Am I alone in hating this trend?

I have worked with a woman called Katie for years, only found out a few months ago her name is actually Catherine because some paperwork was delivered from HR and I said "who is Catherine, we don't have a Catherine here". Nobody (including her own family) has ever called her that and she hates it. I don't understand why you would call your child a name that you never intended on using just to put a more formal name on the birth certificate.

My dh often gets called the long version of his name despite introducing himself as the shorter version. He hates it! My mum - who was posh and middle class ish- always insisted on calling him the long version and it made me cringe every time, he would never ever call himself that.

I went to school with a Tom, numerous Bens, Bobby and Kate in the 80s and 90s so it's not a new thing.

I always thought names were for the person who would have that name not the parents. It seems that with nickname names you're taking away so many different options that child/adult would have had concerning what they wish to be called.

My name doesn’t have a nickname or longer name associated with it. Same goes for one of my siblings, my dad and my mil. It’s never occurred to me that our parents didn’t give us ‘options’ about what we called. I’ve certainly never been upset about it.

For instance Tom instead of Thomas

My grandfather was Tom not Thomas...this is not a new trend, it's simple evolution of names. Thomas is a pretty common surname where I'm from so it doesn't work well as a first name, whereas Tom works perfectly fine.

As for diminutives like Jack, Kay, Beth, Archie etc they are all perfectly acceptable as names - they are only nicknames for those with silver spoons rammed up their arses.

Everyone else would see the name and just think "Their name is Jack" rather than "Poor sod, why didn't their parents put John on the birth certificate and just let them call themselves Jack as a nickname?"

Both of my adult sons have shortened ‘nickname’ names. The longer versions didn’t suit them as babies and still wouldn’t as adults, plus we have a long surname and their three letter one syllable names sound much better with it.

DH is often called by the full version of his name, despite having the nickname version on his birth certificate. People don't want to offend him and be too personal by using a nickname apparently!

I love Ben. Wouldn’t dream of calling my child Benjamin.
Same with Tom or Kate.
I prefer short strong names.
Personal taste innit 🤷🏻‍♀️

I actually find many longer names nicer than their cutesy nicknames. The longer names also often travel much better internationally.

I also prefer to give my children the options of choosing their own nicknames.

I know Toms, Katies, Jacks, Harrys, all in their 40s.

I think the cutsey Charlie, Archie, Alfie, Annie, Tommy trends were worse.

Actually no.
The something-may/may/mai was worse!
(i.e. lexi-may)

It's not a new trend

I work with the elderly and there are plenty of Nelly, Peggy, Frank etc who do not have the full name on their birth certificate

I am a bit on the fence with this as names do evolve over time. There are some names however, that to my ears do sound too cutesy/ nicknamey, eg. Teddy, Tilly, Kitty etc where as others such as Kate sound absolutely fine as a stand alone nane

My name is one that was originally a nickname for another common name (both 2 syllables so no shorter!), the majority of people don't even know that and the majority of people with my name do not have the more formal version on their birth certificate (and nor do I)

Well the child can refer to themselves by the non-existent longer name if they want to when they grow up can’t they. So there’s nothing to stop a woman with Connie on her birth certificate referring to herself as Constance in the same was Constance could only be ever known as Connie.

Non issue op.

It's not a trend. I'm 50 and both me and my sis have shortened versions, eg jenny rather than Jennifer. We don't get asked what our names are short for. I guess people assume Tom is short for Thomas but would they actually say 'are you called Tom short for Thomas', it's unlikely really isn't it?

I wouldn’t hear Kate or Tom (or some of the other examples) and think of them as being short for anything to be honest, they’re perfectly good strong names on their own.

Im not keen on this. I always just think it makes more sense to give someone a full name and then they can use the nickname as and when they please. Having a full name you can shorten gives the name versatility.

And like PPs said, it's not a recent trend at all.

When doing my family history recently I found Eliza's, Nancy's, Polly's, etc.

I like it as I think some nicknames are lovely and some full names vile, and it's a shame not to be able to use the nickname and to have to go with the hideous first name. Think lovely Connie V hideous Constance, lovely Maggie V hideous Margaret etc

And, it's not a recent trend. Eg stats from 1904 include in the UK top 100: Tom, Bertie, Alec, Fanny, Nancy, Jessie, Elsie, Nellie.

Go back further and the top UK 100 in 1870 includes: Fred, Tom, Willie, Sam, Joe, Ben, Nellie, Nancy, Lizzie, Jessie, Minnie, Fanny, Annie.

(And this doesn't include Jack and Harry which are in both lists but hardly to be called nicknames I think).

I think everyone hates some names, whether made into or given nicknames. We are all unique and like/dislike as we do. Nothing wrong with that. Therefore there will be people who hate your chosen baby name too

I really don't see a problem with this. It's a style of names. It's not a style of names that I personally would tend to choose, but nothing wrong with Milly, Molly, Billy, Joe as the name. Kate has been a stand alone name for so long that it hardly seems informal in style now.

Names develop in all kinds of ways, this being one of them. I don't get why there's so much angst about other people liking a different style to you.

@iamthere123

I see you 90 years and raise you - my nana was christened Katie in 1895.
Quite a trend!

And Finn came before Finlay even though lots of people seem to think Finlay is the 'full' name.

FWIW, Lucy was a name in its own right long before Lucinda was invented!

Depends on the name. Jake, Kate, Tom and some others sound fine. And much better Archie than Archibald etc.! Some "nicknames" (like Sadie for Sarah or Polly for Mary) haven't been used as a nickname for a very long time, so it makes sense to just give them as a given name.

Not keen on weird ones that sound like an ad-hoc nickname rather than a usable name, such as Albie or Lexie.