What about Teddy?

[Lily250]

We really like the name Teddy but don't want to call our baby Edward. What do you think? We are worried that other children will take the mick out of him but we really like the name!! We are keen to hear your thoughts!

Call him Edward or Edmund. He's only going to be a baby and a little boy for a very short while, and he may not enjoy being an adult teddy. Give him the choice. There are so many brilliant shortenings from those names.

Don't call him Teddy, find another name and use that as a nnickname while he is small if you want. Agree with seeker, if you don't like edward edmund is a good alternative. Or Theodore, I think that can be shortened to Teddy?

Picture him aged 49. Senior manager? filling out a fine form for speeding? Teacher? He could be anything. Is Teddy a name that will carry him through, or in certain circumstances might it not be good for him to have the option to choose a more formal name?

He won't be a baby for ever!

Why not just Ted - thats adult enough for the birth certificate and then just call him teddy - I like it!

Theodore is a good idea if you don't like Edward. Why not? I LOVE Edward. But if you don't like any of the more formal names that are usually shortened to Teddy, then I'd use Ted as a given name. That is a perfectly respectable name for a senior manager, teacher, eminent political figure, poet etc...

definitely don't call him just teddy. ted is fab.

but would agree with others, put edward on birth certificate and then call him teddy yourselves.

i only realised when i was 7 that the name i was known as was in fact a diminutive of my birth certificate name.

having a longer (and more grown up name) to use has been very useful as an adult, both for a bit of gravitas on occasion

also when i got married my "little name" sounded awful with his surname, so i use my longer name. still known as little name to everyone i'm friendly with/ work with etc

obv. the married name thing doesnt apply to your ds! hope it illustrates my point tho

I really like Teddy too considering it for baby due in December - We'd probably call him Edward and then use Teddy as his nn. Historially I think that Teddy Bears got called that after Theodore Roosevelt got given a Bear as a gift when he was president so Theodore would work too

Do you know, sometimes I wonder if the people who start threads like this EVER went to school!

Each to their own.

I've got a Teddy. He's Theodore and we love it.

He's never been mocked for his name afaik, and I've only ever had positive responses to it in rl.

my cat is called teddy..!

but it's not ideal as a given name for a person. i prefer theodore or edward.

Bear?!

I seriously thought of calling my imaginary ds2 Teddy but Edward on the birth certificate.
Teddy does need a more grown up name at some point.

theodore nn teddy is much nicer than edward nn teddy imo

even just teddy on its own should be fine though, you do hear of quite a lot of babies/little boys called teddy these days

DS2 was going to be Theo, nn Teddy.

In the end the 9lb 9oz bruiser looked more like a Welsh prop, so he got a Welsh rugby player name! He wasn't "delicate" enough for Teddy. Sometimes I call him Teddy under my breath just to see it would've suited him. It doesn't.

Teddy Roosevelt and Teddy Sheringham are the only grown up Teddy's I know of, but I do know three Ted's (aged between 3 and 12)

Edward - yes
Teddy - no

No, don't use Teddy as a given name. It's just too twee.

As TeamEdward says, you could use Theo if you don't like Edward

I have a Theodore and stipulate that he is never called Teddy. Ever.

If you like it though, I will join the rest in saying he needs a longer more substantial name.

LOL TeamEdward, I called my 10lb 13oz baby Teddy!

He has a 'long' name too, so he has the option and he's already asking at 4 yo to be called Ted instead of Teddy Here in middle-class-ville I know of no other Teddies or Teds at all.

Hey I have a Teddy and he is gorgeous. He is not Edward or Theodore, just Teddy. It is a great name!

Teddy is a wonderful name.
So is Ted.
Go for it!

There's Teddy Thompson... he makes the name cool

Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Sherrigham

Teddy and Ted are v popular where we are

Would your DH/brother/male friends like to be called Teddy? If not, don't inflict it on a child. Edward, Edmund and Theodore are all great, then you can call him Teddy but he has a choice to go by a more grown up name when he's older.