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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Charles or Charlie on birth certificate ?

118 replies

BoichallH · 10/02/2015 21:14

One of the names we really like is Charlie but my husband is insisting he should be Charles on the birth certificate. I love Charlie but don't like Charles really. What are your thoughts, should I have the full name on the birth certificate or choose another name entirely ?

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TheNewStatesman · 12/02/2015 03:16

Re all the people saying "By the time the kids are grown up there will be tons of high court judges called Charlie!!"... honestly, I think the trend for cute "-ie" nicknames is already starting to look like a dated trend, so by the time all these Charlies/Alfies/Albies/Ollies are adults, they'll just be stuck with a name that looks and sounds like a nickname amidst a sea of adults who mostly have more solid-sounding names.

And it's very British--to American ears all these cutesy-poo diminutives for boys just sound odd. Since we don't know where our kids will be living in the long term, I really think it's safer to give a full name.

I think certain nicknames like Meg or Kate or Beth are OK as given names, but Charlie is just so babyish sounding.

sleepywombat · 12/02/2015 03:31

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DifferentNow · 12/02/2015 07:18

My DS has 'Charlie' as his middle name on his birth certificate and I have always regretted not registering Charles instead.

gruffallosfriend · 12/02/2015 10:27

I vote for Charles too!

Agree that the current fashion for 'cute' -ie names is probably on the way out and for that reason alone I'd choose a more timeless name. But if you don't like Charles, then I'd find another name altogether.

squoosh · 12/02/2015 10:31

'Re all the people saying "By the time the kids are grown up there will be tons of high court judges called Charlie!!"... honestly, I think the trend for cute "-ie" nicknames is already starting to look like a dated trend, so by the time all these Charlies/Alfies/Albies/Ollies are adults, they'll just be stuck with a name that looks and sounds like a nickname amidst a sea of adults who mostly have more solid-sounding names.'

I'm not a particular fan of -ie names but there are so many of them that they'll be completely unremarkable to their contemporaries' ears. So yes, Charlies too will be able to make it to the MN mecca that is High Court Judge-dom.

longestlurkerever · 12/02/2015 10:35

Ah, well sounding babyish is a better criticism of a name than just "it's a nickname". This applies to full names sometimes too though - eg Robin, Amy, Poppy. Many nicknames (Tom, Rob, Nick etc) sound perfectly "adult" - perhaps more so than the long version. As it happens I have worked with a few Law Lords and they were generally known as things like "Tom Bingham" even when giving speeches etc but in any event I don't think the lack of diversity in our judiciary is something to pander to - I hope by the time our children grow up it is more representative of the general population in all sorts of ways.

Charlie is on the cusp for me in terms of being babyish on an adult. I think because "Charles" does sound a bit Royal and stuffy plenty of adults go by Charlie - eg Charlie Chaplin, Bonnie Prince Charley, Charlie Sheen. But then again it does sometimes make me think of clowns.

gruffallosfriend · 12/02/2015 10:36

But those with full proper names on their bc at least have the option of a less cutesy name when they don't like it anymore (e.g. Alfie can be Alfred, Charlie Charles, Ellie Eleanor etc). Why not give them this option?

squoosh · 12/02/2015 10:42

'but in any event I don't think the lack of diversity in our judiciary is something to pander to - I hope by the time our children grow up it is more representative of the general population in all sorts of ways.'

I absolutely agree with this.

Myfourblondies · 12/02/2015 10:48

Charles on BC for sure. We wanted Harry but put Henry on the BC. He is 8 and much prefers Henry (as do we now), nobody calls him Harry at all anymore and I am grateful that I gave him the option.

longestlurkerever · 12/02/2015 10:51

Gruffalo I totally agree if it's a name they might actually want to use, but pointless and counter-productive if it's a horrible name - eg Archibald. I have an uncle called this and he has spent his adult life trying to avoid having to admit to it. Charles is a reasonable enough name but it is quite posh and very different in feel to "Charlie" - it would be an embarrassment for some people. I just think names should be judged on their merits and there is a lot of snobbery around this issue. As I said, plenty of names don't come with any real choice - if people hate them that much they can change them by deed poll.

TheCraicDealer · 12/02/2015 10:54

There's a lot saying, "what's the point in giving him a name on the bc you don't like and will never be used?". The parents mightn't be fussed on it but it gives the kid options as they grow up. I had a nn as a child, which frankly sounds like I'm a US cheerleader who works at hooters part time. When I started working I went back to the longer name on my bc, and I am so grateful I had the option to do that. I think I would've had to change my name otherwise, or use my middle name. I also like having the formal division between what people at work call me and what I get at home and with old friends.

HalleLouja · 12/02/2015 10:58

My DS's middle name is Charlie and not Charles. Think Charles is poncy yes SIL I am talking to you.

MuddhaOfSuburbia · 12/02/2015 10:58

my kids would disagree with pps

they have similar long names, but our intention was always to call them by the short name. The idea was that they could choose when they got older

at secondary school you will find that Charlie encounters loads of different teachers who all call him Charles because that's what's on their register. My kids don't like that at all

(mostly because their short names are Normal and their long names, in ds' words, 'sound poncey')

juneau · 12/02/2015 11:00

Charles.

I dislike all the nicknames used as real names these days. Both my kids have nicknames and are known by them, but they have full names on their birth certificates. Remember you're naming a man, not just a baby.

gruffallosfriend · 12/02/2015 11:00

Agree that Archibald is quite an ugly name! But for that reason I wouldn't name my child a diminuitive form of it, Archie.

I guess I see the 'full name' when I see the nickname so assume that a Charlie is a Charles, an Alex is an Alexander and an Archie is an Archibald. But perhaps others don't make this assumption.

WeatherWatchingWitch · 12/02/2015 11:02

Go with Charlie. I say this as someone who has a 'proper' name and my day to day, shortened version of the name and I hated being called by the formal name at school events, graduation etc. At our wedding I made the minister promise he would use my normal name!

It doesn't help that I hate the name Charles

bananaramma · 12/02/2015 11:03

Why not choose a name for which you love both the long form AND the nicknames?

Laquila · 12/02/2015 11:03

I've had this same conversation with a friend and was a bit confused as to why you'd call your kid Charlie if you don't like Charles. Shirley you're going to get a lifetime of people asking "is it short for Charles?"?

Having said that, I think Charlie is fine for a High Court judge/barrister/blah etc. I'd draw the line at something as nicknamey as Dolly on a BC, but personally I think Charlie is fine.

So from a logistics POV, is used Charles on the BC as it gives more options.

bananaramma · 12/02/2015 11:05

I would too assume that a Charlie was actually a Charles.

longestlurkerever · 12/02/2015 11:08

Yes, that's my fear muddha. In fact some teachers in my youth seemed to delight in the giggles provoked by calling someone a very long and precocious name. You might get your naming decision wrong of course but by craic's logic you should give them a middle name you hate in case their tastes differ wildly to you and they prefer it.

squoosh · 12/02/2015 11:09

Ireland has had two Taoiseach's in recent years with nickname names, Charlie Haughey and Bertie Ahern. They both royally fucked the country too but that's by the by.......

Or do people in power with nickname names (Tony Blair anyone?) have more of a propensity to being a bit dodgy?

sonniebonnie · 12/02/2015 11:15

I'd use Charles. Or another name altoghether.

MehsMum · 12/02/2015 11:33

squoosh, you mean like Call-Me-Dave?

squoosh · 12/02/2015 11:37

Oh yes, how could I forget 'man of the people' Dave!

And maybe there's something a bit shifty about people who change their name completely from, oh I don't know, say Gideon for example to something like George.

Archfarchnad · 12/02/2015 11:55

For those insisting that using shortened names or informal names on birth certs is a modern 'trend' - not true at all. While researching my family tree I found many examples of this from 100 years ago or earlier. My grandfather (b. 1911) was called Harry - we'd always assumed the name on his BC was Henry, but no, it really was recorded as Harry. His sister and mother were both officially called Fanny on their BCs rather than Frances. I also found multiple Pollys, which is also supposedly only a nickname.

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