Nicknames

[lovegingers.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am also a newb who saw the spotlight! But I'm not here to talk about that; I'm here because I like names! 

A friend of mine once told me that her parents gave both her and her brother names that could not be shortened so they would not have any nicknames. Personally, I like nicknames, and thought that that was a bit over the top.

That said, I want to ask for your opinions: What do you think about nicknames? 

Comments

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

I prefer more uncommon nicknames (like Lily for Elizabeth, instead of Liz, or Jamie for Benjamin, rather than Ben). I think nicknames are usually spontaneous though. Like an Ann could end up being Anna-Banana to her family. Nicknames still happen.

[lovegingers.livejournal.com]

This is true! And I do like those uncommon nicknames, too ;)

[hey-doey-doey.livejournal.com]

The nicknames in my family are crazy. We call my brother B, even though his name is Christian, we call my sister Lily when her name is Olivia, and my name, Catherine, got shortened to Cata. As far as I know, they're all that way because it's how my siblings and I talked to each other when we were kids. Personally I like nicknames like that a lot more than traditional ones, like I would never call my brother Chris, and nobody calls me Katie.

[lovegingers.livejournal.com]

While I like traditional nicknames, I like uncommon ones as well. I admit that sometimes, it's hard to tell whether a person's name is their full name or their nickname, like in the case of Chris and Katie; both are names that are popular standing alone as well as nicknames.

[hey-doey-doey.livejournal.com]

I also think there's an interesting difference between the nicknames families use and the ones everybody else does. All my friends call me Cat, and my family never would.

[mommyaubrey.livejournal.com]

I prefer nick names that don't necessarily have ANYTHING to do with the name, otherwise it's just being lazy about the name. my first name is really Aubrey but my middle name is Kaitlyn, and i respond to both of those, on top of Kates, Kait, Bugg, and Kenny.

[teawithhoney.livejournal.com]

my name is nina and my nickname options are limited at best. nini and neens are really all i've got... and i hate that. i like my name, but not for me, and i've always felt that way. i wish i could have at least been able to personalize it with a nickname i preferred. i sympathize with your friend...

[fireflypenance.livejournal.com]

I like nicknames that develop naturally. You can't FORCE a nickname to work, no matter how hard you try, and the best nicknames have nothing to do with a name. For instance, I have a nephew named Anthony. He is not Ant, he is not Tony, he is Bee, because as a baby he was the "baby boy" which got shortened to "bee boy" and eventually just "Bee". Then again, maybe this is just common to my family, since my name is Ashley and my mom calls me Lizzy Lou.

[blacmeissa.livejournal.com]

It depends I really have no opinion on nicknames that develop from my real name like Tris or Trissy basically cause I don't like my name but I had no call in it (blame my parents lol ).

However nicknames based of my usernames I do tend to like more maybe cause here you can name yourself anything extravagant and get away with it lol. And online I rather ppl call me " Femme " than " Trista ".

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I honestly hate nicknames (that derive from their actual name; cutesy and/or non-related nicknames are fine), especially when people pick the full name based on a nickname they like. If you're asking for "longer names that I can use the nickname Lily," then just name her Lily, come on now.

I would likely use the name I planned on calling them. I would never name my kid Theodore or Edward, but I love the name Teddy, and I would use Teddy.

I don't get people's obsession with nicknames; why some people will only pick names that have nicknames and all that.

[fangirlism]

If you're asking for "longer names that I can use the nickname Lily," then just name her Lily, come on now.

I have to comment, because my boyfriend's and my top girl's name is Lillian, nn Lily because he wanted to use Lily and I refused to use it as anything but as a nickname for something longer: I didn't want to just name the kid Lily and be done with it, because Lily is one of those names that doesn't age well. I used this as my reasoning to my boyfriend: What sounds better - Dr. Lily Lastname, or Dr. Lillian Lastname? That, and I'm sure she will already, even with that being a nickname, one of multiple Lilys in her class. At least if that happens, her teachers can call her by her full name.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I don't know, all Lil- names gross me out, and are all among my absolute least favourite names, but I still think Lily is marginally prettier than the rest. I personally think that Lily sounds fine on all age groups, I don't think it's one of those perma-young names; while Lillian only works on the elderly.

[fangirlism]

To each their own then, because I do think Lily sounds fine when you're a kid, but no so much when you're an adult with a professional life.

[mrssubee.livejournal.com]

funny this has been on my mind- I'm fine with nicknames- but I think it's weird when you are officially named a nickname- four instance- I teach and 2 of my students are Katie and Mike- those are their full, official names with which they are registered for school under...I questioned both of them privately "IS your full name Katherine? " "Is your full name Michael?" they both looked at me like I was crazy..."uh, no ...it's just Katie."

[fangirlism]

I'm fine with nicknames- but I think it's weird when you are officially named a nickname

IAWTC.

ETA: I also find it funny how your comment and the one above yours are total opposites.

[behindgrey-eyes.livejournal.com]

My best friend is just Katie and we even manage to shorten it to Kate :p

[ghost-light.livejournal.com]

I had something like that happen with a kid when I worked at the Youth Theatre. He called me Mom, so when he was screwing around one day I tried calling him by his full name and he just whipped around "Ha ha! My name's just Jake, not Jacob!"

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Haha, that reminds me of a guy I worked with named Dom; everyone assumed his full name was Dominic and would call him as such, and he would have to inform everyone that his full name was actually Dominique.

[behindgrey-eyes.livejournal.com]

LOVE NICKNAMES :D

I think regardless of whether you give your kids a short name, other kids will find something to give them a nickname. One of my old managers called her son Ross partly for the short name reason and he ended up getting called Rossy McTossy XD

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

That reminds me that I worked with a guy and his name is Mark, which one might think does not lend itself to nicknaming, but he would say he got called by everything but Mark. Anything from Marcus to Markety-Mark-Mark to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

[behindgrey-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! I was in college with a guy called Mark and I used to call him Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch XDD

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Haha!

[so-there.livejournal.com]

my kids have names-that-cannot-be-shortened. I guess I feel like if I prefer the nickname, I might resent having to use the full name for any reason. (it still sounds weird to me when anyone calls my husband "Christopher" because it's a total mouthful) but if I prefer the full name I'd resent the nickname. so I picked names I liked and call them by them. they are all 2-syllable, so nothing awkward to say casually.

[pinkstargirl-85.livejournal.com]

My parents gave me and my sister names they thought wouldn't be able to be shortened - Heidi (me) and Maria.

When she was younger, we called my sister Mia (or Titch as she is the younger of us two), my mum often calls me Heid, or Lou (middle name Louise), and now she is grown up, all my sister's friends know her as Ria, only family and work know her as Maria.

As for me, I love the name Evelyn, and while I'm sure if I had a daughter called Evelyn she would end up as Evie as a girl, at least she has a name that sounds more grown up to take her through to adulthood should she choose to use it.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

I love the name Evelyn as well, and I know I'd use the nickname Evie (I blame this on the fact that I first heard both name and nickname in The Mummy series).

I told an old roommate that one of my favorite names is Gracelyn, and she pointed out the kid would probably be called Grace by everyone.

[pinkstargirl-85.livejournal.com]

:-o -that's the same reasoning I love 'Evelyn' as a name too - loved The Mummy and the fact it's such a strong female character, especially for the time it was set.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Haha! I own the box set :).

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

I think it is nice when names give people options. Names with options can grow with the child or change to suit their personality. That said, not every name I like has nickname options. Also, I would never pick a long name I didn't like just to get a nickname I did like.

[ghost-light.livejournal.com]

I don't think nicknames can be planned for, really. One girl in my school was Darleen B. About mid-way through our Junior year everyone started calling her Darby.

I knew a couple who named their son Sebastian A(I can't remember the middle name) and their surname started with an M. They had a theory that Sebastian had no nicknames associated with it so that would be the best name. Boy were they pissed when people started to point out that the initials could be used to just call the kids Sam!

He goes by Bash now.

[tames.livejournal.com]

I know several Sebastians, and they all have nicknames - Seb, Bastian, even a Bash like you, so I'm not sure their original theory was all that great either haha

However, I totally agree that nicknames can't really be planned. They just sort of develop with a person through the people they form relationships with and their personalities.

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

I tend to like nicknames. I don't know if it's because it makes me feel like I have a connection with the person beyond their relations with their insurance agent, or because I'm lazy about saying people's names or what. That being said, I usually don't nickname people on my own without permission, so if they tend to go by their full name, I'll call them that and not give it two thoughts.

I went to college with a girl named Katherine, and her mom insisted she not go by nicknames; one of my profs usually called her by her last name.

Maybe it's because of that, or maybe it's the way I've given my sister baby-esque nicknames, that I feel like if someone wants one, they'll get a nickname, no matter what their name is. Heck, sometimes nicknames have nicknames (like D. J. from Full House: her full name was Donna Jo, but she went by D. J., but occasionally was called Deej). But there's always the last name to nickname-ify, or a non-name nickname. Like, look at all the people with nicknames like Red and Cherry because of their hair color. Or Chip for Jr.s, etc.

My sis and I were joking today that I could name my kid something like Benjamin James [last name] and his nickname would be Beej (a fandom nickname for my favorite character B. J.).

[qtshorty1625.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll get off this post (I apologize for all my comments), but I have just one last comment on nicknames.

I was in band with a girl named Jessica, but everyone called her Tom (short for Tomato, because her face got red from sunburn, laughing, playing baritone, etc.) She was very much Tom to the point where when our high school would host band festivals, people would ask for something and get told, "Find Tom" and they would ask, "Who's he?" and then get told, "She." There would be no explanation that it was a nickname or anything; it was just so natural that I think to an extent we forgot that the name is typically male.

[hermionesparkle.livejournal.com]

I think it just depends on the person. My mom gets really angry if somebody calls my brother Matt instead of Matthew but is fine with calling my sister Mal instead of Mallory.

I personally love nicknames so I don't get the big deal.

[mirhanda.livejournal.com]

I doubt that would stop them getting nicknames if other people wanted to bestow them. They could be called after their hair color (Red, Blondie, Blackie), after a lack of personal hygiene if applicable (Stinky), their last name, or any number of other things people could come up with.

[mykissmightkill.livejournal.com]

My boyfriends parents did the same thing to him and his sister. His name is on his birth certificate as Steve. His sister is Heather which Ive never heard any nicknames for. I dont like it but my boyfriend does. He likes that its so simple and as is. Even with my name, Tara, I still got called Ta by my aunt or Tata lol and I like that. I had nicknames NOT from my name too which I liked so maybe I'm just a nickname type person lol. (Elf/little elf, and for some random reason my one friend calls me potato haha)

[rubberducky1467.livejournal.com]

My grandmother's friend also did this with her children. They were called Bo, Zane, Daisy, and Chet. But I like nicknames. If I named a future son Landon, I'd definitely call him Lando.