Long or short version of a name?

[usernametaken]

If your child is an Alex or a Ben or a Max or a Theo for example, what do you have on their birth certificate? Have you gone for the full Alexander, Benjamin, Maximillian or Theodore version of the name or just gone with the shortened version.

We have a name picked for DS (not yet born) which is the short version of a much longer name. Have any of you run into problems by using only the shortened name? Has it caused problems in later life? Do people/schools just assume you have the longer name? I'd rather just put the short version on the birth certificate as I'm not keen on the longer version, but I'd like to hear opinions!

Many thanks.

Personally, I'd alwasy use the longer version of a name because it gives a child MORE options later in life: it gives the child 2 rather than 1 name to use. I wouln't want to deny my child that option.

I prefer the longer version, so that the child has the option of a more formal name when they grow up. There are sometimes other nicknames and derivatives too, which is nice as it gives them lots of choice. DH thinks that I'm mad though, and thinks that if you want to call your DD Katie, that you should just call her Katie and not faff around with Katherine.

We've also used a longer version of a name but use a short form (well, actually 2 different nick names), as we felt that it would give him the option later on as to which one he prefers. I do happen to also like the longer version, though .

I tend to assume that a child with a shortened name has the longer name on his or her birth certificate. I am not entirely sure why but I do agree it gives more options to have both.

we have two with short name versions and one with a longer name version (but known by the short one).

We have never had a problem with only having the short versions.

I agree - the longer name gives more choices later - but personally I hated one of the long versions of ours, and the other was too close to another family name.

I'm married to a Ben who is Benjamin (which I only call him when he's in trouble). My mate does have 2 boys who are the short version of of longer names on their birth certificates and it suits them both.

My DS has a short version, I liked it's long name but DH and DC hated it! My own name is long on the birth cert but I was never called it! Same with DH. It is very common now to just use the short version of a name, in fact, looking at statistics, more parents use Ben, Zach and Max more than the longer names these days. Many short names have become names in their own right ie Jack etc. I think short versions are fine

We gave our son the longer version of his name but everyone (except his Grandad) calls him by the shorter version.

We picked his name cause we liked all versions and nicknames associated - I had a friend when I was little who's Mum would say "never heard of her" if we asked for her daughter by the short version of her name (which we all used at school) and I swore I would never be like that.

I like the fact that if he ever needs to be more formal or decides he doesn't like his name, he has a whole raft of alternatives because we gave him the longer version...

Plus, I think people will assume they are officially the long version too. I have a friend called Jay and people are forever asking him what it's short for - the answer is Nothing, that's his full name.

At all our preschool, school, doctors, hospital forms etc you can just fill in the full name and then in brackets put (known as Theo, Max etc) Sometimes there is a line on the form to put the known as name aswell. I prefer to go for the long name because I think it gives them more options later on in life but I would only go for a longer version of a name if I actually liked it aswell as the short name.

I'd go for the longer name too unless you really hate it. Or avoid the issue by choosing a short full name, IYSWIM, like Helen or Adam.

all 3 of my girls have the longer names on their birth certificates but we've only ever used the short versions. I grew up hating my name with a passion and wanted ours to have a choice

I'm also terribly indecisive

My son is officially the longer version but it's never really used. I just feel it gives him more choices over the next 80+ years or so. Although the school received the longer name on the forms and it's on the register, it took them about 3 seconds to appreciate he is known as shorter and this is on his tray etc.

DS has the longer version on his birth certificate but we never use it and tbh I wish we'd just gone with the shorter version all together

why give your child a long name then never use it?? seems mad to me!!

canella my eldest DD loves the fact they all have 'grown' up names and I'm sure they'll be used at one point

My dd has three names to choose from later in life and her first name is an abbreviation of a longer name.

So or example Theo Angela Ann Bloggs is on the birth certificate

I thought that was enough to be going on with

We felt the same as canella, our DS is a Theo as we felt we'd never use the longer version.

I really coudn't be doing with writting Theodora A A Bloggs - known as Theo on ever form

I'd always use the longer version on the BC, as I still think it's a bit strange to use the abbreviation [stick-in-the-mud] and also it gives the child more choices in the future, and I think it's quite nice to have options so you can have an element of self-determination in what people call you

BUT I don't think other people are wrong to christen their children Katie or Theo if they want to - it's a perfectly valid choice, just not the one I would make.

My DS2 has a longer name that we then habitually shorten. I was not in favour of this whole idea but we couldn't agree on another name!

DS2's nametapes etc have his full name on and I occasionally call him it when I am annoyed with him. So I guess it is his name - but if he is called up in assembly etc it is always with the shorter name. His shorter name is a bit more "little boy" tho and when he is a High Court judge he may prefer his full name I guess.

OTOH I have a pal with a DS called Ben. That's his name on the birth cert etc. She does get a bit fed up when people refer to him as Benjamin (as they often do, not knowing it's not his name I guess) so if that annoys you then maybe it's a point to consider.

canella I completely agree

I blame my mother....she went on and on and on about it, wore me down and I gave in

"why give your child a long name then never use it?? seems mad to me!! "

But your child has 80+ years ahead of him/herself, so there may well be an opportunity in the future for him/her to want to be called by a more formal name.

DD is a short version of a name no real problems. She has had the odd occasion where someone has used one of the longer names but not really very often.
I did this because one I liked the short version of the name (it is also short for a few different names) and two the dc's have a long last name which although a very common name it is an unusual speling of it so we gave them short simple lovely first names and lumbered them with only having to spell their last name and hopefully manage to fit it in a signature box when their older

My sister did ask why I never called her they long version because that is what she would call her erm yep that's why lol.

Oh do you know I've had arguments with MNers about this til the cows come home cos I HATE the general consensus that you MUST always use the longer name on a birth ceriticate. More options my arse.

Theo is a nice name, Theodore is a cack name. Go figure!

If in future he doesn't like Theo, he's free to start calling himself MoonLandingBigFatBum. We've all got the option to do that if we really want to. It's a free country.

Don't give him a horrible longer name just because "it's the done thing." Please.

And relax.