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Baby names

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Original poster

Nicknames, when do you use them?

7 replies

Plateofcrumbs · 04/07/2015 03:11

People with nicknames/contractions they regularly use with their DS - when do you use their full given name and when do you use the nickname?

DS has a name with a common shortened version and a 'cutesy' version - let's say it's Samuel / Sam / Sammy. I currently use Samuel when writing his name and introducing him to new people, call him Sam when talking to friends and family, and call him either Sam or Sammy when speaking to him. He's about to start nursery and am wondering whether as he gets older having three versions of his name in use is going to bamboozle him/them and whether I should pick one and stick with it.

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Twoseventhsaweasley · 04/07/2015 23:07

I have found that nursery ans school will always use the child's full name as it appears on the register.

DS1 is almost always called by a shortened version of his name by family and friends but school always use his full name. Nursery and school even continued to use his full name after I asked them to use his shortened version because there was another child in the class with the same first name and i thought it might make things a little easier.

Original poster
Plateofcrumbs · 04/07/2015 09:53

So would I be bring precious to tell the nursery that although he goes by Sam/Sammy I prefer 'Samuel' when written?

OP posts:
WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 04/07/2015 09:17

My dd (2) only really answers her nn.
She has her proper name on papers, but gets introduced as "Fred".
All her nursery staff know her as "Fred"
Friends and most family call her " Fred"
Fred changed...

afreshstartplease · 04/07/2015 08:48

Dc1 I always call by full name, a couple of relatives shortern it which I don't like

Dc2 has many nicknames, he is mostly called the shortened version of his name, but sometimes called by how his older sibling used to pronounce his name, or how he himself used to spell it, or by a combination of his name and rhyming words
Dc3 is called by full name or sometimes a "ey" on the end

None appear confused

MamaLazarou · 04/07/2015 08:42

I always, always use one of his nicknames when I'm addressing him directly, unless I'm cross with him!

nooka · 04/07/2015 07:43

Both my dc have names with at least two short forms.

ds uses one of the short forms of his name most of the time, but I like his official records to have the full version of his name (the short form looks weirdly informal and a bit wrong on his school reports, medical records etc as it is a bit cutsie really). I tend to use the long form when I am cross with him or wanting to have his full attention. I also use two shorter forms of his name when I am being more affectionate, along with a few nicknames.

dd is generally also known by the most common short from of her name, but at school has decided to use her full name because there was another girl with that name and she wanted to be a bit more unique. Her friends usually use the shortening or an even shorter form. At home she is mostly the short form, but dh and I are both inclined to add extra bits onto her name when being affectionate (ie say her name was Millicent, normally Milly, sometimes Mils, and at home MillyLily, MillieVanillie, Milliebird etc etc)

So lots of different names really! It doesn't appear to have caused them any confusion yet, and they are teenagers so I think if it was going to it would have by now :)

All I'd do is make sure that your ds knows his full name, and that the short forms are variations of it.

BathshebaDarkstone · 04/07/2015 03:44

I never shorten DS's name as it doesn't work. He gets called Dumpling most of the time. I mostly call DD by her full name, first syllable + "pops" quite a lot.