How do diminutives work in everyday life?

[KellsBelk]

This may seem like a stupid question, but how do diminutives work in everyday life? When someone who goes by a diminutive (or really any name that is not their actual first name) sends an email, do they use their full name or the diminutive? When they’re meeting someone new, do they introduce themselves as their full name, diminutive, or both? Which name do they give for takeaway orders? We’re considering a name that will probably inevitably be shortened (even if we don’t shorten it ourselves), and I’m curious what this will look like. I’m not close with anyone who has a name like this, so I truly do not know.

I go by a diminutive (guess what) and have done all my adult life. My passport and driving license and bank account are in my full name-everything else in the diminutive. Including my signature.

Is it Mandy?

This is why I picked a name for my daughter that cannot be shortened or changed in any way.

Is it a short one syllable name? I find with young children they tend to have -y added on to lengthen the names. I know a little Hopey, Wrenny and Quinny who are obviously really Hope, Wren and Quinn.

I go by an (increasingly popular but still uncommon) diminutive of a very old fashioned name. From my everyday name people assume I'm a male toddler, from my full name they assume I'm a 95 year old woman. The diminutive is not particularly professional so I have to use the full one for work etc, but OMG the confusion it causes (to me as well as to other people)...!

My parents have used the diminutive since I was born, as a deliberate choice.
The full name was "sentimental" hence me being lumbered with it. I hate both it and the diminutive but it's too late to change it now I'm in my 40s 😬

Annoyingly the diminutive isn't even the standard one for the name and literally nobody has ever worked out my real name from the name I use or vice versa! Plus people always expect me to be a different age and/or sex, or think I'm two different people if they've heard me referred to by both names.

The moral of this story is, I suppose, please for the love of god make the diminutive one that is obviously related to the real name to avoid a lifetime of confusion!

Yes, it's whatever they want, just as with surname (some people keep their maiden name on work emails, though most change it, but it's up to each coworker to tell us what they want).
The only exception is if we're talking about a nickname that sounds unprofessional, then I'd think carefully before using it at work.

@Pistachiocake ,what would be a nickname that sounds unprofessional, assuming that you mean a diminutive not a nickname?

Spike Lee, Spike Milligan, Tiger Woods and Coco Gauff did OK.

I use my diminutive on everything apart from official things like passport.

I was called by my full name all the time until my teens, when teachers and friends at school started calling me by the shortened version. I now go almost entirely by the shortened version but still have the full version on my work email etc, and would always use that anywhere that involves paperwork of any kind. So my closer colleagues at work call me by the shortened version but more distant ones and clients will use the full one.

Same for my adult DD too.

My ds2 decided in year 1 that his preferred name was the diminutive version and he was called by that all the way through. His official documents (passport/driving licence etc) have his full name on but that’s it - even his official school documents like reports have the short version. He would always introduce himself as the diminutive and although he’s not yet at work I am certain that he will use it there too. The only person who calls him his full name nowadays is his grandma (and me when he’s in trouble😅)

Iloveagood nap

Yes just one syllable, no one has ever put a y on the end. It’s a 70s name, she was born in 1972.

I'm imagining Vinnie, short for Lavinia. I had a great aunt Lavinia who was known as Vin for most of her life.

I've already outed myself as a Louise on another thread. People sometimes try to shorten it to Lou, which I hate, but I then I also hate the full version so it's all the same to me and I don't correct them.

Nope!