Hellobee Boards Topic: When you mostly use a nickname

Hellobee Boards Topic: When you mostly use a nickname https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:14:47 +0000 thepicklemonster on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694792 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:19:42 +0000 thepicklemonster 2694792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DS is only 4 months so who knows if this will continue but DH and I mostly call him by his nickname. I feel like it suits his personality more than his full name but I do love his full name. i don't correct the doctor etc and I just tried out his full name at Gymboree and enjoyed hearing it for a change so I think we will end up using both interchangeably. When strangers ask his name I just say the full name. Once in awhile someone will ask "do you call him <nn>?" and I say yes. He starts daycare soon and I'm not sure what we'll tell them to call him... Probably the nn. AngelicOne on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694768 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 15:03:06 +0000 AngelicOne 2694768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My DS is Matthew, but that's what we call him. We figured if he wants to go by a nn later on, he can decide that himself. I have a nn from birth that comes from my middle name, and no one ever called me by my given name unless it was the beginning of a new school year or I was in trouble. LOL People are always surprised when they hear my nn isn't my first name. Anya on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694472 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 11:24:39 +0000 Anya 2694472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @IRunForFun: exact same situation!! Pollywog on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694442 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:53:46 +0000 Pollywog 2694442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My kid only goes by a common nickname that can also be a first name. Think Jack as a nickname for John. I use his full name for medical stuff, but that is it. There's never any confusion because he only goes by his nickname at school, home, and play. His full name is a family name, so I am happy he has the traditional name, but I'm also happy he doesn't use it. luckylifemummy on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694358 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:45:07 +0000 luckylifemummy 2694358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I call DD by her nickname or some other "pet" name 90% of the time (menina, monkey, sweets, etc.) but if I'm calling her from another room I use the full thing maddyz on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694353 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:41:13 +0000 maddyz 2694353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Lo1 goes by his NN all the time. I get confused at the doctors when they call for him with his full name and it's not even that different. It's also my brother, uncle and late grandfather's name and the all use the full version. josina on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694345 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:35:50 +0000 josina 2694345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DH and I both have full names and shortened versions that we go by. I have never used my full name, and my mom couldn't even remember which name was on my birth certificate. It gets confusing for me because some things use my full name, some use my short name so I often have to say both! DS does not have a short-version but DD will - her 'shortened' name is the #1 baby name right now that we both LOVE, but we want her to have a name that is unique. We will introduce her by her full name. LuLu Mom on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694336 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:28:37 +0000 LuLu Mom 2694336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My oldest almost solely goes by her nickname, it just fits her right now, however I wanted her to have a full "formal" name to use when she gets older if she wishes. My DD2 we only use her full name although went in thinking we'd use a nickname (it just did not suit her.) If we have a 3rd girl she will also go by a nickname almost exclusively because I love the nickname (but want her to have a fullname to match the letter of her sisters.) Note: I am someone who has a nickname as a first name and although now I'm okay with it, growing up I HATED it, people automatically calling me the "full name" (think Jenny as my name and people assuming I'm Jennifer) I still correct people a lot today as they don't believe me my full name is "Jenny." I did not want this for my kids. Mamaof2 on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694289 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 08:20:51 +0000 Mamaof2 2694289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I only use DS's NN - the only time I use his full name is on paperwork. looch on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694276 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 06:33:43 +0000 looch 2694276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have a nickname that has been used in my family since I was born. It's hilarious when people from college or work meet my parents because they're calling me "xxx" and they're like who the heck are they talking to? All my documents are in my official name though. I call my son nicknames, but they're kind of derived from his name, like Mr. X or the X. Sometimes I use his short name, but more often than not his full namel FannyMae on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694275 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 06:14:49 +0000 FannyMae 2694275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @littlejoy: yep, its a good one though she often has to repeat herself with emphasis on the D when people call her the similar name with a V. She met a girl with the same name at the museum once, and she was so excited she nearly burst haha nwm on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694251 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 22:53:00 +0000 nwm 2694251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ both me and my LO go by nicknames exclusively, which are connected but not obvious diminutives (e.g. more like "Betty" for "Elizabeth" than "Liz"). there may have been times when i was little when i found it annoying to have to explain what to call me, but now i absolutely love both names. i have my formal name on my work email, paperwork i sign, etc., but everyone who knows me calls me the nickname--everyone. i find that at this stage of my life it just helps me stand out in a good way, and i love both names. my son has his nickname because he is the IVth and both my husband and FIL go by the same nickname already, so i felt it would just be too many. he's still too little for this to be any issue at all, everyone calls him by the NN but we have some formal things with his full name on them. i hope he'll feel, as i did, that it gives him more options growing up to define his own identity and decide whether to be more or less formal. youboots on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694245 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 22:39:04 +0000 youboots 2694245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @littlejoy: I was thinking you should ask J. I only see him as Jimmy. We still have James as a favorite middle name- unless you use it because I'm pretty sure you have dibs. peaches1038 on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694240 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 22:32:00 +0000 peaches1038 2694240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We use his full name and nn interchangeably. Though, i tend to use his full name more and DH tends to use his nn. He goes by his full name at daycare, at the dr, etc. It'll be interesting when DS can voice his preference. Right now, he responds to both names at 15 months littlejoy on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694233 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:58:10 +0000 littlejoy 2694233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ There are some great responses here! Thanks, everyone!! Funny enough, my husband is James, but he's never gone by that name. I call him Jimmy ... most close friends do too. His co-workers call him Jim. I just asked him about this and he said it's just been that way his whole life, and it's not a big deal at all. He did mention that he doesn't identify with James or have any emotional response if he hears someone else with that name. @FannyMae: I think her name is on our list!! :) skipra on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694231 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:48:55 +0000 skipra 2694231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My oldest almost exclusively goes by his nickname. We have a second nickname that he says now he prefers to go by (his nickname + a rhyming word). My second loves to call him by his full name sometimes and he is called by his full name when it's written on a form or something - so like at the doctor's office or activities. He is 4 and it hasn't been an issue at all. Obviously he knows his name by now - first, middle, and last. It was maybe confusing when he was 2 but not really. I refused to call him by his full name for the longest time because I worked with someone who went by it and I didn't like that guy but just the nickname didn't feel "right". He was named after family so that is part of why we didn't choose only the nickname even though we knew I would not use his full name but also his nickname doesn't feel complete and we want him to have the option to use it if he chooses later on. bhbee on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694225 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:34:24 +0000 bhbee 2694225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I sort of wanted to name my daughter her nickname, but agreed with DH that more formal was better for an "official" name as the nickname makes it sound a bit cutesy and while I love that now, she may not love it as an adult. I also used to work in recruiting and I think names on resumes make an impression, like it or not. They're close enough that we use both and probably always will to some extent. DesertDreams88 on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694214 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:05:07 +0000 DesertDreams88 2694214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ When do you use their full name? When I want two syllables, or in the future: formal occasions or when he is in trouble. Was it funny to explain their full name vs. nickname? Not funny exactly... but people think it is interesting or weird (the formal name is not a normal name really at all). Is it ever confusing?: Not really. How do you introduce them? His nickname (but DH introduces with full name) About other people: My dad, DH, ILs, and Dr all call him by his full name because they love it. My friends and my mom call him by his NN because that's what I mostly call him by. Secondary question - do you ever wish you just gave them the nickname, officially?: Maybe 10% of me wishes that.... but I like the idea of formal names and nicknames so that they can have a name that fits them best as they get older. LCTBQE on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694210 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 20:51:18 +0000 LCTBQE 2694210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My son has a classic formal name that does have a number of nickname spinoffs, but the nickname we call him (almost exclusively) with friends and family is *completely* unrelated. Not it, but it would be like if his name was Patrick but we call him Teddy. Stems from the fact that I just never got super on board with what we formally named him, it is super goddamn confusing, and at some point we'll probably just drop the weird nn and go with the formal name. So yeah, don't name your kid something you only half-like. Next time I'm picking and IDGAF whether my husband likes it or not :) LindsayLou on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694193 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 19:56:04 +0000 LindsayLou 2694193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My daughter's given name is long, classic, and has several common nicknames. We planned on using one of those nicknames before she was born. After she was born, we found that we preferred a different nickname. At 17 months, she almost exclusively goes by that nickname. We do use a variety of nicknames, as well as her full name on occasion. Many family members still call her the originally planned nickname. We don't regret giving her the full name at all, especially since we use a different name than planned. I also like that she'll have options as she grows up. Her nickname is clearly a short form, so it hasn't caused confusion with others. When I introduce her, I usually say "this is ___, but we mostly call her __." One of my brothers exclusively goes by a nickname. He introduces himself with his full name in professional settings, but tells everyone his nickname. Many of his aquantainces don't even know his full name. matador84 on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694180 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 19:30:58 +0000 matador84 2694180@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DD has a name that is long (8 letters) and we call her by her full name, but most often call her by the first few letters which is a nickname. Her friends at school and teachers refer to her by her nickname also! MenagerieMama on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694175 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 19:23:14 +0000 MenagerieMama 2694175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We interchangeably use her real name and nickname. LO probably identifies with her nickname more because it's a bit easier to say, but I love her real name and use it a lot too. I also have a non name related nickname (ladybug) that I use a ton, but it's just me. So she probably has 4 names she'll respond to! I hope she'll mostly use her real name and then nickname for friends, etc. Mosrly just because I love her real name! But we'll see :) LAZB on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694160 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:41:10 +0000 LAZB 2694160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @youboots: I totally see you as the nickname I assume you use and not your full fb name, and same thing with @ocean81: I always say the nickname version when I think of both of you gingerbebe on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694158 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:34:50 +0000 gingerbebe 2694158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DH comes from a very pro nickname family - literally everyone but me has one. We gave our sons classic formal names (Samuel and Caleb) but have called them Sam/Sammy or Cal from the start. Each boy also has like a zillion other nicknames people in the family use like Samboni, El Samadore, The Sam, Sam-Sam, Calzone, Cally, Callsy, etc. Then they each have Korean names which the other side of the family use. All their paperwork and monogrammed stuff has their full name. mamabolt on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694156 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:31:26 +0000 mamabolt 2694156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DD is Eleanor but goes by Nora. We do use Eleanor on official paperwork and at doc but when they call back Eleanor we just say she goes by Nora. She thinks her full name is Eleanora though and she's 4.5, so not sure when she'll really get it! Coral on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694155 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:31:17 +0000 Coral 2694155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @littlejoy: We named our son what we did to use the nickname. The reason for it was that his middle name and our last name begin with the same letter as his nickname. I couldn't stand the triple alliteration. Plus, his full name is a classic. Three out of four of my siblings (me included) go by a shortened version of our full name, so it seems normal to me. I am glad that I wasn't given just my nickname as my first name because I have more versatility. Cole on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694151 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:20:08 +0000 Cole 2694151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My daughter has a very classic name but we call her by a pretty off the beaten path nickname. Most people are surprised to hear her given name but I make sure to bring it up semi frequently. The doctor's office calls her back by her given name but the doctor calls her by her nickname. She's enrolled in school with her given name with the nn noted, but music class for example I just put her nn. I introduce her by her nn unless the person is older and unlikely to be met again because in that case it's way easier to give the name they are very familiar with. I occasionally think maybe we should have jumped straight to the nn but ultimately she's named after two great grandmothers and has my dad's initials. Plus her nn is just unique enough that she may later want to use her given name for certain things. IRunForFun on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694150 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:17:53 +0000 IRunForFun 2694150@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I didn't read all the comments but I personally exclusively go by a nickname and my parents always say they wish they'd just gone with the nickname. But mine is a nickname that has no issues with being used as a "formal" name so I'm not sure how much that plays into it. daniellemybelle on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694149 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:15:57 +0000 daniellemybelle 2694149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are doing a "formal name" and a "nickname" but we will use the nickname 100% exclusively. LO #1's name is technically a nickname but we never considered doing it that way for her. This time, the nickname is so informal that we felt like we should give him the option of the more traditional name, but we are never going to use it. My brother goes by his nickname 100% and I don't think it has ever been an issue. FannyMae on "When you mostly use a nickname" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-you-mostly-use-a-nickname#post-2694148 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 18:15:04 +0000 FannyMae 2694148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ With my eldest we exclusively use her nickname when talking to her/about her/at kindergarten. Her proper name is used on all paperwork. Its not much of a difference though, one ends in -ie and the proper name ends in -ith.