So why do people choose a "proper" name...

[3andnomore]

only to shorten it at Birth?
What is it about calling a Baby Amilai but never using the name, but using Millie, or Benjamin but always calling them Ben...
I mean, why then not just call them Millie or Ben?
Surely if that is the name you want to call your child...
Obviously I do realise that nicknames can evolve through the childs life, but this whole "premeditated" giving it a long (proper) name and nicknaming it at birht something else is sort of , erm....pointless...and kind of really annoying? (I do realise that might jsut be me, lol...that gets annoyed, I mean...but I ratehr encounter a "chavvily" named child but it's actually the name, then a Ben really called Benjamin

[MamaG]

DS has a shortened version of a "proper" name, I didn't give him teh proper name as I don't like it, its very differnt to teh s hortened name and I didn't want to have him spend all his life saying "its X actually"

[bossykate]

i am of completely the opposite opinion. it makes my teeth itch when children are "officially" given shortened names, e.g. charlie instead of charles, alfie instead of alfred, and don't even get me started on jack

[DarthVader]

Agree with bossykate - but overall folk should be able to do what they want about naming their own child and I can't see why other people waste so much time having opinions on the subject, surely there are more worthwhile or interesting concerns?

[Flamesparrow]

Not read the whole thread, I know lots of people say it is so they have an adult/official sounding name as an adult.

I'm very much one for calling the child what you plan to call it. If you like the name Sam, call him Sam, not Samuel etc.

A name is a name, they evolve over time, I don't see what difference it makes if we are going to have a generation of Doctor Ellie and Alfie rather than Eleanor and Alfred. The quealifications makes the person, not the name

[Psychomum5]

well, I always wanted Max for my son, which we do have, but his full name is Maxwell, as I decided that Dr Maxwell sounded like a good strong name and he would prefer it to just plain old Max.......

I sound awful don't I, deciding on his career just for a name and how it sounds, but he was born on my brothers' b/day, who is a doctor, so I thought that he may follow him.......(well, hormones dictated so anyway).

of course, had he NOT come on said day, he would have been stuck with plain old Max.....

[Flamesparrow]

Psycho!!!

I really don't see Max as a doctor now Unless it is a running round lots doctor in A&E or summat... although they tend to stroll very slowly

[preggersagain]

i have to admit i always ask what the name is short for when custonmers show off their babies- "ooh Archie- Lovely- is it short for Archibald??" at which point most look blank and walk off. Best one was a Harry- i asked if it was officially Henry- they both looked at me as if i was bonkers and said "why would it be, it sounds nothing like it"

[3andnomore]

lapin, looks like lots of names are already an official version of a official name.

Bossy, btw, am not keen on very many shortened names, neither....still think it's silly to call your child Amelia, which is a absolute beautyful name and whilst will sound great for an adult it is also ever so cute for a little girl...so, why then call the child tehn Millie all the time...etc....

[3andnomore]

like Megan is forinstance a completely official name now, no one would really think that a Megan is actually a Margaret on her Birth cirtificate, but say a Maggy people would straight away assume the child has a "real" name, if that makes sense...am not explaining myself good, lol...

Btw. I really don't care what people do, lol...it's just, to me it seems weird to give your child one name but never to actually call the child by it...just a personal opinion

[dontwanttogetoutofbed]

my dd1 has a short name. i am often asked if it is short for something. it isnt.

[scorpio1]

I'm having a little girl in 8 weeks and am naming her Millie.

I don't like Amelie, Amelia etc, just Millie. I think that when she is older, many of her peers will also have 'short' names. My boys have short names too - Reilly and Jamie.

FWIW my name is Stephanie and IMO its too formal and long, everyone calls me Steff.

[Pollyanna]

but 3andnomore, lots of people call themselves their full name when they are grown up (me for instance) and weren't known by that name at all when they were little.

Sometimes you don't intend to call your child the nickname version of the name, but others do and it sticks (ds for instance).

I must admit I do have a dilemma about Tom and Joe (am pg with dc5 and trying to think of a name) - I really like these shortenings, but don't like Thomas and Joseph. But I still couldn't christen my child Tom or Joe.

[preggersagain]

we have a Millie although her birth certificate states Amelia, just as i am an Ollie but my birth certificate states Olivia.

PS when i collected my mbe (yes it's true ) i was VERY glad of the offical name!

In Wales its even weirder- most people use their middle names instead of their forenames!!

[Flamesparrow]

You know you need to expand on the mbe story now don't you?

[preggersagain]

another day flame

[scorpio1]

preggers, when she goes to school what name will she have then iyswim? Because i have wondered if they will use her BC name if i name DD Emilia on it.

[preggersagain]

by the time she is going to school she can choose herself- i was always Olivia on the register but people just got used to me using Ollie. Will probably be the same for her, ime schools tend to ask what name the child goes by (especially with the whole welsh middle name thing )

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

DD is Evelyn and middle name Boo. For the first few months she was often Evie Boo. Since about 6mths, she mostly just Evelyn, some people call her Evie, and I call her Boo at lot.

When she is older (she's only 2) she can choose what she prefers - if she wants to Evie, she can be. I wont mind. I dont think I would choose a "proper" name if I didn't like the shortened version just because names will get shortened at some point!

My name is Emma-Louise but I only ever get called Em or Emz. I have NEVER been referred to as Emma-Louise, with exception on my wedding day. Mostly because my asshole biological father named me behind my mums back - if she'd had her way I'd be Christina!

[CoteDAzur]

DD has a long name that we used in its entirety until she started to call herself a shortened version of it (which is still pretty).

I know a Lily whose mother now calls her "Lills". Surely she didn't know when she named her baby that one day it would feel right/cute/whatever to call her a shortened version.

So no, I don't agree with OP that people should name their kids abbreviations. To each their own, but I would not name any child of mine Jo, Ed, etc.

As bendi said, if that is all parents can spell, then I guess the abbreviation is better (for the child) than an invented spelling he will have to explain to people on the phone for the rest of his life.