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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Registering birth at 2.30 today - help me decide what goes on the birth certificate!

83 replies

underthewestway · 03/08/2020 11:08

Registering son’s birth this afternoon. He is called after my dad, who was Joseph but always called Joe.

We will probably never refer to son as anything other than Joe so DP thinks we should register him as Joe but I’m not sure. Some sort of traditional part of me thinks we should go with Joseph and keep his options open (not sure what for!). But then again, I do prefer just Joe as his name.

What is the mumsnet verdict?

OP posts:
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whichteaareyou · 03/08/2020 13:47

Joseph

SomeWateryTart · 03/08/2020 13:18

Like you op, and nearly everyone else on here, I would 100% go with Joseph.

Joseph Henry is lovely. Not sure why your DP thinks that would be made fun of...? Henry is quite a common name these days. I don't think anyone gets made fun of for being called Henry as a middle name?

I used to work with a Ricky and when he booked plane tickets etc, the travel company would ALWAYS 'correct' it to Richard. Obviously if your and ticket doesn't match your passport or Visa, you can run into problems at airports etc.

Aside from that sort of thing, I just think having a more formal name option is usually a good thing.

Bemorechicken · 03/08/2020 13:16

Joseph

Reader1984 · 03/08/2020 13:15

Joseph

Boringnamechanging · 03/08/2020 13:14

Joseph. Gives him options.

Give him a middle name, what could anyone turn Henry into to make fun of? I could understand if it was something more unusual.

NothingIsWrong · 03/08/2020 13:04

I have a nickname on my birth certificate and would far rather the long version.

ncqtime · 03/08/2020 13:03

Joseph

SnarkWeek · 03/08/2020 13:02

Going against the grain to say that both my sister and I have shortened names as our full names, not cutesy cutesy shortenings, more like Jo or Sam or Ellie, and although it has given both of us a pathological hatred of the longer versions, due to ridiculous people insisting that they must be our real names, neither of us has ever had any problem. The employment thing has never been an issue and with all the Archies and Teddies about I doubt a Joe is going to raise any eyebrows.

viques · 03/08/2020 13:00

Actually , unless he is dyslexic I don't think he will be using Jospeph.

Blush
viques · 03/08/2020 12:57

why name him something he isnt

Well at the moment what he is is a tiny baby whose parents call him Joe. But he won't be a tiny baby for ever and Joseph gives him choices and options he can use ,and change , over the 80 something years of his life expectancy.

He can call himself Joe on his business cards, or he can put Jospeph and asked to be called Joe, or he can put Joseph and be called Joseph.

He might want to be called J, or Jay, Jos or Joey. Who knows, but Joseph gives options that Joe removes.

Userwhatevernumber · 03/08/2020 12:55

Joseph 100% on birth certificate

NC4Now · 03/08/2020 12:55

Joseph. Beautiful name.
My Jim is only James on his BC - even school records have him as Jim. It’s nice for them to have a proper name and a chosen name.

perfumeistooexpensive · 03/08/2020 12:54

Joseph. I know a Danny, Bobby, Freddie, Debbie and Charlie who hate that they were given a shortened name instead of the full version. They wanted the choice as they would prefer the original name for job applications etc. as it looks more serious and professional.

Floralnomad · 03/08/2020 12:53

Joseph Henry is lovely .

Floralnomad · 03/08/2020 12:53

Joseph , if only for the fact that you are naming him after your dad who was called Joseph .

Original poster
underthewestway · 03/08/2020 12:52

Wow - thanks all! I wasn’t expecting so many quick responses Smile

The nearly unanimous verdict has confirmed my instinct to go with Joseph. I agree with the majority of you who think it is better to have the choice in later life. I have a very traditional (long) name which I have never shortened, whereas DP goes by an abbreviation and gets irritated when people use the long form of his name, which probably explains our different perspectives. I didn’t realise you could register a shortened form at school, so thanks for that tip.

Now DP just needs to decide if he wants no middle name (DP doesn’t have one as his dad thought they were just an additional reason for boys to make fun of each other) or to have Henry, which was one of his grandad’s names). Don’t think I will know the outcome of that deliberation until we’re actually with the registrar.....!

Thanks again all Smile

OP posts:
thriftyhen · 03/08/2020 12:51

Joseph.

ellenpartridge · 03/08/2020 12:49

I would put Joseph on the certificate

L8Bloomer · 03/08/2020 12:47

I think people presume that your real name is the longer name anyway.

So if you're just ''nick'' then you have to go through correcting that assumption that you must have Nicholas on the bc.

Iwantacookie · 03/08/2020 12:46

Joseph. I had similar issue when ds2 was born. If he had been a girl I wanted e.g. Jo to be the name she goes by and I would of put Josephine on the birth certificate.
I just felt it gave them more options for when they are older. Most people would assume it was short for joseph anyway.

L8Bloomer · 03/08/2020 12:45

Joseph

Spied · 03/08/2020 12:44

Joseph

KaleJuicer · 03/08/2020 12:43

Definitely Joseph. My DS has a similar longer name on his birth cert and at school etc the shorter nickname is used. Never been a problem. He’s already realised that when he’s older he might like a more “grown up” nickname or his full name so we’re really pleased with the decision to register the full name.

LarkDescending · 03/08/2020 12:40

Joseph. Lovely name - congratulations!

TheKeeperofMilk · 03/08/2020 12:11

Definitely Joseph.

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