10 replies to this topic

[Permanent Rose]

So much like my topic on middle names, I was just curious to see how you all view the idea of nicknames. {Sorry this turned into a mini novel - just read the bolded questions at the bottom if you'd rather not sift through my stream of thoughts )

I used to be totally against nicknames. I've always been a strong believer of naming your kid what you plan to call them, but lately I've been reshaping some of my views. On my list, I currently have Lydia nn Lydie, Helen nn Len, and Penelope nn Penny, breaking my rule of naming my kids what I plan to call them.

I've realized that I like the idea of a nickname if you love the full name that accompanies the nickname as well. For example, I really like the name Maggie, but I don't like Margaret at all. So it would be kind of silly for me to name my daughter Margaret since I don't like it, when I planned to call her Maggie all the time. Though Maggie does have a definite nickname feel, it still is formal enough to be a full name, and I would just use Maggie as a full name instead. {Of course, in instances of honoring someone with a name, I would make an exception to this rule} All the nicknames I have on my list {Lydie, Len, and Penny} all stem from names I adore just as much {if not more} than the nicknames I've derived from them.

I've also come to realize that some sort of nickname is basically inevitable. It's just human nature to shorten a name, even subconsciously when we address a person. And if a name is three syllables or more, then it's pretty likely your kid is gonna be called a shortened version of the name from time to time. Some of the names on my list don't shorten well, which makes me wonder if it will be awkward to use them. For example, Monica is three syllables, but Mon and Monnie aren't particularly cute or appealing nicknames. It's a little bit frustrating to find a long name you like and realize that a quick shortening of the name does not sound as nice as you'd like it – if I did use Monica, I would want to call her Monica, but let's face it, how often do parents just use that one/two syllable shortening of a longer name just to quickly address a child?

So I was just wondering what you all thought. How do you view nicknames? Necessary, unnecessary, or somewhere in between? Do you try to find one for every name or are you a believer of naming your kid what you want to call them?

[Remy Hadley]

Honestly, I don't worry much about nick names. My name is a long one, and I'm always addressed by it in full. Whether families angry, happy, quickly calling me out, just talking, etc, everyone uses all three syllables. At least by family and whatever. My name does shorten really easily, but most people don't. Sometimes siblings do, not really. My bff's all call me Remy anyways. But when using my real name its never shortened even by people who only know me by it. I know a Monica from school who goes by it all the time as well, and no one cares its long I suppose if you really wanted a nick name Nic or Nica could be cute.. but I don't think it needs one <3 I mean, if you love a nick name to it use it, but if not don't! <3

I'm the same though, I want to chose a name because I adore the name. If I adore a nick name with it its bonus. I love Gwendolyn, and probably will use it in full most the time if I use it.. but I guess I'd call her Gwen sometimes. Alexandria, I'd call her Andie. But I absolutely adore Alexandria, its so elegant long and pretty! But I think Andie is fun and cute <3

I don't think they're necessary at all. Many people never go by nick name.. but its hard to try and decide that yourself. Because even if you name your daughter Monica and don't see popular nick names from it so assume she wont be nick named... she may not, but if she personally decides she wants a nick name she will. I think its up to a child to decide their nick names really. But in the same thought, you can intend for your child to have a nick name then them not want one. I know a Samantha, Alexandra, and Alessandra who all go by full all the time. They just don't care for their nick names, so they insist to all that they call them by the full name. My mum is Pamela, and she hates Pam/Pammie. So she wont let anyone use otherwise. But then I have little brother Joshua who goes by Bear Or Joshy Bear haha, I have him that nick name when we were tiny, and its stuck! Some people just like nick names, others don't. You never know!

[brittany111]

i plan on naming my children with the least amout of nick name potentil possible. i understand that post people will nick name other kids in their class etc. ie my friends parents caled her children Erin and Vetiry because she didnt want them to have naickname but people at school still called them RiRi and Vit.
but having said that my name, Brittany, because its constantly miss pronounced as 'Britney' i perfer people to call me Britt so i dont have to correct them all the time.

[Calla Lily]

I think nicknames that happen naturally are just part of life. The nicknames I deal with aren't ones I introduce myself as. I have a friend named Danielle who always went by Danni, wanted to be called that, ect. Nowadays she prefers going by Elle. Those types of nicknames, the ones the child actually gets called, I think should be kept for the child to decide. But those nicknames that are just temporary, things people don't just know you as, are no big deal. Like my daddy always called me Calla Lily when I was younger. I've also gotten Lily of the Valley a few times. My husband calls me Tiger Lily, sometimes just shortening it to Tiger.

We also thought it was cool because my name is Lily Dawn and in some Crow movie we saw on TV a while back there was a character called Lily Ignites the Dawn, so he calls me that from time to time.

Aside from obvious flower associations, I probably get called "L" or "Lil" more than anything "ily" sometimes when people are being silly. "Silly Lily" is one my family likes a lot. It's always interesting to hear what sorts of nicknames people can come up with

I think nicknames are fun. I don't think it's necessarily bad to name a child with the intention of calling them a nickname, though I myself would prefer any more permanent type names either being the child's given name or letting them decide if they want to be called that or not. But really, I think whatever floats a parent's boat is up to them. I don't think it's such a big deal, myself.

[Meghan<3]

I don't think nicknames are "necessary", but I do like them. I think that no matter what you name your kid, you will always have a nickname for them. I like names with nicknames and I like names without. For example, I like the nickname Charlie for Charles, so that's on my list. The name Paige is also on my list, but this name doesn't seem to have any obvious nicknames.

Ultimately, though, I think you should give your child a "full" name. I wouldn't name my kid a name just for the nickname. Like I mentioned before, I like the nickname Charlie, but I also like the name Charles alone, which is why it's on my list as Charles and not Charlie.

[PaperHeart]

You know how I feel about nicknames.

But just pointing out; Monica could be shortened to Nikki or Nica like Haddie said. Or Mona... or even just "M". {Like "Em"}

[The Future Mrs B]

I like nicknames but I think they should have a full name behind it. I love Zac, but not Zachary. So I have Isaac with the nickname Zac.
My sister doesn't do nicknames unless it's found pre-spelled in the name. She won't go by Kate because there's no e in her name. Kat, however would be ok. Her boyfriend is Rob, not Robbie.
Going to Isaac/Zac she's said she won't call my son Zac if he's named Isaac. It's either Isaac or Sac. But naming my son Caleb and calling him Cal or Cale is okay.
and on the name Monica, there's a girl in my class who goes by Moni.

[Katie-Nana]

Since me and my sisters have always gone by our nicknames Katie (for Katherine), Sally (for Sara) & Maddie (for Madeline), nicknames are the norm for me. However, I have a huge disconnect with the name Katherine because I have always gone by Katie. I don't even really like Katherine and I don't really see the point of the formal first name. Though to be fair, me and Sally were both named after family members, so I guess it was my parents way of honoring family but still having a nickname that is less formal and fits our personalities. Maddie is the only one who sometimes goes by Madeline. Sally and I have NEVER been called by our respective first names.

Which is kind of why most of my names don't have nicknames. If I love the nickname and not the respective formal name then I don't see the point of using it. However, if I really loved a name and it had a great nickname to go along with it, I'd use it in a heart beat

[Jay.]

I do like nicknames to a certain extent. They are apart of life, I don't think you can avoid them! From personal experience, I found out that I get called a nickname all the time, by people that don't know how my name ends, or they're not sure how to spell it. Often, I'm given a nickname that has nothing to do with my name by my friends and classmates. My friend is big on nicknames and she is constantly finding another one for me. A few I have acquired are: Humperdink, Pineapple, Orange "O", Trouble, R2 D2, Beckham.... The list goes on .

If my child is given a nickname by his peers, I don't think I'll mind too much, depending on what it is.... Now if I have a son named Alexander and they start calling him Alex, I might have a problem , I prefer Xander. And if I want to call him by Alexander, and they call him by Xander, thats fine to me. My brother's real name is Timothy. Up until third grade and someone asked me what his name was, I would have said "Timothy". But in third grade, we had a teacher who started calling him Tim. Now, I don't call him anything else but Tim unless to get his attention I'll yell his first and middle name across the room. But his mom doesn't call him Tim, he's always Timothy to her, so basically, it depends on you.

And another thing I've heard is if you don't want your child to have a nickname, send them to school not having one, usually Kindergardeners aren't going to make a Megan, Maggie or a Benjamin, Ben if the teacher and parent doesn't call them that.

[ashooles]

I'm not against them as such, I just don't agree with name your child something so you can call them something else. If a nicname just develops then I am okay with it, but I would never call my child Elizabeth, just so I can call her Beth, or something. I would just call her Beth if I liked that better.

[-Regan<3]

I like nicknames but I wouldn't name my child something just for the nickname.

Ariana is Ari a lot of the time, but before she was born I was soooo against the nickname Ari lol, but it fits!