Freddie?

[Thepotdog]

Found out we’re having a boy and we both like the name Freddie.

I see on here quite a lot about having a ‘proper’ name and the BC should have the longer name.
We really hate Frederick, Alfred is ok but I don’t like it and would never use it.
I do agree and understand for some names e.g Christopher for Kit, or Charles for Charlie as Kit and Charlie can’t be shortened anymore.

But for Freddie he can always be Fred when he’s older if he wants to be. Am I massively overthinking this and Freddie is fine or should we use Alfred. If he is Alfred surely he’d end up using Fred anyway (or potentially Alf?).
We also like Tate for a middle name and like Freddie Tate but I don’t like Tate with Alfred.

Sorry waffled a bit there 😂 naming a human is hard.

How about Wilfred? You can call him Fred, Freddie, Will, Wilf.
Not keen on Tate though - it's a surname.

Call him Freddie if that's the name you want. He doesn't have to be a Frederick, Alfred, or Wilfred. Definitely dont give him a name you hate for the sake of giving him a 'proper name'!

Freddie is currently in the top 20 for England & Wales, so plenty of people do just use the shortened name.

Just call him Freddie. Two of my kids have what would be considered nicknames (one you mention) in their birth certificate. Occasionally get asked 'oh is that short for X' and they just say no that's my name.
However, Freddie, as you say, can still be shortened, which is good if they feel Freddie is a bit jouvemike sounding. Think Prime Minister Freddie

Oops posted too soon!
Think Prime Minster Freddie Pot, or PM Fred Pot?

Jouvemike?? Juvenile!!

Love Freddie

My DH is a Frederick, but always known as Fred or Freddie, his DGS is Freddy, that's the name on his birth certificate.

Freddie on its own is fine. Ours has one of the aforementioned longer names on his birth certificate but he's known as Freddie or Fred everywhere. Both are great names on their own.

I love it. I know an older man called Freddie. He's so dignified.

It's one of those marmite things. People either intensely dislike the familiar version of a name as a legal name, or aren't bothered. Personally I don't like, I'm a bit traditional that way - I prefer a first name and middle name, that way the child can decide later in life between either of those names, their familiar versions, or a completely different name. I know quite a few people that have been known by a familiar version of their name (e.g. Freddie) as a child but chose either the formal version or their middle name when they moved to university. Give yourself and your child options for the future.

Although it’s not at all to my taste, it’s fine to just call him Freddie. I know several people who have the ‘shortened’ version of a name on their BCs, and there have seemingly been no negative results.

Absolutely love Freddie, not with Tate though

I know you are not keen on Frederick, but he might be. Then he gets a choice as an adult if he doesn't want to be an adult Freddie. I'd give him a real name and then just introduce him as Freddie to be people. Freddie just doesn't sound like a name in its own right to me

I think it’s not about your personal choice or preference because it isn’t going to be the name you carry for the next 80 odd years. It’s about giving your child options for their lifetime. You will have the opportunity to call your child Freddie with your family, he will have the opportunity to call himself Freddie or whatever version of Frederick he chooses.

(no one has ever socially called me by my long name, but I use it on all official documentation and prefer it that way)

Give your son the option of a full name.

Frederick is a beautiful name and he can shorten it to Fred or Freddie.

I would assume any Fred or Freddie is called Frederick

Love Freddie. I kind of agree with the others about offering a choice but I don’t like the full names personally.

I have at least 2 Freddies in every baby class I attend atm.

I love Freddie

Fred seems as 'proper' to me as Frederick or Alfred or Wilfred.
I would just use Fred and call him Freddie

Fred or Ed sound like nicknames to me.

I would definitely give my son the full name to give him options. So Frederick or Edward for example

Frederick is an awful name. I know lots of people who have named their sons just Freddie and it's absolutely fine.

I think Frederick, Wilfred, Alfred etc are better than Freddie. I would give him options in life. Freddie seems fine for a child, but I can imagine a grown man not being keen. He might be fine with it, he might not.

I’d probably use Alfred

Fred isn’t much of a grown up option

Alfred Tate sounds good to me

Plus there are SO MANY Freddies it’s good for him to have a few options

Call him Freddie. There are so many little Freddie's being born now (I know of 2 in the last 2 weeks!) So by the time he's older, it will be a 'proper' name!