Is this confusing?

My husband and I are running out of time to name our son. We know we want the middle name “[name]Ray[/name]”, after my grandfather.

Of late, my husband has gotten stuck on calling him “[name]Nate[/name]”. I am fine with the nn, but I like “[name]Jonathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name]” much better as a full name than “[name]Nathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name]”.

[name]Do[/name] you think it will be confusing to the child (and others) to have fn [name]Jonathan[/name], nn [name]Nate[/name]?

I think “[name]Jonathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name]” leaves all kinds of nn options open - [name]Jon[/name], [name]Jack[/name], J.R., etc… but we really like [name]Nate[/name], so if it seems strange, we might just stick with fn [name]Nathan[/name].

Thanks for listening! :slight_smile:

[name]Hi[/name]! :slight_smile:

[name]Even[/name] though people may assume that [name]Nate[/name] is short for [name]Nathan[/name] or [name]Nathaniel[/name], I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t call a [name]Jonathan[/name] “[name]Nate[/name].” Plus, [name]Jonathan[/name] contains “[name]Nathan[/name],” so it’s not like the [name]Nate[/name] nickname is coming out of left field. If a [name]Barnaby[/name] can be called “[name]Abe[/name],” a [name]Griffin[/name] can go by “[name]Finn[/name],” and a [name]Genevieve[/name] can go by “[name]Evie[/name],” I don’t see any reason why a [name]Jonathan[/name] can’t be called “[name]Nate[/name].” :slight_smile:

[name]Do[/name] you like [name]Nathaniel[/name] [name]Ray[/name]? That could be another option for you if it appeals to you.

Good luck! :slight_smile:

Yes, I’d be confused by this, as a teacher, I’d get paperwork for a [name]Jonathan[/name] and a [name]Nate[/name] would show up. If it was [name]Nathan[/name], [name]Nate[/name] is an obvious nn. People will call him that without be told to. It’s great you found a name you like and I wouls stick with it, not name him something else. And [name]Nathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name] sounds fine.

[name]Jonathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name] is great. I don’t think [name]Nate[/name] is to much of stretch either. You’re with [name]Jonathan[/name] he’s open [name]Jon[/name] or [name]Jack[/name] if he so chooses. If you do decide to go with [name]Nathan[/name], I’d just like to say I do prefer [name]Nathaniel[/name] all though [name]Nathan[/name] is still nice.

This is the era of finding new nicknames to replace the old favourites.

[name]Nate[/name] as a nn for [name]Jonathan[/name] is absolutely brilliant. Well done!

You won’t be sorry to have a [name]Jonathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name].

Best wishes it is a lovely name.

yes its confusing. I think nathan jay sounds nice.

Thank you for your replies! [name]Reading[/name] the different comments, as I thought it might, made me realize what I really think about it. (Like flipping a coin to make a decision, then realizing that you really were secretly hoping it would come up “tails” when it comes up “heads”.)

:slight_smile:

Who cares if someone sees [name]Jonathan[/name] on paper and doesn’t assume his nickname is [name]Nate[/name]? Once they’re told, they’ll get it! I think [name]Nate[/name] as a nickname for [name]Jonathan[/name] is completely brilliant! I love [name]Nathan[/name] and [name]Nathaniel[/name], too, but you love [name]Jonathan[/name] much more, so you should use it!

I always like non-standard nicknames, though perhaps more as an intellectual curiosity than anything else. I’m not a big nickname user. That said, [name]Nate[/name] for [name]Jonathan[/name] is no odder than [name]Lex[/name] or [name]Xander[/name] for [name]Alexander[/name].

I like [name]Jonathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name] :slight_smile: Go with your gut instinct.

I would go with [name]Nathan[/name] [name]Ray[/name] or [name]Nathaniel[/name] [name]Ray[/name].