Upper/Upper-Middle Class Nicknames

[Slickly]

I grew up upper-working/lower-middle class, state educated, but we moved in Y5 and I went to a good grammar. I've spent the last 20 years in Australia. My DH is upper-working class, a lot of his uni friends went to prestigious public schools. We have just moved back and have seen a lot of DHs old friends. What is with the nicknames that have nothing to do with actual names, talking of names like Minky, Binky, Bunty, Berrie, Minty, Nixxy etc.
I met a grown woman who introduced herself as something similar to these, others were used on children/teens.
AIBU to think these are so cringeworthy? Why do they do this? Do you call yourself by a random unrelated nickname?
I know some small children who might go by a sweet nickname, but not teens or adults, I find it so odd!!

If home is a place that dislikes NOTIONS, you must be from Ireland

Notions would be calling the person who gave birth to you "Mummy" rather than Mam, Ma, Mammy, or Mom.

I agree that some of the "where do they come from?" nicknames can be straightforward diminutives. I too have come across a Minty / Araminta, Fliss is short for Felicity (say it quickly), Tori comes from Victoria - had both the latter in my moderately ordinary Australian primary :) I think there are both class and cultural differences in nickname choices but their presence is fairly universal. And I say that as one who hardly ever shortens my own children's names (longish but both have at least couple of common diminutives to choose from. I was reminded of a less common version of one of them and might have used it but the child in question was already too old to like it!)

My nickname is Hetty, because my middle name is Henrietta. Most people I meet now have no clue what my real name is!

Who thinks of class nowadays?

certainly the ones on this thread questioning the OPs use of upper working class!

Sounds like the school my DH went to. I call my dh by his surname. Everyone who knows him does, all his friends and colleagues. The only person who calls him by his Christian name is his Mum and my Mum used to as well but she died.

I absolutely love these nicknames. I always wanted my family to call me Bunty, but they wouldn't oblige.

Minty, Dotty, Flossy, Mopsy - all great!

But I absolutely find it cringe when colleagues or acquaintances expect you to use a nickname- fair enough if you’re mates but being asked to call someone twinky in a meeting is not on. Or at least give a choice- my name is Hortencia but you can call me Biffy if you want.

Oh yes, absolutely. If your name is John Webb, you can be called “Webbsy” by your mates down the pub, but I’ll stick to your actual name, thanks.

Probably outing, but someone called Desdemona (name changed, but similar length) joined my team a few years ago. One of the men joked it was too much to call her that all the time and decided it would be funny to give her a more “street” nickname, Desi M. Everyone started using it and he actually brought it up when I didn’t, wanting to know why I “was still calling Desi M Desdemona”. I said “Because it’s her name. I don’t do nicknames”. I’m sure he thought I was terribly po-faced and a fun sponge, but fucks gave I none.

Yes this is very true, my brother is known as something like Bob as there is (or was) a radio presenter with the same surname as him.

This makes sense. I always wondered it myself, it's weird, especially to call a grown woman Binky to her face.

But I have also noticed a tendency amongst the more MC (so no generations of wealth and no string of names passed down) who purposely pick a name and a nickname for their child, in order to emulate the upper classes, and I do find it odd

Not particularly posh (certainly not a member of the sort of social circles where Tiggy / Wiggy / Bunty / Pooh etc are standard), but a very old friend of mine goes by the nickname of Bridie.

On our first day of lectures at uni, he turned up wearing a shirt and tie and a spectacular pair of tweed Oxford bags, looking like a character from Brideshead Revisited.

Over the years, this has been shortened to Bridie.

My daughter has quite a posh name

Allegra

She gets called Tiggy

weirdly posh English uni

I know there are Russell Group Universities and old poly etc, but what is a posh uni thats weird?

A notch below ‘lower middle class’ but a notch above standard working class I would imagine

"upper working class"? Is there a middle and lower working class?

I know a Bunty as well. A female. Never been able to work it out, particularly as her real name is very pretty!

Urgh - Can't stand adults with nicknames. Ick inducing, regardless of 'class'

I know a Bomber too, surname is Harris. Very few of my friends have nicknames, I can only think of one off the top of my head, everyone else is either called by their full name. Some though are known by their surname.

I think we're all middle class

So my nickname is miles away from my actual name and couldn't tell you where the nickname started as I was so young but my mums family & friends call me Nellie
And my dad's family & friends call me Mittin
Non of these are anywhere close to my name!

The only Jonty I know is a girl. I don't understand any of the weird nickname stuff!

And yet here you are on a thread about them.

You poor love, this must be torture for you.

nicknames tend to stick for ages and often start of as something someone said ages ago and nobody may ever remember why it was said

i have a lot of friends who dont go by their first name and neither me nor them are "posh" or upper-anything class

😂brilliant!

I went to a uni full of toffs too and the names were hilarious.

I see this in working class circles too. Different types of nicknames however.

It's useful for the shooting party.

When you're about to end something with the shotgun, "Get down Minty" is far more likely to result in quick and appropriate action than "Get down Marigold Elizabeth Catherine Phelps the Third"

I don't think it's entirely a class thing.

I've known elderly women that were Tig (Elizabeth), Tiger (Alexandra) and Bunny (to this day I have no idea)