If you were naming your son Edward with Ted as a nn, how much ...

[LionHeartedMama]

Would you use Edward in your son's life?

Would you introduce him as Ted or Edward?

Would things such as clothes tags etc have Edward on?

Definitely, doh.

willbean - nice name. I can imagine it with a Welsh accent. DS1 is Evan - Welsh on DH side

I have a Ted, officially Edward but introduced as Ted, always called Ted and all personalised items/initials are T.

I love the name Ted but wanted him to have the choice of a more adult name later if he wanted it. Of course I like the name Edward but it seems a very adult name for a small boy.

He's registered with the doctors as Edward but at playgroup as Ted.

My stepmother is the only person who said she didn't like Ted and would call him Edward. I put her straight early on

But why would anyone change their name to Edward when they have always felt their name was Ted, and then be one of the millions of Edwards out there?!

I'm not trying to annoy anyone, I just don't understand.

Using a nickname and giving a child a new name are quite different to me. I know children always known by their 'nickname' so refuse to acknowledge the other name, understandably, it doesn't feel theirs.So what is the point?

Ted Heath did ok!

A child's name is SO important to them, it's the only thing that is truly theirs.

Jamie- thanks! I love Evan too.

Mine was Ted from day 1 at home,much to the amusement of friends who said it was an "old man's name", but always introduced as Edward to others. He was also Teddy Bear at times! Always Edward on official documents and name tags, and like others usually known as Ed or Eddie by school friends. I don't think it matters, you choose how much the nickname is used vs the "proper" name. He probably wouldn't have answered easily to Edward as a toddler, but would turn round and respond to any variation now he is a teenager!

I think people just want to give their child options. A nn which is suitable for a baby/child, and a longer version of the name which they may or may not feel comfortable using when they're older. I don't think it's that strange.

So - they may end up always using the diminutive version - well, great. Or, they might decide to switch when they're older. If you put the shorter version of the name on the birth certificate, then that's it - they're limited to a name which they may feel (rightly or wrongly) prevents them from being taken completely seriously later in life.

Of course Ted Heath and Tony Blair did just fine with their shortened versions and likewise, most other people would, too. I guess I just don't get what's so bamboozling about giving your child options, instead of channeling them purely down the Teddy / Bobby / Betty / Evie route right from the word go.

Exactly thanks 5Dollar. I love Ted, he may prefer Edward on his business cards or he might like Ted - he has options.

Seemed a better idea than giving children names like Daisy, lovely on a toddler, bit odd on a 40 year old traffic warden

I have an Edward and I was always planning on calling him Teddy and register as Edward but alas no-one except me and my sister called it him and then he started responding to Edward so that stuck. And now can't call him Teddy because that what he calls his bedtime bear and it causes great confusion

I still love both the names and I think thats v important then it doesn't really matter.

My niece still calls him Teddy Edward after the teddy bear at her nursery and I sometimes call him this too (avoids the bear confusion)

Also i think you can naturally develop silly family nicknames, my DH is so bad for this he regulaly calls him: Eduardo,Tedford Edford
Edwardian, Edster and those nothing to do with his name Sausage Pot, Wriggly worm, Wormface and Monkey

He's very strange ....

My Edward was going to be 'Ned' when we first named him but it never really suited him and he was Edward until he was about a year old when we gradually started calling him 'Ted'.

He's now 7 and has always been introduced as 'Edward' and most of the family call him Edward except DH and I who call him Ted. He gets irate if anyone else calls him Ted because that's Mum and Dad's name for him.... He is now pretty much always 'Ed' at school, which is fine cos it's his mates' name for him, and will tolerate his little brothers calling him Ed, but prefers 'Edward' (are you following?!)

Our youngest OTOH is William but has been 'Billy' since day one. He is introduced as Billy, it's on his name tag at preschool and it confuses everyone if / when 'William' is used. It will no doubt become more used as he is older (he will probably be Bill or Will as an adult / teenager).

I guess my point is - give him 'Edward' as a proper name and see how it pans out! You will know as time goes on what suits him and you. I think of our Edward as Edward, but call him Ted as a pet name / abbreviation, but our Billy just is Billy - I never think of him as 'William' (unless he is naughty!!)

I have an Edward (10 months) who we thought we would call Eddie but Edward has stuck. One of the reasons we picked Edward was that it had so many potential nicknames that we can use, and that he can pick for himself when he's older.

Sometimes we use Nedward.

We use 'Tedward'!