to hate this current fad for "nicknames" that bear no relation to the given name?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Why not call them the nickname, FFS?

"We've called our daughter Annabelle but she'll be known as Elena."

Why? Why not just call her Elena - perfectly good name, IMO, from the off. Or Elena Annabelle, which goes.

I also had an Aunty Sis who was really called Agnes or whatever. It only took me thirty years to find out that it was literal, she was my grandpa's sister, or Sis and that's what the entire family called her too.

Definitely not new- my mum was called Bridget officially, but always known as Delia- they said it was a derivative of Bridget??? She was named after her auntie Delia. Whose real name was Bridget!

MrsBananaGrabber: My MIL 's mum is called Ellen but is known as Nelly

Actually that's very common. It's due to calling someone "mine". For example, "mine Edward" became "my n-Ed", "Ned". Mine Ann - Nan, Mine Ellen - Nelly and Mine Oliver - Noll.

The first named called after a relative but use the middle name to avoid confusion is really common in my family. Why not use THAT name and have the relative's name as a middle name? Or does adding logic ruin the fun?

My DS has a short easy name that people lengthen. Words fail me.

Doodles - try [ bear ] (without the spaces)

sorry, had not refreshed from when part of page 1 was written

I've heard of the Ellen/Nelly thing too. Dh's Gran is Ellen but goes by the name Nelly.

I know 2 men who are known by thier middle name as they are names the same as their Dad's and so have to use their middle name to avoid confusion. Why for pity's sake? If you want him to be called Fred, name him Fred - NOT George Fred!

I know one woman who does this too but only because she hates her real first name which is more undertandable IMO.

Well, I was christened Angelina Bernard, but I've always been called Eric by my great- niece, and Jenny by the next-door-but-one neighbours' cousin. So by and large, my name seems to be Griselda.

The nicknames that seem to have nothing to do with actual names doesn't annoy me as much as people who name their child and then always call them by the middle name. Why not just have the middle name as the first name??

I'm called by my middle name and have been since birth. Mum wanted Catherine as she was into Wuthering Heights. Catherine is also dads families traditional name so there are quite a few. Gran, also Catherine, ( called Irene for short) said it would be too confusing so I was lumbered with being called Anne. I've tried to change but it is very confusing!
Dp is called Keith, but due to a mailing error that the kids spotted, he is now called Ken by everyone, even the kids!

John and Jack seem to be used interchangeably amongst the older generation too. I don't think it really matters - except for "admin" - even most official forms have a given name and known as bit. I always assume, when people name their child one thing, and call them something else, that there is some sort of reason for it.

Actually i've just remembered, My Dh's Uncle is Joseph, called John. It was changed on his wedding day when he married Auntie Mary :o

Aren't John/Jack/James/Jacob all derivatives of the same name though? I'm fairly sure they all mean the same thing - Usurper.

my brother, my son and i have all been known by nn that don't relate in any way to our given name. oddly enough all the nn were given to each of us by little ones in the family, my brother alex is known as jimmy which according to my dad it was the name i gave him for no reason at all even though i knew and could pronounce his name, i can't actually remember this it was only infact when i asked my dad why we all called him jimmy that i found this out. my nn is mandy when my real name is joanne given to me by my nephew which again was for no reason and finally my ds is breaghan but his big sister always called him alexander, this is however off peppa pig and i think it was easier for her to remember.

So yes i think YADBU as not everyone is born with a nn as such, they are something that you kind of end up accumilating in life.

I fecking hate it when people decide what their DCs' nns will be, especially if it's a nn not a shortening. I have a slightly annoying friend who decided on the name Jasmine, nn Min, before her DD was born, then she forced the NN 'mouse' (minnie....) I think so she could buy her minnie mouse shite from the disney store. Pretentious and wanky.

I have a poppy who is not a poppy and a Kitty who is not really a Kitty.
All my family call each other by a NN.

God MN is so bloody tedious sometimes.

Who cares about this I mean really cares?

LynetteScavo - so 'Peggy' originated in Ireland then? Man, I never knew that and I'm Irish. I always thought it was a North of England thing....thanks for info (no point to bear emoticon other than - I know how to do them now!)

Strangely this happened with DP sister - the whole family called her Pam. I never knew why. As it happens, I still don't....but it was an affectionate nickname and I ended up calling her that! Strange!!! It wasn't a purposeful thing though. I think a sibling just called her it and it stuck!

I can;t say what her real name is because it's quite unique anyway and there aren't many around (although ive noticed it getting more popular) but nothing like Pam - it doesn't even begin with P!

Margaret -> Maggie -> Meg -> Peg -> Peggy

Simples!

Names are free after the initial paperwork. Get as many as you can before they start charging for them.

Not sure how true this is but have been told Sean is Irish version of John??

My MIL had one of these names, because the vicar refused to christen her with her parents' choice of name and so they had to give her a name nobody ever used after that.

Plus I have an Uncle Twig because when my great-grandad put him on the family tree he was apparently right at the end of a branch!