Abbreviating a name and preventing unwanted abbreviations

[GoldysMum]

I like the name Stephen and love the abbreviation Stevie - but can I have Stevie as the actual name? And how do I stop it being shortened to Steve?

Have you got a good Paddington Bear hard stare?

You can have (register him) whatever you like pretty much. However, when Stevie is a grown man he may find it a little babyish and want to call himself Steve or Stephen

Register him as him Stephen to give him choices. Then call him Stevie until he says "Muuuuummmmmm! Don"t call me that - it's a baby name. Call me Steve!" This will happen when he's about 6.

Both my chldren have longer names (registered) but are only known by their shorter (4 letter) nns that I chose from the start. (no doubt they wil chose something else when they are about 6!)

Unfortunately, you will not be able to stop others from shortening his name to Steve, but if you call him Stevie than other will follow.

My aunt called her daughter Eve so that people couldn't shorten her name - so the kids at school would call her Evie!

And don't be precious about it. It's his name, not yours. And he will have relationships with other people, and will be known by different names within those relationships. I have a Patrick. He is known by two different made up nicknames, Pat, Paddy, Patch and Patrick already and he's only 9!

Give him a grown-up name (i.e. Stephen) and shorten it if you like. He might like being known as Steve or Stephen when he's older. It's up to him.