Am I alone in hating this trend?

Thick?

It’s not a trend, it’s just people being thick.

Because a) the full version may be more appropriate for their eventual career if it’s a formal setting and b) it gives them the choice of long or short and which diminutive they prefer.

I think Kate is well established as a stand alone name, as is Tom. It’s all the ghastly names that end in ie that aren’t so much.

I never realised people saw names like Kate or Alfie as nicknames til I joined mn. Why give your child a name you're not going to use

You're not alone! I've been griping about this for years! Also, surnames as first names annoy me but that's a separate thread.

I’m a Vikki because my parents didn’t like Victoria, but also didn’t want Vicky because they thought people would assume I was a Victoria.
People assume I’m a Victoria anyway.

See, my Dad did that. (Different name, but same idea). He loved the name "Jo" for a girl, wanted to call his daughter Jo but that was "a nickname" so called DSis Joanna.

Joanna hates the nickname Jo, has never ever used it and tends to go by Anna or Joanna instead.

Choose the actual name you like.

I have a Kate, just Kate. Why would I call her Katherine when I’d never call her it and I don’t like it?

People have literally been doing this for centuries. I have a nick name (that’s what it’s called). I don’t correct people when they use my full name. It’s not an issue.

My ancestors from 200+ years back have been Tom, Bill, Gwen, Flo, etc. It's a tradition, not a trend.

I've never walked up to someone and upon hearing their name is say Late, bothered to ascertain if there's a longer version which they're cleay choosing to not use. Similarly I don't ask for middle names.

There's nothing to stop a Kate choosing to be known as Catherine. Or Caitlin. Or Catriona

Really ?

Lucy isn't short for Lucinda, although it could be.

Also a pet hate of mine...

As someone who only ever uses the shortened version of my long name, I’m very much in favour of just using the short version if that’s the name you like and are going to use regularly.

My DS is Billy, not William. We didn’t like the name William, and wouldn’t be calling him that so we didn’t see the point of putting it on his BC. Nobody asks us if it’s short for William

If people can shorten long names then surely people with short form of names can choose to use the long one?

There's nothing to stop a Kate choosing to be known as Catherine. Or Caitlin. Or Catriona. She has "options" too.

I don't think it's anything to hate, and has been happening for so long it can scarcely be called a trend. Each to their own, live and let live, etc.

I think Tom and Kate are fine, but Frankie, Billy, Charlie, Freddie, is just annoying.

I get that - we actually de-selected a name because we couldn't decide whether to go for the long version, and shorten it, or give the short version as the official name. DH, who shortens his name, thought the latter, why have a long-form name you never use? I disagreed though, I wanted my children to have 'proper' names and the choice to shorten or not. We ended up with a name you can't really shorten instead!

It’s not new, I went to school with two girls called Katie in the 1980s. I also know a girl whose parents have her a “proper” name and a nickname as a middle but always intended to use the middle. So imagine Rebecca Susie but they’ve called her Susie her whole life. She finds it annoying when called Rebecca and wishes they hadn’t bothered!

Because nobody has ever called her it so she doesn't associate it with her (she says) Her name is Katie thats what everyone called her from birth. Obviously now it sounds strange nobody made the connection but everything says Katie, her email, her ID card.

I was actually going to say that about my name. I always introduce myself by my full name as I prefer to be called that (Jennifer) nobody ever sticks to it they always shorten it to Jen or Jenny only one aunt calls me Jennifer everyone else shortens it. I gave up asking people to call me Jennifer.

It annoys me when full names are given with no intention of using them tbh!

I have a long name but have only ever been known by the ‘nickname’ which is a perfectly reasonable stand alone name. I’m used to it now, but as a child it used to drive me mad being addressed by my full name and having to correct people. I found my full name old fashioned and at school people would take the piss when I was called it. Though with the trend of older names these days that may not be such an issue.

Some of the long versions of names are pretty awful too which I guess is why some people prefer a shortened version. If I preferred a short version, I’d never use the full name if I didn’t love it as much, as inevitability at school you will be correcting people all the time.

I just don’t see the point in causing confusion for a child over a name that they possibly won’t ever seek to use.

Do employers really judge you on what your name is?! I have worried about this all my working career...

I have name ending 'ie (nickname for a virtue name)', it was pretty uncommon when I was born in the early 90s but has lingered around the top 100 for the past decade.

But what if your friend at work had decided she really preferred Catherine and wanted to go by that? I can't see that having the option is hugely problematic? If she wants to stick with Katie (or Kate or Cathy) then that's fine.

I'm surprised everyone struggled so much to make a connection between Catherine and Katie!

I’m a Kate and in 43 years I reckon I’ve been asked twice at the most if it’s short for Katherine. My parents liked Kate, not Katherine.