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Original poster

Changing nickname from Alfie at Freddie at 15 months

52 replies

Motherhood12345 · 01/05/2025 09:22

I'm hoping to get people's view on something that has been bugging me since I named my little boy who is now 15 months old.

We named him Alfred on his birth certificate but have always called him Alfie. However, from the first day that I went out with him, I continually met dogs called Alfie in the park - we have a dog so are in the park a lot. Everyone who I meet says that they know a dog called Alfie too. Before naming him, I didn't realize how popular the name is for dogs and for some reason, it has always really bugged me.

We've recently (for the past week) been calling him Freddie at home and he's started responding to that name - as well as Alfie. We've started telling our friends and family about the gradual change and while my mum was initially supportive, she has now informed me that she doesn't think it's a good idea and that one of her friends was "deeply shocked" at the idea. She says that it's confusing for my son and his 3 year old sister. His sister does continue to call him Alfie and says that Fred is from Tabby McTat (a children's story book), although she'll occasionally call him Freddie when, for example, she's saying his name just after we've said it.

Can I please get people's view on this situation? Am I being silly transitioning his nickname to Freddie, or do you think it's okay?

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Janefx40 · 01/05/2025 09:29

I love the name Alfie and don’t know any dogs with that name!!! However that’s not the point I know.

I think you can call your son whatever works for you and Freddie could be a nickname for Alfred. I don’t think that a 15 month old will be too confused or not for long and his sister will get used to it. But I think you will need to accept that some people will still call him Alfie and just be ok with that. As he gets older and more people get introduced to him as Freddie, it will fade out.

i have a friend at work who has 2 different names, one to some friends and one to others and work and he is perfectly well adjusted - and actually both my cousins changed their commonly used names from their middle names to their official first names as older teens (Americans - often use names differently). It happens. I sometimes use the “wrong” name but try to get it right - they don’t mind!

NuffSaidSam · 01/05/2025 09:26

Do you ever call him Alfred or has he always been Alfie? If so, you're not really changing his nickname, you're changing his name.

I think generally changing a nickname is fine particularly if you transition gently. Changing his name is a bit different though.

It's also a bit of a silly reason. What are you going to do if the next faddy dog name is Freddie? Change his name again? It's not as if there are no dogs called Freddie after all!

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