Our boy is due in a month, and DH and I are both loving the name [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] nn [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], but there are a few issues that I need you all to reassure me on and/or suggest ways around.
[name_m]Fred[/name_m] is kind of a doofusy name, and how is he going to avoid it?
His last name is [name_m]German[/name_m]-sounding, 3 syllables, and starts w K (Kin…mann.) So [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] K*** is going to sound super Austrian/[name_m]German[/name_m], and for various (good) reasons, it’s not a piece of the family history that anyone wants to highlight. Ditto for possible nn [name_m]Fritz[/name_m].
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] K*** means repeating K consonants at the end of first/beg of last name. Is this a dealbreaker?
BB’s big sister is [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_m]Clayton[/name_m] nn [name_f]Janie[/name_f], so we want a name that matches hers in history and gravitas as well as underused classic-ness. Emphasis on underused - we’ve ruled out several lovely names as being too popular in our peer group, incl [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_m]John[/name_m]/[name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_u]August[/name_u]/us. Also, I have a preference for non-biblical names.
Other names I love are [name_m]George[/name_m], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_m]Calvin[/name_m], and [name_m]Edward[/name_m] (but not wild about [name_m]Ed[/name_m] and [name_m]Eddie[/name_m].) I was considering [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] and [name_m]Felix[/name_m], but they feel too trendy for sibling [name_f]Janie[/name_f].
I think [name_m]Felix[/name_m] and [name_f]Janie[/name_f] is just fine! Adorable.
If you don’t allow people to call him [name_m]Fred[/name_m] and he doesn’t allow people to call him [name_m]Fred[/name_m], then he won’t be [name_m]Fred[/name_m].
I’ve always hated being called [name_f]Jeannie[/name_f], which is common with the name [name_f]Jeanne[/name_f]. No one even attempt unless they are trying to get to me
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] is a great name. Dont hold out because of [name_m]Fred[/name_m]. Go for it.
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] [name_m]Wilson[/name_m] is my favorite.
If you don’t want to highlight a german/austrian family history I think you might need to let go of [name_m]Fredrick[/name_m]. (But I do agree with pp’s that [name_m]Fredrick[/name_m] doesn’t have to be [name_m]Fred[/name_m]). I would have suggested [name_m]Hendrik[/name_m] but that doesn’t help the matter much.
I’ve always love [name_m]Felix[/name_m] and think it would be great with [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. But I can also understand your hesitation as it has become more popular in the US of late.
Have you considered: [name_u]Carlisle[/name_u]? [name_m]Bruce[/name_m]? [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]? [name_m]Hugh[/name_m]? [name_m]Leon[/name_m]? [name_u]Bryce[/name_u]? [name_u]Noah[/name_u]? [name_m]Abel[/name_m]?
If he’s going to be going by [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], I honestly think [name_m]Fred[/name_m] will be hard to avoid, especially as he gets older. You can do what you can when you’re speaking for him, but once he’s old enough, it’ll be on him to correct people. Be prepared to have him like [name_m]Fred[/name_m], though, or prefer it to [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] in his high school years. He may not want to avoid it his whole life…
I don’t see [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] as a particularly Austrian/ [name_m]German[/name_m] name… but my grandmother is from [name_f]Austria[/name_f] and her name is [name_f]Ericka[/name_f], and her mother was named [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], sooooo who knows. I actually [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] the nickname [name_m]Fritz[/name_m], haha.
As long as his name isn’t [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] [name_m]Kendrick[/name_m], I think you’re all right.
I like [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] [name_u]Riley[/name_u] with [name_f]Jane[/name_f] .
Other options with [name_f]Jane[/name_f] “[name_f]Janie[/name_f]” I like are:
Great ideas all, and thanks for the honest feedback. I have to say, I love [name_m]Felix[/name_m] and [name_m]Desmond[/name_m], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] and [name_m]Hugh[/name_m]. I’m afraid of [name_m]Felix[/name_m] trending, but whatever. And [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] is so suave, somehow. I think I’m thinking of [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] on LOST, but you could do worse for associations.
I think [name_m]Felix[/name_m] isn’t going anywhere. If you click on the name, you can see it’s been in relatively the same spot for like ever, and it’s only ranked as 316. Honestly, I hear a lot more Fredericks than I do Felixs, and I think [name_m]Felix[/name_m] is a bit nicer
I love [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] for you, but all your concerns are valid. You will probably end up with a [name_m]Fred[/name_m] at some point.
If I were you I would switch to [name_m]Edward[/name_m] and use the nickname [name_m]Ned[/name_m] or even [name_m]Ward[/name_m]. I also like [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] with [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. [name_m]Felix[/name_m] is very cute, but it has a different feel to me than [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. If that doesn’t bother you then go for it!
I agree with you that [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] is adorable and [name_m]Fred[/name_m] is awful. That being said I really feel like people are going to call him [name_m]Fred[/name_m] at some point. I hate to say it but I had the exact same concerns with [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] (love) and [name_u]Pat[/name_u] (hate) ultimately I decided the possibility of a [name_u]Pat[/name_u] was enough to eliminate [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] from consideration.
I’m with mrs_darling on Thomas and Janie. How undeniably cute!!!
I totally understand bc I feel the same about the name Franklin- hate Frank! Also amoser has a point with Patrick nn Pat; I’ve always been drawn to him but ugh, can’t stand Pat! My remedy for this dilemma is by swapping these into the middle spot (i.e. Thomas Frederick K_____n) ~ that way it will satisfy all your fears of having to deal with the unwanted Fred while still allowing you the full name’s use
I also want to mention that although Fritz may be traditional to Frederick, Frantz may be another alternative. I only suggest this because my husband works with a man who goes by this, his last name…it sounds more like the country “France” than a German-origin, if that’s what your afraid of. I think it’s actually pretty cool.
Although you could always use the other built-in nn’s for Frederick: Rick or Rich, even Derick
P.S. You might like vintage nicknames [name_m]Ned[/name_m] for [name_m]Edward[/name_m], [name_u]Jory[/name_u] for [name_m]George[/name_m], and [name_m]Pip[/name_m] for [name_m]Philip[/name_m].
If you go with the nn [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], it will be up to your child whether or not he wants to be [name_m]Fred[/name_m]. I’ve known a [name_u]Scottie[/name_u] who was insisting on [name_m]Scott[/name_m] by high school, but I’ve also known someone going by [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] in his 30s. If your son deciding to switch to [name_m]Fred[/name_m] would be too disappointing, I think you have to scrap that idea.
From your list, I love [name_f]Janie[/name_f] and [name_m]Calvin[/name_m] (I guess this may bring up the possibility of [name_u]Cal[/name_u] though!). I also like the suggestions of [name_m]Edward[/name_m] going by [name_m]Ned[/name_m] or [name_m]Ward[/name_m].
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t name your child a name that has a common nickname you dislike, my friend is named [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] which his mother loves, but she absolutely hates the nickname [name_u]Chris[/name_u]. Her son chose to go by [name_u]Chris[/name_u] when he got older despite her dislike, and it’s created some discomfort in the family. This is the very reason I’m refusing to go with [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] (My partner’s favorite) for my son, I love [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] but can’t stand [name_u]Pat[/name_u]. You have good other choices go with one of them!
As a mom of an 11 month old [name_m]Frederik[/name_m], I’m telling you to go for it! I hate [name_m]Fred[/name_m] and [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] too, but in the end it wasn’t enough to sway me away from [name_m]Frederik[/name_m]. I’m so glad we stuck with our original choice and named our little boy [name_m]Frederik[/name_m]. The name suits him perfectly, and I can’t imagine him with any other name. I know I would have had serious, serious remorse if we had gone with a “safer” name.
So far in his 11 months, not a single person has tried calling him [name_m]Fred[/name_m] or [name_u]Freddie[/name_u]. I realize this might change over time, but I don’t think it’s a given that he will be [name_m]Fred[/name_m] one day. And if it’s what he decides to call himself, so be it, but he’ll always be [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] to me.
Good luck with the upcoming birth! [name_f]Hope[/name_f] all goes well!
My kids are 6, 4 and 2 and we have managed to stay away from nicknames for the most part. Two of the kids could use nicknames I wouldn’t mind. But I really don’t like [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] for my son [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], and he really doesn’t get called that too often. My kids like being called by their full names, and if you call him [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] then others should too (for the most part!). I didn’t let [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] stop me, and he really is an [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] so I’m glad we stuck with it
