Ted - I love it but don't like Edward/Edmund/Theodore!

[BettyButterknife]

Is there anything else Ted could be short for?

Would it be truly awful to put Ted on the birth certificate - will he always be known as 'Ted, just Ted'?

[StellaLovesPotato]

Ted on it's own is lovely. Just name him that.

[belgo]

Edgar?Edwin?

[TheFirstLady]

I think if you want Ted, do Ted on the birth cert. I know a little boy who was named Jim, not James, for the same reason. Nothing wrong with Ted as a name in itself.

[Hullygully]

I cannot imagine the agony of your dilemma. My heart goes out to you.

[ThisIsntOver]

Hully

It would be truly awful, as you suspect. Give him a proper name. Putting Ted on the birth certificate doesn't give him any options for the future. It's a nickname.

[puffylovett]

Go for it. I bitterly regret not doing it with DS1 who is now an Eddie short for Edward instead of a Teddy short for nothing !

[jellybeans]

Go for it. Ted on it's own is fine. It's a shortened version not really a 'nickname' (Daz, Shaz etc). Theo, Alfie, Zac, Lexi etc are all more popular than their long forms. Your little one won't be alone with one of the short versions. One of mine has a short form and it's great.

[campion]

Yes, I know someone who was/is named Jim but he's not a little boy any more.

He doesn't think his parents did him a favour and feels like he never got a 'proper' name.

[Jamieandhismagictorch]

Tedward
Teddy
Tedlie
Tedgus
Tedge

[jellybeans]

It was more done years ago to have a longer name and then shorten in but these days many people have the short names eg Alfie, Theo, Freddie etc that it will be the norm when he is an adult.

[bluebump]

I like Ted on it's own, I don't think it needs to be longer.

[weaselbudge]

Personally i think you should put something like edward on the birth certificate but don't make it well known - just introduce him to everyone as Ted. My mother chose to call me a female equivalent to Teddy and her father forced her at the last minute to put the "proper" name on the birth certificate. Now I am "grown up" i have really really appreciated being able to use that longer name at work/professionally/when people say "sorry..what's your name again?".