Ready for everyone to come at me, but...

My pet peeve is when people clearly don't know the full/formal name and call their kid something ridiculous like Harrison.

What a boring world if everyone called their children by the same "formal" names. News flash: people can call their children whatever they like, it's nothing to do with judgemental people like yourself.

Better than K-a (K’dasha) - yep, it’s real

Why is Ralphie so different to Billy or Jimmy, plenty of older men go by those versions of their name? There are also older men called Archie or Alfie - once again a version of their name - and no-one thinks anything of it. I know an older man whose actual name is Hughie, he seems to cope.

This is one of the snobbiest threads I’ve read in a while, mumsnet really makes me laugh at times…hyacinths galore.

No Harrison isn’t my taste, nor is Ralphie but they can use Harry/Ralph if they wish and both sound absolutely normal names.

I have a mumsnet approved ‘proper’ name on my BC which I’ve never been known as. I HATED it at high school when teachers insisted on using it as I didn’t identify with it at all. I would still never ever use it. And guess what, I’ve managed to have a perfectly successful professional career using my cutesy nickname…who’d have thought?!!!

Names are so personal but these threads being all superior and mocking others get my goat. It’s really quite sad. Calling your little darling Frederick or Charlotte does not cement your middle class ambitions.

Awful name

I find the nicknames which are bestowed worse.
Name - Elizabeth. Ti be known as Bibbi, BingBong, Bazzi, Nessie, NooNoo... etc.

Totally agree and I really kept that in mind when naming our children I wanted their names to be suitable for all stages of their lives right upto being grandparents

My little second cousin is Harrison & I think it's quite cute & he can be Harry if he wants later on in life.

but there are so many situations in life where you have to give your actual name...

He'll call himself Ralph. In life there are very few situations where you have to give your actual name - and he'll just say "It's Ralphie on my birth certificate but I'm known as Ralph". Many people have to do that because of awful / embarrassing names, they get used to it.

I always "test" the name. Put the prefix "Grandpa" or "Grandma" in front of the name and see how it sounds.
Grandpa Ralph
Grandpa Butch
Grandma Susan
Grandma Brandy Joy
It makes it easier to imagine the staying power of a name.

I’m not a mad fan of nicknames instead of full names on birth certs, but I can see PP’s logic that given how popular a trend it is, there’s going to be loads of adult Tommys/ Archie’s/ Poppys/Maisie’s in 30/40 years.

What does really irk me is when people pick a name that is just so “out there” that is obviously been chosen with no consideration for the poor person who’s going to have to use it for the next 70+ years. There’s a small business I follow on Instagram and the owner has just called her newborn son Bucky. Imagine going through life being called a nickname of a popular fortified wine.

That seems particularly silly. Cute for a small child.

Is Harrison that ridiculous? Of all the names I encounter these days that one seems quite...ordinary. A very 2020s sounding boys' name along with Theo and Ethan. Is the annoyance that they should be Henry/Harry and not Harry/Harrison?

Who knows!

I'm never sure why people feel so keen to judge other people's kids names. Personally I hate names like Esme, George, Oliver, Daniel, James, Grace etc. But I don't think that matters a jot as people should use names they like. I don't come on internet forums saying that people should not give their kids names which evidence a need for conformity and lack of self-expression. It does seem like those who favour more conservative names as more judgemental of other people's choices. Ralphie can call himself Ralph when he grows up if he wants to with the same ease that Timothy's currently call themselves Tim. So not issue if you choose not to make one.

I'm not a fan.
You're naming a human with a future as an adult, not a cockerpoo.

No doubt, in 30 years there will be a wealth of barristers called Alfie-Bob and Maisie-Mae, but I would bet they'll be naming their children Timothy and Elizabeth.

Shittie will come into fashion soon enough at this rate

I was given an 'ie' name in 1969. It was shortened to the grown up version (by me) by 1979!

I’m sure nobody ever calls the footballers Teddy Sheringham or Billy Sharp their “proper” names and it doesn’t seem to of done them much harm as adult men.

My great uncle Reggie is 94 and has always been known as Reggie or reg.
My grandad is Ted. Never, ever Edward. His brother, my other great uncle, was Tommy. Never Thomas.

This isn’t a new thing. Maybe not using on the bc is more common now, but for adult men to be known as Archie, Charlie, Reggie etc is not uncommon or ridiculous at all.

But when all the Archies, Charlies, and Alfies are adults it will sound completely normal because there’s so many of them.

I prefer full names for birth certificates personally, but I can’t see it being a problem tbh.

There was a baby boy in the hospital who had been born just before my son. His parents had named him Bertie-Ray. That is so hideously twee, it makes Ralphie seem almost austere. Ralphie is hideous too, and I would feel a twinge of humiliation to introduce myself with such a name if I were a middle aged man.

I can't stand those kinds of names, but it's not done Jamie Oliver any harm, and in ten years, these babyish names will be so commonplace, most people under 60 will be used to them and not bat an eyelid.

The only name in the top 100 that could be seen as an abbreviated name was Harry.