Love long names for boys but not a fan of the shortening s

[17caterpillars1mouse]

So, I love long boys names, not really keen on shorter ones at all. However I'm never that keen on the shortenings. Others like this, what did you go with?

Some examples of names I love

Jeremiah (not a fan of J or Jerry, not really liking Jem either)

Zachary (not keen on Zach)

Nathaniel (Nate is a bit meh)

Tobias (hate Toby and Tobes)

Nicholas (dislike Nick and Nicky)

My eldest two dc have long names that are commonly shortened. Think like Elizabeth shortened to liz/Lizzie and Samuel shortened to Sam.
they are now older teens (one adult) and they have never shortened their names and are still known as Elizabeth and Samuel by me and by them. I think friends might shorten them, but I never have and when I’ve asked them which they prefer they say their full name

Your baby your choice. Kids will shorten each others names but if your child doesn't kicked it they won't respond. DD had a friend called Savannah, who hates her name being shortened and never responded. I have DD and DS with longer names DD uses shorter name DS doesn't but answers to a random name from his mates sort of like a nickname

When they are young you can manage this but when they are older they will, outside the home. They might prefer zachary, they might prefer zach. But you can still use their name and wont know what their colleagues and friends call them anyway.

The solution is to choose two syllable names that are unlikely to get shortened.

I know boys called Felix, Quentin, Harry, Marcus that generally get called by their full names.

Obviously long hard to say names like Sebastian or Nathaniel are going to get shortened!

Christopher (Kit)
Sebastian (Seth)
Benjamin (Ben)
Alexander (Al/ Alex)
Frederick (Freddie)
Theodore (Teddy)
Maxwell (Max)
Leonard (Lenny/ Leo)
Leopold (Leo)
Vincent (Vinnie)
Wilfred (Wilf)
Harrison (Harry/ Sonny)
Franklin (Frankie)
Jonathan (Jonny)
Montgomery (Monty)
Oliver (Oli)
Albert (Albie/ Bertie)
Quentin (Quinn)

I know a Nathaniel and an Alexander that are never called anything but. I think if you always use the long version then it sticks.

You can choose to call them by their full name and if your child likes their full name they can request that people use that too (although In my experience of it's nigh on impossible to police this fully). But don't be one of those annoying parents who tries to control their kid's name into teenagehood as there's a good chance your child might like being called Nate or Zach.

Remember, it's their name not yours.

I wouldn’t choose a name when you dislike the shortening because you can insist all you like when they’re at nursery but once they’re at school, it’s completely out of your hands. My 5YO DD has a long name, at school she exclusively uses a shortening that I’m not wild about, but it’s her name so it’s her choice. If you go for a long name you can pre empt and make sure there’s a shortening that you do like, use that and hope it sticks e.g. Zander instead of Alex for Alexander but really a shorter name is probably your best bet.

sometimes, depending on the child. Some will prefer the long form of the name, others will find like they the shortened version more. But that's because it's what they want for their own name, not the parents preference who can't (and shouldn't) try and control their kids name after they have given it. I went to school with a Becky and if you dared call her that in front of her mum the response would be "who is Becky, I don't know a Becky, do you mean Rebecca" but guess what, we all kept calling her what she wanted not what her mum did.

Not a long name but my DN is James, any time anyone calls him Jamie/ Jim my sister corrects them straight away. Not rudely or anything. So far everyone only calls him James but he's still a toddler.

If there are any names with a particular shortening you hate don't choose it. A lot of those long name do get shortening.

Ditto - dislike Ed/Eddie for Edward, Nate for Nathaniel, Mike/Mick for Michael, Alex for Alexander etc but love the full versions.

3 choices imo-
try to find a name you like that is not quite as likely to be shortened (Adam, Owen etc)
go for the longer name you love but call them a different nickname from day 1 and hope it sticks (Han for Nathaniel, Cole for Nicholas etc).
keep looking for a longer name you like that you you don't mind the most common shortening for too (option I chose personally eg. Will for William, Max for Maxim)

Sebastian (Seth)

in what world is Seth short for Sebastian?

She must mean Sethastian