Woody

[Ploppymoodypants]

If you hear the name Woody, do you think of
A) woodpecker
B) toy story
C) Allen

Or none of them. I love the name. So does DH. We are Fine with Toy Story connection and confident that only the older generation will make the link to woodpecker. But would hate an association with Woody Allen. It hadn’t occurred to me until DM helpfully pointed it out (because she doesn’t like what she calls ‘out there names’ and would name a boy David or James, which are perfectly fine. But not what I like personally).

He would be William on birth certificate but don't want that as every day name because a) there are already 4 in the family and b) I just know it will get shortened by someone to Billy which I really do not like. Thank you

I think of Woody Harrelson first, then toy story. I think it’s a lovely name and who cares if it isn’t on the list of nicknames for William! I know quite a lot of people who go by a name that is different to their official first name! William gives him a traditional alternative if he ever wants/needs it in his future. I don’t think the younger generations will associate it with Woody Allen.

Toy story

That's my little boys name. We love it. We are aware it's not to everyone's tastes, but what name is? He is beautiful, and has other middle names that are more 'traditional'.
We are really happy we went with it.

My teenager says it's 'weird'

Um... erection or cartoon character. Good playground fodder for the bullies 🙁

I think of the Mini Countryman van (60's!) which had wood around the back windows! They were always called Woodies and I think Roy Cropper on Coronation Street refers to his as a Woody!

It's a bit offbeat as a name to me. Makes me think slacker, musician, tattooist, double bass player in a rockabilly band...

Not that I'm saying you should give him a more normal name, just that if your surname is Wood it would be a natural nn.

As a predetermined name but putting something else on his birth certificate just seems odd. Have the courage of your convictions!

But yeah, erection. And Allen.

Allen was my first thought, sorry.

I also don’t think it makes a lot of sense as a nn for William.

It doesn’t sound as though you actually really like the name William much at all, tbh. Might it perhaps be worth going back to the drawing board on the name altogether?

How about another “formal” name but with a “known” diminutive, perhaps something like Alexander (Sandy) or Jonathan (Jonty)?

First thought is Woodrow, because that’s the name of the little Woody I know. Then I thought of penises. I don’t see the William/Woody connection, is that a thing?

Although thinking about it I’ve never thought erection in relation to Toy Story. In fact I’ve just fully noticed his name is WOODY 😄 but he’s made of wood so that makes sense, whereas presumably your son won’t be.

Nope there is no William/woody traditional connection. We just like Woody and want to call him that, but thought as an adult trying to carve a career in law or something (which isn’t exactly what I wish for him, but hey) he might want a traditional normal name to fall back in if Woody is too ‘out there’.

I do have the courage of my convictions and if we go for Woody he will be known and introduced to all as Woody. We won’t even tell people he is called William. At school his official documents will say William (to be known as Woody).
I do like William the most out of all traditional boy names. There is only one other boy name DH and I like and that is getting v popular and I don’t want a top 100 name let alone a top 10 one. Not knocking those names, obviously lots of people think they are nice. But I don’t want DS being one of a number in the same class and being ‘Little Noah’ or ‘Oscar P’ etc.

Thanks for all your input. It’s been really helpful and not what I was expecting!!! Given me some thinking to do 😁

I don't understand why you would bother with William since you don't really love it.

Dh wanted to call our first born woody after woody Guthrie whose full name was Woodrow. However when I took a straw poll of friends they all associated it with erecting or Toy Story or Woody Allen and nobody had heard of Guthrie.

I still quite like Woodrow.

Sorry to merely echo every other post but I don’t know why you would put William on the birth certificate when you don’t seem to even like it, you hate Billy, and don’t even intend for anyone to know it’s his ‘real’ name. If it’s basically never ever going to be used (unless he becomes a lawyer) you may as well use a name that Woody could be an actual diminutive of so it makes sense.
I don’t like Woody but wouldn’t particularly think of anything, would kind of shrug my shoulders and move on. Met a little boy called Huckleberry the other day, different strokes for different folks and all that.

Thing is, you can’t know how popular a name will be in your area. I said upthread I know two Woodys. They’re both in the same nursery! It’s unlikey, but can happen. There’s also two kids called Elvis.

I think it must either depend on location or age or something but erection did not even cross my mind and I don’t think it would for kids either when he’s growing up. Is it quite an old fashioned slang?

Your doing it the right way in my opinion, I don't have any negative associations with the name, I just think of the endearing character on toy story any boy/man would be proud of that!

Toy story and erection here too. I'm 30.

I wouldn't worry about billy, my dad was called William and so is my ds. Neither have ever been called billy. Dad went by bill as he like that, ds is Will and no one has ever called him anything else. In ds school there is a billy, I don't even know if he is William or billy on birth cert.

I would love to be a fly on the wall when your son asks you 'why did you name me after a hard on?'

First thing i think of is Woody Harrelson

I think of Toy Story. Or the woodpecker.

What ab0ut William Woodrow Surname?

Sounds pretty cool, ticks the 'proper' name box, and gives a less tenuous connection for the Woody nickname.

Allen. So many wonderful movies, but yeah, controversial is an understatement.

Elwood works better than William

I know a Woody who is a finance director for a huge business that you'll have heard of. So don't worry about the future career thing, if you like it go for it. But I don't like it at all.