Full name for Bobbie?

[pigglepot]

I really love the girls name Bobbie but worry it's a bit too much of a nickname to give as a full name (although is it really much different to names like Annie and Katie which both started out as nicknames?!)

If we wanted a longer name are there any others apart from the obvious Roberta and the less obvious Barbara(!) and Robyn?

Roberta

@Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo

I completely disagree with pps saying give the name you like. I think it kinder to give a child options when it is so clearly a diminutive (and more commonly known for males). It doesn’t cost more to put a full name on a bc. You can pick a full name and always call her Bobbie. You get a name you like and she gets a name that has a little more flexibility.

Then she spends years explaining it to people, for no reason at all.

We have a female cat called Bobbie (don’t ask 😬) I sometimes call her bobster (the lobster) ... Could be an option ? 🤣

Then she spends years explaining it to people, for no reason at all

Who? She just says, ‘I’m Bobbie’. But if she wants a more standard name later on, she has the option.

My friend Bobbie is a Rebecca

Just as an aside Annie obviously came from Anne / Anna/ annabel and Katie from Katherine

Bobert
Bobbin
Bobbany
Bobbifer

Just call her Bobbie. Some names cannot be shortened, Claire being one of them so no explanations as to how people arrive at names. I also agree that giving someone a "Sunday name" or having a long version is just a pain in the arse. Call your child the name you want without having to think of a longer version.

My friend gave her son a long name never to be used but always used the shortened version. For her second son she just gave him the shortened version of a longer name, ie Tom, not Thomas.

Traditionally (by which I mean 'in The Railway Children' ) Bobby comes from Roberta. But it's a great nickname for Robyn which is a gorgeous name in itself. I'd go for that.

Roberta, and I would give a formal name because it's important to give a child a choice in adulthood if their name is otherwise quite "casual" I hate my name and it doesn't look very professional, it doesn't look good on a CV and I think Bobbie is similar in that regard. You don't have to use the formal name for anything other than form filling but gives your child options.

Then she spends years explaining it to people, for no reason at all
She wouldn't! Most people are familiar with the idea of shortening names and of nicknames.

In fact I imagine hardly anyone at all would be surprised that Bobbie was a shortened name.

Bobster the lobster and Bobette are getting my votes so far 😂😂

I think it's the idea of people making judgments on her name if it's on a CV or email signature that I worry about. But then I do wonder if that's a bit of an old fashioned view and no-one would really care if she had the qualifications. Especially with "blind cvs" and things.

I’d go for Robyn, which I think is a lovely name anyway.

@pigglepot it's not old fashioned to want a formal name, I'd have happily have picked a more formal name for myself for my professional name if I had the choice. I always think it's worth thinking have you met a Dr Bobbie or a barrister called Bobbie, no one is saying don't use it and maybe she will carry it off, but it won't be nice for her if not, it just gives her and the name flexibility.

Roberta probably works best.

@PineappleUpside

Then she spends years explaining it to people, for no reason at all She wouldn't! Most people are familiar with the idea of shortening names and of nicknames.

In fact I imagine hardly anyone at all would be surprised that Bobbie was a shortened name.

I'm not saying they would be surprised, I'm saying she would have to explain it. At school, college/uni any job she goes for. Even if she got marrried she would be saying a name she had never used.

Just to add to my thoughts, my name is a shortened version. So think Jenny, not Jennifer. I have never been called Jennifer in my life. When I was in my 20s I changed it on my birth certificate to eliminate the 'no, I don't use Jennifer, just Jenny' nonsense. One of the worst was when I went for a job interview and at the end had to mention to the interviewer that I did not want Jennifer on my name badge, because I'm actually Jenny. So irritating, and a tad embarrassing.

If Bobbie wants to use another name when she is older let her choose and change it herself!

@marshyindigo I did think the same but the other day there was a scientist on TV whose name was Dr Floss...surname. I'm assuming she was Florence as a full name but clearly went by Floss as a professional.

@rainbowthoughts I was just about to say the same thing! My name is Like Jennifer and I go by the short version (like Jenny) and as you say I really don't identify with the long version. No one ever calls me it and I've always shortened it at work. To the point where when I started my most recent job I made sure my shortened name was my email name.

@pigglepot and hopefully Floss had the choice. I just think as a parent our job is to try to make our kids' lives easier and name can have a quite a big impact if going for something less traditional. A formal name is just a good way of offering flexibility to your child because you don't yet know what personality she has. You seem to have made up your mind, you asked for opinions, that's mine, so I'll leave it there.

@marshyindigo I certainly haven't made up my mind 😂. I'm sure I will be stuck deciding for weeks after she's here 🤦‍♀️

I reckon give her choices!
I have a name along the lines of Emelia, but have always been called the diminuative, like Mimi etc (something cutesy)! I have always used Amelia in professional contexts. While it is discriminatory, the fact remains that some people would not vote for a prime minister called Mimi, or appoint her as CEO of a FTSE 100 organisation etc.

I think it would be fine to call a child Jenny, because it is well established and people are used to it. Same with Annie, Eliza etc. But Bobbie is not common enough, and COULD sound cutesy to some people.

I think it's a lovely name, and would be happy to have it. But if your dd doesn't like it, what's she meant to do with it, shorten it to Bob?! Go for a longer name and shorten :)

Dunno why people are laughing at Bobette. I recently did a course with a lady with that name.

@ChrissyPlummer

Dunno why people are laughing at Bobette. I recently did a course with a lady with that name.

Ooh cool! I didn't know it was a name.

We have a Robyn, nicknamed Bobbi.