So many nicknames as full names

I work with people with names like Jamie, Tom, Tim and Jon. I don't need to know if they have a 'BC' name or not.

Like a couple of pps, I don't understand why you would give one name and yet deliberately set out to call them by something else. Our eldest DC's given name is technically a diminutive. Although I quite like the 'full' name, I prefer the diminutive as did DH, so that is the name on their birth certificate. When dc was very young, we got loads of comments about how the name was lovely for a baby or toddler, but what about when they were an adult. Well, DC is now an admin their mid thirties and is very well established and successful in their career. Nobody has ever commented on their name so I think it's safe to suggest that they haven't been held back by it. At one point we were talking about names and they said they love their name and the fact that it reflects their heritage.

This is a good idea. I haven't seen it in any school I've worked in.

Yes, for senior exams, but otherwise all letters/emails home, permission forms, absentee forms, certificates, communications with the children, etc, use their preferred name.

A name being a diminutive doesn’t necessarily stop other diminutives forming from it though does it?
Like Teddy could go by Ted, Pippa by Pip or Gigi by Gi/Gia.
Also for us, our DD is Gigi. We absolutely adore her name it was an absolute no brainer and any other name we’d have chosen at the time we wouldn’t have loved nearly as much, as parents you get the privilege of choosing a name you love, you don’t have to pick one of a set list of 100 pre chosen names all meeting the sound expectations some people have. We didn’t like Giulia, Georgina, Georgia etc and we feared using them as there would be no guarantee of Gigi being used, Georgie, Gina, Geo, Jules etc. could have all won and we did not like those names (and again parents are actually supposed to pick a name they love).

Also many names don’t have super obvious shortenings and those people are fine and not lacking in life due to it, Karen, Mark, Chloe, Erin, Niamh, Cara/Lara/Clara etc.

I assumed exam certificates use the ‘official’ name, the one that’s in their passport?

@LeopardsANeutral , as someone with a child called Kate, I agree. She's BEEN DENIED the options of being called a 'nn' she didn't want to be called, and having had the name she only had on the BC misspelt. What were we thinking?

One of my kids has a “nickname” as her full birth certificate name. And if she’d have been a boy, she’d have been Kit. Not Christopher, just Kit. I’d say we’re quite middle class. I’m failing to see what the problem is, why would we have put a name on the birth certificate that we didn’t want to use and didn’t particularly like? I think we’re catastrophising just a little bit by saying that children with names that are a diminutive or were once seen as nicknames are being “denied” anything!

@Zitroneneis "Again, why are some parents today denying their children that option?"
Totally denying? FFS. There's nothing to stop a Steve going by Stephen if he prefers it. Just like Stephen could go by Steve.

Interesting - my children's school asked for a 'preferred name' at enrolment, and that's what's used on all school documentation relating to them, including the roll, I believe.

I think the more options the better, so I don't know why people wouldn't put the 'full' version on the birth certificate. (Fun fact, the name 'Tiffany' first emerged in the 1200s, and is a diminutive of 'Theophania')

Names can be an intimate thing, so I think it's nice to have a more formal name you can introduce yourself by in certain settings or use in professional life, plus diminutives you can use day-to-day or with friends and family.

But then my children have a 'proper' first name, as well as two middle names, (which has never been a problem filling out forms) so we went all out. They seem happy with that so far as teenagers, using a mix of their proper first names, and diminutives.

On the general topic, it’s also possible to have a nickname longer than the original name, even when the original name is a proper name. So kids don’t necessarily need to miss out on a nickname if they only have a short diminutive name.

I’ve noticed over the past decade it’s mostly the trend for names to end in a ‘cute’ e sound (e, ie, y etc) Girls names do this but are mostly still traditional and varied. Boys names are all very similar sounding and American. In my DDs reception class the names all like Toady, Jody, Bodie, Batty, Catty. Those obviously aren’t the actual names but examples of the similar sounds.

I know lots of people that have put diminutives on birth certificates - it’s pretty normal round these parts.

eg, We know 2 Kits, an Emmy, 2 x Jamies, a Ted, a Maddie, at least 3 Millies… All are their given names.

When I was young lots of kids were named Stephen, David, Andrew etc but were known as Steve, Dave & Andy. I like that they have the option of using these short forms among friends and family. Again, why are some parents today denying their children that option?

DS has a full name which can be shortened to a normal name (which is what he likes to be called), or a diminutive/nickname which we called him for the first 2 years of his life until he decided he didn’t like it anymore!
Think Robert, Bob, Bobby (not the names, but similar).
Loads of people use diminutives as full names now, I don’t see an issue unless it’s really twee.

@Lou7171 , Lucy isn't a diminutive. It's a standalone name, and a classic. It's about the same as saying Alice, Helen or Susan is a 'nn'.

I think they'll just be names associated with their generation. Or some will become 'proper' names like Katie and Lucy have become.

@WhatATimeToBeAlive , they'll be fine. There will be thousands of Evies, Alfies, Teddys, Ellies. Many will have jobs like MPs, teachers, lawyers, surveyors, police officers etc.

The trouble is they all sound very cute and child-like and are appropriate for kids but won't look so good as an adult. I prefer the full name as it gives them options to adapt it to their preference as they get older.

@PegDope , why should they have a choice? When I was a child, most of us had names like Helen, Sarah, Emma, Marie, Mark, Paul, Ian.
We didn't need a choice.

Other way round. Lucy is from Lucia, and Lucinda is an elaboration of Lucia.

This 100%. I don't get why mumsnetters care about other people giving their child a (shock horror) working class name. Just let us be 😂

I have a long name, it has about 20 possible diminutives. My family exclusively use 1. My DH isn’t a native english speaker and the diminutive of my name in his language is different to english. So he and his family use that.

In absolutely every other circumstance I am my full name. I introduce myself as full name. In work I am my full name. Kids should have a choice.

Perhaps they didn’t like the “full version “ of the name so registered their baby with the version they liked and plan on using.