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Is Albie a tenuous nn for Alistair?

21 replies

birdofthenorth · 05/08/2011 15:17

Like Albie, not so keen on Albert. Alistair is my Dad's mn & Scottish which is a family tradition. Al or Ali more obvious nns (both quite nice) but could you get away with Albie too?!

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evamummy · 05/08/2011 15:19

No, imo Albie is not a nickname for Alistair. Al, Ali yes, but not Albie or Alfie imo. I'd assume an Albie was called Albert or Alberto.

BlueChampagne · 05/08/2011 15:20

It is tenuous - but if you start from day 1 and say it's a family thing/joke/phrase if asked, I'm sure you'd get away with it. I love the name Alistair/Alasdair.

mopsyflopsy · 05/08/2011 15:34

I'd assume Albie was short for Albert, so no imo. Although as Bluechampagne said if you introduce your ds as Albie then it may stick (until others find out his real name is Alistair Smile)

NattersAndMutters · 05/08/2011 15:42

It's fine if you want to use it: I went to school with an Alan whom we all called Albie. There isn't always complete logic with nicknames.

youmeupstrairsnow · 05/08/2011 16:17

If you are always going to call them Albie and introduce them as such - then yeah it's fine. People will very quickly get use to it. I like it btw

SaffronCake · 05/08/2011 16:23

I'd also say it was tennous from Alistair, but why not just call the boy Albie? It's not essential to have a big fat history book behind a name. If you really love it he'll love it, kids pick up early on what makes Mum and Dad happy.

changer22 · 05/08/2011 16:26

I know 3 Albies and that is their full name as far as I'm aware.

Good name so go for it but then I don't go along with all this naming him 'Henry' and calling him 'Harry' malarky.

CosmicMouse · 05/08/2011 16:29

It can be short for Albern too? Which I prefer to Albert...

meaniebrown · 05/08/2011 16:52

Oh my goodness, Albern is an English name? It means "foolish" in German. I'd go with Albert personally; I think it's a really nice name.

NattersAndMutters · 05/08/2011 17:39

Alban, as in St Alban(s)

NattersAndMutters · 05/08/2011 17:40

I don't go along with all this naming him 'Henry' and calling him 'Harry' malarky

That's the thinking that landed me with a shit name and no options.

EverythingInMiniature · 05/08/2011 17:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

InstantAtom · 05/08/2011 19:13

There's no "b" in Alistair, and Albie is usually short for Albert(o). If you don't mind whether the nickname is derived from the full name you may as well pick any full name you like - or just use Albie on the BC. I think Albert is fine though...

proudfoot · 05/08/2011 20:00

I think it works. A bit of creativity in nicknames are fine and it does basically make sense.

poppydaisy · 05/08/2011 21:35

You can introduce your son as Albie (becoming quite popular round here) but expect people to be surprised when they find out that his real name is Alistair. To me, they are completely different.

DessertsInReverse · 05/08/2011 21:36

i have a great uncle known as what i'd always assumed was mikey not till his funeral did i realise he was mike eric mike -e to distinguish him from his father mike
so it might work if you chose a middle name beginning with b so Alistair B becomes Al B (Albie)

IssyStark · 05/08/2011 22:39

Well in my Scots family my aunt was registered as Catherine but always called Catriona so quite frankly I think you can do whatever you want.

If you want to call your Alistair Albie, why not? I like the suggestion above f having a middle name beginning with B if you want to make the nn more obvious in its roots.

birdofthenorth · 06/08/2011 12:30

Ooh I like the Alistair B idea! DH has been pushing Beau for a boy, I'm not so keen, but Alistair Beau nn Albie could work!

OP posts:
MummysLittleSunbeams · 06/08/2011 22:16

I really don't understand this trend for nn's to be so pre-ordained on mn!! Surely a nn is something that naturally evolves from calling someone by their proper name?

If you like Albie then bloody call him Albie - not something completely different!!

talkingnonsense · 06/08/2011 22:55

I have an Alasdair, and often call him ally, or ally bee, so like the idea of a middle name beginning with b. Prefer my spelling of Alasdair/ alistair though!

MirandaGoshawk · 06/08/2011 22:57

I think we are all forgetting Albus Dumbledore

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