Do you call your child by their full first name?

[pleasejustgotosleep]

I'm just wondering really what others do
My daughter has two first names but I just call her by the first one. I'll sometimes add her second one but not often.

However a friend of mine has a daughter (let's call her Sarah-Jane) and she insists everyone says her full name when addressing her and not just Sarah.
I have met quite a few people through work who have two first names but just go by the first one and I just thought maybe I should calling my daughter by both of her names so she is used to it.
Idk just a thought. Would like other opinions...

Call your child what you like.

Your friend can call her child what she likes.

Out of interest, why did you give her two names? Were you planning on using both initially?

I do, but mine all have short, neat names that are only really used in full - and that was a very deliberate choice.

Just call your daughter the name that comes most naturally to you and that you feel comfortable using. If she has two first names she'll get used to it. She'll know it's her name. Don't worry about what others do.

In recent years double names like Daisy-May, Lilly-May, Lilly-Grace, Amelia-Rose etc have all become popular but I only know one parent who always uses the full name.

All the others just use the first one.

Never. Mine both have traditional names with a short version that we use - along the lines of Alex and Kate.
If I had my time again I wouldn’t bother with the long version on the BC

One DC has a 3 syllable name and it is never shortened (there aren't really any decent shortenings). The other DC's name is also 3 syllables but has many more letters and a number of common shortenings. She is known/called by one of these unless she's either in trouble or being called by a professional who doesn't know her (eg at a hospital appointment).

@NuffSaidSam I loved both of them and couldn't decide which one to have but she also has my mum and Nans names as her middles names so I chose to double up her first name

I gave my kids short names that can't be shortened further, and j find myself using Nicholas-names instead! (Adding bits to their names, making them longer)

@VikingLady lol that's funny. Yes mine have various pet names so rarely call their actual name anyway

We realised when DD was three that she didn't know her real name and we were frantically trying to teach her before she started nursery the next week

Didn't learn. Did the same thing with DS.

I was thinking about this today!!
So I have a double name and my whole family have always called me by both names (same for my aunties who are also double names)
But my daughter who is a double name, I only ever really call by one name. My partner likes her to be called by both, but it's pretty rare I call her by both names

@123woop so glad I'm not the only one who has thought about this lol.

There's a singer called Chrisette-Michelle and I think that's a bit of a mouthful if you say that everyday all day lol (imo)

I don't see the point of giving a double barrelled first name if you don't use it. My mum has one and no-one has ever called her anything different.

I gave my child a name that has no common diminutive. I abhor the assumption that people, especially children, must go by a shortened version of their name. I have dealt with it my entire life and it has annoyed me my entire life.

I will always use the name an individual wants used for themselves, but every parent who gives their child one name but calls them something else let gets an internal eye roll from me.

Her first name is only four letters so yes, usually gets it in full. But most often I call her Madam Fart.

Both of my boys have traditional names that have a variety of shortenings.
Ds1 we only ever use his full name (or a pet nick-name), ds2 we use a shortened version.
It was never contrived, just what naturally happened.

He's either his full name, as on his birth certificate, or a completely unrelated word as a nickname. Usually the latter!

Family member with a double first name is only known by the first part of that name. Strangers tend to use both. There's no hyphen if that makes a difference. Does it? I wouldn't say it does.

Having a conversation with myself there

If a first name is hyphenated then that's their first name. It's no more odd to use it in full than to have a child called Nicholas and want people to call them that and not Nick.

To answer your question - Only when they are in trouble. Then they get their full names.

Mostly though, I call them by ridiculous nicknames that were possibly excusable when they were babies but are bordering on abusive now they're in their 20s 😁

These include but are not limited to

Katkins.
Jerryjoop. Claptrapvonshpilderbeans.
Bubala.
Bushkin.
Buggerlugs.

At this point I can't stop myself, they answer to anything and they don't bat an eyelid. I think that's the most worrying part tbh 😁

My sons name can be shortened to his dads name but I never shorten it, my name is always shortened by everyone I know, literally no one calls me by my name, all the shortened down variations of it.

Mt sons are 21 & 19 now, we usually use their first names, but often they are called by nicknames, they are used to it!

Most people don’t have double-barrelled first names which - honestly? - really aren’t great.

So it’s not a dilemma many people have to face.

I have two first names. If the second one was ever used I knew I was in trouble.

I don’t really see the point in naming a child Lily-Louise only to call them Lily. Why bother with the second name? DC has a long but not double barrelled first name, we know it’ll be shortened eventually but we call him by his full given name.

It varies. DS and DD both have 9 letter names. DS's is 4 syllables so is shortened, DD's is 2 syllables so we tend to use her full name.

I tried to use a shortened version for DD but she didn't like it, so I stopped.