Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

If you have a Benjamin...

31 replies

dancingqueen345 · 09/09/2022 15:44

Have they ended up being Ben amongst friends and family despite you calling them Benjamin?

I really like both, but partner not mad on Ben and thinks they will only ever get called Benjamin by the pair of us.

Or if not Ben, are there any other nicknames yours go by?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Heath2330 · 14/09/2022 21:40

I have a Benjamin and he prefers Ben so we all call him Ben when he was younger it was mostly Benjamin can't really remember how/when the Ben started but we love it now and Ben does to Benjamin is now reserved for telling off lol

Iwant2move · 10/09/2022 16:54

I have a Ben. He is Ben on his birth certificate not Benjamin. People want to lengthen it to Benjamin.

LosttheremoteAGAIN · 10/09/2022 16:22

my brother is a Benjamin but from day one,he’s a Ben
same with my other brothers-Samuel and Thomas-both are Sam and tom-and have been from the minute they where born
the long versions of their names are for the birth certificate and other legal documents

Lilacsunflowers · 10/09/2022 16:10

Benj or Benja

lilaccottagegarden · 10/09/2022 09:00

I have a Benjamin, and people do say ben.

We had a card congratulating us on the birth of Beneejam so he is Beneejam a lot of the time now, even though he is approaching two 😂

rainbowandglitter · 10/09/2022 08:55

One in my family gets called Benj.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 10/09/2022 08:42

I know 3 Benjamin's - two are Benjamin and one is Benji. It would ultimately depend on what Benjamin likes though, if he opted for Ben, Ben it is really.

Lookingforrecommendations · 10/09/2022 08:27

My nephew is Benjamin but gets Ben as it was easier for him to spell in school! Somehow Benjamin doesn't suit him but Ben does?
My sister wishes they'd just named him Ben!

schnubbins · 10/09/2022 08:27

My Benjamin has always been Ben but that was my preference .He likes Ben , Benjamin not so much .My friend has a Benedict and he is always called Benedict.

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 10/09/2022 08:24

Benjie when small, benj for a bit morphing to Ben by senior school.

Don't do it if DH is going to correct his friends & insist his teachers only ever call him Benjamin.

Everyone except family called me by the equivalent of Ben, my Dad used to tell my friends that wasn't my name, it was (the equivalent of) Benjamin!

SO embarrassing. Even in my 50's I hate it when my friends or siblings call me 'Ben' around my Mum. (Sadly my Dsd is no longer here. He was fabulous in every other way!!)

Mummyjlr120 · 10/09/2022 08:23

Benny aswell love that name 💙

BelfastSmile · 10/09/2022 08:22

DS (8) is Benjamin, never Ben. That may change when he's older, but so far it's always been Benjamin. I don't think he'd have any idea who "Ben" was!

MassiveSalad22 · 10/09/2022 08:18

Benjamins I know go by Ben. Benedicts I know go by Benedict.

LillyBugg · 10/09/2022 08:16

My Benjamin is Benny. It wasn't intentional but it stuck. He's 8 now. He doesn't like being called Ben.

Lilacsunflowers · 10/09/2022 08:06

All Benjamins we know are Ben or Benj

Ickiness · 09/09/2022 22:28

My partner is Benjamin and he’s always Benji, never gets called Ben

Kite22 · 09/09/2022 21:53

Agree with everyone. Don't use Benjamin if you don't like Ben.

You might be able to "correct" some people (in your presence) when they are little, but once they start going places without you it will be Ben

Lightningrain · 09/09/2022 17:10

The vast majority of Benjamins I know are Ben but two are known as Benji. The only people that I’ve ever heard call them Benjamin once they’re no longer small children are their parents.

Harrystylestutu · 09/09/2022 17:06

Benji or benj for the Benjamins I know.

Groovester · 09/09/2022 16:36

My son is Benjamin to everyone but on the rugby pitch, he gets Benji.

Evenstar · 09/09/2022 16:35

Ours is always Ben, Benjie when he was little and occasionally still gets called that at home

IheartBTS · 09/09/2022 16:34

My son is called Ben by friends and family, and he prefers it, but he’ll always be a Benjamin to me! It just doesn’t feel right calling him Ben. I like both names equally, so maybe I just haven’t got used to it yet.

allow · 09/09/2022 16:30

You are never going to be able to enforce the long form of a name. Or for that matter be sure that the child won’t prefer a shorter form. You will get Ben, Benny, Benji… and there is nothing you can do about it.

Luredbyapomegranate · 09/09/2022 16:27

Every Benjamin or Benedict I have ever known (which would be at least 30, ages from 2 to 50 odd), is called Ben. Family sometimes say Benjy or Benny for little ones. But it always ends up Ben.

So don’t use it if you don’t like Ben (sorry).

Original poster
dancingqueen345 · 09/09/2022 16:03

Thanks everyone. I really like Ben, just need to work on my partner.

He said he thinks it would grow on him though so I'm half way there!

OP posts: