So many nicknames as full names

Some diminutives have been used as names for so long that they are established as names in their own right. Sophie, Jack, Pippa and maybe Lucy was once Lucinda

It's usually written as St. John.

All these people saying “BuT wHaT abOuT ThEIr CaREeR???” are making me laugh. The contacts list for any large organisation will be absolutely full of people, right up to CEO level, who list themselves professionally as Jo, Liz, Steve, Andy, Kate, Nicky, Charlie, Rob, Jim, Tony, Ellie, Steph, Mike etc. Both the CEO and Chair where I work always go by their diminutive names - and I work for a very old professional body for a prestigious and notoriously ‘elite’ profession. Being known by her diminutive name didn’t stop our Chair getting a damehood.

Many, many politicians, including Cabinet members and at least two PMs and at least one Deputy PM in my lifetime, are professionally known by their diminutive names. And that isn’t a new thing - it’s been the case for many, many decades.

I love the idea of a kid called eg Dalziel Saint John Montgomery Cholmondeley-Jones but known day to day as ‘Dave Jones’

They’re not nicknames. They are diminutives.
eg Liz for Elizabeth.
A nickname is something else eg Professor Green for a habit or characteristic.

I’d be inclined to use a name that has no diminutives and can’t be shortened eg Clara. Mind you, my mother thought she was doing that for me and then used a diminutive of my name when I was little!

Agree about never using the longer name - it was years ago that I stopped putting my actual name on my CV - what’s the point? No one EVER uses it! Never did at school or uni or work or home. Ever.

If you have the “nickname” planned at birth, just call them that. That’s not a nickname anyway - a nickname is something that happens organically. I know an Emily who’s always called Snooze - that’s a nickname!

Both my kids have diminutive names on their birth certificate. I'm a teacher and hate the confusion over longer names being on the roll, students having a shorter name they go by, having to let the teacher know and in some cases they cringe like hell that their long name was read out. My top rule when it came to naming our children was that what they would be known by would be written on their birthcert.

I've yet to see a valid argument for giving them the longer name. "Give the options for when they are older". I've a 4 letter full name, I've never felt the need to have an option to call myself something else.
The career point... well it's 2025 and we live in a multicultural society so that argument doesn't make sense to me either.

Most MNers on the baby names board are the biggest load of snobs going. And probably wouldn’t know what is or isn’t classy.

Stop judging and categorising people.

I’ve got a full name and my shortened name which is exclusively used except for banking etc. I think my full name is quite pointless really. My shortened name is more linked my personality/sense of identity etc, although the short name is a name in its own right.

My mum is very working class, I’m a higher earner and have given my girls names that are just their names. No nicknames, no longer versions etc!

I agree with the person who said those names aren't nicknames (with the possible exception of Ozzy, which in the most famous case came from a surname, not a first name). I wouldn't personally give any of those as a full first name, but then one of my DC has a name that used to be considered a diminutive of another name but has been used in its own right for quite a long time (it's about as likely to offend anyone as, say, Sally or Jack). Maybe it always seems strange, and divides opinions, when they first become independent names, but after 100 years or so it becomes more mainstream. While they're new, some people embrace them more quickly than others, and that's OK. We all have different taste in names.

My vet is called Molly. Shall I tell her to go by Mary instead as it will look more professional.
My old doctor was Sam, how unprofessional.

Also Sally - ‘that’s meant to be short for Sarah!’ - dentist.

In fact I know 2 dentists called Sally, and one music teacher called Sally.

Never heard anyone calling farts Rudy 🤣

Most people will associate it with a certain red nose reindeer which doesn't sound very dignified at all.

Exactly, people have different preferences. Names are largely subjective.

Hahaha 😄 beautifully demonstrating why Pippa might be preferred 🤭

I guarantee all the ‘they’ll never have a career!!!’ people know many successful people with diminutive names. I know full grown adults, with careers, called:
Theo - orthodontist, also see: Paphitis
Charley - teacher
Annie - lawyer
Floss - illustrator
Plum (actually a Victoria) - stylist
Also - not a dim. but falls into the ‘they’ll never have a career’ category - McKenzie - Interior designer

Do you know for sure that these are the full names, at nursery etc abbreviations may be used.

But hypothetical Pippa won’t wan’t to be called Philippa if that’s not her name?

Pippa is fine on its own, she might end up as Phil if she is called Philippa!

Just to add, the sound more professional argument is not valid - like we didn’t call Tonh Blair, Anthony, or Liz Truss, Elizabeth or Joe Biden, Joseph I really find it hard to see why it makes a difference, - maybe it you’re called Tinky Winky or something it might raise an eyebrow

I've only known 2 Rudys, both adults. Never thought 'Rude-y'.
I've never heard anyone call their farts Rudy.
Rudyard mkes me think Lake or Kipling.
Why should someone use a long name they don't even like?

To me it is. It’s my uncle’s name.

Rudolph or Rudyard are far more dignified than Rudy which sounds childish and like Rude-y, not a great association in English! People call their farts Rudy.

I guess we all have different associations and preferences!

@No5ChalksRoad , at least people can spell Pippa.

Because she might want to be known as Phillipa when she’s an adult with a career.

I was given a diminutive of a name on my birth certificate and it's never made me feel I wanted the whole thing. I think only a couple of people have ever asked if it was actually the long version.

All of these “nickname” names will be the norm when this generation of children are older, it won’t be weird to be called Stevie, Bobby, Evie, Lexi etc

I personally couldn’t give a crap if someone was Theo or Teddy on a CV rather than Theodore or Billy rather than William. I don’t see the obsession with “proper names”

If a child really hates their name they can always change it when they are 18

My DD has one of the names you mentioned (Gigi) and we are likely going to use Pippa for our baby. We don’t like the full names so see no point in giving our child a full name we don’t like. You could give your child any name and they could grow up to not like it, so that’s a pretty stupid reason to give a full name. I’d personally hate to be named some of the more popular names these days and would want to change my name if they were my name. Also I really don’t think anyone will care that DD is named Gigi by the time she is old enough to have a job as name trends change all the time and our perceptions of those names change with them.