[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone. I just had my 3rd child - a boy. We already have two girls [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] ([name_f]Ellie[/name_f]) and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. We are strongly considering [name_u]James[/name_u] for this baby. [name_f]My[/name_f] biggest hesitation/concern is that people will call him [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] or [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m], which we really really dislike.
Is it silly for us to think this name is nickname proof since it’s only 1 syllable?
The other name we are considering is [name_m]William[/name_m]/Will but [name_u]James[/name_u] is the name that I’ve liked the longest, which is why I’m leaning towards [name_u]James[/name_u].
I think you can absolutely call him [name_u]James[/name_u] at home and ask that family call him [name_u]James[/name_u], but you can’t control what nicknames friends give him or what he chooses for himself when he is older.
I like [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] as an nn much better than [name_m]Jim[/name_m] or [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] (those are mostly used by older guys I feel like) but I think almost all classic boy names will have nicknames attached.
I don’t think anyone now a days would automatically nickname a [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Jim[/name_m] [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] or [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]. [name_f]My[/name_f] little brothers name is [name_u]James[/name_u] and all the other young [name_u]James[/name_u]’ I know go just by [name_u]James[/name_u] so I think that’s the default now
I do think you can push always calling him [name_u]James[/name_u], but you never know what he will want to go by or what others will call him. I do say that I don’t think people will call him [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]/Jimmy (I don’t like either as well) unless someone calls him at that as a child. Maybe you can go with [name_u]Jameson[/name_u] and call him [name_u]James[/name_u]? This way, [name_u]James[/name_u] technically is the nickname. Personally, I wouldn’t go with a name that you dislike the nicknames that he could end up going by. You don’t want to despise hearing it all the time and regret it. I love [name_m]William[/name_m] too! [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u] would be handsome with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f].
I know several Jameses. While some go by nicknames, others do not. [name_m]Just[/name_m] make your preferences known and correct people immediately. They will quickly learn. [name_m]Just[/name_m] be aware that when your child gets older, he may choose a nickname (such as [name_m]Jim[/name_m], [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] or [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]) for himself. You may not like it, but at that point it will be his choice.
I agree with others that after a certain point, it is his choice and he may choose to go by a nickname. But I don’t think any of those nicknames are particularly popular or fashionable at the moment (though maybe I’m wrong?). All the Jameses I know go by [name_u]James[/name_u].
I think people will call him what you want him to be called, and later, what he wants to be called. I have a name that has a few natural nicknames, but no one calls me anything from my actual name. I’ve never had an issue with someone insisting that they give me a nickname. That would be extremely off-putting and, frankly, weird.
When he’s little, some people may be inclined to add the -ee sound to a name. But a simple correction of “it’s [name_u]James[/name_u]” should be enough for the rare person who does that.
Adding on to @Harvest-[name_u]Endellion[/name_u], no name is nickname proof. But I do think [name_u]James[/name_u] is as close to it as you can get. It’s one syllable and very easy and natural to pronounce.
I in fact feel like [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]/Jimmy feels like it’s gonna take more energy to say, and being the lazy person I am I would naturally stick to [name_u]James[/name_u] anyway.
I’ve got 4 Jameses in my family, three on one side (great uncle/his son/his grandson) and one on the other (my cousin). We’ve always called the triple Jameses “[name_m]Jimmy[/name_m]” (differentiating with Uncle/Big/Little) and my mom would sometimes call her cousin [name_m]Seamus[/name_m] cause we’re Irish.
However, I’ve never in my life thought to call my cousin on the other side by a nickname-always [name_u]James[/name_u]. I don’t think people would use a nickname without you using it or once he’s old enough, asking your son. So I think if you just keep going with [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_u]James[/name_u] will stick
I’ve known lots of people named [name_u]James[/name_u], including people who were [name_m]Jim[/name_m] or [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] and people who were “just” [name_u]James[/name_u]. I think the name is definitely nickname proof if you want it to be, the “just” Jameses in my life don’t seem to have ever had a problem with avoiding nicknames.
As for [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], I have mostly encountered that IRL as a stand-alone girls name (though I’m not a fan on a girl and adore it on a boy— that’s neither here nor there though).
I actually feel like [name_m]William[/name_m] is a lot less nickname proof than [name_u]James[/name_u], and I’m personally less of a fan. It sounds like you’re okay with at least some of the nicknames for [name_m]William[/name_m] though! So that may not be a concern for you.
[name_m]Long[/name_m] story short, I think you’ll be OK with either name, pick what you love best.
hmm the [name_u]James[/name_u] I know goes by [name_m]Jim[/name_m] by friends but I mean I personally don’t want a nickname for a one-syllable name but there are many nicknames already…
so possibly there’d be that one person (or your [name_u]James[/name_u] himself) that will call him something…
by the way love [name_m]William[/name_m] and prefer it over [name_u]James[/name_u] but then again if you love [name_u]James[/name_u] more, go for it!
I agree with the others that you can’t control what nicknames he’d choose in the future.
[name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] is an old-fashioned nickname that people don’t really use anymore, so I can’t see [name_u]James[/name_u] getting shorten to it.
You might get [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] sometimes but it’s a very easy correction - “he’s [name_u]James[/name_u].”
All Jameses I’ve heard of goes by [name_u]James[/name_u], no nicknames.
I know a few people called [name_u]James[/name_u], and the ratio of ‘just [name_u]James[/name_u]’ to ‘uses a nickname at least part of the time’ is about 50:50. So it’s possible, but these things can never be guaranteed - he might grow up wanting to be called [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] by his mates as he feels [name_u]James[/name_u] is too formal,who knows?
Many of the [name_u]James[/name_u] I know do in fact go solely by [name_u]James[/name_u]. However they also al seem to respond to [name_m]Jimbo[/name_m]
If [name_u]James[/name_u] is the one then go with that. [name_m]Just[/name_m] know that once you give a name you can’t really control the nicknames that ppl may come up with. [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] seems terribly dated but he may get [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] or [name_u]Jay[/name_u].
I know a little [name_u]James[/name_u] (18 months) who goes exclusively by [name_u]James[/name_u]. And I think in this day and age it’s possible to get people to call him by his full name. But, as others have said, you can’t control what others will call him as he grows up or what he’ll decide to be called. For example, I have a good friend named [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] who was nicknamed JoJo in elementary school. His mom hates it and still calls him [name_m]Joseph[/name_m], but he’s almost 30 and now exclusively goes by JoJo. So if you really don’t like the nicknames I’d definitely go with [name_m]William[/name_m]/Will.
