First name vs middle name

[cordeliaflyte]

I am having second thoughts about ds' name (3 weeks old - not yet registered). We have given her quite an unusual first name, which I like a lot - but have had several questions about whether we will shorten it (to nicknames I REALLY dislike) and warnings that she will get a nickname when she goes to school whether she likes it or not. Now I'm thinking that we should call her by her more straightforward middle name to be safe. How much of a burden is it to be known by your middle name? Or should we go back to the drawing board? I want to make a decision this weekend as it's getting me down, not knowing what to call her.

what do you call her?
i mean when you speak to her, what comes out of your mouth most naturally?
call her that
don't get in a stew and overanalyze it.

Bit of a pain to be known by middle name, tbh - I always feel I should use full name when filling in official forms (eg NHS) but then forget to use it when, say, phoning for an appt - and then sound like I don't know my own name... I also got council tax bills in both names once.

Ds is called by his middlename as he has his dad's (Daft) Christian name as his first. DD1 has an unusual first name; she is 14 and insists her PE teacher calls her by her first and middle name....

I am known by an abbreviation of my middle name and I vowed not to inflict that on my children.

If you love his first name then use it.

You do know you will have to tell us the name now!

BIL known by middle name as parents really couldn't decide between the two. Was called both names in double style (like ann-marie) for almost a year. Most people don't know its his middle name, but it has proved a pain in the arse on times for him (see Habbibu above)

he may not be known as the nickname, you know.

Apart from a brief mistaken period when I was 10 I have always been Wilhelmina or Mina, never Billie. [ names may have been changed]

My mum has always been know by her second name (she has 3, so did my dad!) and since we moved 3 yrs ago it's been a pain as every form has all her names on and NHS staff etc all call her by her first name, which she hates, and thinks they should call her Mrs xx anyway (she is 83).

Call her by the name you want to call her by. Some kids get nicknames at school and some don't. Some have names you are positive are going to be changed in some way but aren't, some have names that seem completely straightforward, but get changed anyway. Don't worry about the poss. nicknames she could get - life can surprise you.

like Mrs. B,
I have a longish (3 syllable) first name, with lots of diminutives. the odd person who doesn't know me well will occasionally abbreviate, but everyone else from friends, to distant in-laws and work colleagues sticks with the full works.

actually, I quite like some of the diminutives, but in w funny way, using them feels like i'm pretending to be someone else .

I call DD a shortened version of her first name, but also use its full length version( and not only when cross)
DH uses her middle name and often shortens that !

She is 3 is never confused, but doesn't answer to her middle name if anyone other than her dad uses it

Thanks everyone. Sorry for confusing - I meant dd's name (it's a she).
My mumsnet name holds a clue to the first name. Cannot bear the thought of the nickname Delia, which didn't really occur to me oddly enough until other people mentioned it. Middle name is Rose.

just stomp on the first mention of Delia with a lighthearted 'Oh we all call her Cordelia you know'

second time gets a stern 'her name is Cordelia'

you can do it!

I like lia as a shot version.

tbh others will take the lead from you. Noone ever shortened my name as it wasn't the done thing in my family. DH hwever has always shortened it(dont think he has used real name in 15 years except wedding day) and my sisters still correct him.

fwiw I think it is a beautiful name and you should go for it.

Its a lovely name - tbh, I think that Delia is lovely too.

Short not shot

I love Cordelia - you've chosen a beautiful name.

Cordelia is such a gorgeous name. If you like it, stick to it and correct people if they shorten it. Once she is old enough to decide for herself, she will either accept shortened versions or tell people to please call her Cordelia

My 7yo daughter has a name vey similar to your dd & it's never been shortened by anyone. I think because we never shorten it everyone else just went along with it. My brother was horrified when we chose it - all his kids have very pretty, frilly, girly names & dd's name is quite grown up - but even he doesn't try and nickname her.

Cordelia is a beautiful name - you must use it

Oh, Cordelia is lovely - just go with it.

My DD1 has a 3 syllable name. When she was born people told us she'd get called something else at school but she never was.

Actually she came up with her own nickname at 16 (not an obvious one and we hate it). All the friends who knew her before she was 16 still call her by her proper name and all the newer friends use the nickname. It's bizarre.

If you hate the nickname, then think very carefully before going ahead with it, because when she gets older, she chooses her name not you!

My Daughter is 4, and has the nickname Ella because we can't stand the nickname Ellie. However, she has suddenly decided that she likes to be called Ellie - and now friends are starting to call her that too. We made sure no-one else has called her that until now, but what can you do - its their name and is a tad unreasonable to say to a child that they cannot be called by the name of their choice!

I went to school with a Cordelia and don't remember her name ever being shortened.

Cordelia is a beautiful name .