Nicknames for Henry?

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I'd like to use the name Henry for a future child. However, I'm not sure I'm in love with the name enough to use it without a nickname. I mean, I *like* it, but I'd like to have other options as well, you know? Luckily, I am totally in love with the names Huck and Hank, which are both acceptable nicknames for Henry. I like Huck a lot, especially on a little boy, but I like Hank almost as much, and I think Hank sounds better than both Henry and Huck on an adult. (Using *just* Hank or *just* Huck as a formal name is out of the question for me; I refuse to give my kids nicknames as formal names).

A few people have commented that they dislike these particular nicknames for Henry, and while I'm still relatively sure that these would be the ones I'd use, I'm wondering what others you can think of that could be used for Henry? I like Harry on a little kid, but it sounds sleazy to me on an adult for some reason (don't ask me why; I don't understand it either) and as I'm at the age where most of my child's classmates' parents will be former Harry Potter fans, I'd prefer to avoid the "Oh my God, I loved those books!" references when I introduce my child. I liked the books and I am 100% okay with literary names, but I'd prefer that my kids have names that are actually literary and not just names from a book that had decent writing and a good story that I enjoyed at 15, you know? (On that note, I don't mind people thinking of Huck Finn when they hear the name Huck)

So...nicknames for Henry?

Comments

[traezer.livejournal.com]

Harry

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I like it on a kid, but as I said in the post, I'm not crazy about the Harry Potter references, and I think it sounds kind of sleazy on an adult.

[traezer.livejournal.com]

Whoops...sorry, I didnt read the whole post! I really cant think of any other nicknames.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

I don't think there are anyother nicanems for Henry really..

I don't like Huck or Hank at all.
I do really like Harry, and I really don't think that te Harry Potter reference wil be such a big deal. I'm the biggest fan going, I relate everything to Harry Potter . buwn hear the name I wouldn't assume you were naming him after the character.

My cousin had a baby 'Harry James' on July 31st, so not only does he have the same names as him but they share a bithday.. unintentional of course!

I do really like Henry on its own, but I don't think you should use it unless you're in love with everything about it, nicknames and all :-)

[anapology.livejournal.com]

oh my gosh i apologise for the awful typing!! i'm multi-tasking, wrapping xmas presents too lol

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I like Huck as a nickname, if I had to pick one. I mostly just like Henry on its own (Hal and Hank are too old manish to me).

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, Harry James born on July 31st? That's really something. XD

Hopefully he likes the books when he gets older and thinks it's cool.

[rubytitania.livejournal.com]

Every Henry I've known has either gone by the full name or just by "H".

[plaidpineapple.livejournal.com]

If you just like the nickname but not really the name "Henry", why not name your child Hank, and use Huck for a nickname? I think Huck or Hank could also work for...

Harley
Harold
Harrison
Howard
Holden
Hunter

I agree with someone above in that you should use a name because you love it AND the nicknames, not just the nicknames. :)

[plaidpineapple.livejournal.com]

I also love Harry, and don't automatically think of Harry Potter at all (but then again, I'm not really a fan). I just think of a really cute kid, and I think it works well on an adult too.

(Saw your note, just wanted to weigh in on Harry personally.)

[weena.livejournal.com]

My husband's uncle Henry is called Skip, but they're a weird family.

[http://users.livejournal.com/-----citylight/]

Huck is so so cute! (but does have it's rhyming conotation - fuck) I think its a lovely nn for Henry or Harry, and both names are good for full names too.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

that's okay:) thanks anyway!

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I'd never thought of Hal. I kind of like that. I still like Hank/Huck better, but Hal is cute, too.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

that's okay! i suck at typing sometimes, too:)

Harry Potter is still the first thing that comes to mind for me when I hear the name, so I don't particularly like it that much. I mean, I like the books, but not enough to think of them every time I say my son's name. Besides, I really hate the name on an adult.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

As I said in the post, I really hate the idea of giving a nickname as a formal name. Hank is very informal and it's a nickname, not a formal first name. When my son goes to apply for jobs, I don't want the person reading resumes to read the name and think, "Huh. Nobody ever told him he should use his legal name for job applications? Next!" I just have a real problem with using nicknames as first names. Besides, I think using Hank totally limits him. Maybe he'd rather be Henry, or Huck, or Harry, and by naming him Hank I'm not allowing him to make that decision for himself if he dislikes the nickname that I give him.

I do love the name Henry, but I also love the nicknames for it and I was wondering if there were others that I had missed, since so many people have told me that they liked the name, but not those particular nicknames.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I don't automatically think "fuck" when I hear the name Huck -- my first thought is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which I'm definitely okay with. I think the majority of adults would have the same reaction to it, even if they hadn't read the book, and most children won't automatically make that connection until they're older and hopefully out of the crappy name-making-fun-of stage. And if they do, he can always go by Hank instead. But I know others who are named Huck (two, actually) who have never had a problem:)

[dustkitty.livejournal.com]

With Hal, I would always think of the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I think that's just me. The rest of the world has moved on.

I hit send too quickly!

[plaidpineapple.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that! Sometimes I read posts too quickly. I can understand not wanting to give a kid a nickname for a name. It's a pet peeve of mine, too.

(My husband and I are TTC right now, and if we have a son, we're naming him Henry. :D)

Re: I hit send too quickly!

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

That's okay, lol. My post was pretty long, so I'm not sure that I was clear about that anyway:)

Obviously, I totally give the name Henry a thumbs up. Good luck!

Re: I hit send too quickly!

[plaidpineapple.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm just praying it doesn't explode in popularity, like Aiden. Every time I see it mentioned in this community (except for you, since I've seen it on your list a lot) I wince.

Re: I hit send too quickly!

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry too much. I think there's a huge difference between what is popular among us name snobs and what's popular among the rest of the world:)

[o-honeybee-o.livejournal.com]

Henry is definitely becoming more popular (in England at least). I know 3 Henry's under the age of 4.
I think it's a gorgeous name, but I don't like any nicknames for it. So therefore if I had a Henry, that's just what he'd be called :) All the Henry's I know don't go by any nicknames either.
Although I really don't like either, I think Hank is a little better than Huck.