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.

You're about Charlie and Harry?
Come to my school and you'll meet a Bear, a Blossom and a Precious.

Our sons are 'officially' Frederick & Albert but neither have ever been their full name, they are Fred/Freddie and Bertie. But we figured if they had the full name they could chose their nickname themselves when they are older (they are only 2.10 and 3 months at the moment).

But I wouldn't say I was perplexed if people give their child a nickname as their 'name'

What I find a little odd is the opposite - parents who choose a name because they like the nn version, which then becomes the only name they use for the child in daily life. (And yes, yes, I understand the whole "but DC can choose to use the long name when they're an adult" angle, but I still find it sort of strange to choose a name based on its nickname variation!)

That said, I'm firmly with the it's-none-of-my-business-what-other-people-name-their children camp.

Oops, xpost w/ MrsJingle!

YABU I think if you like Charlie but not Charles, Tom but not Thomas it makes eminent sense to use the name you actually like and will use.

I'm a Rosie, but birth cert has Rose__ on it.

I have always been Rosie.

IMO there is no need for that longer version, I will never be Rose__.

I'm 37, so I think if I was ever going to want to be Rose it would have been by now.
My DPs should've just called me Rosie.

Kristina every name mentioned on this thread - Charlie, Harry, Alfie, Evie, Fred, Millie etc - is middle class, so I don't know exactly why you're bringing class into it?

DS is called Freddie because it never occurred to us to call him anything else. Alfred would've been OK I s'pose but Frederick is just daft imo.

Whatever you call them they'll probably go through a phase of hating it/ you anyway so what does it really matter. I only really react when people call their kids daft, misspelt or pretentious names and that's just to do a slight

So YABU.

First no problem , we like the names we chose as they are family names, so I don't really mind what anyone else thinks!

I suppose 'perplexed' is the incorrect term - too negative (but then, this is AIBU...). 'Curious' is probably a better term.

FredFred Harry is usually the nickname for Henry (Prince Harry is Prince Henry of Wales, Henry the Fifth was called Harry etc) but it can also be short for Harold.

We usually only use the shortened version of our DS's name. We figure we have recourse to the 'Sunday name' once he's old enough to get into trouble

What's wrong with Alfred? I have one and he is delightful.

Thank you MrsJ - I was feeling accidentally unseasonable and I really didn't intend any negativity!

My DH's grandfather is called Alfred and he's 'orrid. No offence to current Alfreds intended.

The nicknames we use for our DSs arent real names, so should they have ridiculous non-names on their BCs or should I put their proper names and call them by their nicknames (we do use their real names too though!) as we do, or will it piss you off anyway that they get called affectionate non-name nicknames, rather than real names, so they should always only be called by their real names?

Seems whatever you do you annoy someone!!

DS is a Harry, why would I have called him Henry to then always call him Harry? now THAT would perplex me and confuse him!

My Mum never liked names that could be changed/shortened/lengthened in any way. So, my brother and I had one syllable forenames which my Nan managed to lengthen in affection . So, my DS is Ben and my DD Kathryn (couldn't agree with husband and gave in to his choice - I call her Kate). I just think you should give your child a name and call them by it, how hard can it be?

Like someone upthread, I don't understand naming your child one name and promptly calling them by another thereafter - why?

We have a Henry, when we thought of the name my husband said, 'so we can call him Harry'.... and I was surprised that he had even thought that. If we wanted a Harry, thats what I would have called him. Not Henry.

The one that amuses me is 'Kai' -I wa told it was ye olde englishe - yeah in Cornish it means 'dog'.

People don't think before lumbering with a moniker.

Alfie is not middle class quite the opposite

Yes, Kristina not giving two hoots about whether someone somewhere calls their DD Libby or their DS Charlie on the birth certificate is EXACTLY the same as dropping litter in public.

It's nothing new. DH's GD was Willie on the birth certificate.

Deck, I said Alfred would've been OK, but we would always have just ended up calling DS Freddie anyway as he's named after his grandfather. I wouldn't have wanted an Alfie as there seem to be quite a few of them around here already!

Kai is old(ish) English. Medieval, anyway. Cornish is a different language so saying it means 'dog' in Cornish isn't relevant.

(Though, I grant, I used to be amused by French kids called 'Kevin' back when that was a very naff name over here and very fashionable over there, so ...).

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?

See now, I'm also a Katherine and was always Kate / Katie and didn't like it. Much prefer being called by my full name and am therefore really glad that I wasn't just called Kate.

Horses for courses, innit?

Not sure I agree about Alfie not being MC though, there seem to be a lot of stereotypically WC 'old man' names where we live (and we are part of this trend too I think). Lots and lots of Alfies and Freds and they're all very MC families. And girls called names like Edie, Elsie and May too.

I have a Freddie and a Charlie. That's their names. I don't like Charles it's such a bloody mouthful. I don't like Frederick. Alfred is a family name but every one in generations previously called themselves Freddie.

If they want to call themselves Charles and Alfred in the future then so be it. They can introduce themselves as anything they want but I wasn't going to give them names I don't like just because someone declares they are the proper names. Names, like language, aren't stagnant. We've not been issued with a concise list of definitions, over time names have changed, trends change and we often look to generations gone by for inspiration. Which means our grandchildren might be Derek, Sharon and Tracy!