Nicknames. Do you have one or do you know anybody with one ?

[WildRosie]

I have more than one (different for family and work colleagues) which I won't reveal as I'll blow my cover. One I can put up with, the other I can't stand but it's stuck with me for years so I think I've got it for good.

I've known lots of people over the years who have nicknames but I've never used them - just something I'm not comfortable with. I always address people by their first name (if appropriate), even if it appears I'm the only one to do so.

What are your experiences ?

My whole family was really-named by my little cousin who couldn’t say our names. The names have stuck (even though he’s now 40!)

My husband is known solely by his nickname by my family especially. He had that name when I met him and it stuck. 15 years later it’s still the same. It’s not even linked to his actual name. My niece will be mystified when she finds out his actual name when she’s older 😂

I have always made up names for people I dont really know, neighbours, people on holiday in our hotel or whatever, as I'm not good at remembering names. A bloke down the road reminds me of a bulldog chewing a wasp so he's 'Bulldog'. Another lad kind of bounces when he walks so that's an easy one 'Bouncer'. An old bloke walks everywhere, as though he's in a walking race, with his arms going up down up down, had to call him ' Clockwork'. O and theres 'Barbie'...think you can work that one out for yourselves

DH’s large family of uncles are all known by very strange family nicknames which are too outing to list on here, but my FIL and lots of other IL family members worked for the city council, which has a tradition of deeply odd nicknames like Methuselah, Puzzle the Judge and Jerry Ate A Bite.

I think I was about 8 when I realised that my grandmother (his mother) called my dad something different to everyone else. Turns out she used his first name and everyone else, my mum included used his nickname.

I had a nickname at University which I wasn't particularly keen on although people kept telling me it was a complement (literary character known for being pretty, spoilt and rather selfish). With hindsight, it may have been fairly accurate.

Dc2 has a nickname given to her by her brother which seems to be sticking.

My father is known to everyone by a nickname.

My aunt only has one person who calls her her real name, even her mum called her the nickname.

I have a nickname only my aunt calls me.

My daughter has a nickname that is all she will answer to.

Weirdly, my aunt and my husband have their own nicknames for each other. It's funny.

My BIL had a schoolfriend called Bandit because he only had one arm.

Hi OP

Thanks for getting in touch about this - we're happy to move this over to chat for you and we'll do that in a moment.

I have a short first name and people lengthen it . My dc are grown up and still call each other nicknames (dd used to answering to worm in public by big brother)

"My husband and I had nicknames for each other but they rather fell out of use when we had children (fell into the habit of referring to each other as mummy/daddy)."

🤮🤮 that's gross. My FIL started calling me "mummy" after I had the kids. Nipped it straight in the bud

I have a nickname that my friends and work colleagues use. My DH also has a long standing nickname. I never call myself by this name though, there is something cringe about calling yourself your own nickname !

I find nicknames for adults a bit childish and naff - something you should have grown out of by the time you’ve left home and got a job. I don’t mean being called Jen instead of Jennifer etc. - I mean invented nicknames.

Weirdly, my boss is trying to give me a nickname I’ve worked there for two years and he’s just started doing it! Also, I’m 40! It’s 25 years too late for people to start inserting random Zs into my name...

My dad still calls me "wheeze" (on the rare occasions I see him. We are VLC)
It started off as my childhood nickname "weasel" and got shortened to wheeze.

But that's only my dad. Everyone else uses my actual name.

I like nicknames that people make up for me & my children. As long as they are meant well.

I was bullied as a kid & 'called names' that were corruptions of my surname (like if "Squells" became "Smells"). That was never meant as friendly banter. It was horrible.

Everyone who works for us seems to end up with a nickname (not given by us!) also quite a few family members and close friends too (agriculture) Neibouring farms all the same. I'm quite surprised we didn't end up with any (nobody actually answers to their real names anymore so we would have known it's not that ours are behind our backs) Our dds are surprised occasionally to learn at weddings and funerals that people they have known since birth have entirely different names.

I had a nickname given as a very, very, young child. My mum used it occasionally, not anymore. I then went by my full name until I was 31 and a colleague started calling me by shortened version of my name and I really like it so I introduce myself as it now - my husband struggles to call me it and thinks it is a little odd (it sounds 'younger' than my actual name). My mother refuses point blank as it isn't my name! 🤣

I've made it clear to anyone at the office that I don't care for my work nickname (I curse the person who coined it) but I don't dislike it to the point of raising a grievance. But I could do without it.

One if my uncles was Biff. Don't know his real name but it was totally different. Confused me for ages on the Oxford Reading Tree books working out Biff was the girl.

My DH Anglicised his name upon arrival in UK - I prefer the original (and kind of object to the kind of colonial idea that British people need a recognisable variant) but he's been "known as" for far too long to change back.

@WildRosie Are you talking about people shortening names, or things like 'Betty' for Elizabeth, or are you talking about people calling you 'Titch' (because you are tall) ?

Because I think there is a massive difference.

I do think the latter happens a lot more with men than women, and is common in sports teams or other groups where you get a lot of men together (eg the Forces).

DH has three. One - that most people use, including me, is a real name and is the first syllable of our surname, another is a nickname from his sports club and another is an Australianisation of his real name from some Aussie friends when the found out what it was - a Bazza for Barry type thing. Only his family and work use his real name and it sounds really odd to hear it.

That said, I did have a WTF moment at a wedding once because I didn't know the groom's nickname wasn't his actual name.

This was most of my side of the church at our wedding (we'd not been together very long).

BackforGood, I mean the latter in your example. I think shortening of names into a pet version is more common and more acceptable. Having said that, my first name has one particular pet version which I especially object to. I blame that on a teacher many years ago who assumed it was okay to use it. He was a prick.

I just remembered, my best friend and I call each other the same nickname which is a term of endearment in another language. Even birthday cards etc are addressed to this.