Nicknames and name shortenings: would you mind if someone 'tweaked' your baby's name?
HelenMFM
admin
Hello
We're just wondering how you'd feel about people shortening the baby name you've chosen – so calling your child Ems if her name is Emily, for example, or Olly if he's Oliver?
And how about if they changed the name to a version of that name they like more? So, maybe you've deliberately chosen Tom (not Tommy or Thomas) but some people insist on calling your child Thomas instead.
We know many people really don't mind about nicknames but there are also many who feel quite strongly that they've chosen a particular name for their child and get quite cross when others just think they can change or shorten it in any way they like.
So what do you think? Would you like people to call your child by the exact name you've chosen? Or do you not mind if they tweak it a bit?
Please do share your views with us by adding a post to this thread. We've love to hear them.
Replies
I'm okay with nicknames. However, I do not want my Lorelei to be called Laura. some family members call her lei lei. thats fine with me. Suppose it depends on what they call her. I just am not a fan of Laura. (Sorry Laura's out there)
I'm not a fan of anyone but us shortening Tallulahs name! We call her Lullah but have already told other people off for calling her Lou Lou... I think you name your baby something for a reason and that name choice should be respected and used!
Obviously when they are older and their friends call them something else that's fine, I just mean by my peers not hers xx
Agree with TuTu...ok for people to follow our lead but have already told other people off for unauthorised shortenings!
Her name is Beatrice, I call her B or Baby BB..dad calls her Bertie, people have been told off for Beatie (which I hate) and dad wont have Bea because apparently it is slang for Bi**h ? X
I thought I'd done well calling my little boy Isaac as you can't shorten that, but my In Laws have taken it upon themselves to call him Zac!! Neither me or my OH are happy about this so told them and it caused a bit of upset with them but at the end of the day we called him Isaac cause we liked the name. If we wanted him to be Zac, we would of called him that. My niece does call him Zuc though but she's only 18mthe old lol!!
My Daughter on the other hand is Neve but her name gets lengthened to Nevey Noodles, or just Noodles lol!!
I agree. It has to be approved through us. Take the lead from mom and dad. if her peers decide to call her a name that she's okay with that's fine too. Suppose it ultimately will be her choice on name once she becomes old enough.
I agree. We called our daughter Charlotte and people automatically shorten it. I like the name Charlotte and we have only ever refered to her as that . I've pulled so many people up for calling her Lottie and had a falling out with the MIL for calling her Charlie. A name is such a personal choice.
My 14 year old is called Sarahjane.At fit's everyone was calling her sarahjane, but as time has gone by she goes by a few names. My mum calls her SJ, my sister calls her essie and the rest calls her either sarahjane or Sarah. I call her any of the above or if she is in major trouble she gets her full name xxx
My daughter is called Bethany and immediately after she was born my in laws were shortening it to Beth but we never have. As she's grew up she only liked being called Bethany and when she started senior school the teachers started calling her Beth. She's very shy and was scared to tell them. When I told her tutor that she hates being called Beth, the teacher just laughed in her face and said ...'Beth, Beth, Beth'! She is now in her final year and they still insist on calling her Beth even though I've stated preferred name.
I'm disgusted with those teachers!! I'm a 4th grade teacher and would never intentionally call a person by name they do not prefer. That's awful. Every person deserves to be treated with respect. A name is so special and personal to us all. I'm so sorry Bethany! Poor girl.
My sisters and I all have long names which have been shortened over time.
Danielle = D
Samantha = Sam
Carolyn = Caz
Georgina = Gina/Georgie
We've deliberately picked names you can't really shorten, my family will always shorten a name but I'm used to that and I know they'll run it by me first. OH's family are not like that and will just do whatever!
My first is called Lorelei too! The dad's family insist on pronouncing it laura lie. She's welcome to come up with alternatives when she wants but don't want them forced on her just yet. My second daughter is called Charlize and a few people call her Charlie. Have to admit that it does drive me potty personally. My children and my choice how to call them at the moment.
Yes it bugs the hell out of me! My eldest is Olivia and she's had a friend write Livvy in an invitation. My son is Henry so that's not too bad - haven't had any yet. My youngest is Vivienne. She was a week old when the brother-in-law called them Liv and Viv! Not amused! Someone else commented with a "Well done Viv" on a video I posted of her walking. I hate it! She's only nine months old and they're changing her already. It irritates me when people say, "This is such and such but to be known as..." Why not just name them that in the first place?!
I am guilty of this! I called a friends newborn brookey, her name is Brooke and got a telling off. Now she is older, her mum does call her brookey, and she is not so easily offended by it. Obviously now I understand more parents get offended, another friend called her daughter Ava so it can't be shortened.
I wouldn't be offended personally, and can imagine my sons name being shortened in the future, probably by myself first.
I don't mind nicknames but my partner feels that as the boys are so young they should be called their 'proper' names or they won't learn them.
James is nearly 20 mths and I have never shortened his name, if anything I use his fore and middle names (James Thomas) I feel it's a bit pointless to try to shorten his name as his friends at school will end up deciding if he's a Jim, Jay or Jamie.
Stanley however is nearly 5 mths and I am guilty of calling him Stan sometimes but mostly it's Stanley or Manley Stanley.
My 16yr old daughter is a whole other story, she only ever gets called Rebecca by me when she's in trouble. From a young age I either called her Becky Boo or Becca Ree (her middle name is Marie)
I really dont like it!! As someone else said, your child's name is such an important & personal thing... people should take their lead from parents... If parents dont shorten or change it then neither should they. I thought we have chosen a name which couldnt be shortened (or sons name is dayton) however the first time his great grandparents met him they called him 'day day'... Why on earth would you do that?!... Its no shorter syllabel wise & sounds stupid!!!! 😡😡
I think people should take the lead from the parents and not come up with nicknames without permission! For the longest time I liked the name Zachary and for some reason I didn't mind the nickname zach but I have other name preferences now and I don't want people calling my child by the obvious nicknames. I love the names Madeline and Benedict and I can already forsee people calling Maddy and Ben even though my brother in law is already a Ben (Benjamin). If my child wants others to call him by a nickname that's his choice but I love both names and if I wanted "Ben" I will name him just that but I like Benedict and I know it's a mouth full.
we are ttc and this name thing is quite stressful! I once worked with a Jess and she said some people would call her Jessica even though her real name is Jess.
Some people advise on just choosing a short name if you don't want a nickname but others will always come up with a Nickname Regardless of the length of the name!
also, my skin crawls when I hear professionals such as teachers, deliberating choosing nicknames for the kids!!
This isn't going to be a popular opinion, but I think that when you're considering naming your child you have to think about what other people (or indeed your child) may call them / prefer to be called.
A name such as Robert (first name that came to my mind - no offence to anyone) will automatically get people calling him Rob, Bob or Bobby etc. If you have an intense dislike for any of those names, then don't call your child Robert. You cannot control what other people call your child, especially other children.
I'm also not calling my child anything beginning with the letter B because our surname starts with an O - just adding fuel to the inevitable school bully fire!
I get where you're coming from but we really liked the name, Vivienne. I know I'll just have to grin and bear it when I'm older but I can still have a laugh and a joke with it. My husband is called Spencer and when his friends called for him and called him Spenny, his mum would say, "there's no Spenny here!" That'll be me!
My sister has started Vivlaaa for my baby girl, (Gavin and Stacey?) We can't stop calling her it too! I don't do it often! 😂 She told my dad, he told my grandma. It's never ending!
My mum HATES I get called Kat and not Kathryn but she's happy with my siblings having shorter names (I think it stemmed from Kat Slater in eastenders lol)
My son is Patrick and I might call him Paddy sometimes most people call him Patrick and I've not had any Pats yet.
I liked the name Matthew but my husband hated Matt so the name got binned.
I laugh my grandad was just Frank and everyone would think it was Francis.
My neice is Amy and I didn't think it was possible to shorten but heard my brother call her Ams...again my mum was outraged lol.
I saw an announcement and it was a big fancy name then said...but you can call me Lily...I wondered why they just didn't pick up that.
Me and my brother have always had our names shortened from day one
Hermily- I go by Mily
Harrison - he goes by Harry
But I hate when my 3 year old sons name get shortened from Carlos to just Carl it doesn't match him and his personality.
Out of my twins that are due in august I will probably only shorten Jace's name to Ace and Leave brocks name. I hate when people ask if his nickname will be Rocco, I'm really not a fan of that name.