Dp wants Nicholas I want Nico. Who's right?

[CassandrasCastle]

We both really like the name Nico, and it works in several languages which is important to us. However, my dp thinks the baby should be called Nicholas then tell people to call him Nico... He thinks people with longer names are more multi faceted or something 🤔
ANYWAY. Nicholas and call him Nico - or just Nico?

Yes if you're going to give your child a cool/unusual name, do it properly...and go all in. Otherwise call him Harry or something normal.

I'd love to hear people's experiences of having a long name on their child's birth certificate and then calling them 'officially' by the other, preferred name..

I haven't done that as a parent, but I was that child. It never caused my any problems as a child, teachers always called me by the short name but my full name was on the records. It's occasionally caused me problems as an adult because the long and short forms begin with a different letter (which won't be a problem in your case), so in the days when cheques were used more, I would occasionally be given a cheque with the wrong initial on it and have to explain at the bank (they were usually OK about it - one bank clerk said it happened all the time but usually with men called Tony!)

FWIW, I think I prefer the idea of Nic(h)olas on the birth certificate and Nico for short, so long as you don't mind if he chooses to be known by his full name or a different short form when he's older and can make up his own mind. I don't think it would be fair to give a child a long versatile name and then insist they must use the short form of your choice all their life. I don't think many people would mispronounce Nico - it's a name I've been aware of most of my life and I expect most people have too.

I have a child with a full name on bc, and has always been known as a short version of this.
I am known by my middle name.
The first has yet to cause an issue. Mine causes confusion when a new secretary at work needs to book my travel, as they cant "find" me on the system, but other than that is ok. I wouldnt do it to my child tho.

What's the problem with using both? It's extremely standard, even the norm to have an agreed shortening of a longer 'formal' name.
e,g, She's called Elizabeth to be known as Bess/Lizzy/ Betty etc
His name is Henry but we're calling him Harry.

My name is one such, so is ds's. It's never been a problem. At school we were always known as the shortened form, the long form is on passports and certificates.

Nicolas on birth certificate but shorten it to nico but he can have the choice when he’s older.

I don't think Nico is cool at all, if anything it's a bit try-hard. .
Nicolas or Nicholas is classic and gives both you and your DS several options.
His mates will probably call him Nick anyway.

I have two who go by a shorter version of their first name. It wasn't a problem at school or anywhere else, although one has chosen for themself that they would rather school know them as full name, so that may be an issue if you really dislike Nicholas (I didn't mind either way).

Love Nico

I've always been called by the shortened version of my name. The only time I use the long version is for official stuff like bank accounts etc.

And if people see my long version they normally ask what I prefer to be called.

My youngest has only ever been called by the shortened version of his name too, most people don't even realise it's not his proper name. When he started school they asked what he'd prefer and labelled all his stuff with the shortened version and taught him that when he was learning to write his name.

I changed my name to the shortened version as soon as I could. Having a short version used in school and by everyone I ever knew and a longer one for official things was nothing more than a pain in the tits.

*changed it legally I mean.

Nicholas on BC. If you want him to be known as Nico, just tell people that's his name when they say "ahh, gorgeous baby, what's his name?" My DC have long names but are known by diminutives and always have been. On official forms (school etc), you just underline the name you want the child to be known by. So I would put, for example, "Antoinette Middlename Middlename (Toni) Salts" for my DD on forms for school, doctor, dentist etc. If I use their full names, they know they are in trouble.

Ohh thanks all. This is hard. Really good to hear of people's experiences of this - butI do worry that it will just be 'a pain in the tits' for him with official forms, work etc. when he's older if he's called Nicolas.
His name is Nico!! Oh dp, why are you like this. It's getting to the stage of thinking we'll have choose another name.

DAMN IT

I like Reuben. But in my mind he is Nico..
Anyway, Reuben...

Dp likes Alois

funnily enough I know someone whose name is Nicholas called Nico-

with a sister called Amelia nicknamed Mimi

Ha! It can be done :p

My BC name is longer, but my parents have never used it (not even when I was naughty!) and just picked it in order to use a shorter version they liked. The BC name doesn’t feel like “my” name and even as a teen when I went through a phase of disliking my name I’d never have considered using the full version. The full version seemed alien when used by teachers reading from the register. I changed school 4 times, and due to shyness didn’t like to/ didn’t have the confidence to correct them for several years, so was called by the “wrong” name.
I’d choose the name you want to use!
Also, one of my sons has a longer name that was a bit more unusual (like nico) but that could be shortened to a more classic name (like Nick for Nico). He’s never shortened it and prefers to use the name we chose.

Unless you’re Italian, I think Nico is very naff - though fine as a nickname. Nicholas is so much classier. Nico is also being used quite a lot for girls these days.

He won't always be a cute 4 year old or a cool teen so it would be nice for him to have options. Your DP should have a say as well. I'm known by two different names and it's never been a problem.

I think that the problem with Nicholas is that most people in the UK would shorten it to Nic/Nick.

I like nico

pikapikachu
I think that the problem with Nicholas is that most people in the UK would shorten it to Nic/Nick.
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I like Nick, it's friendly.

What's the big deal with having Nicholas on the BC to give him choices when older and just calling him Nico day to day? People make such a fuss about "forms" but honestly, forms don't happen that often 😂

Nichola nn Nico clearly satisfies both of you and your DH, OP, so I don't see what the problem is really!

Nicholas = Knickerless.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Nicholas.
Nicholas who?
Nicholas women shouldn't climb lamp posts.