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Baby names

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Original poster

To tell nursery to call daughter by nickname

40 replies

Halo777 · 11/12/2025 15:47

Wondering people thoughts on this.
My daughter is called Harriet and since birth the whole family including me and my husband have called her Hattie (she is 14 months old now).

I wanted to call her Hattie on birth certificate but my husband wanted her to have a ‘proper name’ so we agree for Harriet on birth certificate and we call her Hattie.

She is starting nursery next month and I don’t know whether to tell her nursery to call her by her nickname Hattie or to call her Harriet.

As of course she will need to know her full name too.
I do love both names so I don’t mind which she goes by when she is old enough to choose.

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SquigglePigs · 11/12/2025 16:24

My DD was the same and all the paperwork (school and nursery) had a "name" and a "known as" so they called her by her "known as" name from day 1. It's not unusual.

ConnieHeart · 11/12/2025 16:21

I have a Harriet! She was Harriet all through nursery & up till around year 2 then it changed to Hattie. Now she's at 6th form she's a Harriet to the teachers (her choice) but probably still Hattie to her friends, and us until she tells us different 🤣

stackhead · 11/12/2025 16:15

I have a Harriet. She's pretty much Hattie at home but she's Harriet at the childminders and it hasn't been a problem (she's not confused and responds to both).

blankcanvas3 · 11/12/2025 16:12

My DD goes by her nickname too - I told nursery to call her that and they did, they had no problems with it

HushTheNoise · 11/12/2025 16:03

You are overthinking. Just ask them to use Hattie day to day. You can decide when she goes to school if she's going by Harriet or Hattie. My friend changed her son's name from a diminutive to the full name at school age. Pretty name btw.

WhamBamThankU · 11/12/2025 16:03

On the forms it should ask preferred names. My daughter has only ever been known by the shortened version of her name unless at doctors/dentist etc

IggyAce · 11/12/2025 16:03

There is usually a known by section on admission forms.

DeliciouslyBaked · 11/12/2025 16:03

Have you had the starting paperwork for nursery yet? Ours had a box for full name and then a box that said "is your child known by any preferred / nicknames?" It will be a complete non issue for nursery to call her Hattie (great name btw, as is Harriet), so if she is Hattie at home, then id just stick with that.

1984Winston · 11/12/2025 15:59

My daughter has been known by her nickname since birth (was always the plan but wanted her to have a proper name too!) She was known by the nickname at pre school and now at school and it's never been an issue, she's 10 now, she knows what her proper name is but she's very rarely called by that name

Pinkychilla · 11/12/2025 15:56

If Hattie is what she is known as then definately get nursery to call her that it will make her more comfortable there otherwise she will be confused. Unless you want to start calling her Harriet now

LadyDanburysHat · 11/12/2025 15:55

purplecorkheart · 11/12/2025 15:52

I would imagine it would be less disruptive for your daughter if she is called the same name at home and at nursery. She is so young, she does not need to be called by her full name yet.

This! Nursery will have problems with her not responding to her name if it is something she has never been known as.

CatamaranViper · 11/12/2025 15:54

Our nursery had a 'preferred name' box when signing the paperwork so I just included DSs nickname there. Or I write 'Frederick (Rick) Jones' to indicate his nickname. I do with my own name too as I also use a specific shortening of my name.

purplecorkheart · 11/12/2025 15:52

I would imagine it would be less disruptive for your daughter if she is called the same name at home and at nursery. She is so young, she does not need to be called by her full name yet.

Indecisive1011 · 11/12/2025 15:50

Personally if it was me, and the name she goes by day to day is Hattie, then I'd stick with it for nursery.

mumofoneAloneandwell · 11/12/2025 15:49

I love the name Harriet and love shortening it to Hattie 🥰

No advice as I dont know, surely you can just send her in with Hattie name labels and make a big deal of calling her Hattie at pick up and drop off? xx