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Original poster

Dh thinks Erin is short for Catherine?

37 replies

Backdrop · 22/08/2018 14:12

Just starting to tentatively draw up lists of names.

Dh comes out with, "I really like Erin, and we could always use Catherine on the birth certificate."

He claims that Erin is a perfectly acceptable diminutive of Catherine, and that he knew a few at school. I think he's making it up/remembering wrong/these Erins played a prank on him.

In my books, Catherine can be shortened to Cathy or Katie, but not to Erin??

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Belindabauer · 23/08/2018 12:09

It's not short for Catherine.

Just use Erin if you like the name.

I think referring to her as Erin X will cause problems if her real name is Catherine X.
Thinking official forms/school etc.

MeyMary · 23/08/2018 10:45

It really isn't. But why not use Erin as a nickname for Catherine (although the pronunciation is a bit different ime)?

But I wouldn't count on other people calling a Catherine Erin.
Would you be upset if people (friends from school etc) called her Cat, Katie etc?

RedDwarves · 23/08/2018 10:35

Erin is not short for Catherine.

mathanxiety · 23/08/2018 07:38

Your DH is full of balloon juice.

PsychoPumpkin · 22/08/2018 23:57

No it’s not a shortening of Catherine.

Weirdly my daughter is called Erin Catherine and I didn’t realise that Erin was hidden inside Catherine until my sister in law pointed it out!

Picknickers · 22/08/2018 23:53

I think he's really clever! I know a Topher short for Christopher so why not?!

buttercup54321 · 22/08/2018 22:31

He is wrong. Both Catherine and Erin are nice names in their own right.

sweetsaltypopcorn · 22/08/2018 22:28

I LOVE Erin. It's the only girls' name on my list. And definitely not as a shortening of C/Katherine!
Must add though, I currently teach an Erin who mistyped her name on a piece of work as 'Erni'. The nickname has now stuck!

SemperIdem · 22/08/2018 19:42

I’ve not heard of it being used as such before but I don’t see why not.

It makes far more sense than Peggy being a diminutive of Margaret! Or Sadie as a diminutive of Sarah.

Sophronia · 22/08/2018 19:06

I actually like it more short for Catherine!

MarthaArthur · 22/08/2018 19:04

This makes no sense. Erin is not a nickname or a shortening. You like erin so why would you need a different name on her birth certificate?

CatPatrol · 22/08/2018 18:55

... full name so by all means use Erin for Catherine.

CatPatrol · 22/08/2018 18:53

A nickname doesn’t have to have any bearing on someone’s ful

chipsandpeas · 22/08/2018 18:47

It could work I used to work with a Irene that was short for Catherine

MarthaArthur · 22/08/2018 18:46

Erin is my dsis name. Its a name in its own right its not short for catherine at all.

Secretsquirrel101 · 22/08/2018 18:44

Well why not? It actually kind of makes sense, both names are lovely and there are a great many diminutives which make far less sense!

kenandbarbie · 22/08/2018 18:41

I've never heard Erin shirt for Catherine, but it makes sense, why not?!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 22/08/2018 17:01

Well he might have a point, although I've never heaRd of Erin being used as a nn for Catherine.
I suppose it does fit as can get Erin out of Catherine

PassportBridgetPants · 22/08/2018 16:33

Bless him. Nope! Although I'm glad someone else has these struggles. I wondered out loud what a short form of Eloise could be - DH suggested Louise.

Everybodylovesablankie · 22/08/2018 16:00

I’m an Erin, definitely not short for Catherine! Grin I can see his train of thought though!

Crunchymum · 22/08/2018 15:57

Bless him.

I guess he is just going by the end of the name Cath-'Erin'(e)

Ohyesiam · 22/08/2018 15:54

Haven’t heard of it but no reason not to. We get Betty from Elizabeth and it’s no more of a stretch than that.

ReginaPhalange89 · 22/08/2018 15:51

Lol! No it's definitely not .... But I can see how he's worked that out haha

ZebraKid71 · 22/08/2018 15:24

I've never heard it but I actually think it works! I met an allie the other day that was a nn for Natalie which I'd never even thought of as a nn.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 22/08/2018 14:54

Actually, that's really clever! Lots of Katherines/Catherines when I was at school in the dark ages and I genuinely thought that I'd heard every possible NN. Clearly not; I think your DH may be some sort of name savant

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