For example we love the name Mac, but not any of the full names for it like Macualey, Cormac, etc.
We love Sam, but not Samuel, Kate but not Katherine.
Do you think its weird to name your kid just the nickname?
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Technically, my daughter's name is a nickname. I obviously don't think it's weird. We do get asked a lot if her name is short for anything, but I don't mind that.
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I don't think it's weird at all. I know a few people who have the short version of their name and it's fine. Occasionally, they do get asked if it's short for something.
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Normally not a fan-
@mrsjazz: I like your LO's name!
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I think most of the time it is ok, Mac might throw some people for more of a loop than the other two you listed but as long as you don't mind answering people's question about what it's short for I think it's totally fine.
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We didn't give her a full name.
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@mrsjazz: Same here!
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I'm not a fan.
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My name is a nickname!
I don't mind it at all.
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No, I think it's fine. I really like Joey for a girl but don't love Josephine, for example. Plus, if you go with the full name, you run the risk of them gaining a different nickname eg Josie.
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I usually prefer the formal name.
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Obviously it doesn't affect me if other people do it, but I wouldn't consider a nickname in place of a full name for my LO for professional reasons. I don't think it's "weird" to do it as I've seen it done a lot.
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I know someone named "Dany" and it's not short for Daniel or something. I personally prefer naming someone the "full" name and then just calling them by the nickname, but to each their own!
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I don't think it's weird, I think it makes sense to just name your child the name you plan on calling them by!
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I prefer a full name with a nickname.
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I see nothing wrong with it. I actually know a guy named Mac and it's his full, legal name.
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I know an Alex not Alexander!
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I agree with @lawbee11 - it's more professional to have "Katherine" on a resume, even if you *always* go by Katie. For that reason alone, I would always give my child a full name.
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Are you Dutch? My husband is Dutch Indonesian and we know many people that have nicknames for names, it's very popular!
#1 name is 'Daan' - Dan -
Nothing wrong with it at all! We named our son Eli, not Elijah, because I personally think it's silly to go through life saying "I go by Eli"... Then just name him that! (My personal opinion, but I don't care if other people do it!)
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I usually prefer the full name, but I don't mind when others do.
I think some names are an easier transition than others - like Liam used to be a nickname for William, but has gone mainstream as a full standalone name.
I like Sam and Kate. (I like the standalone name Kate much more than if Katie was a standalone name.) Mac is a little more borderline for me.I do think you should expect lots of assumptions that your kid has the full traditional name.
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Thanks all! Seems like it's pretty split.
@rachiecakes: Nope not Dutch, interesting though.
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Nope. My name is Jamie, which is a nickname for James.
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@septca: This is why we chose LO to be Katherine, even though she goes by Katie.
Obviously, I prefer formal names with nicknames.
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Nope, I think nicknames are names, too! If that's what you like, go for it!
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I prefer a full name with a nickname. We are doing a full name (John) but calling him a nickname primarily (Jack), even though it seems like more people use the nickname by itself. (And some people don't even know that it's a traditional nickname for that name!)
I like traditional names, but also my MIL is is named a nickname, not the full name, and hates it! I think she would not be a fan if we went the nickname-as-name route.
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@erind425: I know three little Jacks that are just Jack, not John. It wasn't until just recently, all the older Jacks I know are John.
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I think having a formal name is important. I just think about what the name would look like on a business card, when called across the stage at graduation, how it will fit someone when they are 80 years old, etc.
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Depends on the name for me. I would think of Mac as being fine, but probably not Kate. I guess Mac feels closer to a formal name than Kate does.
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I am a fan of naming your kid what you will call him/her.
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One more thought: Your child will be an adult (and hopefully an adult with a job) for a lot longer than they will be a kid... so I think having a name that ages well, or that gives your child options, is best.
FWIW, my name is nickname-proof. My sister has a longer, formal name and a cutesy nickname that is *much* more popular than her formal name. She exclusively went by her nn until she was in her late 20s, when she decided she needed a more professional/grown up name. Her adult friends and colleagues only know her by her formal name.
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This is a big thing in Europe, to use the nickname of the American name. When my son was born, we were in the hospital with a Mike and a Kim.
I am not a fan, I prefer the formal name. Plus, if you give your kid a nickname name, it doesn't mean they won't get other nicknames, anyway. You have no control over what he gets called by other kids in school. My favorite example is how Gordon became Sting.
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I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I actually think it is strange to name a girl Katherine, for example, and only call her Kate, she calls herself Kate, the world knows her as Kate and the only time she uses Katherine is on legal documents, IDs, diplomas, etc.
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@meganmp: DH LOVES the name Alex (for boy or girl) but says Alexander is too long with our last name. So we may use Alex if we ever have the chance for a future LO
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I prefer a formal name then call the child by the nickname.
@septca: totally agree. My cousin named her LO a cutesy nickname name and that was my first thought...this name is not going to fit a 40 year old.
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I much prefer a full/formal name!
@septca: I totally agree.
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I prefer the full name.
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I don't like it, but really, my opinion doesn't matter. If you like the nickname-as-full-name then do it!
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I like having the formal name
I have a formal name and a NN and I have gone by my NN my whole life!
I gave DS a formal name and we use a NN for him but he can choose what to use later in life!
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My name is a nickname (of the most popular name of the mid 80s) and I hated it growing up. I hated 1) being called the full version even though nothing indicated it was. 2) people asking if it was short for Xyz & 3) getting asking why my parents choice to name me the "boy" version.
I was very adamant that our kids had to have a full name with nickname potential.
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