To refuse to call him by his stupid nickname??

[PonyPals]

So we have a brand new staff member in my team who has a perfectly sensible name - Steven but has decided to use some ridiculously stupid nickname he made up - Sonty
And he is now constantly correcting all of us and insisting we use his nickname. I am his manager. I feel silly even uttering Sonty. Yet he corrects me every time I say Steven.
Aibi to want to take Sonty and shove it up his bum!
PS not his real name or moronic nickname but they are similar to what I said.

I did lol a lot at people going well if it is Jonty that's fine as if it was a certainty.

😁 at your DH wanting to be Pezza. Is that short for Peter?

Loving the Professors work "Mr Smith."

As 'Dazza's' manager, can you not take him aside and point out it's unprofessional to use a name that sounds like it belongs on a football pitch, not a serious place of work?

Dazza applied using Darren and there was no mention of 'call me Dazza' until he started working in the office.
I haven't spoken to him yet but I will continue to introduce him to clients as Darren Smith.
Yes, I'm not in UK. I'm in Australia.
I ❤️️ Proff Alexander too. He is very old school and a tough nut to crack

I think YABU, some people really hate their given names and they have a name that they have chosen that gives them some power over that choice- what you think of the name is kind of irrelevant as it is not your name. My DH name is extremely old and formal and he grew up going by a completely different name which is not a shortening of his given name, nor a middle name or a nickname. It is nowhere in his passport so when completing official documents and certificates- his christian name is used which always leads people to ask about why etc. Maybe there is a story behind it- have you asked him? This is not a justification and he may not feel he has to tell you but if his skill and experience fit your company then you are definitely making rather a big deal about it.

Dazza is utterly ridiculous. Is he 12?

Dying laughing at this, I would not be able to keep a straight face. Dazza! Classic! I think it's unprofessional and I like your insistence on introducing him as Darren.

A new person started last year, I'm her boss. I asked her whether she would like her full name or did she have a preferred short version. Think Elizabeth, so several options. She told me her mum calls her 'E'. I told her I'm not her mum and she has therefore remained Elizabeth.

Somewhat off track but can anyone here remember when the shortening of names to ones with Zeds as in Gazza, Bazza, etc became popular? Wasn't done when I was young

Haven't RTFT but I get how cringey Dazza is.

HOWEVER, I work with a..... Dikshit. I kid you not.

Be grateful Dazza is not Dikshit.

Is that his chosen nickname, or his real name? Why would you go through life introducing yourself as Dickhead shit, even if someone was nasty enough to foist it on you as a baby??

I'm afraid to say it is his real name. He was not born or brought up in the UK. It's a shame.

I kind of what to know how and why. Is he being a bit tongue in cheek to show up the boss or does he sincerely need to go by this name?

Check with payroll what name he has on his bank account. If his bank account is in the name [eg] of Sonty Narrowknackers, then I think you may be stuck with this. If on the other hand his bank account is in his real name of Stephen Narrowknackers, then he is taking the piss, and he needs to be told to either grow up or piss off.

Nicknames are fine so long as other people coin them, but coining your own is simply precious.

Ignoring the whole dazza lunacy and going back to peg:
"In search from A to Z they passed,
And "Marguerita" chose at last;
But thought it sound far more sweet
To call the baby "Marguerite."
When grandma saw the little pet,
She called her "darling Margaret."
Next uncle Jack and cousin Aggie
Sent cup and spoon to "little Maggie."
And grandpapa the right must beg
To call the lassie "bonnie Meg."
From "Marguerita" down to "Meg,"
And now she's simply "little Peg.""

I love this thread.

Reminds me of that bit in Downton Abbey:

Cousin Isobel: What should we call each other?
Dowager Countess: Well, we could always start with Mrs. Crawley and Lady Grantham.

Good old Izzy & Vi, keeping it real.

I would refuse to call anyone Dazza. I'm in Aus too, I get nicknames but no. Possibly I'd call him Daz. But that would be my limit.

Yes I think Daz is much more manageable than Dazza!

You could always try saying it like "Da-Zaaa!" ("Ta-Daaa!")

Maybe some jazz hands for added effect?

I think a diminutive of someone's given name is fine, provided it's not occur the 'Dazza' variety. I had a bit of a weird situation recently, I managed someone for years called Lucinda. Always known as Lucinda, never anything else professionally or personally as far as I was aware - we had some friends in common, I am friends with her on facebook and connected on Linked In, both showing Lucinda. Anyway she left and started a new job, where someone I know worked. Bumped into friend a few weeks later, ask how Lucinda is getting on. Friend looks blank. I explain..works in HR, started with you a few weeks ago. Friend says 'oh, you mean Lucy'. She had arrived at new company, told everyone her name was Lucy, and then when I looked had also amended her fb and linked in accounts. So obviously decided to use the job change to change her name....In her mid 50s. Is that weird or is it just me?

As you can see from my name I have a shortened name I go by for my known name, a nickname based on my surname (a shortening of a surname is still a nickname) and I have another nickname due to my online activities.

However, on all my CVs I use my full name (including confirmation name) as this allows for full legal checks to be done, which are vital in some sectors.
Just because a known name is not on a CV or job application, it doesn't mean you can ignore it.
Dazza is simply a shortened name ... so there is no justification not to use it. If you refuse to then you should be forced call all staff you manage by their full name.
YABU
It may be in 20 years time people will look back st this thread and be puzzled about all the fuss.

Call him Dazza (even though it sounds pike a 13 year old boy tryinb to sound hard) when youre speaking to him.

For anytging client facing call him Darren Smith.

I go by a shortened version of my name but full name introduce when it's best (but then my shortening is like going from david to dave so still an actual name).

There is a reasonable compromise: agree to call him Dazza within the office but when he is client-facing he is referred to - and signs off all communication - as Darren.

Dazza is simply a shortened name ... so there is no justification not to use it

There is a whole thread full of justification not to use it. Also, its stupid, which is enough.

I'd worry about a hire that didn't already know that it was inappropriate, tbh. Makes you wonder about his level of cop-on.

I picture him like this.

I haven't read ALL the comments so this may already have been mentioned but if he wanted to be known by another name he should have written it on his application. There is a section for it....FIRST NAME, SURNAME, PREFERRED NAME. He should have made it clear at his interview. As for swapping names a few months in is stupid to expect management to accept it.

TiggyD