I’m just wondering what the general consensus of nicknames as full names is. Personally, I don’t like it, but I might be warming up to a select few. I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], but have tried to like [name_m]Charles[/name_m] and have failed. Same goes for [name_u]Theo[/name_u] ([name_m]Theodore[/name_m]). I wouldn’t be against using [name_m]Charles[/name_m] or [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] in the middle somewhere, but I don’t think I’m against using either [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or [name_u]Theo[/name_u] in the middle either anymore. So, what’s your general opinion?
I like a lot of nicknames as first names, like
girls
[name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Emme[/name_f], [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], and [name_u]Sammie[/name_u]
boys
[name_m]Ace[/name_m], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Colt[/name_m], [name_m]Eli[/name_m], [name_u]Gray[/name_u], [name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Max[/name_u], and [name_m]Ty[/name_m]
I do not like a lot of those full names.
I don’t mind nicknames as full names, its perfectly okay. Why choose the full name instead of the nickname if you don’t like it?
I agree with [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. In my signature I have that I love nicknames as full names.
I remember when the birth of [name_f]Anna[/name_f] Paquin and [name_m]Stephan[/name_m] Moyer’s twins everyone seemed to think that [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] were too nicknamey. [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] is an actual name people.
I don’t see the point of naming your son [name_m]Archibald[/name_m] when all you want is [name_m]Archie[/name_m].
I love the nickname [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] too, but couldn’t use [name_m]Charles[/name_m] because I dated someone with that name. He was only ever called [name_m]Chuckie[/name_m] and it always shocked me when I remembered his name was actually [name_m]Charles[/name_m] (when I hear the name [name_m]Charles[/name_m], Ingalls comes to mind) but I still couldn’t use it. I really love the (nick)name [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] though. I probably still won’t use it though. However, I don’t much like the name [name_m]Charles[/name_m] anyway, and would probably use [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] on it’s own even if I’d never dated someone named [name_m]Charles[/name_m].
Back to the point, I think nicknames as names are usually fine. If you like the nickname better than the name, use the nickname.
It all depends on the name. I prefer giving versatile names with many options… your son may really be more of a [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] than a [name_u]Theo[/name_u] but only [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] allows the option of being with either. Likewise with [name_m]Charles[/name_m]… A [name_m]Charles[/name_m] can be [name_m]Charles[/name_m]! [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or [name_m]Chuck[/name_m] while [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] can only be [name_u]Charlie[/name_u].
However, if you are talking about middle names, the thing that matters is a a good flow with the first and last name so depending of those names [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or [name_u]Theo[/name_u] may sound much better than [name_m]Charles[/name_m] or [name_m]Theodore[/name_m].
I really dislike nicknames as a full name in 99% of cases.
I think it lacks formality and gravitas.
I love a lot of nicknames. Birdie is adorable, but it takes a certain personality/career to mesh well with Birdie as an adult. Not ideal for a lot of women, and not ideal for a lot of careers even if she’s Birdie off-the-clock.
And nicknames go in and out. I don’t understand having a chance to use a perfectly evergreen name like C/Katherine but choosing to go for one of the nicks instead. The name itself is always around but the nickname of the moment varies - Kathy is in mom territory now, and Cate is fresh. It will go the other way, too. I very much like Kate/Cat/Kitty but I see no real reason to lock my daughter into one. She might be one at 5, another at 15, and a third at 50. It’s ok.
I just like the flexibility. I didn’t have a nickname growing up, I do now.
If I really truly HATED the long form of a nickname I liked, I would look for other plausible long forms.
Maybe it’s a matter of what nicknames you like? I like Lilibeth, Kitty, Pepper, Polly, Minnie, Gen/Jenny, Susie, Betty / Ike, Zach, Zeke, Cai, Hank, Ace, Jet… I don’t have any particular desire to use any of those as formal names. Too cute.
The only exceptions I can think of to my “no nicknames” thing I can think of at the moment are Molly and Mae. Molly feels a bit more capable of standing alone than Polly or Dolly.
I like it. I never understood why anyone would name a child the full version name when they’re already anticipating calling them by the nickname.
All the kids on my dad’s side were named by the nickname and not the full name ([name_m]Brad[/name_m], [name_m]John[/name_m], [name_f]Vicki[/name_f], [name_u]Angie[/name_u])
I like the idea of a nickname as a first name. My family is big into nn- I’m a [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f], my brother is an [name_m]Eddie[/name_m]- Father a [name_u]Tony[/name_u]. I am called [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] so much- that at times I feel [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] doesn’t fit me, my brother feels the same way about [name_m]Edward[/name_m].
I see both sides of the coin. My parents operated on the belief “name the kid what you’re going to call them.” I think that makes sense, so I don’t mind nn as first names. Why name the kid something you’re never going to call them, and in some cases, hate it if they do get called by their proper name?
There is, however, a place to draw the line. Things like [name_f]Cassie[/name_f] and [name_f]Millie[/name_f] might be okay, but something like [name_u]Pepper[/name_u] or [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] might hurt a potential world-famous lawyer or scientist. At the very least, it just wouldn’t fit. So the nn has to be carefully considered.
Also, I think it’s a lot less awkward to say, “My name is [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but I go by [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]” than to say, “My name’s [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f]…no, not [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], just [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f].” I’ve never had to say either, but in meeting people, I find I don’t want to ask if their full name is [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], I just sort of assume that it is. I’d rather ask if they go by any nicknames.
So…in short, I’m mixed on this issue 
I’m a huge nickname fan, in that my children will probably have several nicknames for their full name depending on what mood they’re (or I’m!) in, but I have broken the “must-be-nicknameable” rule for [name_u]Kit[/name_u]. I’m slowly coming around to [name_m]Christian[/name_m], but I’m not sure. So we’ll see. This hasn’t been a very helpful answer, but what I’m trying to get at is that nicknames that fit a person in all stages of their life (like [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or [name_u]Theo[/name_u], I think) are usually perfectly acceptable to me, if that makes sense?
I agree with the others about the full name giving more options to the future child/teen/adult than the nickname does. Because while you might love [name_m]Dave[/name_m], just [name_m]Dave[/name_m], your son might prefer to be [name_m]David[/name_m] - or at least to have the option of [name_m]David[/name_m] on his future business cards, diplomas or wedding invitations.
I am a huge fan of giving the formal name even if you plan to use the nickname – perhaps exclusively. When my nephew and his wife chose [name_u]Penny[/name_u] [name_f]Fae[/name_f] (which is flat out adorable), I lobbied for [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_f]Faith[/name_f]. Why would anyone pass up a two-fer? Two (or more!) name for the price of one? I think it gives the child options. When she hits that stage in high school where she wants to change her name (and who hasn’t been there?), [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] has so many options! And she can be your darling [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] all her days but still have [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] to put on that application to [name_u]Yale[/name_u] law school or on her desk when she becomes CEO.
I try to respect, however, that many contemporary parents like to give nicknames – and I can think of a few exceptions to my own rule – I love [name_f]Maisy[/name_f] and can understand not wanting something as formal as [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] as a road there. I love [name_m]Ned[/name_m] – but not [name_m]Edward[/name_m] or [name_m]Edmond[/name_m] or any other [name_m]Ed[/name_m]. The relationship between [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]John[/name_m] has always puzzled me anyway, so if you know you will never never never want to call your child by the that extremely common throughout history name – [name_m]John[/name_m] – I think I might consider giving just [name_m]Jack[/name_m].