Do you have a Thomas? Is it inevitable that he will be called Tom or Tommy?

[Mixedupworld]

I adore Thomas. However I really dislike Tom and even worse is Tommy.

Is it unavoidable?

My son had a Tom and a Thomas in his class at primary and as far as I know they've stayed that way (they're all mid-teens now and still great friends though all at different schools).

Both DD and DS have long names (3 and 4 syllables) that we haven't shortened at home. They weren't shortened at school much before secondary age as far as I know and they've still got some control over what they want. But then I have a long name that I stuck to throughout school too.

I think regarding nicknames it may be full name at first but will inevitably get shortened by some.
My dc has a name that is often shortened he doesn't like it shortened however some of his peers /teachers do shorten it and he gets cross. On the other hand my siblings name is never shortened by our parents but is by friends /other family members. It won't be dictated by you but your child and his social circle.
RE names being linked to Thomas the tank I would link the names however I had two Thomas the tank obsessed dc. I don't think many would and also you don't often have use full name.

I think he's more likely to get nicknamed TAPS when he's older!
I know one Thomas who's always Thomas but he's in the minority and probably still too young for friends to start using Tom.

I know a few Toms. Only one Thomas. The Toms are much more laid back, in fact some of them are also things like TimTom, Tomster, Tombow, it varies...

Announce him as Thomas, when you sign him up to nursery/school they ask for preferred name if different. I know several kids called Thomas, and William, and Elizabeth, and so on...

My parents called me a name with no shortenings. People still did, or lengthened it, or rhymed it...

I'd maybe rearrange the middle names, spells Tap currently.

My brother was Thomas until he was 14. His mum (my step mum) insisted that his name was never shortened and I complied until I asked what he wanted for his birthday - and he chose "to be called Tom". Now (13 years later) even step mum has relented and calls him by his chosen name.

In sixteen years of teaching I have met a lot of Thomases, and every single one of them went by Tom. You will probably get him through primary school as Thomas but it's very very likely that he'll be Tom by secondary, and it may well be his preference. I've only ever met one Tommy; it was the poor kid's given name and he found it mortifying. He got a deed poll to change it legally to Tom as soon as he was 16.

If you really hate Tom, don't use Thomas.

We have a baby Thomas and people are already calling him Tommy (or Tommeh due to regional accent). I figure if I kill the next person who does it then word will get out and it won’t happen again.

We do like Tom though x

(And if I could avoid Tommeh it would probably be really sweet while he’s little)

Nope, not inevitable. I know an adult Thomas - it's never shortened. My dad is called David - no one ever calls him Dave. I have an unusual, 3 syllable name with two possible nicknames - only a handful of people ever shorten it. I think it's more about how your introduce yourself, and what ends up suiting you best.

I know a 50-year-old Thomas who is never shortened, and lots of little ones, some of whom are usually Tom and some aren’t. I’ve never known anyone go by Tommy though.
Obviously you can’t dictate how he’s known in all contexts, and it’s likely he’ll be Tom to some people at some stage, but definitely possible to maintain the full name as the default.
Ha, I didn’t spot the Tank Engine reference, I just thought TAP. I have a friend called Thomas whose brothers are James and Edward, and it took me years to work out why I had such strong colour associations with their names.

I know a few Thomas' whose names aren't shortened. Yours may want to be Tom or Tommy when they're a bit older though.

I know about 50 Thomases. I would say that over half are never Tom and the others choose to be Tom. There are loads at my children's secondary school and only one is a Tom.

My friend has a Thomas, it sounds weird tbh

I have a Thomas. I'm the other way round, not keen on Thomas but like Tom. (Put the full name on his birth certificate so he had the choice).

Primary school teachers always called him Thomas (although they asked us to put the name he prefers on his registration and we put Tom as he didn't like being called Thomas at that point).

Secondary school teachers use both. I don't really mind either way but I don't like Tommy or Tommo (both of which I've heard team mates call him).

Family and friends all call him Tom.

Sorry, pressed send too soon. I think you can control which form of his name is used when he's younger. I know plenty of kids whose parents never shorten their names, such as Catharine and Jonathan.

But when they're old enough to choose themselves, I think it's up to them which form they use. Most names end up being shortened by friends at school. So if you really don't want him to go by Tom, I think I'd pick another name.

DS has loads of friends called Thomas (now 18) and all were called Thomas or Tommy in primary but all are now called Tom by friends.

I have a Thomas, I do call him Tom, Tommy or my favourite Tommy trouble- because he is. We also call him Thomas a lot as well. He also has 2 middle names. I think Thomas is a lovely strong name that suits any age.