boy name based off of the nickname so I get where you're coming from. My family has a tendency to give nicknames to everyone though, and we all have multiple names we go by. My name is Ivy and I've been called Ives, Idler, Ivan, Ivy-kins, wookie, a several others. My sister's name is Marjorie Hope, we call her Hope, but her nickname list is ridiculous! Hope turned into Hoppy, which turned into Hopinimous, and also Penny, which turned into Penifred, which turned into Fred, then Fredlets, Fredikins. And I sometimes call her margarine... (There are more, I just don't remember them all, and yes she does respond to all of them) Lil off topic lol

Edic because autocorrect doesn't like my guessing on spellings?

cmjenkies · November 2015

Poppy16 said:
This is the only way we know how to name our kids! DS1 is Thomas, but we've literally never called him that, he's always been Tommy (some kids call him Tom). Next kid is Ben (was Benji when he was little). DD1 is Lucy (Lucille), and DD2 is Katie (Katherine). The names I like for this baby are Grace (unfortunately no nn possibilities) or Jonathan if it's a boy. I actually love the name Jack, but DH won't go for just naming a kid a nickname without a formal name attached.

I love the idea that our kids have a lot of options with their names as they get older into teenage years/adulthood.

@poppy16 cousin's DD is Grace and they call her Gracie!

PS: Love DD1's name.

mrstrax · November 2015

I like names with lots of nn options, and liking them is a great bonus, but I don't pick based on the nn.
ex - my favorite if this baby is a boy is Theodore. I also like the nicknames Ted/Teddy and Theo, but I have no idea which if either we would use until they come naturally.

NachosAndPeaches · November 2015

I'm the opposite! One of the reasons I love ds's name is that there's no real nickname. There's a variation (kind of like Charles can be chuck) but people don't automatically use it (like every Nicholas is automatically Nick and Zachary is Zack etc). I want to name this LO Conrad and like that it doesn't really have a nn (I guess con but don't see that being his actual name that he goes by). But DH is still not on board.

CCLow87 · November 2015

I'm a fan! This baby is Madden Marie and we'll likely call her Maddie.

sprocketsngadgets · November 2015

I like if there's nn possibility, but I don't think it's required. DD is Aurora and Rory is probably her most used nn. That was the compromise with DH since he's super proud of his Irish heritage and I vetoed all his Irish names. My personal favorite is Aurorasaurus though since she Dino roars when she gets mad/frustrated

JadaBlue · November 2015

We're the opposite, maybe because DH and I both have names which are not amenable to nicknames. I guess I also think full names just generally sound nicer.

Ready4theParty · November 2015

I wasn't a nn person. DD is Natalie and I had reservations about the name because I do lint want people calling her Nat. However 2.5 years later I am calling her that.

With this one if it's a boy the name will be shortened. If it's a girl no...but I don't know how you shorten Jade.

allaire314 · November 2015

It's funny because my name isn't very nicknameable, or at least in a way I like - and it's always irked me... but then we picked a non-nicknameable name (that I LOVE) for our daughter?? Ha ha... Oh well...

I have some friends that mostly go by a nickname, and others (DH included) that will correct people who try to nickname them... there really is no wrong way to go!

One thing that I hate is when people name their kid one thing but then call them something else completely unrelated... this happens a lot in DH's family... like cousin Trent we we call Buster... I just can't.

Or I had a friend that named their son Andrew so that they could call him Drew... well why not just name him Drew?

...starting to think maybe I don't actually like nicknames... ha ha... a moment of self realization here.

helleebellee · November 2015

My kids go by their given names, except one. She was to be Poppy, but the dh decided she needed a fallback name. So her name in Penelope, but she only goes by Poppy. If this baby is a girl, her name will be Alice, and I'll probably call her Ace. It's a baseball thing, and dh agrees. I just don't feel I can name a girl Ace. Plus, Ace Cordelia isn't as pretty as Alice Cordelia.

imrachellea · November 2015

DD is Aryanna and I always assumed I would call her "Ari", and while sometimes I do in texts or emails since its shorter, her name is her name. We don't shorten it. Her daycare teacher calls her "Anna" sometimes, which I'm kind of okay with. I had proposed Anna (pronounced like in Frozen) because we're German and it flows SO perfectly with her middle name, but DH said no. When she gets older, I'm sure she'll decide it she wants to go by her full name, Ari, Anna, whatever. This LO doesn't have a name set in stone yet, though that names we have on our list (so far) mostly have some version of a nickname. So not opposed, not for. DH's name is a nickname, as are two of his three siblings. One of my two siblings is also a nickname.

MrsCayEye · November 2015

My name is a full name with a common NN. I like my full name, but I've never gone by it. My parents never even used it for me. It was mostly just annoying having to tell every teacher, employer, etc to call me by my NN. DS' name doesn't have a nn, but I and pretty much everyone else shortens his name pretty often. My only advice is to not name your kid something with a nn you hate.

AGK2015 · November 2015

We definitely picked a name with plenty of nickname options; I have a name that isn't easily shortened, and I always felt so envious of my friends who could switch their names up a little as they grew up. We've actually had more discussion about the nickname we'll most likely use than we did about the name, which came easily to us. I can't imagine we'll be calling her Margaret from the get-go (that's a lot of name for a little girl!). My grandma (her namesake) goes by "Marg." Our first date happened at Margie's, so that's a possibility, too. "Maggie" is adorable, and probably our first pick, but we'll see what her personality is like.

And of course, if all else fails, there's always my husband's first suggestion: "Mage. Like a motherf*cking wizard."

cmjenkies · November 2015

@AGK2015 my great aunt's name was Margaret and she was called "Peggy" her entire life. Ya never know! Haha

cortney626 · November 2015

NachosAndPeaches said:

I'm the opposite! One of the reasons I love ds's name is that there's no real nickname. There's a variation (kind of like Charles can be chuck) but people don't automatically use it (like every Nicholas is automatically Nick and Zachary is Zack etc). I want to name this LO Conrad and like that it doesn't really have a nn (I guess con but don't see that being his actual name that he goes by). But DH is still not on board.

I'm thinking of Conrad also. (Family name on my husband's side). I've searched for nicknames and I've seen Connie or Conner. Doubt if we had a boy, he'd go by Connie and we wouldn't use Conner b/c I feel like that's a different name. It's the same amount of syllables as Conrad.

Brandi81012 · November 2015

DD's name is Rilynn, I had been in love with that name for many years before I found out it is more of a boys name (Rylan), we call her Ri and Rilynn interchangeably but shewill go by her full name when it comes to school etc. This LO we have decided to go with Camdyn and will call her Cam as a nn but again, She will go by Camdyn for school etc. Neither have nn options to go by instead of their actual name in everyday life. But I also do not hate nn.

littleredx2 · November 2015

Our boys do not have shortened forms of their names (Logan, Austin, and Nolan) but I've always been ok with that. For a girl, we have always wanted a longer name with a nickname possibility so she will be Madilynn and we plan to call her Madi from day 1.

Somersky · November 2015

I'm loving the idea of names that lend themselves of nicknames, partly because our LO will probably sport a Hispanic name and a nickname might be easier for my (non-Hispanic) side of the family. Right now I also love what is a traditionally boy nickname if our LO is a girl: Noe (keeping the full first name a secret for now!).

gingercatNJ · November 2015

I'm an Amy, and have many times wished I had a name with a more formal form. Sometimes you want to present yourself with more gravitas. It's not just about what friends and family will call the kid, and they won't be a kid forever

LadySamLady · November 2015

It sounds like the grass is always greener!

As a Samantha, I have grown to dislike all the nickname possibilities. At one point in college I tried to shake my childhood nickname, Sam, to no avail. Even now at work if I know someone via email only and sign my emails with my full name, that person will inevitably start calling me Sam (or worse, Sammy). For this reason, I am really only considering stand alone names for my LO.

mumidi · November 2015

Yes, DD is Samantha and has been called Sammie since day 1. This one will be Allison for a girl and will be called Allie, likely from day 1. Boy we are still going back and forth

reisnersr · November 2015

I tend to like two+ syllable name with no nickname. i have some nn names, but not many. For males, no nn names for me on my list so far.

Monicagail1 · November 2015

We named both DDs with the intent of having nicknames. Both my husband and I had names that don't really lend themselves to any nicknames, so I wanted the option for my kids.

mojomama6 · November 2015

My given name is Jenny, not Jennifer, and while I do prefer Jenny, I would prefer having Jennifer on a resume- Jenny is a nn, and not professional. So my kids all have long names (although if I'm being honest, my first two aren't super professional long names either... Sorry, kids. Mommy wasn't old enough to be naming babies yet). We use lots of nn for our kids at home, but they're all ridiculous ones- like Macaroni and Cheese, or Beana, or Stinkypotomus Dinosaur. The only one who uses a shortened version of their actual name is Gwendolyn, who prefers Gwen

K&Elizabeth · November 2015

@AGK2015 one of favorite students I've ever had was named Margaret. Her family called her Maggie and it was just so darn cute on a little girl. I always ended up calling her mags for some reason.

cmjenkies · November 2015

@mojomama6 I have an Elijahsaurus Rex/Treeli/Gooby Jo at my house. He used to introduce himself as 'my name is Elijah B., Superhero.' I just never know.

mojomama6 · November 2015

@cmjenkies Hahahahaha! I love the superhero title!

boomoolu · November 2015

Both of my kids have names they can grow into but go by nicknames for now. DS is James Bennett and goes by Benny and DD is Adeline Ruth and goes by Addie or Aava (DS's pronunciation of her name when she was still cooking). This LO will most likely be Celia Louise and will go by Cece or Lou or maybe both:)

ladylolly89 · November 2015

We aren't big on nicknames. We are down to two girls' names, and only one can reasonably be shortened to anything. Our potential boys' names can't easily be shortened either.
I really like DH's first name (Matthew), but everyone calls him Matt. It drives me crazy! Even he prefers Matthew. My name doesn't have any nicknames, thank goodness.

My mom didn't care for nicknames either, but she named her youngest Samuel. That created some hilarious moments (someone would say something about "Sam" and we'd be like "who?" People learned fast.

)

jasmuin · November 2015

Our daughter is Adyson Jo and she has always gone by Ady Jo.
She even tells people her name is NOT Adyson haha

briterfly84 · November 2015

We have nicknames for our kids, one more traditional than the other. Alexander is Alex, Amelia is Milly. My name is Brittany, but have been Brit since I was little. We haven't settled on names for LO yet (team green), but DH loves the name Ash for a boy. I agree with PP about giving a more 'grown-up' name to fall back on in the future, so I am hoping he comes around to like Ashton.

Ironically, with DD, I had a nn for her before she was born because I was team green then too. The name Bean still sticks with her, but this LO doesn't have one yet.

crazyliblady · November 2015

My DH's name is Robert, and he HATES the names Bob and Bobby. He will answer to Rob or Roberto (we live by the southern border) but pretty much everyone calls him Robert. *side note: He wants a Jr, but won't have the kid called Bob either.

bunnywahl · November 2015

Yes. We are doing this as well. Naming our son after my grandfather (uncle also has the name), and calling him by a shortened nickname which is different from my grandfather's and uncle's. I love the idea!

Lilpenguin3 · November 2015

allaire314 said:
It's funny because my name isn't very nicknameable, or at least in a way I like - and it's always irked me... but then we picked a non-nicknameable name (that I LOVE) for our daughter?? Ha ha... Oh well...

I have some friends that mostly go by a nickname, and others (DH included) that will correct people who try to nickname them... there really is no wrong way to go!

One thing that I hate is when people name their kid one thing but then call them something else completely unrelated... this happens a lot in DH's family... like cousin Trent we we call Buster... I just can't.

Or I had a friend that named their son Andrew so that they could call him Drew... well why not just name him Drew?

...starting to think maybe I don't actually like nicknames... ha ha... a moment of self realization here.

So my name doesn't have a nickname either and I always hated it. I wanted a two-syllable name with a nickname for LO but the only name we agreed on and loved is one syllable with no nickname. Oh well!

NachosAndPeaches · November 2015

bunnywahl said:
Yes. We are doing this as well. Naming our son after my grandfather (uncle also has the name), and calling him by a shortened nickname which is different from my grandfather's and uncle's. I love the idea!

You can also call him skip. That's traditional fir a baby named after their grandfather, the name skipped a generation hence skip.

BrittnyS10 · November 2015

NachosAndPeaches said:

bunnywahl said:
Yes. We are doing this as well. Naming our son after my grandfather (uncle also has the name), and calling him by a shortened nickname which is different from my grandfather's and uncle's. I love the idea!
You can also call him skip. That's traditional fir a baby named after their grandfather, the name skipped a generation hence skip.

Is that where skip comes from? I seriously had no idea, just assumed it was from some private joke or something between close friends. Lol

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