To not want my DS to have his name shortened?

[Saibuter]

I've namechanged as this will be outing. My son is 5 months, his name is Lucas. He was born a few weeks before we went back into lockdown so he didn't meet any family apart from my mum (I live with her) and my partners mum (he was living with her but now he's moved in with me to do more with DS).

Last weekend, he met my some of my partners family and they kept shortening his name and were calling him Luke and 'Lukey' we don't want his name shortened as a baby, obviously when he's a child he can decide for himself. A few of my family members have also called him Luke.

WIBU to tell them to call him his proper name or will it seem like I'm overreacting?

[pinkstripeycat]

It will stop eventually by most people . My son is called joseph. We’ve never called him Joe. He doesn’t answer to Joe and yet his godmother writes it in all his cards and his teachers all call him Joe.

[alwayswrighty]

Ironically I really dislike being called by my full first name. It's reserved for my mother telling me off!

[cupsofcoffee]

Well, in the same way that Christian and Christopher aren't the same name, or Julie and Julia...

But Luke is a derivative of Lucas.

Whereas Christian and Christopher are totally different names.

[Docsmix]

There's a few at my school and all get Luke except one who is known as Ade (his choice apparently, he likes this)

[HerbErtlinger]

My DD is an Isabelle. I knew that it might be shortened to Izzy when she was older and was OK with it but friends and family shortened it almost immediately and that irritated me as I wanted her to have time as the name I named her so I nipped it in the bud. My niece used to correct people for me 'Auntie Herb doesn't like people calling her that' DD is 13 now and still prefers to be called Isabelle

[onemorenumber]

It's the child's choice, surely?

My godson is called Michael. When he was a baby/toddler, people used to call him Mikey or Mike. He answered to all three names until he was a bit older - 5, I think - and decided he was a Michael after all.

His parents don't need to correct anyone; he corrects them if he has to.

Until the child is old enough to have an opinion on their name, it doesn't really matter much if it's clear who they mean, and there's no malicious intent. Shortening a name in this country is usually done out of a place of affection.

[SnoozyBoozy]

@cupsofcoffee

Why are so many people saying they're totally different names? Lucas is just Luke with an "as" on the end, surely?

And I'm pretty sure Luke is derived from Lucas, anyway.

Well, in the same way that Christian and Christopher aren't the same name, or Julie and Julia...

I have a Lucas, and he is often Lukey, never Luke (I haven't had to tell people, they just don't call him that!)

[Nanny0gg]

@wildeverose

He's going to have his name shortened throughout life, it happens to pretty much everyone. I wouldn't stress about it as it'll happen eventually anyway.

Disagree. Lucas is a name that isn't really shortened. Like is a totally different name

[cupsofcoffee]

@Caspianberg

People lengthen short names also

My Ds has a one syllable name, like ‘Ben’. My family call him ‘Ben Ben’! As if saying it twice sounds better for some reason?

Yep, this happens too!

Mike - Mikey.
Sue - Susie.
Ben - Benji.
Eve - Evie.

[TheWeeDonkeyIsMySpiritAnimal]

I never understand these threads. My DD has always been called assorts, rarely her actual name. It's a short name so it's often extended if anything. Think, mollymoo, mollydoos, mollymoolah, mollydoodledoday people like to make cutesy names for babies. They'll probably stop as he grows up

I don't understand them either. If relatives are doing it, it's usually a sign of affection and endearment. I don't understand how people manage to get so uptight about it. God help them when the kids get to school and are out of the parents control.

For context, I have a name was that popular in the 70's/80's that can be shortened to all sorts and also spelled a number of different ways. Doesn't bother me one iota if anyone shortens it or spells it incorrectly but that's something else loads of people on here get worked up about.

[LilMidge01]

My godson is called Lukas and we all (his parents included) call him a mixture of Lukas, lukey and Luke....I get that Luke is a separate name if you write it down, but verbally, its just a shortening (could be written as luc). I do think you're being a bit precious and if you dont like the most obvious shortening of a name, you might have considered that at the outset when naming "I.e. I like Lucas but really dknt like Luke, and a lot of people might use that"...however, having said that if a parent corrected me or I never heard them use a shortened version, I would go with their wishes. I also have heard my cousin constantly call their kid "william" and they never say "will" to him...so I also never have, like if the parents lead by example, a polite person should pick up on it.

[selfieelf]

I never understand these threads. My DD has always been called assorts, rarely her actual name. It's a short name so it's often extended if anything. Think, mollymoo, mollydoos, mollymoolah, mollydoodledoday people like to make cutesy names for babies. They'll probably stop as he grows up.

But if it bothers you you'll just have to say something. I think it's the person who doesn't like it has to be the one who points it out as they're in the minority amd most people assume it's fine

[Crankley]

Someone I know called their child Eve, not wanting her name to be shortened or changed so what did people do? They lengthened it, calling her Evey or Evey Weevy or adding on her middle name. Once they are in school you lose control of your child's name, it seems.

[EmeraldShamrock]

Yanbu it's not shortening the name they're getting it bloody wrong too.
Lovely name BTW.

[Howshouldibehave]

People lengthen short names also

Completely agree with this!

I know a Jane referred to as Janey, a Clive who is called Clivey and a Sue who is known as Suzy!

[BalloonSlayer]

Fine when he is a baby but just beware when he is older . . . I know a couple of Mums who always call their sons by their full names, and it comes across really oddly when the children themselves don't use the full name.

Eg literally everyone knows the three boys as Max, Nat and Ben, and that's what they call themselves, but in every conversation with the Mum it's Maximilian, Nathaniel and Benjamin. As I say I know two Mums like this. Must take them ages to call them in to dinner.

[sykadelic]

My sons name is one that could be different variations, such as Belle, and he's too young to know his full name yet and we just call him the shortened version. When he's older he'll be able to remember it, it doesn't bother me but that doesn't preclude it from bothering the OP.

[Crappyfridays7]

I wouldn’t think to shorten Lucas it’s a nice name, but I wouldn’t do nicknames either if his name is Lucas then call him Lucas. None of my boys names are shortened as they really don’t have short variations.

[sykadelic]

My husbands cousin is Lucas, he's often called Luke. He's almost 30 so not a new occurance. In fact I was introduced to him as Luke when he was 15/16.

[Caspianberg]

People lengthen short names also

My Ds has a one syllable name, like ‘Ben’. My family call him ‘Ben Ben’! As if saying it twice sounds better for some reason?

[LowlandLucky]

Don't let this ride, Luke is not his name and neither is the god awful Lukey. Tel them if wanted him called Luke then that is what you would have registered him as/ Nip it in the bud before it sticks.

[cupsofcoffee]

I think the point the OP was trying to make is that the shortened version is already a name in itself and therefore not the baby's name but a different one, hence my using Marcus/Mark as another example.

Yes, but that's already the case for many other names out there.

Plenty of baby boys' have Will, Sam or Tom on their birth certificates, and not William, Samuel or Thomas. Similarly, there are many girls called Sue, Nikki or Beth, and not Susan, Nicola or Elizabeth.

Language and names evolve. Luke/Lucas are very similar and Luke is, to me, a natural derivative of Lucas, even though both may also be names in their own right. Same as Alex/Alexander etc.

[Fixitup2]

Luke is a different name. I’ve heard Lucas shortened to Lu but nothing else, an unpleasant boy in my child’s class gets called Luc-ass when he’s been particularly unpleasant.

[RedHelenB]

Yabu, babies are little and cute and Lucas just isn't a baby name, but one he'll grow into. Luke or Lukey for a few months won't hurt, he'll know he's Lucas because you will call.him that and he will spend most time with you.

[Caramelsmadfuzzytail]

My mother decided to name me alexandra because she liked alex. I have never been called by my full name.
People who try to shorten my name to al are called Betty in response, Paul Simon helped me with that one.
"Can I call you al?" "Only if I can call you betty".
I your case I would be miffed people are calling him luke. The only acceptable derivative is lu.