How do diminutives work in everyday life?

Nope!

I've already outed myself as a Louise on another thread. People sometimes try to shorten it to Lou, which I hate, but I then I also hate the full version so it's all the same to me and I don't correct them.

I'm imagining Vinnie, short for Lavinia. I had a great aunt Lavinia who was known as Vin for most of her life.

Iloveagood nap

Yes just one syllable, no one has ever put a y on the end. It’s a 70s name, she was born in 1972.

My ds2 decided in year 1 that his preferred name was the diminutive version and he was called by that all the way through. His official documents (passport/driving licence etc) have his full name on but that’s it - even his official school documents like reports have the short version. He would always introduce himself as the diminutive and although he’s not yet at work I am certain that he will use it there too. The only person who calls him his full name nowadays is his grandma (and me when he’s in trouble😅)

Same for my adult DD too.

I was called by my full name all the time until my teens, when teachers and friends at school started calling me by the shortened version. I now go almost entirely by the shortened version but still have the full version on my work email etc, and would always use that anywhere that involves paperwork of any kind. So my closer colleagues at work call me by the shortened version but more distant ones and clients will use the full one.

I use my diminutive on everything apart from official things like passport.

@Pistachiocake ,what would be a nickname that sounds unprofessional, assuming that you mean a diminutive not a nickname?

Spike Lee, Spike Milligan, Tiger Woods and Coco Gauff did OK.

Yes, it's whatever they want, just as with surname (some people keep their maiden name on work emails, though most change it, but it's up to each coworker to tell us what they want).
The only exception is if we're talking about a nickname that sounds unprofessional, then I'd think carefully before using it at work.

I go by an (increasingly popular but still uncommon) diminutive of a very old fashioned name. From my everyday name people assume I'm a male toddler, from my full name they assume I'm a 95 year old woman. The diminutive is not particularly professional so I have to use the full one for work etc, but OMG the confusion it causes (to me as well as to other people)...!

My parents have used the diminutive since I was born, as a deliberate choice.
The full name was "sentimental" hence me being lumbered with it. I hate both it and the diminutive but it's too late to change it now I'm in my 40s 😬

Annoyingly the diminutive isn't even the standard one for the name and literally nobody has ever worked out my real name from the name I use or vice versa! Plus people always expect me to be a different age and/or sex, or think I'm two different people if they've heard me referred to by both names.

The moral of this story is, I suppose, please for the love of god make the diminutive one that is obviously related to the real name to avoid a lifetime of confusion!

Is it a short one syllable name? I find with young children they tend to have -y added on to lengthen the names. I know a little Hopey, Wrenny and Quinny who are obviously really Hope, Wren and Quinn.

This is why I picked a name for my daughter that cannot be shortened or changed in any way.

Is it Mandy?

I go by a diminutive (guess what) and have done all my adult life. My passport and driving license and bank account are in my full name-everything else in the diminutive. Including my signature.

I found out fairly recently, that my name on my birth certificate is different from that on my passport. I don’t think they used to overly scrutinise these things, as my Mum’s was the same. I’ve only ever been known by the diminutive, never the long version, which is Slav, can be pronounced in different ways and is generally a pain. I’ve only ever had to produce my passport for ID.

Or Liz Truss.

Sir Edward Heath wasn't Ted any more than Mrs Thatcher was Maggie.

Or Bill Gates.

Or indeed Andy Burnham, or Tony Blair, or Alec Douglas-Home, or Ted Heath.

Or Joe Biden, or Bill Clinton, or Jimmy Carter...

etc etc

The last two CEOs I've worked for (for large, professional bodies) have both gone by diminutives. And used them for their official signatures, too.

My DC are the same. Schools offer an option on the register for a ‘known as’ name so your child should always be called the name of their choice at school. In my day, I often got the full name from supply teachers but soon learned to speak up and state my preferred name.

Maybe they'd never heard of Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos.

I use my full name in work and formal contexts and use my diminutive with family, friends and social settings.

You can give any name you like to a takeaway mate… why is that on your mind? You could tell them your name is David Cameron they’re not checking

The people who told you it’s unprofessional are weird.

I changed mine officially to the diminutive as soon as I was able

I have a name that can be shortened but isn’t always. Let’s say it’s Jessica and I get called Jess quite a bit. I usually introduce myself as Jessica and sign emails as Jessica but if I’ve been emailing someone for a while and we’ve got fairly friendly I might start signing it as Jess. What annoys me is people who have never asked me what I prefer or maybe have never even met me just presuming I go by Jess and writing that at the start of an email.