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?

So just thought I would add my own experience here , this is by no means what you will feel.
We registered our daughter a ‘ long/formal name’ for her BC. That we never intended to use just felt pressured or thought it was the right thing as you mention in the title to do. However as soon as I registered her and starting taking her to the doctors, signing up for groups it annoyed me so much that the name like in your case nico was only preferred name whereas in my mind she was just ‘nico’. It began to really bother me to the fact I got very down. After 4 months we decided to officially change her name to the name she was always known as. I think it ok to consider a long name for BC but in my case and a little like yours the shortening we were using wasn’t the obvious shortening for the name.

I have a Nicholas, he likes being called Nico (pronounced neek-o) when he started nursery and then school we put it as his preferred name and that's what he gets called, is on all school books, reports etc and what he is known by

I would always use the long form. He can indicate the 'preferred name'; in school, and when he gets to know people later in life he can tell them what to call him if he wants to be known as Nico.

I have a different perspective from that of Beebee.
The name I have been known as all my life is the Irish version of my BC name. I like having both a formal and informal name and it has never been an inconvenience to me except that the Irish name has elicited the odd hilarious mispronunciation. I like having the theoretical option to use the formal and very pronounceable name if I ever feel like it.

Well, your DH is right because his way is the only way you both get your way, iyswim.

However, depressingly none of it matters as he will be Nick by the time he is 20, regardless of his BC.

Nicholas...every second baby I meet is called Nico!!

I have 3 kids who are all called diminutives of their full name. 2 girls and a boy. It's normal, never cases us problems.

I always find the "longer name gibes more options" argument a bit odd, unless you genuinely like all the options.

It's not (or shouldn't be) about whether you like all the options - when a person is old enough to have a preference of their own, they should be allowed to go with it!

Well you say that fox but when you are choosing a name for your child you don't pick it at random. My elder daughter has a name with no options but because it is not a diminutive no one sees that as a problem.

Not massively keen on the name Nico for a child, but I think that might be because that was the name of the gorilla at Longleat.
Nicholas would give him more options when he is older.