[name]Hi[/name] all,
While mulling over names for dd#2, I’ve realized I really like the name [name]Kate[/name]. I don’t like the name [name]Catherine[/name] though. It’s not that [name]Catherine[/name] isn’t a pretty name, but I have bad associations with that name. Is it acceptable to name a baby [name]Kate[/name] but not give her a formal version? Thanks!
I’d personally probably investigate assorted international variants: [name]Caitlin[/name], [name]Katia[/name], [name]Kathleen[/name], [name]Katerina[/name], [name]Katja[/name], [name]Catalina[/name], [name]Katrina[/name]… etc. there’s a thousand. But that’s because I think some of the full names have more flexibility and I’m not really a nickname-as-full-name person.
I do like [name]Kate[/name]. My only concern with it, by itself, is that while [name]Catherine[/name]/[name]Katharine[/name] is always around, the nicknames go in and out. I’ve known full-name-Kates, and full-name-[name]Cathy[/name]. [name]Cathy[/name]/[name]Kathy[/name] was the fashionable nickname when it was given to the one I’ve met, but it seems kinda mom-name-ish now, doesn’t it? [name]Kate[/name]/[name]Katy[/name]/[name]Katie[/name] is in right now but I wonder if a [name]Kate[/name] would, in twenty or so years, regret not being able to go by some other form.
Yeah it’s fine! I also like just [name]Kate[/name] and I usually dislike nickname names. I think [name]Kate[/name]'s long history of use as a single name makes it strong enough to stand on its own, just like [name]Jack[/name] or [name]Molly[/name]. It’s short and powerful and works wonderfully on a girl of any age. [name]Lovely[/name] choice 
[name]Just[/name] want to add [name]Kateri[/name].
I do love [name]Catherine[/name], but [name]Kate[/name] is fine on its own though.
I think [name]Kate[/name] is fine on it’s own, and still has the option of [name]Katie[/name], especially as a child. [name]Catherine[/name] is lovely, but there are plenty of people just named [name]Kate[/name].
[name]Just[/name] want to add [name]Kateri[/name].
I do love [name]Catherine[/name], but [name]Kate[/name] is fine on its own though.
I think [name]Kate[/name] is fine as a full name. If you want to use a nn when she is is young, there is always [name]Katie[/name].
I know several people named [name]Kate[/name] and not [name]Catherine[/name]. I have always felt like the 2 are completely different in feel and style. I love both. I would go for it!
I think it’s fine! It would be different if you were going to name her [name]Katie[/name], but [name]Kate[/name] is a name on it’s own, and I think it’s beautiful! Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s your first daughter’s name?
I love just [name]Kate[/name]!
[name]Ah[/name], excellent. My name is [name]Katherine[/name] but everyone has always called me [name]Kate[/name]. I have always wished my parents just named me [name]Kate[/name]. I don’t identify with the name [name]Katherine[/name] at all. [name]Kate[/name] fits me very well, but [name]Katherine[/name] does not. I don’t like having to correct people (at school and official stuff). It just seems unnecessary when my parents wanted to call me [name]Kate[/name] all along. My mom wanted me to have a longer name in case I ever wanted to become president or something. 
But the thing is, [name]Kate[/name] is a perfectly classic and professional name. I’m a law student and recently made the decision to have [name]Kate[/name] be the name on my resume. There’s no use using a name that isn’t me for interviews just so I can tell them to actually call me [name]Kate[/name]. There are other law students with way weirder names and, especially with the popularity of [name]Princess[/name] [name]Kate[/name], [name]Kate[/name] feels regal and professional in the office and classic and fun while with friends. GO FOR IT.
And while we’re on the subject of the name [name]Kate[/name], you should definitely go for it. There were a lot of Kates that I grew up with and then I moved away and haven’t met any. Having other kids with that name never affected my love for it. I’ve always loved my name because I felt like it fit me, it was spunky, strong, and stylish. It also fits a lot of different kinds of people.
I also did know a just plain [name]Kate[/name]. I think she liked it.
I think [name]Kate[/name] sounds complete on its own and would be fine, but stripedsocks brings up a good point.
I would probably go for it.
Thanks everyone!! My first daughter’s name is [name]Claire[/name]. Might sound too similar. We are considering a couple of other names ([name]Annabel[/name] nn [name]Annie[/name] or just [name]Anna[/name]). I was going to put [name]Kate[/name] in the middle spot but do really like it and realized its a possible contender. Only problem is I have a good friend named [name]Katy[/name] and a friend who recently named her baby [name]Katherine[/name] nn [name]Kate[/name] (don’t see her much though). I swear I’m changing my mind once a week on this poor baby’s name!
I think [name]Kate[/name] is a great name and could definitely stand alone, but I do think that having a longer name would add more versatility (if your daughter decides she’d like a different nickname, if in the future [name]Kate[/name] would go out of fashion, etc.).
Names other than [name]Catherine[/name] that could have the nickname [name]Kate[/name]:
[name]Kathleen[/name]
[name]Katlyn[/name] (or any other spelling variation)
P.S. I think if you did choose to use [name]Kate[/name] in the middle spot it would sound great all by itself
I much prefer [name]Katherine[/name] or [name]Katelyn[/name] to just [name]Kate[/name] but it is still nice.
It’s fine. I know several girls who are just [name]Kate[/name] or [name]Katie[/name] and it doesn’t hinder them in any way.
Personally, I’d go with [name]Katherine[/name], [name]Catalina[/name], or [name]Caitlyn[/name], but I’ve exhausted this argument w/my sister, and her daughter [name]Katie[/name] (not [name]Catherine[/name]) is growing up fine without a full name. I did convince her to choose a longer form of [name]Abbie[/name] for #2 girl.
[name]Kate[/name] is fine as a full name! My full name is [name]Katie[/name], just [name]Katie[/name], and I think [name]Kate[/name] is so much classier in sound than [name]Katie[/name]. And having a nickname name hasn’t made my life any worse or anything, I hate when people say that nickname names sound childish and they will never be employed.
Hmm…
[name]Kate[/name] has been used as a name in her own right for many years. [name]Kate[/name] is a lovely classic choice. Yes she is a nickname in sense, a variant of [name]Catherine[/name]/[name]Katherine[/name] but in reality people have been using [name]Kate[/name] (just [name]Kate[/name]) for years. I have a 36 year old cousin [name]Kate[/name], along with a best friend [name]Katie[/name] (aged 19) and went to school with a [name]Francesca[/name] [name]Kate[/name] so in reality it isn’t strange to name a baby just [name]Kate[/name] and the idea of this not being acceptable is absurd. [name]Kate[/name] is gorgeous, totally acceptable, very normal choice.
My name is [name]Kaitlyn[/name], and I was called [name]Kate[/name] for a couple years (I hated it, I go by [name]Katie[/name] now) … but yeah [name]Kaitlyn[/name]/[name]Katelyn[/name]/[name]Kaitlin[/name]/etc are pretty obvious “[name]Kate[/name]” names.