I need your wise help readers. The joys of names. Baby names to be precise. Picking a baby name is hard enough isn’t it? Picking out that perfect name for your impending arrival can cause rows, brain ache and general panic! I know people who haven’t named their little ones for a few days even after they are born, as they just don’t know. Nothing feels right, or suits. I even have a friend who changed their baby’s name; it just didn’t feel right and of course you can’t settle until it does.
I feel their pain but not in the same way.
Hubby and I have been having name issues. Not because we can’t decide on what name to pick but what will get put on the actual birth certificate.
I’m not going to spill the beans and reveal the name, as of course I don’t share names on here but I will try and explain myself. Somehow!
Hubby and I have 2-3 names we like for our little man and one in particular is the favourite; the one that’s ahead of the game BUT in hubby’s eyes it is technically a nickname. And he’s not happy with that being on the birth certificate. He’s convinced he will need the full version, as a potential nickname will cause trouble and strife in later life. Will they get mocked or not taken seriously in life?
I’ll give you some examples of these sorts of names. I know an Alfie but he’s not Alfred. I know an Archie but he’s not an Archibald. I know a Molly and she’s not Margaret. These kids have technically been given shortened versions of names. These ARE their names and they have not been Christened with the full names and these names are not on the birth certificate.
The problem is I don’t like the full version of the name we like and there is no way I would want it on the birth certificate. In fact, I would never announce their name in the full way EVER!
So personally I can’t see the issue. It’s very common now and then, as I think many people don’t like the full versions of the names. They are often old fashioned, a bit stuffy and the shortened version would BE their name. They would never be called anything else. I can’t see how a name is going to affect them in later life, as I doubt they would ever be called by the full version anyway.
So we have a bit of an issue. In fact a big issue.
We decided to start from scratch a little and go back and look at other potential names. In fact I went through a list if 1000 names and not one I really liked. We don’t have any other potentials.
Help!!
So my lovely readers what would you do? Do you have a shortened version of a name for your little one and do you think it’s going to be a problem?
Well we have a Toby. He’s not Tobias. It’s on his birth certificate and he was christened Toby. We have a Millie-Mae – she’s not a Millicent (unless I’m telling her off!) Again, she’s Millie-Mae on her birth and christening certificate. But by calling him Toby, I’ve removed the ‘risk’ of anyone shortening his name. Everyone in his class with the long/traditional names have them shortened … Joshua is Josh, Alexander is Alex, Reuben is Reu – but Toby is Toby. So why not just name a child the name you like and that suits him/her. Conversely, a name in the running for our son was Oliver … but I don’t really like Olly and I knew it would be immediately shortened – so I went with the name that would stick!
Author
Your mind is exactly like mine! It doesn’t seem right putting it on the birth certificate, if it’s not what they are called!! Thanks for the comment x
We wanted to call our boy AJ but we decided in the end he should have proper names that could be shortened to it and called him Adam Jon. We only call him AJ at home now as he’s decided himself he likes to be called Adam at school. We’re all happy either way.
Author
Thanks hun. I quite like Adam, that’s another good one. I think they are less old fashioned than the one we like. Man it’s hard!
We have an alfie and his birth certificate is Alfie as thats the name we loved. But also we have a Zachary but he is always called Zach . Not helped have I it’s so hard x
When thinking of names when we were expecting, hubs wanted to have the full name on birth certificate so that they could choose at a later date.
However, he didn’t say Toby should be Tobias, he just told me he didn’t like it.
But I know I couldn’t have named them Chris, they would have had to be Christopher (Christian/Christophe).
I think some modern shortenings are acceptable (certainly in the Archibald case, kids are cruel, they’d probably get called Baldy!), but others a full name is fine.
A good friend has two sons whose names are Jack and Tom. Nothing more. My hairdresser has a Theodore and never calls him Theo. Seems to me you should reach a truce(!) on what is right and feels right for your little guy.
Author
thanks Nanna!! xx