"Nicknames" as first names

Depends on the name. I approach it on a case by case basis.

If you want to call your child Kate instead of Katherine, go ahead! Kate is one of the most mainstream and inoffensive everywoman names there are. No one's life will be hampered by being called Kate.

And giving Archie the 'option' of Archibald is a bad idea. It's an ugly ass name that no adult man will ever want to own.

A lot of it on MN is just pure snobbery. Shocking I know...

But you still have that?

If you legal birth certificate name is Fred, no one is going to tell you that at 25 you can’t introduce yourself as Frederick to new work colleagues if they prefer. You can lengthen name just as easy as shorten. People aren’t going to say ‘ I wonder how an earth he linked Fred to Frederick’, because it can only be linked ‘ Frederick to Fred’

What if your name is Katherine and you hate it and all the shortenings anyway?

But that's not what this discussion is about. It's about whether or not to give children a 'proper' name instead of a nickname version of that name.

Obviously if a child hates their name so much (very rare imo), then they can change it by deed poll. But that's probably quite a hassle for them.

But if you don’t like Katie and want to use Katherine, surely you could say the same for any name?

Yes, and by giving your child a proper 'long' name, they can choose whether they prefer some people to call them by a short form, eg Katie, Kitty, Kat while still being Katharine say at work.

But if you don’t like Katie and want to use Katherine, surely you could say the same for any name?
What if your name is Katherine and you hate it and all the shortenings anyway?
You can just opt to call yourself any other name and get it legally changed as an adult if you like. katherine can just become Fred

I prefer a full name generally because I like the rich linguistic and cultural tradition behind names, I think it's a nice thing to carry through generations. I also think that options are good - you might love Katie, but your daughter might prefer Katherine or her birth cert so she can decide from several nns or a full name, or have a full name for work and a short form at home.

What I do think is actively a mistake is cute baby nns as full names - things like Polly and Albie - they have a very specific flavour, so to me it's like saddling your kid with a younique name like Velvet or Rocky. I don't like sappy flower names for girls for the same reason.

Ah thank you! We haven't told anyone in real life what we're thinking so it's nice to hear that!

For what it's worth I think Evie Margaret and Evelyn Margaret sound lovely. @Oiwiththepoodlesalreadygg

Was just thinking of Teddy Roosevelt and Teddy Kennedy. Tucker Carlson and his son Buckley. Trip and Track Palin. What was that poster saying about names in the US? @user1477391263

You can tie yourself up in knots about names. It's the last bastion of snobbery on MN.

This is exactly the dilemma we're having over naming our daughter. Our favourite name is Evie, which I know isn't popular on here but we love it, and as a teacher I have only ever met one so doesn't feel overused to me personally. But I just know my mum will say what's Evie short for because she's very much of the traditional long names school of thought! So we're wondering whether to go for Evelyn on the birth certificate, which we do also like... But we know we'd want to call her Evie so won't it just be annoying constantly having to explain? I have an unusual spelling of my first and surname and it drives me crazy always having to correct people! For what it's worth we're likely to go for a much more traditional middle name (Margaret is the current favourite). Not sure I'm any closer to a decision having read through this thread but you're not alone in this dilemma!

Exactly, it’s just normal now, things have changed i think this makes people uncomfortable as the playing field is further levelled so a child’s name isn’t such a class denoter as before they want their child to be advantaged just by giving them a long ‘classic’ name and get annoyed that those old rules are slipping into the past

This

And I refer you to the previous poster about "wayne/Tracey connotations ". Say it like it is why don't you.

My mother has a very long formal name. She hates it and has spent her life introducing herself by a shortened 'cute' version. She's 82 now. Suits her. My father used to call her by an even cuter shorter version.

All these 'rules' are for naught really.

What's the difference in being christened Lottie and wanting to be called Charlotte at a later date or being christened Charlotte and wanting to be called Lottie later? Charlotte can be known as Charlotte or by any diminutive such as Char, Charlie, Lottie, depending on circumstances. Lottie can be Lottie or Lot?

It's all a bit over the top and judgemental surely?

Couldn't agree more.

. Also, the use of these namesespecially for boysis very much a UK thing; you don't really see it in the US and most other English speaking countries. I think being a grown man with a name like Alfie will be awkward in contexts outside the UK.

Err "awkward" ... Dear god. 🙄Like there aren't some ( to the British ear ) hilarious US names.

Nope wouldn't worry me though, because I don't feel 'awkward' about other peoples names, however different they are to my taste. And outside the UK people call their kids by all sorts of names, just like here.

Silly names like Albie and effie says @Katypp . Is your username not Katy? Why are those names any sillier than yours? Effie is a Victorian name used hugely in that period where I'm from. I think it's nice. So many in the graveyard near me. Doesn't sound like a toddler to me. Makes me think of Effie Gray. What IS pretty horrendous is Euphemia. Which is what it was short for back in the day. So I understand why parents might not want to put that on the BC. Let's do the judge test. Judge Euphemia? Judge Effie? Doesn't make any difference really does it? In fact Judge Euphemia possibly sounds more bizarre. I don't see that modern names are more cutesy than in the past. Why shouldn't boys have softer names? Perhaps this is a good thing? Offset some of the awful sexual stereotyping inherent in so many names and meanings.

I don't think there's anything wrong with longer names with shortenings or shortenings themselves or shorter names. I just think some of the tone is quite judgemental. Peculiarly so. Why should it bother anyone else? Why should someone's mother be 'horrified' at a diminutive going on a bc. It's all a bit over the top and judgemental surely?

I gave mine the short version of their name on the BC but still call them by the longer names when they are in trouble. Think Sam(uel) and Ben(jamin).

But are all short names cute?
Alfred becoming Alfie might be, but what if child is just called Alf, and known as Alf forever. I wouldn’t meet a 40 year old Alf Smith and think it sounded like a toddler

Alf, Tom, Gus, Ray, John, Fred

I have never met a Rose and thought I couldn’t take them seriously as they aren’t Rosemary. Or Anna not having Annabelle on birth certificate

I didn't speak at school for a month. When they called my parents in my dad had a brainwave and asked what they were calling me
"Her full name"
Dad "oh. Well she thinks she's always in trouble then!"

I dislike my name anyway as it has a masculine and feminine version and nobody can say or spell the two different ones. Never used to be a problem but the last couple of years I've got pissed off with being called "Samuel" when "Samantha" is written on the appointment/parcel/email

Lol, my son (5) said that James was his 'told off' name ... he's quite right really

When the kid is in trouble having a full first name to fall back on and call out is the ultimate sign they have landed themselves in the 'sh*t'. I have a cousin who everyone just knows as Eve but her proper name on her birth certificate is Aoibhinn. When she hears her full first name she knows she is in trouble or that people are being serious. It is a step down from full name calling her with her first, middle and last name but denotes the escilating seriousness and losing of patience.

Most of the names on my list are shortened versions because I don't know why we would write one name on the birth cert when we know we would call the child by another name

But 'the child' may prefer the option of the more formal name?

I think cutesy-poo names for adults will not age well for this reason and will acquire Wayne/Tracey connotations with time. Also, the use of these names especially for boysis very much a UK thing

I agree. These cutesy names already sound dated imo.

Well I'm a woman and I should think I'm about 20 years older so I don't think so. Did his family have a cutesy name for him?