Danny or Daniel?

[scousesuzie1974]

After weeks of checking lists, scouring magazines, vetoing each other's choices, hubby and I have finally decided on a shortlist of two for our first baby (a boy, due on 9 October).

Danny is probably favourite. But while hubby wants that to be our baby son's official name as recorded on the birth certificate, I would prefer Daniel as it would give him options later in life and is more formal. Hubby reckons this would lead to the poor boy saying: "no, my name is actually Danny..." all of his life.

Thankfully we're settled on middle name. James is a good solid name (and was also my late dad's name).

Our alternative first name is Joe. But again, I would prefer the more formal Joseph to be recorded on the birth certificate.

Am I splitting hairs and being unreasonable? He would be known to us as Danny or Joe, after all...

Any thoughts? We may end up going with the consensus at this rate!

I have a Daniel and Joe too but am different to you as I don't like Danny or Joseph! I like Dan though. My feeling is that the name Joe is often more of a stand alone name than Danny. The flipside to your husband saying he will always have to explain his name is just Danny is that people will assume its a diminutive and thinks its Daniel.

I like Danniel and Danny. Good choices, both.

IMO, register him as Daniel, and use Danny if you choose to. At least he will have options available to him. It will be frustrating if he always has to have documents corrected and resent to him, because people will assume he is actually Daniel. (Having an awkward name, myself, I know this will happen .)

Whether you put Danny or Daniel on the certificate, he will spend his life saying "No, Danny".

Oops

I like Daniel and Danny.

My son is daniel and gets called daniel,danny and dan, I tend to call him dan.

Not keen on danny james sounds better as daniel james

thanks everybody -- am pulling a slightly smug face at grumpy hubby (who is slightly sore anyway because I know despite him wanting to do the decent thing, he would prefer to be watching england v croatia on tv tonight with a cold beer rather than watching "video nasties" (as he says...) at our third of six nct classes.

i agree that daniel james has a nicer ring to it.

for those with kids at school already, what name goes on the register / cute little lockers with pictures on them...?

I have a Daniel James!!! Woohoo, I applaud your good taste, OP .

His mortal enemy is the neighbour kid called Joe, though, so not such a good alternative there.

Mine goes by Daniel or Dan. I call him all the nicknames. I like nicknames but not on birth certificates; okay, tbh, I think nickname as formal name on birth certificates is odd at best.

Not sure what you mean with the Register question, generally school will use full name unless you advise them otherwise (you may get a chance to inform them of a preferred nickname in the application form).

Hi there, I found out I was having a boy at my 20 week scan and after an hour reeling at the shock (I was 100% I was having a girl - how irrational!) we decided on our name of Daniel George. All the way up until he was born we referred to him as Danny, but the moment we saw him he was Dan or Daniel - and sometimes still known as Dan-Dan! The only person who's ever called him Danny was my dad and he's stopped now after 3 years lol.
So I'd say if you want him to be Danny, start as you mean to go on, register as daniel but call him Danny.
BTW at pre school etc he has Daniel on his name tags, and when I'm labelling if it's a little tag he gets Dan! Win win all the way.You'll know what to do when you meet him which isn't long now good luck xx

Daniel is a lovely name. Of course you should give that as his full name not Danny!

If he's always known as Danny, you can always specify on pre-school and school forms "Daniel (known as Danny") At our school there's an Amelia who is Millie all the time and she's Millie on her tray at school, on certificates, etc so it's perfectly do-able.