Proper Names v Nicknames

[jaffacakehips]

I really love the name Kit for a boy, not Christopher or Christan but just plain Kit.

My concern is it's not a proper name in it's own right. Like Harry, Archie or Charlie.

I don't want to give him a name which may harm any future chances he may have (a long way off I know ) I know a few small boys called Jesse, Milo or Woody but no adults, so unable to judge.

IYO do you think nicknames as full names hold children back..? Or is just a load of total fucking bollocks!

N.B - Disclaimer: Using above names as an examples don't have an issues with these names

I personally prefer a long full name on BC but that's just me as it's seems pretty commonplace these days to have names that might be considered as nns on BCs...

The thing with Christopher/Kit though is what initial do you use? Is Christopher 'Kit' Smith C.Smith or K.smith? Doesn't it get confusing. Kristopher would maybe be better?

Jesse and Milo aren't nicknames, no.

Also Archie, Harry and Charlie are definitely nicknames, not "proper" names.

I think naming a child with a nickname is a) unnecessarily limiting (why not give the full name, and with it a range of choices for nns?), b) makes them sound like eternal toddlers, and c) can look bad on a CV.

Yes, we can all crow about how people shouldn't be so prejudiced, but the fact is there are prejudiced people everywhere, so why not minimize any chance of your child being sniffed at by a wannabe toff with an attitude problem and an HR role?

I also think people will soon tire of the currently trendy cutesy nicknames - Alfie, Archie, Ellie, Evie, Charlie, Poppy etc. and it will be nice for the child/teenager/adult to have a more solid proper name to fall back on imo.

Good point about the initial, jellybeans. Becomes an issue when you start labelling school/sports kit.

I've always wondered - if your real name is a so-called "nickname" type name, what is to stop you using the full name as your nickname/given name even if it isn't on your birth certificate. Eg surely someone called Alfie can call himself Alfred as his nickname if he wants to, just as much as someone called Alfred could call himself Alfie. Can't they?

All of mine have got "proper" or full names on birth certificates but have always been know by their shortened NN.

Some people have told they think it's silly to give them names I might never use but I like the idea that they have options of what they want to be called as they got older.

Rightly or wrongly the whole judging factor also crossed my mind when naming them as rightly or wrongly it's a fact that often people will look at application forms etc and make assumptions based on their names.

I don't think that you can reverse engineer short forms into long forms if the long form doesn't belong to you IYSWIM. Except as much as anyone can change their name that is.

My nn from family begins with a different letter than my full name, and they always used that initial. I always used my full name at school though.

The closest equivalent to Kit/Christopher I can think of off hand is Bob/Robert, and the Bobs I know do use R not B.

Harry, Archie and Charlie are all nicknames!! I love Kit short for Christopher BTW

Apologies it would appear my post wasn't clear ie I didn't word it correctly.

IMO - names like...Archie, Harry and Charlie have become very popular in their own right as full names. I know several boys who are not Henry, Archibald and Charles but given instead the nn as a full name.

I know Jesse, Milo etc are proper names. What I meant to say was: Do you think having a name like Jesse or Milo would hold a child back. I was trying, very badly I must add to link Kit in with Jesse and Milo. Anyho...Oil put it much better than me Yes, we can all crow about how people shouldn't be so prejudiced, but the fact is there are prejudiced people everywhere, so why not minimize any chance of your child being sniffed at by a wannabe toff with an attitude problem and an HR role? That what I was trying to get at.....whoops clear at mud. {hangs head in shame and walks away dragging one foot behind me}

CinnamonStar good point.

I have a diminutive name, though I think it is often used as a proper name now when I was growing up everyone who had it apart from me had the longer version and I hated people asking if my 'real' name was XYZ rather than X.
I have never wished for any other options my name is my name.
I really don't see how it can have that much of an impact on a future career. I understand that their are going to be a minority of stuffy people who may look down on someone because of their name but they are just as likely to look down on other factors as well such as school, university or address. There are just far too many factors, for a name to be such a major issue.