i’m curious to hear your thoughts on the nickname “cal” –
my husband and i know the sweetest 1 year old named cal (it’s someone we know very casually, so it wouldn’t be an issue if we were to use this name as well).
we like this name a lot, especially for a young kiddo. i’m not sure, though, how i think it might fit for an adult or in a more professional setting (i tend to prefer longer names, and my husband loves nickname-y names).
what are your thoughts on cal as a nickname for michael? for context, michael is a family name, but to be honest, i don’t like it. i have negative associations with it, and i also don’t prefer the sound. but i’m wondering about michael nn “cal” and if that is something i could get on board with.
would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions; thanks in advance xx
[name_m]Cal[/name_m] is lovely! It feels friendly and relaxed, and in my opinion it works really well on any age and any profession, especially with short names being rather on-trend at the moment!
I guess it could work for [name_m]Michael[/name_m]! I wouldn’t be shocked to hear that a Cal’s full name was [name_m]Michael[/name_m] – surprised, but not in a bad way. That said, if you dislike the name [name_m]Michael[/name_m] I wouldn’t do it. Your [name_m]Cal[/name_m] may grow up and decide he wants to go by [name_m]Michael[/name_m] instead of his nickname, which could put you in an awkward position if you have negative associations with the name and don’t enjoy how it sounds.
Some other full names for [name_m]Cal[/name_m] could be: [name_m]Calvin[/name_m], [name_m]Callum[/name_m], [name_m]Calder[/name_m], [name_m]Callahan[/name_m], [name_m]Callan[/name_m] or [name_m]Pascal[/name_m] (but to be honest, I love it on its own!)
I love [name_m]Cal[/name_m]! It’s cool yet approachable with a relaxed, boyish charm.
That said, I don’t really think it works as a nickname for [name_m]Michael[/name_m], nor would I recommend it if you don’t like [name_m]Michael[/name_m].
The previous poster has given lots of good suggestions for full names, but I also think it works on its own! I know a teenage “just Cal” who wears it really well.
[name_m]Cal[/name_m] feels cute yet handsome & ages well which is a bonus.
I could see it working as a nn for [name_m]Michael[/name_m]. It’s not the first name I would think is the official name for a [name_m]Cal[/name_m] but I wouldn’t be too shocked by it either. In fact I think I actually prefer it over [name_m]Mike[/name_m], [name_m]Mikey[/name_m], [name_m]Mickey[/name_m] & [name_m]Mica[/name_m]
If I ever had another boy, [name_m]Cal[/name_m] (just Cal) would be his name. I adore it. I also like [name_m]Callum[/name_m].
I do think you can use [name_m]Cal[/name_m] as a nickname for [name_m]Michael[/name_m]. All the letters are there. Obviously, it’ll take some explaining in some situations, but it’s not much different from the guys who are “the thirds” in their families and have to say, “but I go by [name_m]Trey[/name_m] or Tripp”.
[name_m]Cal[/name_m] is an interesting nickname for [name_m]Michael[/name_m]. It’s unexpected and cool. I believe it would work. However, if you don’t like [name_m]Michael[/name_m], I would eliminate that first name from your list. [name_m]Cal[/name_m] stands on its own and there is no need to associate [name_m]Cal[/name_m] with a name that you dislike. This is your baby, you have to be in love with his name. That aspect is much more important that any family tradition. One day, you will be asked about the name you chose for your son and you will want to feel joy and pride about that decision.
That being said, [name_m]Cal[/name_m] is a great idea for a boy. It’s gentle and charming. It will suit an adult, I’m sure. There are so many adults out there that go by [name_m]Joe[/name_m], [name_m]Nicky[/name_m], [name_m]Luke[/name_m], [name_m]Ed[/name_m], [name_m]Bobby[/name_m], [name_m]Pete[/name_m], [name_m]Ollie[/name_m], [name_m]Gus[/name_m], [name_m]Barney[/name_m], [name_m]Theo[/name_m] and [name_m]Harry[/name_m]. Why not [name_m]Cal[/name_m]?
In fact, [name_m]Cal[/name_m] reminds me of another great C name that is considered a nickname but works perfectly on its own: [name_m]Cy[/name_m].
As a full name for [name_m]Cal[/name_m], I love [name_m]Callum[/name_m].
You can also consider:
[name_m]Caleb[/name_m]
[name_f]Callisto[/name_f]
[name_m]Caelan[/name_m]
[name_m]Calloway[/name_m]
[name_m]Camillo[/name_m]
[name_f]Campbell[/name_f]
[name_m]Carl[/name_m]
[name_m]Cassiel[/name_m]
[name_m]Clark[/name_m]
[name_m]Carlisle[/name_m]
[name_m]Cillian[/name_m]
[name_m]Clancy[/name_m]
[name_f]Carmel[/name_f]
[name_m]Castiel[/name_m]
[name_m]Clarence[/name_m]
I adore [name_m]Cal[/name_m]! It’s one of the top names on my list. I honestly think it would sound good on any person, regardless of their age and profession. With more kiddos having more nickname names these days, he’d fit right in. [name_m]Cal[/name_m] could work for [name_m]Michael[/name_m] (I know of a [name_m]Michael[/name_m] who goes by Cale), but if you don’t love [name_m]Michael[/name_m], I wouldn’t force it. You don’t know what he’d prefer to be called, so I would name him the name you love and call him the name you love.
I do love some of the other fuller names for [name_m]Cal[/name_m], but [name_m]Cal[/name_m] works just as well on it’s own. I don’t think I’d be able to choose a fuller name because I love them all, such as Callaan, [name_m]Callen[/name_m], [name_m]Callum[/name_m], [name_m]Calvin[/name_m] and [name_m]Calloway[/name_m].
I think [name_m]Cal[/name_m] is cool and that it could easily fit into a work place!
[name_m]Michael[/name_m] ‘Cal’ could work too, but if you have negative associations with [name_m]Michael[/name_m], I’d skip it and go for something else? That’s just me though - if you want to use [name_m]Michael[/name_m] but feel more comfortable with [name_m]Cal[/name_m] day-to-day, it’s a good compromise?
Maybe a stretch but [name_m]Malachi[/name_m] ‘Cal’ - a nod to [name_m]Michael[/name_m] from the sounds, and the letters of [name_m]Cal[/name_m]? (Malachi)
[name_m]Michael[/name_m] nn [name_m]Cal[/name_m] is so unexpected, but very cool. I think it works just fine.
That said, I hope you don’t feel pressured to use a name that makes you uncomfortable, you deserve to not be haunted by a negative association hanging over the name (I have one too).
Are there any other family names you’d like to use, or would you like ideas for full names for [name_m]Cal[/name_m]?
I’m a big fan of [name_m]Cal[/name_m]! He’s super cool. I’m not a huge fan of [name_m]Michael[/name_m] either but [name_m]Cal[/name_m] could work for him! [name_f]My[/name_f] personal preference would be something like [name_m]Calloway[/name_m] [name_m]Micah[/name_m] “Cal” or [name_m]Callan[/name_m] [name_m]Micah[/name_m] “Cal” to honor a [name_m]Michael[/name_m]. I wouldn’t want to use [name_m]Cal[/name_m] as a standalone, though… I would use [name_m]Callan[/name_m], [name_m]Calloway[/name_m], or [name_m]Calvin[/name_m] personally (although [name_m]Callum[/name_m], [name_m]Callahan[/name_m], [name_m]Calix[/name_m], etc., are cool too!).
thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions!
this is super helpful. i tend to agree - you only get to pick so many names, so why choose those that you don’t like : ) if we went with michael, this child would be a ‘third,’ so that is why i am thinking about if the sentimental value of that is important for us + if there’s a nickname that might be usable.
funny enough, my husband doesn’t really like michael either. so perhaps we will go with something completely different. : )
he also really likes the name ‘kai’ - i wonder if kai could also be an unexpected nickname for michael. i prefer cal to kai, however.
for girls, we’ve got names like rosalie and eleanor on our list. cal and kai are a bit of a contrast to those in terms of length in my opinion.
