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

Nicknames for Joseph

55 replies

Xx40yearsyoungxx · 31/08/2024 13:22

Hi, I’m having name regret for my youngest son which I can’t shake. He’s too old to change his name so I’m trying to find peace with an alternative nickname (that’s not Joe or Joey) I can use instead which is linked to his name without looking too contrived/try hard. From reading other posts the consensus is that Zeph / Seph is too far removed and people wouldn’t associate this with Joseph……thoughts please?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Cinnamonkie · 31/08/2024 14:14

My brother in year 8 started a new school midterm, he had to stand at the front of the class and the teacher said 'this is our new student Joshua' one of the kids shouted 'DAVE' and now 30+ years later my brother is still called dave 😆

Seas164 · 31/08/2024 14:12

I think a nickname is something that just happens and can develop over time, ie Cornflake, Joseph is a stand up name, but if you want something else I know a Joff and a Joss if either suit better.

Please don't Zeph him unless it is something that evolves on it's own.

notanarchaeologist · 31/08/2024 14:12

Lampzade · 31/08/2024 14:10

I agree.
Just call him J

Show quote history

I know a Jason who was called J, which then became JJ, which then became Vajayjay, which then became Mary, which is why we now tend to call him Blige..

lolly792 · 31/08/2024 14:12

Joseph is a beautiful name, no need to shorten it at all, but if you do, Joe works as a cool name for any age: toddler, teenager, adult, old man.

At age 2 he knows what his name is, and I would leave it up to him to decide if he wants to ever change it.

Of course, you can call him any nickname you like, but these sort of things evolve naturally, it would seem a bit odd to suddenly decide to call him by a pet name

MerryMarys · 31/08/2024 14:11

Does he have a middle name that you prefer?

Lampzade · 31/08/2024 14:10

SonicTheHodgeheg · 31/08/2024 13:41

I know a Joseph who goes by his full name.

My son has a J name and went by J (Jay?) for a while. It’s not a name like Jake or Jacob where Jay is the first syllable of his name.

My other son has Joseph as a middle name and I love it 18 years later. It’s a great name and timeless imo.

I agree.
Just call him J

notanarchaeologist · 31/08/2024 14:08

I don't think you're being daft. It's a feeling, you're allowed to have them.

My daughter's name has deep family connections. It's a lovely name and it means a lot to a lot of people. However if it didn't have that meaning it wouldn't have been anywhere near my top choice. She's 3.5 now and it is growing on me. She rejects all nicknames, only wants to be called by her name, she says I'm NOT nickname im name! Her strong feelings on it seem to make it more hers, which is helping me. Maybe Joseph will grow for you as well.

6ixThirty · 31/08/2024 14:07

Does he have a middle name you could use?

Cinnamonkie · 31/08/2024 14:06

Xx40yearsyoungxx · 31/08/2024 13:53

Thanks everyone. He’s 2. I’m not sure why I can’t shake this- I just thought with the passing of time I would feel like he would ‘grow’ into his name and I couldn’t imagine him being known by anything else but it’s the opposite - I just can’t see him as a Joseph or Joe/y, although bizarrely i like the name - just it’s not him. I know I’m being daft.

If you could name him again what would you name him?

Cinnamonkie · 31/08/2024 14:05

You can call him Fred if you want, he's your baby. My dd is called Roo, which is a nickname which started with her name and got further away from it.

Seph, Jojo, JJ, Jay you could use his middle name or initials like JT

MrsTerryPratchett · 31/08/2024 14:04

My childhood name was Cornflake.

See! Any nickname that fits, fits.

HowNice23 · 31/08/2024 14:02

I know a teenage Joseph I think it's a lovely name, classic but works in all settings nd Joe is logical nn, never heard him called Joey!

BoleynMemories13 · 31/08/2024 14:01

Joseph is lovely, Joe is cool. I know one who gets JoJo at home (he's only a toddler, will likely outgrow this and become Joe by school).

Zeph is hideous (as is Ziff) and Seph (Seth?) is a completely separate name imo, I wouldn't assume this to be a short form of Joseph at all.

Just call him what comes naturally. Many family nicknames don't relate to the actual name at all. I know people who affectionately call their kids things like Bear, Pip etc. Does he even need a nickname? Joseph works perfectly fine on it's own, being only 2 syllables.

fizzymizzy · 31/08/2024 13:54

If he is too old to change his name presumably you have been calling him Joseph for some time? How does he or how will he take to you suddenly calling home something else? Nicknames when they happen naturally over time make a lot of sense. Suddenly calling Joseph something else might not

Original poster
Xx40yearsyoungxx · 31/08/2024 13:53

Thanks everyone. He’s 2. I’m not sure why I can’t shake this- I just thought with the passing of time I would feel like he would ‘grow’ into his name and I couldn’t imagine him being known by anything else but it’s the opposite - I just can’t see him as a Joseph or Joe/y, although bizarrely i like the name - just it’s not him. I know I’m being daft.

OP posts:
LightDrizzle · 31/08/2024 13:51

Sepp, common in Italy.

Notreat · 31/08/2024 13:50

I know a Joseph who is known as Ziff. It suits him.
But to honest though the best nick names just happen organically it's hard to force them..

TheFormidableMrsC · 31/08/2024 13:49

I have a Joseph. It's a lovely, strong, classic name! I'm sorry you feel like that about it. I don't shorten my son's name but his friends call him Joey or Joe. I'm not keen on Joey to be honest. How old is he??

Cattery · 31/08/2024 13:47

I have a Joseph. Joe. Joe-Joe Rabbit.

notanarchaeologist · 31/08/2024 13:46

MrsTerryPratchett · 31/08/2024 13:44

It's a great name I would have chosen if not for DH's issue with it being an ex's name Grin

Joe is lovely. But if you don't like that, just have a completely unrelated nickname. Food based ones are good; pumpkin, muffin, noodle...

Noodle 😂😂😂

Totally accurate though. My childhood name was Cornflake.

MrsTerryPratchett · 31/08/2024 13:44

It's a great name I would have chosen if not for DH's issue with it being an ex's name Grin

Joe is lovely. But if you don't like that, just have a completely unrelated nickname. Food based ones are good; pumpkin, muffin, noodle...

SonicTheHodgeheg · 31/08/2024 13:41

I know a Joseph who goes by his full name.

My son has a J name and went by J (Jay?) for a while. It’s not a name like Jake or Jacob where Jay is the first syllable of his name.

My other son has Joseph as a middle name and I love it 18 years later. It’s a great name and timeless imo.

Petesbowtie9 · 31/08/2024 13:38

I know a Joseph who is Joff

Bbq1 · 31/08/2024 13:37

Joe (obvs)
Joey
Jo-Jo

Joseph is a nice name.

notanarchaeologist · 31/08/2024 13:28

JoJo? Joss? Ossie? Seppi? Zeph? Zephi?

Joseph is a lovely choice.

Also, nicknames can be anything surely? Not just shortening. I recently met a Martin who goes by Russell...because when he was a kid if someone rustled a snack packed then whoosh....he'd be there. So 35 years later he's still Russ! Also have heard of a Rhys known as Jimmy because he looked like someone off the tele. So Zeph from Joseph doesn't seem outlandish.