Shortened name on birth certificate?

[Fan90210]

Hello,

I’d really appreciate some guidance here as I am in two minds! If DC is a boy, we have chosen a name that we like that’s a nickname of longer name. I won’t give the name away but along the lines of Nick (Nicholas), Tom (Thomas), Alex (Alexander) etc.

Having read the ONS statistics there seems a trend of using nicknames on the birth certificates too.

But I am torn whether to put the full first name on the birth certificate, given I’d rarely use it. In addition, at places like doctors etc would they naturally just use the longer first name or is there a “known as” option like at
school?

Thank you.

I would put the full name. Then your boy can choose which he prefers as he grows up.

I would put the longer name.
Your son may prefer it when he’s older.
Also he’ll end up going by whatever name he wants anyway.
We have a Joe. Even HMRC etc know him as Joe. He’s not Joe really, but he’s turned into one despite his birth certificate saying something else.

I’d go with the long version so he has options in the future personally. That’s what I did with my 8 week old…but it feels weird to even think of him as his full name, despite when I was pregnant thinking of him as that name!

When I said ‘oh he’s known as xx’ at the doctors, she offered to put a ‘known as’ thing on his records with the name we call him day to day.

Put the full name that way your child has the choice.

We chose a name intending on using the shortened version and at 2 our child made it clear he preferred the full version and several years later he still corrects you if you call him the shortened version.

My son has his "long " name on his birth certificate. For over 20 years he was known by his " short " name. He suddenly decided he was going to use the longer version on leaving university!
Both my sons have names with lots of options!

This is really helpful, thank you all. I’m just torn as I don’t particularly like the longer version…but I love the nickname. Sigh!

I’m a big fan of a formal name with a great nickname (or nicknames) for multiple options.

The 'nicknames' above are now real names in their own right. We registered DS1 with a 'shortened' name because we preferred the shorter version.

I mostly agree that it’s better to have the longer name on the birth certificate, to give more options. There are a few names where the nn has become well known as a full name in its own right and where I dislike the full version (e.g. Harry - Harold, Toby - Tobias). In those cases I’d personally just call him Harry / Toby etc… , but it’s probably quite a personal thing.

Depends on the name. If the nn is something like Gra, Ste or Stu, I'd put the full name. If it was Alex, Kit or Sam then maybe not.

There was a trend on MN about 15 years ago on "name them what you will call them" i.e. put the nickname on the birth cert.

Which I completely ignored as I have a longer name that I use the diminutive of and I really like having the choice as I'm not mad keen on my given name but like the short name.

My girls have always gone by their short names but say they prefer their birth cert names and will use them as they move into adulthood. Which was always the point of using longer names on birth cert, their kiddie names are too cutesy for them so now they can use their formal names.

Depends on the name. I loved Sam for a boys name but didn't like Samuel, so wouldn't have put that on the birth certificate.
I know a Jonny who has that only on his birth certificate, everyone just assumes he's a Jonathan anyways.

I use a shortened name most of the time but I'm glad my parents gave me the full version. I use the full version professionally.

I'm not massively keen on short versions being used officially, but I have a friend that really regrets using Harrison instead of just Harry. Her son also hates that he isn't just Harry. If you don't like the full name of the one you chose is there an alternative? Eg Samson instead of Samuel for Sam. Edmund instead of Edward for Ted etc

its a shortened version, not a nickname. If you will only use the shortened version just put that. Much easier

Thank you all. If we do go with a longer version, how would you introduce the baby in a birth announcement msg to family etc? Something like (not the name but) Alexander “Alex” Smith or Alexander Smith (to be known as Alex)?

We just said Benjamin* (Ben) Smith and then called him Ben until he decided he wanted to be Benjamin.

*Not actual name.

I’m a shortened name as my full name. It was rather unusual when I was born in the mid 70s to do that. It’s a name that can be short for a few names so I often get asked ‘are you an Elizabeth or a Bethany’, for example.

It’s never been a problem.

We used the formal name and call DS by the nickname day to day.

I love both variations, but it’s also nice having the longer version to use when he’s in trouble!

My sister went from using a diminutive as a child/teen to using her formal name as an adult, so I wanted DS to have the choice to do the same.

I know someone who was given the short version of a name as their official name (e.g. Jim rather than James). They hate it, and are in the process of officially changing it. The parents don't seem too impressed ["We gave you X name because we like it"]
FWIW the full name and a different nn for it suits him far better.

Yes but it’s not your birth certificate or important at all that you’d ‘rarely use it’. It’s about him. He’s the one that might rarely use it or might use it all the time! You don’t know what he’ll prefer, so the obvious thing is to give him the option?

Obviously as it ends up out of your hands, don’t give your baby a name you hate. If you really dislike Nicholas don’t use it even if you love Nick. But I’d say that names with options are always a nicer choice than names with none.

If it's Theo or Max I think you are fine without.

I don’t know anybody who has been raised with everybody using a short name (eg: Alex, Chris, Liz) who has decided to use their full name despite never being called it in adulthood just because it’s on the birth certificate. I don’t think you have to overthink it, if you like the name Alex just call him Alex he doesn’t need a long name.

What’s the name? (It’s not going to identify you). I would maybe give him the option of using the longer one if it’s obviously a shortened version of a name. End of the day though it’s up to you. Some names eg. Charlie for Charles are as much their own name as a nickname.

How strange, I would never think of Harry being a diminutive of Harrison! It would be Henry. But Harry is now a name in its own right.

OP what’s the name-?? Because if you’re in a Harry - Harrison (!) dilemma or a Toby - Tobias angst then it’s quite different!

I definitely think name him the name you love, and what he'll be called day to day, why do you need a different name on the birth certificate? I am pregnant currently and lots of my name list could be short versions, but I see them totally as names 😍 Gabe, Xave, Seb, Wilf........ I definitely would be using them as just that, can't see it being an issue for them in future, will just be their name!