Shortened versions of long name on bc

[golfmonkey]

There seems to be a strong concensus that 'full' names are better on the bc (eg William instead of Bill, charlotte instead of charlie).

Are there any names you feel are reasonable as stand alone names despite traditionally being a nickname?

Both my DDs have 'nicknames' for names, and I absolutely love them, but I wonder if they'll suffer in the future because of it.

I've got a short unusual name that I always had to spell out, and wanted short, easy to spell names that were actually names, but technically they are traditional nicknames. Think Kate, tess- along those lines (without outing myself!).

Just interested as to what people think are acceptable versus not acceptable Shortened stand alone names.

I know of a Tom who is just Tom, a Tony who is just Tony etc. It is up to you - if you have no intention of ever using the long version, then why not just register the name you are going to use.
Think Tina not Christina, Eliza, Lisa or Beth not Elizabeth, Maggie not Margaret, Alec or Zander not Alexander etc.
The good thing about the long form is that it usually offers a choice. For example, you may love the name Dickie but when little Dickie is a bit older he might be glad you called him Richard.

I know a Jenny who's not Jennifer, a few Kates, a Libby who's not Elizabeth and a few Jamies who are not James.

I think it's fine. I'm a Kate and when I lived in England everyone used to assume I was called Katherine (I'm not) which confused me, as nobody in Wales ever did. In know lots of people called Ben, Sam, Jo etc who don't have 'full' names.

Sadie
Lily
Kate
Jessie
Bella
Jenny
Maggie
Liv
Polly

Charlie
Billy
Alex
Harry
Jack
Johnny
Max
Reggie
Ray
Toby

A full name simply gives more options.

It's nice to have the option of a full name together with various nickname options.

My Joe is just joe, but I also have a Francesca who's a Frankie! I love Francesca but not keen on Joseph

My dd is Meg. No Megan or Margaret on the BC. I love it.

I've got a long name with multiple shortenings. I've used a few of them at various times and now gone back to the whole thing.

Options are fun.

My long name is the one I use for work and for people I'm not especially close to. Short name is used by my family. I don't share my short name with anyone I'm not close to. It is nothing like my long name . My mum just started using it when I was a baby.
My long name gets shortened to various things because it is easy to do and some ex colleagues who have become friends use that. I'm not confused by it or bored but I guess if you've read this through you might be.

Yes I like some name shortenings on the bc. Think they may have all been mentioned already, but I like:

Tom
Jenny
Kate
Annie
Nell
Beth
Ally

Thanks for your opinions.

So I call my kids a nickname version of their name anyway - just like a Kate would get Katie or a Jenny would get Jen. So they have a pet name as well as their full name. My family call me by a shortened pet name and at work and other circles i am my (3 letter) full name, which I never liked growing up, but have accepted now. I would much prefer to be called by the shortened 2 letter version of my name by everyone, but because I feel I have to write my full name, then people address me as that.

I just liked the names I gave them better than the longer versions (and also didn't want the confusion of a different initial for one of them). I have moments of paranoia that they won't get jobs in the future because their names! But both of them aren't 'made up' or even particularly uncommon.

I have seen loads of people on here say they would give the full name on the bc because it would look silly on a job application. I guess a lot of people are snobs (the ones who choose not to interview a lexi-mae because her name doesn't fit their idea of 'proper', not necessarily the people choosing a traditional name). Equally I think society has changed a lot in the last 20 years and it will probably have moved forward in another 20!

I find it really interesting the way people choose names, not in a critical way but just the reasons behind them. Some I like, some I don't, but it would be extremely boring if we all liked the same thing....

I was given a diminutive instead of a full name. I hate my name and have resented my parents' decision all my life.

I won't say my real name, but it's like Beth instead of Elizabeth. I could have had the choice of various diminutives or nicknames, but my parents cheated me of all the options.

Please don't short-change your children.

DH and I argued a lot about this when choosing a name for dd. We both like Connie but he refused to have Constance on the BC. So we chose another name. It just so happens that both of us really dislike the most common diminutive for the name we chose!

My dm prefers a short version of her name so she changed it officially.

I think it's best to give children the option. I'm not keen on the short version of my name and few people use it.

Please don't short-change your children.

Exactly. And just because you, the parent, might prefer one nickname, your children might prefer the full name or another nickname option.

I think Harry, Jack, Jamie, Sally, Molly and probably a few others have become so well established as "full" names that it no longer seems odd to use them that way. Some others seem less complete somehow. I wouldn't expect someone's full name to be Cath or Liz although I think Kat(i)e and Beth are getting there. I know someone whose son is "just" Will and that surprised me. I read about someone who is "just" Olly and that surprised me too.But if in 50 years they were common full names I don't suppose anyone would have a problem with them any more.

My DS is an Archie, I don't think he would thank me later if I chose to use the full version.

Snobbery is exactly what it is. How is it any worse to call your kid Tom and 'rob' them of the opportunity to be called Thomas than to just called them a name that can't be shortened anyway, like Oscar.

I know plenty of people who can't stand their full names.

We gave my DD a long name with the intention of using a short version - think Elizabeth but we always called her Beth. Fast forward a few years and she hates being Beth and has asked school to call her Elizabeth. I'm glad she had that option.

I personally think it's a bit weird to give your child a name you'll never actually use on their birth certificate.
I have a cousin called Toby but on his birth certificate is says Tobias. NO ONE ever calls him Tobias. What's the point?!

I personally think it's a bit weird to give your child a name you'll never actually use on their birth certificate

They might want to use it, though.

It's their name, not yours. Be generous.

I know plenty of people who can't stand their full names

They have a choice, though.
I can't stand the abbreviated name I was given, but I don't have a choice.

Snobbery is exactly what it is. How is it any worse to call your kid Tom and 'rob' them of the opportunity to be called Thomas than to just called them a name that can't be shortened anyway, like Oscar.

What the fuck has "snobbery" got to do with it?
It's about being generous enough to give your child some options.

Oscar is often shortened to Ossie or Oz, so your example doesn't work.

I think it's still better to have a longer 'official' name on the BC, its fine when they're all young and cute to use their nicknames but it can affect them later in life I'd hate to think someone's CV would get thrown in the rubbish because they didn't like their name or think it sounds somewhat common (it happens more often than it should) my own DP has a 'nickname' as his name but weirdly when he puts the longer length version of his name as his first name on his CV he had a lot more luck finding work - I wonder why?!

29 but what about names like Claire or Sarah? George or Paul?

Proper names. Full length. No shortening options.

They are what they are, short names.

My objection is to shortened names like Beth and Kate, where parents are deliberately withholding the full name and depriving their child of options that they should have had.

What a lot of dramatic language being used.