If I love Alexander but dislike Alex...

I think if you really don't Alex then you should look for something else :( I'm expecting dc2 and really like Charles but really don't like Charlie which is likely to happen at school therefore its off the list.

Just use the full name if you love it. When he is young others will follow suit, and so will he, and when he is old enough to choose for himself, it is really nothing to do with you what his friends call him, or what he introduces himself as, and you'll find you won't mind a different choice as much when it is on a real person whom you love rather than a hypothetical person ifyswim. Whatever nickname he chooses will be associated with him.

And, as his mother, you can always call him his full name if you like; he can be known as different things in different situations. He may end up with a nickname from his surname, or from some other source.

I know a Mark who is Sparky, a Darren who is Dewey, a guy with the surname Crawford known to his friends as Cindy, a James known by everybody as Bill, a Robert called Leonard, a William called Cod...numerous AJs, CJs, JJs... You get the drift! I bet their mothers still call them their full names and ignore the rest

What an extraordinary waste of time and angst. And actually quite presumptuous. It's his name, not hers- what business is it of hers what he's called? You give a child a name, then it is that child's name. No longer anything to do with you at all.

Because he wants to be called Alexander too. Now he is older, he will correct people would abbreviate his name. Also rather presumptuous for people to abbreviate someone's name, if that person doesn't want to be known as that.

"I know an 11 year old Alexander who has managed not to get abbreviated yet. His mother worked hard on this"

What an extraordinary waste of time and angst. And actually quite presumptuous. It's his name, not hers- what business is it of hers what he's called? You give a child a name, then it is that child's name. No longer anything to do with you at all.

I say if you prefer Alexander than that's what you should go for. I'm a secondary school teacher and I teach a boy called Alexander. He insists on being called his full name and its respected. People might think that it's a longer name but that's just tough, it's his name!

Al

Sandy

How does Sasha come from Alexander ?

I love both Alex and Alexander but would have to except my dc wouldn't be called Alexander

Axel

I have a great uncle Alexander who has forever been Sandy. I also know a boy of about 14 named Alexander who is known as Sasha.

I really like Alec as a nickname, strong and a lovely change from the standard Alex.

Names with a similar feel to Alexander:
Anthony, Benjamin, Christopher, Andrew, Alistair, Frederick.

Best of luck!

My Alexander is an Alec. My nephew is an Alaistair who is Ally to most but prefers the full name

Our other options for Alec were Magnus and Maximillian

I know an 11 year old Alexander who has managed not to get abbreviated yet. His mother worked hard on this. He's going to secondary school next month, I'll be interested to see how long his full name lasts.

I think you need to go back to the drawing board if you don't like Alex, because it's extremely likely that that's what it'll get shortened to. All the DCs we know who started off as Alexanders are now Alexes, in the same way that all the Samuels are now Sams.

So if you like Alexander and Henry (which to my mind are both regal, strong and a bit posh):

James
Charles
Maximillian
George
Louis
Richard
Robert

My friends DS is Alexander, they only call him that. Once he gets older it's his choice what he wants to be called, he's currently only 5

I have a 12yo Ally (Alexander), we picked the spelling from Ally McCoist on Question of Sport as we weren't sure whether to use Ali or Ally.

He really dislikes Alex and virtually no one calls him it now (except mil ). We make a point of stressing he is an Ally and I think most people now assume his full name is Alistair.

Lexo

My friend has Alexander and everyone calls him xander.
I think if the child usually picks what they are comfortable with anyway.

I know of an Alexander (child) who goes by Lex. His parents embrace the superman link and he appears to too. He absolutely refuses to be called Alex, and his parents really despise it so I think they've drummed it into him that Alex isn't his name.

Ultimately, though, you need to bear in mind that it's not your name, it's your child's, and they may well choose to use a shortening you dislike in the future. If you're ok with that then go for it.

Well you never know, when you meet your baby a bald old man's name might suit him perfectly!

My friend has an Alexander and always uses the nickname Sasha
Could also be spelled Sacha/Sascha

If you dislike Alex. Think of something else. If you do go with it, your ds might decide he wants to be known as Alex, and you can't stop him.
I know an Alexander known as Lexi, none of my business but a but effeminate in my opinion.

Eck - a top short form in Scotland!

I know it's a name in its own right but alexis?

A little Alexander I know has his shortened to Xander if that's of any help