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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Did you choose a name that could not be shortened ?

33 replies

MsTownmouse · 13/11/2010 16:14

I wanted a name for my son which wouldn't have lots of nicknames. So I chose Hugo - quite short & rarely heard Hugh as short for Hugo. I find myself now calling him Hugs (pronounced hughGs with a hard G ) Hugie and others too embarrassing to relate.

Other people seem quite happy to call him by his name so maybe I was the only person who immediately came up with NNs for all the other options we had thought of.

I am quite happy though. For those agonsing about names I would say that within a short time I believe most children make their name thir own.

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Imarriedafrog · 15/11/2010 14:47

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edam · 15/11/2010 14:45

Btw, I have a four letter, one syllable name - it got lengthened when I was little to make a nickname.

edam · 15/11/2010 14:44

Yup, ds has four letters, two syllables, never heard of an abbreviation - yet one cousin calls him by the first two letters, another adds two letters. You just can't tell...

Psammead · 15/11/2010 14:40

Deliberately chose DD's name with NNs in mind. I have a name with lots of NNs and like it. We use her NN, but I always introduce her by her full name.

Hulababy · 15/11/2010 13:33

From the other side though I have a name that can't be shortened and noone has ever found a shortened nn. I usd to hate that I couldn't have an obvious nn as a child.

Akkad · 15/11/2010 01:04

I didn't take NNs into account when choosing my DDs names, they both have 1 NN which everyone calls them, and a few that are said without thinking/by drunken family members at Christmas.

StableButDeluded · 15/11/2010 00:31

We have an Adam, we never shorten it but other people sometimes call him Ad, which DH can't stand. My dad calls him Addie. I call him Sweetie or Turniphead (depends on my mood!) and DH calls him 'fuzzy buddy' or 'Signor Smoothy-buns' Grin

(He is only 5 by the way, so not as weird as it might seem!)

Twilightfan1 · 14/11/2010 19:57

My DD is Lily, but she gets called Lil, Lily loulou and Lilykins. Incidently, I always said I would never shorten her name and I was the first to call her LilGrin

TarheelMama · 14/11/2010 19:49

My parents chose a name for me and then immediately shortened it. They were Shock when I started using my proper name.

My point is it makes no difference what you decide regarding lengthening or shortening a name, your child will wear it how they choose one day.

Hulababy · 14/11/2010 19:47

I didn't think anyone would shorten DD's name - Mollie. However, they do - she has been called Moll for short at various times by various family and friends.

lovechoc · 14/11/2010 19:39

I'm guilty of doing this aswell even though DS is a Reuben - I call him Reuby, or the Reubster. The kind of names you say at home but not out loud at the supermarket....Blush oh well!

CristinaTheAstonishing · 14/11/2010 19:27

MrsSchadenfreude - ours was also NN Bootise for some reason.

nikki1978 · 14/11/2010 19:22

I called DS Ben (not Benjamin) - just preferred short names. We somehow ended up calling him Benny most of the time though Hmm

piscesmoon · 14/11/2010 19:15

I tried but they call him something else entirely! You can't win.

jaggythistle · 14/11/2010 18:56

I did but it wasn't on purpose!

His name gets lengthened too with -ie on the end.

PlonkerForLifeNotJustChristmas · 13/11/2010 23:43

My girls have names that can't really be shortened but they all have nn's. My youngest is Mia and her names gets lengthened!

I love nn's!
I loathe my name and only like my shortened version. I also love it when people give my dd's various nn's as I think it's such an affectionate thing to do Smile

twirlymum · 13/11/2010 23:36

We have a Skye, and she gets called skyemondo or skyelet!

mumatron · 13/11/2010 23:16

i picked jack for this reason.

known as jackie-boy, jacko etc.

gallicgirl · 13/11/2010 20:41

A nickname is just a sign of affection really.

My niece is Elizabeth which has remarkably never been shortened as far as I'm aware (apart from that one time I called her Betty Blush)

Jellyrollgumdrop · 13/11/2010 20:36

I have an Eve which people actually lengthen to Evie!!

LittleDonkin · 13/11/2010 20:35

My DD is Erin which I dont think you can really shorten but my DH calls her twinkletoes!!!!

MrsSchadenfreude · 13/11/2010 17:34

Cristina - we have given one of ours the diminutive "utsa" ending and she is very often known now as "Toots"!

Galena · 13/11/2010 17:31

We called DD Skye, not because we didn't want a nn but for other reasons. Don't really call her anything else related to Skye although do call her 'poppet' or similar names.

HelenaRose · 13/11/2010 17:04

My parents chose Lisa for my sis, and she's always been Lise or Lisey-Weese to me! Nicknames seem to choose themselves..

Rhubarbgarden · 13/11/2010 16:53

I chose Audrey as I thought it was safe from nicknames. And I'm guilty as charged. I call her Aud, Audles, Audreypaudrey, Mrs Whinge...