https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:27:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687419 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 13:15:50 +0000 theotherstark 1687419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally, I would go with the full formal name for my children, and just call them by the nickname. It's not a matter of me judging anyone who names their child a nickname (honestly, I couldn't care less!!), but it's that I personally would want my child to be able to change to the full, formal name later on if they felt like it fit better (without the hassle of having to legally change their name).</p> <p>But, it's your choice, no one else's :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687386 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 12:27:27 +0000 HappyBaker 1687386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: Thanks, glad you like Mac too!</p> <p>@sorrycharlie: After starting this thread I totally agree! People are pretty divided just on this aspect of names but in general I think like you said everyone always judges other names in a billion different ways, so we should just use what we love. Thanks :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687233 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 09:15:10 +0000 sorrycharlie 1687233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsTiger: I don't think it's weird! I have a couple cousins that are named "nicknames" and they are VERY well off in the professional world. trust me when I say, they are doing well for themselves - their names did not hold them back. I can wall you their actual names if you're curious.</p> <p>FWIW, everyone judges everyone's names! too popular, too trendy, nick name, too "old person," too young, etc etc. just pick what you guys love and the rest will fall into place :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687192 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 08:24:54 +0000 SweetiePie 1687192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think it's weird at all! We're considering doing the same thing because we love the nickname of a particular name. The only reason we may go with the full name is for the future, might be nice to have a formal name. And I guess when he's an adult he might want to be called it, at which point it's his decision so might as well make it available.<br /> But, I don't think it's weird at all if you just want to go with a nickname. And I LOVE Mac! It's on our short list and it wasn't going to be short for anything. :-) Just Mac. We settled on something else instead, but still similar!</p> <p>Lastly, we have friends who named their little girl Joey. Just Joey, not short for anything. And I've never heard anyone question it or say its weird! And we share some snarky friends so if they thought it they'd say it! :-) that being said I do think it'll be normal for people to ask "what's it short for?" And as long as you're ok with always having to say "nothing" then I say go for it!</p> <p>ETA: I didn't read the whole thread so sorry if it's a lot of repeating :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687147 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 06:59:42 +0000 Ra 1687147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: My name is Sarah and my family called me Coco when I was growing up. My 17 &amp; 18 brother and sister still call me Coco. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1687047 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 23:10:31 +0000 Mrs. Sea Otter 1687047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As someone whose name is a nickname and not a full name, I'm really not a huge fan. I'd love to have a more professional-sounding name for work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686991 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 21:41:55 +0000 jedeve 1686991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a formal name, but have always gone by a nickname. I wish my parents had just given me a name that wasn't nicknameable, but I prefer having the formal name to just having the nickname!</p> <p>Though you will have to correct people either way. I always have to tell people to call me by my nickname, and sometimes I have people put my nickname on legal documents which is a huge pain! But on the other hand, I had a friend who was just Andy growing up. He had to tell everyone he wasn't Andrew constantly! </p> <p>We are giving our lo's formal names and calling them by nicknames, even though it bugged me growing up. Oops! But they are both pretty close to the formal name. So it wouldn't be a big transition if they wanted to switch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686397 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 08:46:44 +0000 Radish 1686397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: I knew someone who's name was Coco growing up. Paired with her short last name it was a super cute and spunky combination..a longer name just wouldn't have worked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686395 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 08:45:44 +0000 Andrea 1686395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I prefer the full name for future resume and job reasons. But I don't think it is weird to use a nickname. It is a personal preference and choice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686385 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 08:31:42 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1686385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsTiger: my parents named me a nickname because they knew that's what they would call me. The only problem I had was that people would ask me what my full name was and not believe me when I told them it *was* my full name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686373 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 08:23:56 +0000 Happygal 1686373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I prefer the full name! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686292 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 03:28:18 +0000 DigAPony 1686292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsTiger: my son's name is technically a nickname. We love it and didn't care for any of the full names that it's a nn for. We haven't gotten any weird reactions yet! Frankly I find it weird that people care! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686249 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 01:16:49 +0000 erinpye 1686249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like a full legal name and using a nickname, better than naming a kid the nickname. My great grandmother (still living and great-great to my girls!) is Betty- that's her full name. I wanted to honor her with my first daughter, but could NOT bring myself to giver her Betty as a middle name, so her middle name is Elizabeth as a nod, but I wish it was my great grandma's actual name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686223 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:37:57 +0000 Mrs.Panda 1686223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: Courtney, Chloe, Cora, Corinne, Constance, Collete... Just to name a few :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686216 Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:33:16 +0000 Mrs.Panda 1686216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsTiger: personally not a fan but that's because my sister has a nn for a first name and she is just saving up the money to get it legally changed to the full, formal name. It's really expensive! What about Malcolm for Mac? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1686003 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 21:09:24 +0000 ElbieKay 1686003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I prefer the full name. And I like nicknames because as they grow up they can pick which flavor of their name best suits their personality. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685736 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:13:24 +0000 lemondrop 1685736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I far prefer using nicknames to formal names. If I'm going to call the kid by the nickname, why bother with a formal one... just my take. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685641 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:03:59 +0000 Ellie 1685641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My great grandmother was named Jennie, not Jennifer, etc. even though Jenny is a bit of a younger sounding name, it wasn't weird to meet a hundred year old woman named Jennie. It was because if this that we named our daughter the nickname version of her name (but in our case, the nickname is actually longer than the usual full name).</p> <p>I say go with it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685506 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:01:39 +0000 kjpugs 1685506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Effie, LO's name, is usually short for Euphemia. Mrs Doubtfire was I think Euphegenia, and she calls herself Effie when reminiscing about her husband. But LO's namesake was just Effie so we named her just Effie. I have no issue with it, but people do ask what it's short for. I've gotten Stephanie once. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685495 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:56:16 +0000 Sunderling 1685495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a friend whose english name is just 'Joe.' He always gets mail addressed to 'Joseph' because people still assume it's a nickname. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685488 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:54:34 +0000 babynumber1 1685488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NurseMommy: I was just thinking about this today. I saw a celebrity that named her LO Magnolia. I finally found a name I like for the nick name Maggie. My husband will never go for it, and I'm so not pregnant, but i did file it away for future use! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685454 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:43:00 +0000 NurseMommy 1685454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hope it's not weird, cuz I'd like to name a second girl Maggie, but we don't like anything that it's short for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685337 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:13:58 +0000 Snowdrop 1685337@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: it's quite a popular nickname in France so there is deffo a name that goes with it....notsre what though. Maybe Colette or coralie? Coco Chanel was called Gabrielle (figure that one out). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685331 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:12:23 +0000 Torchwood 1685331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haven't read all the comments, so someone might have said this already, but I personally would never do it because it limits their choices later. I changed what nickname I went by multiple times in my life, and I was SO grateful that my name has a lot of options because it was very important to me. I would have really resented being named, in my case Beth, instead of Elizabeth, because that would have just been it, no options. I know not everyone feels that way, but I would hate for my kid to feel that way and I didn't leave them an out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685321 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:09:22 +0000 Snowdrop 1685321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it is a bit dicey. It would ave to be a nickname that isn't too cutesy, will not date to easily and can be professional, which is all quite a tall order. I do think Alex works though, can't think of any others that fit those criteria. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685307 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:06:54 +0000 bunnylove08 1685307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My friend is named Ron but everyone thinks his real name his Ronald and always has to correct them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685299 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:04:29 +0000 swurlygurl 1685299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: Dang, no kidding! I've never heard of anyone named Coco </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685289 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 14:02:27 +0000 rachiecakes 1685289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: yep, both of them!</p> <p>ETA I just thought of a third I know! haha popular name in my circle </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685266 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:56:33 +0000 swurlygurl 1685266@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: That's their whole name?! It's sooo cute but DH would never go for it. Dang husbands... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/naming-your-child-a-nickname-not-the-full-name/page/2#post-1685261 Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:55:26 +0000 rachiecakes 1685261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: I know two little Coco's :) love it </p>