To be perplexed when people give their children nicknames as proper names

[ElphabaTheGreen]

For example, there are a lot of little Charlies about at the moment - none are called Charles. Similarly, lots of Harries (none are Henry), Alfies (no Alfreds thank God) and a friend has given both of hers what I would consider to be nicknames (Evie and Libby, not Eve and Elizabeth).

Discuss.

Yes boss. Reporting to discuss as ordered.

They do it cos they want to. And it doesn't matter what other people choose to call their kids.

Unless someone tries to register theirs as Shitface Arsebreath.

Then someone should probably step in.

YABU...who cares

What's the point of giving them a name that you're not going to use. It will only cause confusion.

See, I struggle to understand why someone would name their child, with the sole purpose of using a nickname on a daily basis.

If Tom or Dick want to call their child Eve, or Charlie or Harry, what business is it of yours?

I met someone this year called Tree. What an excellent name.
Just wanted to add that.

I have two of these, though I sometimes use the "proper" name for comedic effect. Language and names evolve over time, else we'd all be called Ethelred or something, innit?

But Phillipa much prefers to be called Pippa, Pip Pop Poo or Moo, sorry :) Well according to dh it will look better on the cv..... like im arsed!

I thought you would say something like Teddy or Buddy or Buster, etc.

All the names you have mentioned are names in their own right.

Do tell OP, why does this have you perplexed?

Erm would Harry's not be Harold? But YABVU Harry is not a nickname in that case it's just a name.

DD has a 'nickname'

it's on her birth certificate because her cousin is called the long version of her name, but is never called the shortened name

My dad had a few things to say about her never being a doctor or a lawyer as she has the wrong name

her 'nickame' can be shortened again to a more grown up version if she wants when she is older

My name is Katherine and I HATE IT. Would much rather have had Kate or Katy on my birth certificate. Why would you give your child a name and then not use it?

But as you point out, some names like Alfie are naice but the full names (Alfred) aren't so good! People chose names they like. I find it a bit odd when people go straight to nicknames but hey ho, it's their choice!
I find the opposite. I have a name people always shorten (think R name shortened to B) and frankly I don't like that nickname! Yet I seem like a pedant for refusing to answer to the nickname!

I wouldn't consider harry, charles, alfie or evie nicknames.. Know children and adults with those names.
And at some point your so called "proper" names would have been new too. Or shall we all stick to the same 10 suitable names to keep you happy? That would be exciting wouldn't it.

and my niece is Rebecca and has never been called Rebecca in her life

Caused much confusion on the first day at school when they were calling Rebecca and she didn't realise it was her!

What Hec said (as per bloody usual)

Why the bollocks would you care what anyone else calls their child?

I'm going very O/T here.

The Dept of Statistics will release the top 10/50/100 baby names. The press will pick up on that Mohammed/Mohummed/Mohamed/etc etc and all variations combined come in at numebr (random number) 9...... but they never collate that William/Billy/Bill/Liam combained would probably come in at number 2 ... or John/Jonathan/Jack/JSeamus/Sean etc...or Margaret/Daisy/Molly/Mollie and so forth.

I just needed to get that of my chest!

I don't care for diminutive names either - but not my problem

My DS name is the shorter form of his name - if it was 'Ethelred' his name would be 'Ethel' IYSWIM. Because I like Ethel, and I don't like Ethelred. But I didn't know it would upset you op so I'll go and get it changed by deed poll. Once I finish this chocolate and complete my Bailey's/Sainsbos Irish Cream taste test.

I call my DS by his full name, I don't like when people call him by the shorter version and will correct them. He is called William, I hate when people call him Will or Wills. I sometimes call him wilman, as his best friend at his childminders used to call him that so the childminder did too. However, it is a personal nickname we use while playing silly buggers, not an everyday thing.

DS has a name like this. As does DD1 I suppose, they're both shorter or different versions of 'proper' names. We chose them because we wanted to, the names suit them and when they're older if they want to use the supposed proper versions then they can.
YABU, purely because it's such a strange thing to get knicker twisted about...

If that is what they prefer I can't see a problem tbh.

My DD is Mollie. Some people consider that a nickname. I see it as a proper name.

For some names I would generally give a fuller version and then use the pet form for day to day. But for me it does very much depend on the name.

Each to their own.

I have a family member that has given all her sons names on their birth certs but uses nicknames IRL. Whats the point in that?

Its not even just the short versions of longer names either, completely random ones. james on BC, sonny irl for example.

Just give them names that you like and let that be the end of it fgs.

I share your perplexed ness OP < wonder if that shoudl be a real word> But I tend not to mention it in public /on mumsnet in case people think I'm an old busy body . Which I am .

It's like caring about people dropping litter and snogging in public. It marks you out as middle aged and middle class. Which are now, apparently, acceptable, terms of abuse in polite society.

I think some names can be both, right? My niece has a name, one of the nicknames of which is a name in its own right. And I think Beth can be a name on its own as well as part of Elizabeth (since Beth comes from the really ancient word for 'house', and for the letter 'b' in the alphabet, it must be much older than a nickname of Elizabeth).

So long as it's not likely to get the child feeling they didn't get a 'proper' name, does it matter?

kristina - perplexity.

Using a fuller version of a name is the same as caring about litter dropping???
Not quite an analogy I'd have thought of tbh.