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Baby names

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Original poster

Name dilemma - should I change 20 month old DS's name?

229 replies

CeilingCat · 14/04/2008 09:10

This has been preying on my mind for a while now, so I thought I'd run it past the MN jury.

DS as a very unusual (but not 'unique') name. I really love it, BUT no one else does. We always call him by an abbreviation of his name (the abbreviation is quite commonplace) and I now dread people asking me what it's short for. I'm not a 'wacky' person, and I hate confrontation, and I find it hard to deal with the negative reactions.

So, DH and I have been talking about changing his name, either to his abbreviated name, or to another name which could (at a bit of a stretch) be abbreviated to the same nick name.

Hmmm this is sounding complicated isn't it? I don;t want to give the actual names cos it would out me to any RL mates, but here's an approximate equivalent:

DS birth name 'Albus'
Nick name 'Albie'
Possible name change 'Archibald'

THESE ARE NOT THE ACTUAL NAMES, BUT THEY ARE THE BEST EQUIVALENTS I CAN THINK OF.

DH thinks we should just change his name to his nick name, but I'm just not sure. I don't like the idea of him being 'Albie' as an official name IYSWIM.

DH thinks it would be weird to change his name to 'Archibald' as the abbreviation to 'Albie' is too contrived.

We never actually call him 'Albus' and we would probably rarely call him 'Archibald', but I think 'Archibald' is going to serve him better in the future than either 'Albus' or 'Albie'.

Still with me? Whaddya think??

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Original poster
CeilingCat · 14/04/2008 09:15

edam - that's what I thought originally, but I'm worried about things like school registers and job interviews where he might be forcibly 'outed'.

OP posts:
WanderingTrolley · 14/04/2008 09:14

I think everyone should shut the fk up and you should stick with the name you love.

Don't change his name - you will never find a name that everyone approves of and I think you will regret changing it.

Unless you change it to Archibald, which is a fabulous name.

No one else's business but yours. Don't change his name (unless it's Shirley)

ChipButty · 14/04/2008 09:14

Leave his real name as it is and just call him by his nickname. He may want to use his real name when he is older. It can't be that bad and who cares what other people think?

edam · 14/04/2008 09:12

Unless it's something really awful, I'd leave the official name and just continue to call him by his nickname tbh. Does it matter what his birth cert. says if you use the abbreviation in everyday life, and tell school, playgroup etc. etc that he's Albie?