Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Two syllable boys names that CAN'T be shortened!

110 replies

RiceorChips · 12/08/2013 12:47

I know that most names can be shortened however, some names have much more obvious / common shortened versions than others.
For example, popular ones include Daniel (Dan), Thomas (Tom) and Samuel (Sam).

I'm looking for suggestions on 2 syllable boys names that can't be shortened (or at least have less obvious shortenings). For example, Leon, Caleb and Niall.

Any suggestions please???? Thank you!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Turniptwirl · 12/08/2013 18:51

Niall is actually quite hard to shorten, Ni sounds a bit awkward to me

Morris
Ian
George
Arthur
Flynn

My mums brothers all have long names (Andrew, Patrick and Philip) which their parents never shortened and within the family their full names are always used. Pretty sure they use shortened versions outside family though.

Lanceolate · 12/08/2013 18:36

I see what the OP means now, thanks.

I think your approach is the best one Outraged. It's very difficult to control what they are called when they're out of primary school so picking a name with shortenings you can live with seems sensible.

OutragedFromLeeds · 12/08/2013 17:54

Lance OP changed it slightly to 'names where the shortening wouldn't be used in it's own right', so Oscar could be called Oz, but it's not so commonplace that there are children just called Oz iyswim?

Personally I'd choose a name where I liked the shortened version as well. I'd rather have a Jacob who gets called Jake, than a Connor known as Con tbh.

Lanceolate · 12/08/2013 17:49

If they're not shortened they'll be lengthened. Or they'll use his surname or some form of it instead!

Angus and Fergus are Gus and there's also Fergie. Oscar is Oz. Richard will be Rich or Rick. Single initials as nicknames are also used!

SuseB · 12/08/2013 17:47

As no one else has mentioned it... I have a Marcus. It is never shortened by anyone (yet).

invicta · 12/08/2013 17:45

Ranulph
Nelson
Crispin
Adam
Luca

Actually, all these names probably can be shortened.

TheMagicKeyCanFuckOff · 12/08/2013 17:41

Oops, xposted...

Idris
Harvey- might be shortened to Harv
Louie
Cody
Colby
Bryson (Bry?) or Bryce...
Dawson?

TheMagicKeyCanFuckOff · 12/08/2013 17:39

Connor?

OutragedFromLeeds · 12/08/2013 17:38

Marley
Connor
Jago
Jamie
Owen
Christian
Justin
Richard (no-one will use Dick these days!)
Archie
Colin
Cameron

ShoeWhore · 12/08/2013 17:31

A lot of the ones I immediately thought of have already been mentioned.

Angus
Arthur (OK I guess that could be shortened!)
Oscar
Archie
Louis
Toby
Fergus

I do understand what you mean - we decided not to use Patrick although I love it because I'm really not so keen on Paddy or worse still Pat

MadameJosephine · 12/08/2013 17:25

I love Iain, we were considering it for DD if she'd been a boy

Or how about Adam?

Original poster
RiceorChips · 12/08/2013 17:06

Liam is good - but again, it's already in the family.

Not so sure about Barry or Derek???!! Not very common though these days! Wink

I suppose another way of looking at it is by thinking of names whose shortened version isn't a proper name in it's own right. So for example, Thomas would be no good as a baby could be reasonably called just Tom (as in that is it's full name on the birth certificate); whereas something like Niall is more on the right lines of what I'm looking for as no-one (as far as I know?!) would be called Ni.

Hope that makes sense??!!

Thanks!!

OP posts:
JacqueslePeacock · 12/08/2013 14:06

Owen
Barry
Derek
...sorry, these might not be quite type of names you were after!

Crannog · 12/08/2013 14:02

Liam

Original poster
RiceorChips · 12/08/2013 13:37

Euan and Owen are good, thanks!

I do like Jack too but 2 syllable names sound better with our 'unusual' 3 syllable surname.

OP posts:
SlightlyItchyBraStrap · 12/08/2013 13:33

Ian
Ethan
Owen
Morris
Maurice

VegPatchLurker · 12/08/2013 13:20

Henry

MikeLitoris · 12/08/2013 13:19

This is why we chose Jack for ds (before it was so popular). I didnt want anything to get shortened.

He is now jackie boy or jacko.

I gave up worrying about it by the time we had left the hospital tbh

Original poster
RiceorChips · 12/08/2013 13:18

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I know you're right in that most (if not all) names can be shortened if you really try / want them to be, but as I said, there are more obvious ones than others; ie. every Thomas I have ever known has always got called Tom; whereas the Joel I know never gets called anything but Joel.

Theo is along the lines I'm looking for. Theo-dorable by his GF maybe but by his teenage mates, maybe not??!! Wink

I love Aidan (and Hayden) but it doesn't sound right with our surname unfortunately.
Ciaran is nice too but is already in the family.

OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 12/08/2013 13:12

It will just be shortened to one syllable. Stephen is lucky he gets as much as Steve - could just be Ste

ExasperatedSigh · 12/08/2013 13:11

Oh no, sorry, Titus becomes Ty.

ExasperatedSigh · 12/08/2013 13:11

Alban
Titus

OlyRoller · 12/08/2013 13:09

Rutger
Euan
Dustin
Roland
Casper
Millard
Hector
Marcel
Maurice
Herman
Eric

Crannog · 12/08/2013 13:08

Noah

Ciaran

Weegiemum · 12/08/2013 13:05

My ds is Aidan, never been shortened.

Swipe left for the next trending thread