Recently named newest baby boy [name_m]Richard[/name_m]. His older siblings struggled to pronounce it so we jokingly started to call him [name_m]Dickie[/name_m], and then Dicken, which turned in Dickens and then stuck. Now that’s all anyone in the family calls him and it fits him well but I am worried about potential obvious teasing when he’s older. Should I nip this in the bud while I still can or is Dickens usable? What would be your impression if you heard a little boy with this name?
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I’d think of [name_u]Charles[/name_u] Dickens first. Maybe keep it as a home nickname then he can decide when he’s older if he wants school friends to use it?
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It’s a nickname, I’d say let it run its course or just keep it in the family. It is cute but I probably wouldn’t introduce him as Dickens or put it on his birth certificate. It’s fun at home
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Thanks for the advice! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I were definitely keen on it being a nickname used only at home but his three older siblings exclusively call him Dickens right now. Everyone at their schools thought the new baby’s actual name was Dickens so I guess we will sit back and let it run it’s course. He can decide someday if he likes it or not
I’d just give it time and maybe make sure that while the siblings are solely calling him Dickens that maybe even at home you can interchangeably call him by [name_m]Richard[/name_m] as well.!
When my second was born my oldest (18 mo) also couldn’t say her name. His pronunciation came out as Oyster. We thought it was adorable and started calling her that ourselves. But then we realized that was what she was actually starting to think her name actually was so my husband and I stopped cold turkey on that nickname…. She knows her real name and my oldest in time learned her real name.
When my third was born it was now my middle child (2) who I think could say my sons actual name G1deonbut defaults to other pronunciations . This time we haven’t stopped ourselves callig him these assortment of names as well but we also make sure he hears his actual name a good amount from us (his parents) while the younger two are more attached to the various nicknames
Btw: I think Dickens is absolutely adorable. Complete [name_u]Charles[/name_u] Dickens feels. Not sure about the usability irl but as a nickname 
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I love Dicken and Dickens. Isn’t that the name of the sweet boy in The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] Garden?
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Its pretty awesome actually… [name_f]My[/name_f] association is “what the dickens??!” Which is funny but I don’t think very tease worthy.
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I have a galilee, 4 years old and she has 7 different nicknames. Unfortunately people will call the kid whatever they want. We have very little control as parents of nicknames imo. And for the record I think Dickens has a really strong literary association so teasing potential is there sure, but same with ever [name_m]Richard[/name_m] born. I think Dickens is cute tho 
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Dickon, yes! The [name_f]Secret[/name_f] Garden was one of my first chapter books, introducing me to written dialect and to names including [name_m]Archibald[/name_m], [name_m]Colin[/name_m], and Dickon. I’ve mourned the fact that it’s probably unusable today.
But Dickens is delightful as a nickname!
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While Dickens is cute for a nickname at home and with family, I think it will be up to him if he wants to use it outside the house/family when he’s older. If you wanted to start on a different nickname for him for outside the house, [name_u]Risa[/name_u] would be a worthwhile option… easy to pronounce and it is actually a variant of the name [name_m]Richard[/name_m].
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I think Dickens is a super cute nickname, I just think of the author. It has way less teasing potential than if you had stuck with just calling him [name_m]Dick[/name_m]. Whatever he gets called outside of the house in the future will be up to him and will probably not really have anything to do with your family’s nickname for him. [name_f]My[/name_f] brother’s name is [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m], always called [name_u]Nick[/name_u] growing up, and in middle school his friends randomly decided to start calling him [name_u]Nelson[/name_u] and it stuck. All his friends pretty much exclusively call him [name_u]Nelson[/name_u] despite it having nothing to do with his real name at all.
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I agree. We really seldom end up picking our kids’ nicknames.
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