(no subject)

[chucklincanuck.livejournal.com]

I know a man named Mike. Today, he told me that he has four brothers named Bob, Sam, Joe, and Ed.....BUT these are NOT nicknames for Michael, Robert, Samuel, Joesph and Edward. His last name is Thomas, so their legal names are: Mike Thomas, Bob Thomas, Sam Thomas, Joe Thomas, and Ed Thomas

He explained to me that his mom wanted to give all the children the most simple, basic, normal names, and since everyone (with these particular names) always go by the short form, then why bother using the full name? 

WDYT?

Comments

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

It's quite limiting. Yeah, everyone goes by a simpler name with those names, but there's other shortened names they could go by. Robert could be Bob, but he could also be Rob or Robby.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I'm a give them full names and call them by nicknames kind of girl. I actually think their full names being usual nns would cause more problems than someone whose full name is Michael but gets called Mike. I think people would assume that their names were Edward and Michael etc and they'd get called the full version anyway.

[arbus.livejournal.com]

thats a good point. this has happened to my brother his entire life, whos name is chris (not christopher) but people still insist on calling him christopher.

[feisty-fitz.livejournal.com]

My mom does calligraphy for wedding invitations and she is very keen on the proper way to address envelopes and all that jazz. She sometimes gets a guest list from customers that have names listed as Mike, Rich, Bob, etc. and the issue she has with that is that the proper way to address the envelopes is to write out the full name if it's Michael, Richard, Robert, Jonathan...you get the idea. The problem with the shortened names, is that you can't assume that it is a nickname for the full version and put that down instead because the short name of Bob, Mike, or John might be their legal given name. So it does create some confusion to be given a shortened nickname as a legal name. At least in my (and my marme's opinion).

[composure.livejournal.com]

Don't you need a few more syllables to yell at the kid when they're in trouble?!

[quite-rosie.livejournal.com]

Haha!

[admirari.livejournal.com]

i love it. our kids will be named as the name they are going to be called, "nickname" or not. If you go by Mike, the only people who will call you Michael will be formal, or professionals, or people who don't know you.

I'm Katherine, but I go by Kate. When people call me Katherine, I cringe - they obviously don't know me.

When my grandfather was in the hospital, these fucking nurses would be, "oh how ARE you Edgar?" when if they really gave a shit, they'd know the name he goes by! (And besides that, he was a DR. and very formal. you don't just walk up and call him by his xian name)

It also sucks in school when you hear, "Katherine" and have to say, "it's Kate." What the fuck.

In the memoir Autobiography of a face,
I don't have the book around me, but her name is Lucy and the drs and nurses called her Lucille which then became the name of professionals and files and the hospital (she wrote this more eloquently).

Which sealed the deal. Either the nickname itself (Prue) or a non nickname (Troy). DH's other children are so named, too.

But then you get the old-fashioned types like my mother, who LOVES the formal. But she is also riddled with class envy.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Not everyone goes by their nickname all the time, though, so it can be very limiting to be given a nickname as a full name. At least if you're given a full name, you have the choice of going by the full name or the nickname. You don't really have that choice when you've just got a nickname.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. I'm Jess to most people, but sometimes I'm Jessica and that's how it's going to be. When people call me Jess and I've just met them, I'm honestly a little put off. You don't know me and I always introduce myself as Jessica, so enough with the immediate nickname.

Hell, my husband switches back and forth between calling me Jess and calling me Jessica. BUT THERE WILL BE NO JESSI. Sheesh, I can't even imagine if my mom had just gone on ahead and named me Jessi, assuming I'd be called that all the time.

[admirari.livejournal.com]

... more on the long name. When you go by the short name, and you hear the long name, it's a hollow feeling because someone is addressing you, but it's some ghost-version of you. It's your name, but not really. It's not like this with everyone, but I don't want Prue to be an old lady in a nursing home hearing nurses call her Prudence when she hasn't been called Prudence a day in her life. What a way to make her feel even more isolated.

I'd rather err on the side of ONE name, than subject my kids to that awkward feeling.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with such short names whatsoever. I think it's because we don't have the whole nicknaming 'system' here, and most Dutch names are short (i.e. Bas, Roos, Fien).
It wasn't until I found this community that I realized longer names had more options, so to speak. Still, I kind of like most short names, and I like Sam & Joe better than Samuel & Joseph.

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

I don't have a problem with short names instead of the full version. My mom gave me a very formal name because she wanted to call me by the nickname. I have always gone by the nickname. I have no ownership of my full name. Even some of my oldest friends don't know my full name, because it only appears on paperwork and legal stuff.

[arbus.livejournal.com]

im so intrigued. what is it?

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

Hehe, the nn or the full name?

[arbus.livejournal.com]

your full name? and the nickname too, i guess. :)

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

the full name is Eleanore :)

[arbus.livejournal.com]

so your nickname is ella? or ellie? or something completely different?

beautiful name, btw.

[admirari.livejournal.com]

Eleanor is on my list (love the First Lady!)

[arbus.livejournal.com]

i like the idea of having options, so i like have a longer name with nickname possibilities. that said, my brothers name is chris (not christopher) and my boyfriends name is john (not jonathan).

at least she stuck with the theme though, i guess.

[mrs-slats.livejournal.com]

I'm totally not fond of giving kids the nickname for another name. I figure the child should have the choice someday to use the nickname or the full name. 'Bob' would make a very poor judge's name: "The Honorable Bob Thomas Presiding..."
I named my son Joseph Ross because he'd have a lot of options: Joe, Joey, Joseph, Ross, J.R.. I wouldn't have dreamed of just naming him Joe- I can call him that just fine without him having to correct people the rest of his life. "No, Just Joe. Not Joseph"

[a-minor-third.livejournal.com]

Wow... That's so... plain...

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

Were his parents rednecks, perchance?

No, jk. But really.

I get where they're coming from. Sometimes I get frustrated with people who name their kids one thing and from day one call them something else.

Nick names, to me, should kind of grow on people. I know plenty of Michaels who do NOT go by Mike. My brother, Raymond, does NOT go by Ray. What I'm saying is, giving your kids a nick name as a legal name does not allow them the freedom of choice. I mean, you can't nick name Mike, Bob, Sam, Joe and Ed. They're just stuck with their names.

[pack-your-shit.livejournal.com]

What a funny way of thinking. I love it!

[rubytitania.livejournal.com]

Eh, I disagree. Surely it's better to have options?

[aballard23.livejournal.com]

I'm all for naming my child a full name instead of the shortened version of it. Michael, Edward, Robert, Joel/Joseph/etc, Samuel.. Samson..

The possibilities are endless. But no.. I don't like names that are horribly short like that. :(