Anyone else annoyed by people automatically shortening their name?

I’m an [name]Angela[/name] who hates being called [name]Angie[/name], especially by family members. I wish I could get them to call me [name]Annie[/name] instead. :frowning:

I’m a [name]Sophie[/name], which isn’t that fruitful in terms of nicknames. Close friends call me [name]Soph[/name], which I’m cool with - but then my old boss once called me [name]Soph[/name] which I thought was a bit weird. I always introduce myself as [name]Sophie[/name], and most people do stick with that unless I’m pretty close to them. [name]One[/name] friend called me [name]Fee[/name] for a bit (as in the second syllable of my name) but it never stuck. I don’t correct people if they call me [name]Soph[/name], it doesn’t bother me all that much, but I will correct them if they call me [name]Sophia[/name]. That, in my eyes, is a totally different name.

My first name is also [name]Elizabeth[/name] and I’ve always gone by [name]Ellie[/name]. I feel you’re pain, however. It was my mother’s idea to nn me [name]Ellie[/name] and that’s what she introduced me as as a child, so by the time I got old enough to prefer [name]Elizabeth[/name], everyone was so used to calling me [name]Ellie[/name], it did no good. So now, I’m just an [name]Ellie[/name]. Seriously though, if you prefer your given name, just tell people that you don’t like nn’s. Unless they’re purposly being rude, I don’t think you’d have a problem.

I see where you are coming from, my name is [name]Donna[/name] but it has happened that once or twice I have been called [name]Don[/name] or [name]Donny[/name], even [name]Don[/name] [name]Don[/name]. I’m not fond of any of the nicknames as they are very masculine, and I sometimes I wish that I had a name with girly NNs. But its okay, people normally do that to be more friendly, but if you be polite about it and specifically say that you prefer being called [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Donna[/name] etc they will get that.

People generally call me by what I introduce myself as, but I guess [name]Kaitlin[/name] doesn’t have the “standard” nickname like [name]Elizabeth[/name] has. You’re just as likely to go by [name]Kate[/name] as [name]Katie[/name], et c. I don’t mind being called any of those, so I usually introduce myself as [name]Kaitlin[/name] and if someone says [name]Kate[/name] or [name]Katie[/name] I answer to those too. Mostly I prefer [name]Kate[/name] and [name]Kaitlin[/name] with my friends and acquaintances, [name]Katie[/name] is just for family really. If you really don’t like a nickname I second what pp’s have said, just politely say “[name]Just[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] is fine” or “I really do prefer [name]Elizabeth[/name]” if they call you [name]Liz[/name]/[name]Lizzie[/name]. [name]Just[/name] don’t be rude about it and I think people will get the hint.

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My sister is [name]Alexandra[/name] and went by [name]Alex[/name] her whole life. Then, in college, she started going by [name]Alexandra[/name]. I was surprised, but it worked! All her new friends and coworkers call her [name]Alexandra[/name], even though it is a long name with a lot of well known nicknames, like [name]Elizabeth[/name]. Of course, I have had a ton of trouble switching, but she doesn’t mind that as much for family. Anyway, what I’m saying is, I think that if you try to be consistent in introducing yourself as [name]Elizabeth[/name], and correct people the first time they say [name]Liz[/name], most people will get the idea and stick with [name]Elizabeth[/name].

You and I have probably had similar experiences growing up with our names. My parents invented my spelling after hearing the old civil war song “[name]Lorena[/name]” on the radio. I always had compliments on my name growing up, but people do have a very hard time spelling it and I remember being called [name]Lauren[/name] or [name]Lenora[/name] a lot at summer camps as a kid. I’ve never had an official nickname, but my siblings call me [name]Lala[/name]. I did have an acquaintance in college who called me “[name]Rainy[/name]” though. Nicknames never bothered me, but they didn’t really stick either.

I, too, have the oppisite problem of people automatically lengthening my name. And it’s not like a I have a name that is usually a nickname, Isabel is a well known and commonly used name! Even if people don’t already call me Isabella, I find out that they’ve thought this entire time that my full name was Isabella (like I’m listed on their phone as Isabella) It’s soooo annoying! At one school Isabella was listed on all of the class lists and forms.

As for nns, most of my family calls me Bella. It’s what I went by when I was little, so most of my family friends and kindergarden friends call me Bella too. When I went into 2nd grade people started calling me Izzy, and that stuck, even though I hate that nn. Now, in high school most of my guy friends and teachers call me Izzy, my family/family friends call me Bella, and everyone else call me Isabel. And then theres of course the occasional Isabella.

I forgot to add that my mom’s name is Elizabeth as well and she does NOT have a nn. Her mom’s name is Elizabeth, but she was given the nn Betsey very young and decided that regretted not going by such a pretty name, so she gave it to her daughter. My dad, Robert, also doesn’t have a nn, even though many people try and call him Rob/Bob.

I don’t really know how you feel, my name is [name]Eros[/name], not much you can do there, but I can feel empathy for you. I always call people by what they tell me to call them, at least until I’m close. I know a [name]Thomas[/name] that goes by [name]Thomas[/name] and no one ever questions it or calls him [name]Tom[/name] (besides his sister and a certain obnoxious person), but I don’t know what his secret is. Maybe it’s because he has a foreign accent and [name]Tom[/name]/[name]Tommy[/name] seems to american, who knows! I would just tell remind them that you prefer [name]Elizabeth[/name] instead of what they call you, or when you introduce yourself by saying “[name]Hi[/name], I go by [name]Elizabeth[/name],” instead of saying, “I’m…” or “My name is…” that way they know that’s what you go by.

I know an attorney named [name]Elizabeth[/name] who goes by her full name. I love it. I’ve always called her [name]Elizabeth[/name], but I’ve wondered if she gets called “[name]Liz[/name].” I bet she has does sometimes. My kids, by their own choice (and my preference) all go by their full first names. My daughter absolutely insists on being called only [name]Rebecca[/name]. [name]Even[/name] during casual moments at home, she gets grumpy about being called anything else. Only one of my kids, [name]Timothy[/name], is often called by a nickname. New people meeting him almost always take the liberty of calling him [name]Tim[/name].

[name]Welcome[/name] to my world! My legal name is [name]Julia[/name], but I grew up being called [name]Julie[/name]. This name doesn’t fit me at all, it seems, since EVERYONE besides my mother and husband seem to feel compelled to call me “[name]Jules[/name]”, which I utterly despise. It doesn’t matter if I tell people “It’s [name]Julia[/name]”. I’ve even directly told people that [name]Jules[/name] makes me feel like an old, male, English chauffeur. People still just call me [name]Jules[/name]. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and started going by [name]Claire[/name]. [name]One[/name] syllable, no nicknames, less bouncy/girly feel to it…and that worked. So, I’ve got a whole new name in play, but at least it doesn’t feel like nails on a chalkboard every time someone addresses me!!

My first name is [name]Lyndsey[/name], though I go by my middle name [name]Rose[/name]. The people who refuse to call me [name]Rose[/name] bother me enough, but when people shorten [name]Lyndsey[/name] to Lyndse, that REALLY bothers me. I don’t mind [name]Lyn[/name], and prefer it to [name]Lyndsey[/name] actually, but Lyndse rhymes with cleanse, and I hate it.

Please people if introduced by the full name USE it! I changed to my middle name over this issue.

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Ooopsie! I automatically shorten people’s names. I work in healthcare and only see full names on their charts. I call out [name]Tim[/name] for [name]Timothy[/name] and [name]Brad[/name] for [name]Bradley[/name] all the time! I mainly stick to lop-off nick names (never [name]Dick[/name]/[name]Richard[/name] or [name]Mike[/name]/[name]Michael[/name] because those are too different). I would never call a [name]Sydney[/name] just [name]Sid[/name] or [name]Elizabeth[/name] just [name]Liz[/name].

Recently guilty of: Douglas to Doug, Pamela to Pam, Kimberly to Kim, Jennifer to Jenn, Kenneth to Ken, Frederick to Fred (although I should know better as I know one that prefers Rick), & Christopher to Chris. No one has ever said, No it’s Kenneth. I work in an under served community so people don’t go by such stuffy names!

I’m the reverse of you. [name_f]My[/name_f] birth name was [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and I never felt it was right. I often went by [name_u]Lovelace[/name_u], and once, even Zlaire. When I was 13, I started hating it beyond words because it was too common and I felt part of my identity was being robbed, I am VERY girly and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] isn’t frilly/girly enough, everyone would misspell it and my parents pronounce it very obnoxiously if I misbehaved ([name_f]Claire[/name_f]-AHHHH!). The worst thing is, because you can’t shorten it, I had nothing to fall back on! [name_f]My[/name_f] middle name ([name_f]Fiona[/name_f]) wasn’t much better, as it had been rendered nonviable due to Shrek, which is the national movie of my generation. I eventually switched to [name_f]Queenie[/name_f]. Very rare, much more feminine feel, has 1 standard spelling and 2 syllables so people wouldn’t say it obnoxiously.

I can relate to this! [name_f]My[/name_f] siblings and friends often call me [name_u]Ash[/name_u], which I love, while my parents and older family members usually stick to [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]. Unlike me, my twin sister, [name_u]Allison[/name_u], hates nicknames! When someone calls her [name_m]Al[/name_m] or [name_u]Allie[/name_u] (which happens a lot) you can see that she’s fuming inside but trying to be polite.

As a [name_f]Grace[/name_f], people actually tend to lengthen it to [name_f]Gracie[/name_f]. It used to annoy me more but now i just deal with it

Yes totally annoying. I gave both children beautiful long names ( 3 and 4 syllables) and both times only days later friends and family ( not the same person each time) say " but you are gonna call them this right?"

No! I didnt bother the hell out of my spouse for nine months to call my kid something else!

Also i was a teacher before becoming a mom and i always respected parents andbtheir name choices, i felt it wasnt my place to assign the student with a nickname, i only hope other teachers will do the same for me and my children

BTW, I would’ve called you [name_u]Lee[/name_u] if you disliked [name_u]Jules[/name_u].

It used to much more than it does now. As a [name_u]Haley[/name_u], no one except my dad came up with an imaginative nickname for me other than Hals or [name_m]Hal[/name_m] which sounded like an old man’s name. One day though my dad told me about this super cool computer called HAL that was in some movie. [name_f]My[/name_f] initials are H.A.L and so he told me just to think of how smart that computer was and how smart I was (he was an encourager :smile:). Admittedly he left out the part that the computer was psychotic which I found out later, haha. But I did like the reframe and it didn’t bother me so much after that.