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.

I agree puppymonkey.

Evie is lovely, Eveline/Evangeline are just dreadful imo. There's no need to call a child the grown version of a name unless you love the name and are going to use it.

@ PuppyMonkey....wish I'd said that to my mother when she was browbeating me about it

why do people need 'choices' to change their name? I don't get it either

if you don't like your name, change it - nothing stops people from doing this once they become 18 or whatever age it is to change legally!

My oldest has a longer name which we shorten now and suppose when he's older he can use the longer variations if he wants to sound more grown up (plus its good for shouting up the stairs when he's in trouble!! ). He says he likes having 'lots of names'
My youngest has a short name and I often wish we had given him a longer name to give him the option.

My oldest has a longer name which we shorten now and suppose when he's older he can use the longer variations if he wants to sound more grown up (plus its good for shouting up the stairs when he's in trouble!! ). He says he likes having 'lots of names'
My youngest has a short name and I often wish we had given him a longer name to give him the option.

Entirely up to you...We used long names but then call DD's by their long names as we love them but expect them to be shortened sometime.

BTW DD1 IS Evelyn oh well we love it and it suits her which is what matters.

I've chosen the shorter version for DD's name. This is because it's actually the short version that we like and we were only considering the long version for formalities sake but we'd actually never use it.

My brother had a friend called Jim whose brother was Tom. That was it. Jim spent his childhood being embarrassed about it, especially when names were read out at school.Still, I suppose Theodore might have that sort of effect.

I'm possibly the only mother with a Samuel who only uses that name ( I like it, dammit!) despite the rest of the world calling him ( or rather, assuming that he's called) Sam. He answers to both

I even heard my mother say that Samuel was a bit babyish and Sam was more grown up

nobody said that they NEED choices ramonaquimby, just that some of us think it's a nice idea

no need to be chippy

The difference is that Samuel and Evelyn are really nice names as the longer version.

Leonard on the other hand? For Leo?? I think not.

greensleeves, I wasn't the only poster saying that -so why single me out?

wasn't being chippy at all

is my opinion

that's it, I'm gone.

long version on the birth cert, short version in daily use UNLESS he's being particularly obnoxious when the long version is used!

My sis otoh has 2 dds with short versions only - causes ishoos at school/nursery if they use a long version of the nns, because neither child responds.

But that can happen with using nns anyway - a friend has a dd called Madeleine, nn Maddie - her nursery called her Maddison one day when she was being obnoxious and she told them "my name is Madeleine" in very haughty tones.

Ramona - I thought I was a lot chippier than you actually.

Dh and I are having the Theo/Theodore argument at the moment, I want just Theo but he wants Theodore. I like Theo but not that keen on Theodore. might just have to pick a completely different name altogether.

Trikken what about other versions like Teddy or Tudor (Welsh version I believe)?

Thanks Sunshinemummy for the suggestions, they are def worth suggesting to Dh.

Thank you all for the replies! You have now all confused me more as we had a name picked for DS. The name Theo has come up in this thread and I rather like it so will put that one to DH! lol
Theo vs Theodore... Iwill now ponder some more! I'm not keen on Theodore so much, but then I wouldn't use it so perhaps putting just 'Theo' would be better ! Then again, I should run this new name past DH first!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! I hate this topic.

I have a very plain name, lets say its Emma. Which could be short for say Emmaline.

So far I have not felt the need to have/use a longer version. I cannot see a time when I will ever feel that need.

I do not understand the need to give your child a full name that you don't like, rather than a shorter version that you do. Just give them the name you actually like.

My DS has a name, my DD has a "shortened" name. I didn't like the long version, so I didn't give her the long version.

My friend has a Sam - but he's Samuel on his birth cert etc.. Why? Well it looks better doesn't it? She only uses his full name when in certain circles.. very pretentious.

I wouldn't use a long name that I didn't like - but I wouldn't opt for the short version either. I would choose a different name completely.

As someone who hates their name, I think it is nice to give a child choices. Thankfully, I have a long name too and so have chosen a shortening for my name. No-one ever calls me by my full name and I am really appreciative that my mother considered my future feelings when she named me, and gave me a name that was adaptable. Interestingly, she had a shortening for my name that was never used.

I too gave my DDs long names (but I like the short names too) and we used both the full and short names interchangeably. DD1 has now decided that she does not like the short version of her name, and prefers to be known only by the full version. DD2 prefers to be known by a nickname, but not the nickname we originally chose for her! I like the fact that my DDs can choose the names that they like, that reflect their personalities, just as I have done myself. After all, it is their name, not mine... so finding something that suits them is my top priority. I believe that naming my children is not about me, I don't have to live with the name - its about them - they're the ones that have to live with the name, for at least 18 years - so I wanted to give them names that were flexible and they could adapt to find something that they liked. Both my DDs names have the options of at least 3 nicknames as well as the full name, so I know they have each found their own name, their own identity and something that suits them. For other people this is not important - but for some of us it is - I think it is particularly important for those people who dislike their current names and have used pet names throughout their lives.