The name Teddy ?

[August21yellowbaby]

I have a little boy named Albie and die another baby boy in April! 💙

I love the name Teddy, but I'm not sure if on the birth certificate I should use a "proper" name incase he doesn't like using Teddy at school or work...?

I mean, I know quite a few teddy's nowadays so hoping it's not seen as "unusual" anymore

While Teddy might seem cute for a little boy. He will be a teenager, then an adult having to live with a little boys nickname. Imagine him in a professional job and having to tell people his name is Teddy, like a Teddy bear.

Give him a normal name. You can use Teddy as a nickname when he's young, then he can decide what to go by when he's old enough.

Just wanted to jump on and say I have an Albie & a Teddy!
Both have that name on their BC so I am obviously biased but personally think they are more than suitable for full names.

I have never once called my husband his actual name in 13 years, not many do. (Also not called by an abbreviation of any sort!) So really, I don't think it matters, he can be called by whatever he likes in this day and age if he dislikes it when he's older.

We have Theodore and who is Teddy/Ted to us 💙

Edit: but I’ve always liked the name Teddy as it’s own name rather than a nickname, I just liked both names so it gave us the best of both worlds 💙

I know a Ted and it’s lovely with his second name. Very solid name. He’s just Ted, not a ‘proper’ name like Edward. He was called Teddy as a baby but now he’s 6 it’s just Ted.

My dad is 74 and known as Teddy, though his birth certificate is Edward, as is my 12year old son who we still call Teddy or Ted. What’s up with an old man being called Teddy?

And how do you expect him to get a serious job when he is older with a name like Teddy.
Fine for a dog. Or an actual teddy.

Can’t believe how rude some people are being on this thread, there are plenty of grown up Teddy’s that were taken seriously, quite a few have already been mentioned.

I’ve also got several nephews and whether their name was “cutesy” or “traditional” someone always had a issue whether they sounded babyish or like an old man, you do you OP, if you want the name Teddy as a name go for it!

also Albie and Teddy sound really good together 💙

Edit: also it was certainly a human name before it was a dog name.

And how do you expect him to get a serious job when he is older with a name like Teddy.
Fine for a dog. Or an actual teddy.

@Mariposista

Do you actually know a single Teddy? 😂
Mine has a great job.
And shock, they know his name.

You aren’t my neighbour are you? Has a son of the same name and due another 🤣 love the name teddy

Oh and just to add on to my post above about my boy being named Theodore but nicknamed Teddy - with doing this we opened ourselves up to more nicknames like Theo, and whilst we say we don’t like him being called Theo people still do. It’s not that we didn’t like that name it’s just not him, not the name we chose and now annoys us as we’ve asked people not to, and we’re now starting to hate the name Theo because of this. I’ve actually had family members say to me “I don’t like Theodore or Teddy so I’ll use Theo”. It’s just don’t right rude and disrespectful.

You may get the same with something like Edward to unfortunately.

Strangely enough I know 2 but would agree with you on that. Edward gives the option to use Ed/ Edward as an adult

My friend's DH is Ted to his family and friends but uses his full name (Edward) professionally. Definitely give him the full name and then he has options when he's a grown up.

It is a very very popular dog name...

He won't thank you for it when he is an adult.

Lots of Edwards become Teds as adults so I wouldn't worry about the comments about the suitability of Teddy for a whole lifespan, it is even more readily shortened to Ted than Edward is. In my circle there's an Alfie with Alfred on the birth certificate and an Archie who definitely does NOT have Archibald on his. You should do whatever you guys prefer! Having said that, Edward opens up the possibility of Ed, Eddie etc as well which are also a good balance between cute and cool.

I'd rather the nickname Teddy Bear than Dick Ed though 😁

In my son’s swimming class there are brothers who are Albie (really Albert) and Teddy (really Edwin). There’s also another boy called Teddy. The class is only 6 children! They’re very common names, so I would probably be more concerned with my child having to share their name with loads of others! There were 4 girls with my name in my year at school, and 4 more with a very close variant. I love my name, but it was a pain!

My cousins little boy is called Teddy but he’s Theodore on his birth certificate so when he’s an adult he’ll have the option of either Teddy, Ted, Theo and Theodore. I think when naming a child you need to consider whether the name works for an adult as well.

I’d give him a “proper name” so he can choose later. If you don’t like Edward, why not go for Theo (or Theodore) - then you can call him Teddy (like Roosevelt haha!).

My son is called Teddy - if you like Teddy, call him it. Don’t call him Edward just because someone thinks it looks better on a birth certificate, or because Edward is a ‘proper name’.
My son is now 11 and has had absolutely no problems with his name whatsoever 🙂

Just curious as to why some think Teddy is less ‘proper’ than Edward or Theo? Or John or Steve or even?

This is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

‘Sorry sir we’ve decided not to take your years of education and hard work seriously, and not believe a single word you say, because your name is Teddy’

Please bring yourself into the 21st century and stop being so judgemental on a NAME.

@lilyandrosa

Well, if names are as insignificant as you say, why do parents agonize over the choices so much, then?? 🙄

Of course names play a role in how we are perceived by others. It's well documented and it's silly to dismiss that.

A person with a childish name is handicapped from day one.

@lilyandrosa for all that you may wish to rage against it you are being a bit naïve if you think this kind of thing doesn't happen.

Giving a proper name like Edward which can be shortened to Teddy gives the adult a choice.

Well Theodore Roosevelt was commonly known as Teddy and it didn't seem to stop him being taken seriously.
That said, I do think it's preferable to use names that give a child more options later but what's to stop a Teddy deciding to call themselves Ted, Ed or Eddie when they grow up anyway? Or indeed Edward anything else come to that - if it's ok to use a diminutive of the name on your birth certificate as your "every day" name, why can't you do it the other way round? As I understand it there are relatively few circumstances when you are obliged to use your official name. So whilst I would personally choose to use the full version of a name on the birth certificate I don't think that children who are officially named a diminutive are obliged to use it for the rest of their lives if they don't want to. Obviously it's far commoner to shorten a name than to lengthen one but there's no reason you can't is there? Some people are known their whole lives by names that don't obviously have anything to do with what is on their birth certificate after all.