Does shortening of names annoy you?

[JoanThursday1972]

It happens at work where Matthew gets incensed at being called Matt by people not being invited to do so.

My real irritant is when a name is shortened to one syllable and an s added to the end of it. Nats, Debs, Sophs, Ems, etc. And Daz, Baz, Gaz and Haz.

I always introduce myself with my full name. Friends can call me by my shortened name, but I hate people I don't know automatically shortening it. It feels over familiar and intrusive somehow.

On the other hand, my immediate family and one friend always use my full name and that feels more intimate and I love it because, day to day, I'm always called shortened name by the friends I see all the time.

So, contradictory, but if you use my shortened name when we've just met and I don't know you, I will be seriously pissed off.

I'm interested to know how you named your children if you have any? Think choosing a name you like seems to be a pretty basic first step...

What annoys me more is mums asking on here what nname they can call their child eg if I want to use nname Pippa - just call the bloody child Pippa. If adults want to be known as Debs and their given name is Deborah that's entirely up to them. I wouldn't think to call anyone a shortened version of their name unless they introduced themselves by it.

I guess in my mind if the child chooses to shorten it, or change their name once they're old enough to be able to talk/communicate/make those choices that's one thing, but there are a good number of years before that where you're the one using/hearing the name and so it makes sense to choose one you like all versions of?

Once someone can introduce themselves then that's what you should call them. I have a longer name on my passport to the one which everyone calls me. My grandparents refused to call me by anything other than my full first name. Never really made me like them much tbh. The passport name is my formal one, the one used in situations where people don't know me well, it feels jarring when I hear it like it's not really 'my name', even though it is.

They have classic namesthat plenty of shortenings.
They are adulrs now and get called allsorts

We have the reverse issue. My daughter very much prefers to go by her shortened name of Oli, but for ages her teachers refused to call her by that, preferring to use her full name of Olivia. For a while even my MIL refused to call her Oli "Oli is a boys name" to which my daughter simply replied 'Oli is my name and I'm a girl, so its a girls name too'. Her teachers have finally started calling her it, but insist on spelling it Ollie.
Someone should have a right to be called what they wish, that's why I gave both my girls names with multiple abbreviations so they had some choice over what people call them. My name can't really be abbreviated and it always annoyed me

My name only has 3 letters. My late parents gave it to me, because they disapproved of names being shortened. I am the same. As for these "nicknames" on here, they are just an abbreviation of the name. My name is my identity, don't mess with it.

I don't think people are necessarily being rude and presumptuous when they do it - if it's a very common name and you know 2 people called Andrew who prefer Andy, it can just slip out. I've certainly done it by accident when getting mixed up with who prefers the short or proper version. I would always stop when asked to and would hope I'd never need to be told or asked twice.

I have an unusual name that people often pronounce incorrectly. It never bothers me the first time but if they persist on mangling it when I've corrected them I think that's very rude.

I'm with you on this one! I'm not a fan of my name anyway, but when people call me "Si", it drives me crazy. My daughter has her named shortened from Macey to "Mace" and she's very quick to correct them. She's even worse if someone calls her "Maisie"!

Shortening of my name drives me mad. What other people do with their names is none of my business. I think it's generally polite to use the name people introduce themselves by or at least to ask if you are unsure. My DH's family shorten my name and I've given up trying to correct them as it's pointless. He says it's a sign of affection. I think it's rude.

This totally. I didn't even mind my son's name being changed (actually similar length but different, very short name). But I choose to use my full name at 14, and no one who didn't know me before that has a right to use the short version.

i never shorten anyone’s name without knowing whether they mind. As an ex teacher I always used to ask the children what mum or dad called them and would only shorten it if parents did and if the child was ok with it. Have to admit though I was always relieved when Sarah-Louise was known as Sarah or Jon-Luc was known as Jon. I’ve always really disliked hyphenated names. Don’t know why.

I think it's extremely rude to shorten anyone's name without being told it's ok, just as it's rude to get any part of someone's name wrong once you know their preference. I have a name which some people shorten, and I just ignore them until they use my correct name.

Absolutely annoying.
my name is my name, but people feel free to adjust it constantly.

we gave dc a name that was extremely difficult to shorten or modify in any way.

It's when people assume a shortening is ok. My sister is called Yvonne and people sometimes call her Eve, then are a bit shitty when she points out her name is Yvonne, not Eve.

my name is my identity

so simply yet so perfectly put!

My boss shortened my name once, it took me by surprise as we weren't that close at the time, it's different now and I don't mind. But it was the same shortened name that my late grandfather used to call me which was another reason I was taken by surprise.

My gym instructor does but I think that's because he can't remember if I'm another name or mine (loads get my name wrong and call me by the other name).

I think some times it's too over familiar or unprofessional to shorten someone's name. An ex manager used to do it to me all the time and I hated it

I also have a nickname that my family and close friends call me. Only people who are really close pick up on it though.

I don't like it and think it is rude. If someone wanted to be called by a shortened version of their name they would tell you.

My mum gave me and my siblings short names so they could not be shortened and, lo and behold, people lengthen them! Really annoys me.

"100% agreed! I work in street art and it really hacks me off when hipsters who wouldn’t even recognise me call me Banksy. It’s Ms Banks to you!"

😂

No

It does annoy me if people don't stop when corrected. There's one particular shortening of my name that I think sounds awful so I go by my full name largely to avoid being called that shortening. Plus, I actually like my full name. I think it sounds nice.

Weirdly, some people get pissy about this. But it's my name! I've even had people making comments along the lines of "oh, I would never want to use my full name, it sounds so serious". Like, ok, good for you 😐

You'd hate me then! I've got one of those names mentioned in your OP and I get more annoyed when people use the long version, that was reserved for my mum when she was angry...especially angry if she middle named me too!

He gives people nicknames and uses them repeatedly and unnecessarily in front of others he’s already excluded. Makes him look like he has close personal relationships with more of the team and makes the ones he’s already bullying feel more isolated.

I don’t mind friends and family calling me by the shortened version of my name. I don’t really like complete strangers taking it upon themselves to call me that. It seems rather presumptuous as they don’t know if I’m happy being called that or not. I never say anything though as it seems a bit arsey. Best one I had was a salesman who in the course of one conversation came up with about 4 different cutsie versions of my name! Eg. Not my actual name by the way, but as a an example….At first ‘Deborah’ then Deb, then Debbo, then Debzie. A kind of false intimacy which was just annoying. (Didn’t buy what he was selling!)

Yes I don't like it. Let's keep a little formality! My name is four syllables and is inevitably shortened by people at some point although I'd prefer it not to be.

Edited to add, if people do use the full version they're free and easy about pronouncing and spelling it correctly, it's a name used in lots of European languages and people seem to pick and choose their preferred version.