Am I the only one who actually calls her children by their given names, and not some creative short form of that name? Like, my daughter is [name_f]Audrey[/name_f], not Auddie, or [name_f]Addie[/name_f], or RiRi; and my son is [name_m]Ezra[/name_m], not Ez or Ezzy.
Sometimes I find nicknames to be a stretch. Like, if you name your daughter [name_f]Cleo[/name_f], or your son [name_m]Adam[/name_m].
Sometimes I don’t understand the obsession with needing to find a nickname. For a while I hesitated on actually wanting to use [name_m]Hamish[/name_m] in real life because there aren’t many nicknaming possibilities, but I then realised that nicknames aren’t totally necessary and [name_m]Hamish[/name_m] could just go by their full name just fine. There was a thread recently about a user worrying about there not being many good nicknames for [name_f]Ardith[/name_f] but all I thought was “well then don’t use a nickname”. Sure I understand that if a child doesn’t like their name then they have something to fall back on, and some names are so long that saying the full name would probably become a bit tedious (e.g [name_f]Maximiliana[/name_f] or Emerentianus). Where I live we don’t really do nicknames from first names, excluding common nicknames (e.g [name_u]Chris[/name_u] and [name_f]Liz[/name_f]). Usually if someone does have a nickname, it derives from their surname (especially if their surname is one syllable)- e.g [name_f]Breeze[/name_f] becomes Breezy, [name_m]Dunn[/name_m] becomes Dunny, [name_m]Dodds[/name_m] becomes Doddsy etc. We’re not the most creative when it comes to nicknaming. But these nicknames are only really among friends, as you obviously wouldn’t call your own child a nickname derived from their surname when they are most likely going to have the same surname as yours.
I wonder if the commonness of nicknames varies geographically in the English-speaking world? From my personal experience, it seems that Americans are more likely to want to use a nickname than Brits- but I’d love to hear other people’s views.
I’m also nowhere near kids, but my dad always calls me by my full name, as do most of my family. My mum, on the other hand, calls me a plethora of nns and pet names, as well as my full name. I like nns to arise naturally (if at all), so I think it can just depend on circumstance, the person doing the nicknaming, or even the name. I think it’s fine to have some in mind, when it comes to my own favourites, I enjoy the idea of maybe being able to use more names I love for one child, but I wouldn’t force it. I don’t really understand solely picking a first to get to a nn and then never using the full name.
@cchgi: I haven’t noticed if it is more of a US thing, but I wonder if it’s got something to do with nicknames as full names being more prevalent in the UK? I’m often surprised when people want longer options for names like [name_u]Kit[/name_u] or [name_m]Archie[/name_m], and usually assume it’s because they’re more popular here, so I’ve become accustomed to them.
@myosotis: I agree that we’re more used to nickname-names in the UK. I think that Americans are more likely to give a child the full name but then call them by a nickname, whereas in [name_m]Britain[/name_m] I see nickname names as full names more often. I’ve met many Alfies and Archies, but I’ve never actually met an [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] or [name_m]Archibald[/name_m]. I was actually surprised to discover the popularity of [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], [name_u]Sonny[/name_u] and [name_u]Connie[/name_u]!
Looking at the U.S popularity chart from 2017, there are 7 diminutives/short forms in the top 200 for boys ([name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_u]Jace[/name_u], [name_m]Jayce[/name_m], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Cole[/name_m], & [name_u]Alex[/name_u]), and 18 diminutives/short forms in the top 200 for girls ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Alexa[/name_f], [name_f]Norah[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Callie[/name_f], & [name_f]Gracie[/name_f])
In the [name_f]England[/name_f] & [name_m]Wales[/name_m] popularity chart from 2016, there are 32 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 200 ([name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], [name_m]Louie[/name_m], [name_u]Reggie[/name_u], [name_m]Tommy[/name_m], [name_u]Frankie[/name_u], [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], [name_u]Ronnie[/name_u], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Albie[/name_m], [name_u]Bobby[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_u]Sonny[/name_u], [name_u]Billy[/name_u], [name_m]Cole[/name_m], [name_u]Joey[/name_u], Ted, [name_m]Zac[/name_m], [name_m]Frank[/name_m], [name_m]Jax[/name_m], [name_u]Vinnie[/name_u], [name_u]Sam[/name_u], [name_u]Olly[/name_u] & [name_u]Robin[/name_u]), and 45 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 200 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Megan[/name_f], [name_u]Lexi[/name_u], [name_f]Robyn[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Lara[/name_f], [name_f]Mollie[/name_f], [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], [name_u]Frankie[/name_u], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Edie[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_u]Connie[/name_u], [name_f]Hallie[/name_f], [name_f]Marnie[/name_f], [name_f]Betsy[/name_f], [name_f]Nina[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Alexa[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_u]Penny[/name_u], [name_f]Maggie[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], & [name_f]Libby[/name_f])
Some people are desperate to a find a nickname for a name that has never had nicknames, like [name_m]Ezra[/name_m]. They’ll pull out every syllable and find any nickname they can stretch to fit. I don’t get it. Especially if it’s an already short name–sure, some short names have nicknames (e.g. I know about six different guys named [name_m]John[/name_m] who go by [name_m]Jack[/name_m]), but that’s due to its history. There’s also the difference between ‘this is what I call my child’ and ‘this is what my child calls themselves’–I don’t see a lot of these newly-invented nicknames being what the child goes by their whole life, unlike, say, [name_m]Bob[/name_m]/[name_m]Matt[/name_m]/[name_f]Liz[/name_f]/[name_u]Jess[/name_u] that the person introduces themselves as.
@ccghi, you forgot some: [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], and [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] for girls, and [name_m]Cole[/name_m] for boys.
Historically ‘Adkin’ and ‘Adcock’ were nicknames for [name_m]Adam[/name_m], but I’m not sure those would be the best revival nicknames! Also, isn’t [name_f]Cleo[/name_f] already a nickname? I only know one, spelt [name_f]Clio[/name_f], and her full name is Cliodna.
@greta-elizabeth, I was just trying to think of names that were already short, that people would try to find a nickname for.
I mean, sometimes nicknames just happen. My husband’s name is [name_m]Jason[/name_m], but his sister calls him [name_u]Jay[/name_u]. My cousin’s name is [name_u]Darren[/name_u], but we called him D. But it wasn’t something that was thought about, and they aren’t “known” by those names.
Oops, didn’t mean to pick on those names, but I agree that people will try to find nicknames for every short name there is.
I do know people with five-or-fewer letter names who go by nicknames, but like [name_m]Jack[/name_m], they’re mostly very long established nicknames, e.g. [name_m]Dave[/name_m], [name_m]Jim[/name_m], [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], and then [name_f]Masha[/name_f] for [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but she’s Russian and that’s the traditional nickname for the Russian form of [name_f]Mary[/name_f], and a [name_f]Luise[/name_f] who hates [name_f]Luise[/name_f] and goes by [name_f]Lulu[/name_f]. I’ve never met a [name_m]Jason[/name_m] who goes by [name_u]Jay[/name_u]…not that they’re not out there, but I don’t think it’s something to factor in like a nickname would be if you were naming your son, say, [name_m]Robert[/name_m] (unless you absolutely loathe [name_u]Jay[/name_u], I suppose)
On the other hand, there are people who absolutely LOATHE the idea of their child merely being called a nickname, and they try to find a nickname-proof name, which doesn’t exist.
Some nns are definitely a stretch. I generally don’t mind that, because I just like being a bit creative and seeing if I can get more names out of a first or combo. But I can see how they might not translate into real life; when I was younger I was baffled at [name_m]Jim[/name_m] coming from [name_u]James[/name_u] haha.
Yes! When I was younger I didn’t understand how to get [name_f]Peggy[/name_f] from [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. Part of the reason why I love the “Creative Nicknames” thread is because it’s so nice to receive unique ideas, and some stretch nns can be really cool (like [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] nn [name_f]Merry[/name_f] or [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] nn [name_f]Whimsy[/name_f]!) I think sometimes a stretch can be a good thing. I’d be disappointed to be lost in a sea of Ellies and Abbies.
I thought I’d continue my investigation to other English-speaking countries!
In the [name_f]Scotland[/name_f] popularity chart from 2016, there are 18 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_m]Cole[/name_m], [name_m]Ben[/name_m], [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], [name_u]Sam[/name_u], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Zac[/name_m], [name_u]Robbie[/name_u], & [name_m]Josh[/name_m]), and 22 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Robyn[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_u]Lexi[/name_u], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_u]Abbie[/name_u], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Megan[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], & [name_f]Heidi[/name_f]).
In the [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] popularity chart from 2015, there are 17 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], [name_m]Ben[/name_m], [name_m]Tom[/name_m], [name_u]Sam[/name_u], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_u]Bobby[/name_u], [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_m]Tommy[/name_m], [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], [name_u]Danny[/name_u], [name_u]Billy[/name_u], & [name_m]Josh[/name_m]), and 19 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Robyn[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_u]Abbie[/name_u], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_u]Lexi[/name_u], & [name_f]Lara[/name_f]). I’ve excluded traditional Irish diminutives (e.g [name_m]Odhran[/name_m] & [name_m]Senan[/name_m]).
In the Northern [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] popularity chart from 2015, there are 20 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], [name_m]Ben[/name_m], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_u]Bobby[/name_u], [name_u]Danny[/name_u], [name_m]Tom[/name_m], [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], [name_m]Tommy[/name_m], [name_m]Zach[/name_m], [name_m]Joe[/name_m], & [name_m]Josh[/name_m]), and 21 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Megan[/name_f], [name_u]Abbie[/name_u], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Robyn[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_u]Lexi[/name_u], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Cassie[/name_f], & [name_f]Lola[/name_f]).
In the [name_f]Canada[/name_f] (BC) popularity chart from 2015, there are 4 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Cole[/name_m], & [name_u]Jace[/name_u]), and 12 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Alexa[/name_f], [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Norah[/name_f], & [name_f]Tessa[/name_f]).
In the Australia (NSW) popularity chart from 2016, there are 8 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Nate[/name_m], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], & [name_u]Sonny[/name_u]), and 17 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_u]Frankie[/name_u], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Lara[/name_f], [name_u]Billie[/name_u], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], & [name_f]Lilly[/name_f]).
In the [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand chart from 2016, there are 8 diminutives/short forms for boys in the top 100 ([name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], & [name_u]Alex[/name_u]), and 19 diminutives/short forms for girls in the top 100 ([name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Indie[/name_f], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Nina[/name_f], [name_u]Frankie[/name_u], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Mollie[/name_f], [name_u]Billie[/name_u], & [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]).
Nicknames definitely have more popularity in the UK & [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] compared to the US and [name_f]Canada[/name_f]! It seems that [name_m]New[/name_m] South [name_m]Wales[/name_m] and [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand use around the same amount of nickname names for girls as UK countries, but they also use less that half the amount of boy nickname-names! I wonder why.
I guess there really is a desire in the UK to give a child a nickname-name on their birth certificate instead of a more “formal” name and then using a nickname in day-to-day life. I used to worry that these nickname-names may not be seen as professional enough, but I’m not bothered about that anymore because nicknames are now so commonplace, so they just seem normal.
I think it’s just preference. There are plenty of reasons why someone may seek out a name that offers nickname possibilities, such as never having a nickname of her own, or growing up in a family that nicknamed, or recognizing that nicknames may happen anyway and wanting to control it.
We chose formal names and “official” nicknames for them; we like that our kids have options depending on their personalities and where they’re at in life. I’d say we use the full name and nickname about half and half, or perhaps thirds when you count in pet names. Everyone still seems to know who they are
Personally, I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] nicknames. (I also don’t have children yet, only dogs and they all go by their full names. They all have cute pet-names, no pun intended, but they don’t respond to them much. Simply because we don’t use them often enough, so they aren’t trained to recognize it as their “name” too. I assume it’ll be the exact same for me with a child.)
Furthermore, there are some names that I absolutely love the name AND the nicknames. If I were to give a child one of these names, we would probably, about 90% of the time, solely call them by their nickname—at least until my child got older and asked me not to. For example, such as: [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] would go by [name_f]Ella[/name_f] or [name_f]Nora[/name_f], depending upon my child’s developing personality, or [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] would go by [name_u]Rori[/name_u] (fiancé likes [name_f]Aura[/name_f] as a nickname too; again, personality will be the leading sway in the final decision).
Although, nicknames are not the end-all, be-all for my name list. In fact, there’s plenty of names on my list which I love dearly, and if I were to name a child that, they would go by said full name. These names being: [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f], [name_m]Griffin[/name_m], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], and even [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] to say a few. I’ve always been madly in love with the name [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], but without any nicknames.
I saw one of these people in the wild today: someone who liked [name_f]Ada[/name_f], but wanted a long form. To me, [name_f]Ada[/name_f]'s a perfectly fine name all by itself, and it doesn’t end with an -ee sound, so it doesn’t sound like it might be a nickname of something (which is why people want long forms for [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] or [name_u]Rory[/name_u]).
ccghi, I think nicknames-as-full-names are something else that goes in and out of fashion. There’s been other name trends that the US was the last of the Anglophone countries to get into, e.g. [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], so I could see more nicknames winding up on the US charts soon. I’ve actually been making a spreadsheet of all the boys’ nicknames in top 100 lists for US states in 1960, and there’s a ton!
Especially in the South–here’s all the nicknames/diminutives from the Mississippi list: boys, 25: [name_u]Willie[/name_u], [name_m]Larry[/name_m], [name_u]Jerry[/name_u], [name_u]Terry[/name_u], [name_m]Johnny[/name_m], [name_u]Ricky[/name_u], [name_u]Billy[/name_u], [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m], [name_m]Eddie[/name_m], [name_m]Joe[/name_m], [name_u]Randy[/name_u], [name_u]Ronnie[/name_u], [name_m]Tommy[/name_m], [name_u]Tony[/name_u], [name_m]Frank[/name_m], [name_m]Mike[/name_m], [name_m]Jimmie[/name_m], [name_m]Steve[/name_m], [name_m]Rickey[/name_m], [name_u]Johnnie[/name_u], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Ray[/name_u], [name_m]Donnie[/name_m], [name_m]Tim[/name_m], and [name_m]Tommie[/name_m], and girls, 26: [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], [name_f]Betty[/name_f], [name_f]Kathy[/name_f], [name_f]Debbie[/name_f], [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Janet[/name_f], [name_f]Tammy[/name_f], [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], [name_f]Cindy[/name_f], [name_f]Judy[/name_f], [name_u]Bobbie[/name_u], [name_u]Connie[/name_u], [name_f]Anita[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_u]Robin[/name_u], [name_f]Cathy[/name_f], [name_f]Tina[/name_f], [name_f]Vickie[/name_f], [name_f]Peggy[/name_f], [name_f]Rita[/name_f], [name_u]Willie[/name_u], [name_u]Jo[/name_u], [name_u]Kim[/name_u], [name_f]Terri[/name_f], [name_f]Vicki[/name_f], and [name_f]Lillie[/name_f]. (Plus the feels-like-a-nickname-but-isn’t of [name_u]Jessie[/name_u] for boys and [name_f]Sherry[/name_f] and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] for girls). I don’t think there were quite so many on the national top 100, but still a lot–that was the US’s last big nicknames-as-full-names era.
(And the Mississippi 2017 list: boys, 4: [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_u]Jace[/name_u], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], and [name_m]Jayce[/name_m], and girls, 8: [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], and [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], and I realize some of those are stretching it. I’d add [name_u]Chase[/name_u] to the feels-like-a-nickname group, since it’s used for [name_m]Charles[/name_m] sometimes.)
As someone from a 1960s cohort in the northeastern US, I’d say that the majority of people my age had a formal name & nickname that was used all the time. No one was called [name_m]Robert[/name_m], or [name_m]William[/name_m], or [name_m]Matthew[/name_m], or [name_m]David[/name_m], or [name_m]Timothy[/name_m], or [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], or [name_m]Victor[/name_m]…it was always [name_m]Bob[/name_m] (rarely [name_m]Rob[/name_m]), [name_m]Bill[/name_m] (never [name_m]Will[/name_m]), [name_m]Matt[/name_m], [name_m]Dave[/name_m], [name_m]Tim[/name_m], [name_m]Tom[/name_m], or [name_u]Vic[/name_u]. For girls [name_f]Theresa[/name_f] was [name_f]Terri[/name_f]/[name_u]Terry[/name_u], [name_f]Deborah[/name_f]/[name_f]Debra[/name_f] was [name_f]Deb[/name_f]/[name_f]Debbie[/name_f], [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] was [name_u]Pat[/name_u], [name_f]Christine[/name_f] was [name_u]Chris[/name_u], etc. The only person I can think of from my high school class of about 200 who was named a nickname-name was my best friend [name_f]Vicki[/name_f] [name_u]Jo[/name_u].
Today it’s much more likely (again, at least in the northeastern US) that children are called by their formal name rather than a nickname…or at least it was when my 20-year-old daughter was growing up. Her friend [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] was always [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]; the Isabelles/Isabellas were all full-name w/only one exception; Carolyns & Carolines weren’t [name_u]Caro[/name_u], or [name_f]Carol[/name_f], or [name_f]Cari[/name_f]; Elizabeths were all full-name w/only one exception ([name_f]Libby[/name_f]); [name_m]Julias[/name_m] are never Julies…the two names that did almost w/o exception get nicknames were [name_u]Madison[/name_u] & [name_f]Madalyn[/name_f] (all spellings of both names became [name_f]Maddie[/name_f]/[name_f]Maddy[/name_f]), & I’m quite curious why.
I’m also 20 from the northeastern US, and while I agree that it’s less likely to have a nickname, I still know lots of people with nicknames–nearly every [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] I know, and I know lots, goes by [name_f]Liz[/name_f], and plenty of Katies and Abbies. (I’m also surprised you’d think a [name_f]Julia[/name_f] would go by [name_u]Julie[/name_u]–I don’t see [name_u]Julie[/name_u] as a nickname for [name_f]Julia[/name_f] at all.)
But yes, [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] is ubiquitous. I know someone whose given name is [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] that goes by [name_f]Maddie[/name_f], and no I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s a longer name? Same for guys’ names: I know guys who go by [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]David[/name_m], and [name_u]Michael[/name_u], but never a [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] or an [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] who goes by his full name.
I think it’s as individual as individuals. When I was a kid in the 60’s and 70’s most kids were named [name_u]James[/name_u] or [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] or whatever and mostly called [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] and [name_f]Missy[/name_f].
Such formal names/nicknames were about 50/50 when I first started teaching in the late 80’s, but before long every [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] was a [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] and every [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f] was a [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f].
Lately it still seems to be the “only call my daughter [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]” thing, except for some who are giving their children names like [name_f]Millie[/name_f] or [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] as formal names.
Frankly, I’m not keen on any of those trends. I do strongly favor a full more formal name in most cases (my individual taste) but the option of choosing or being given a nickname is simply always there. The notion that a parent can control if their [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] eventually morphs into [name_f]Liz[/name_f] or [name_f]Bessie[/name_f] or [name_f]Tibby[/name_f] is nonsense. We can hardly follow our kid to college or the military or the office or the bedroom and chew out anyone who calls her [name_f]Liza[/name_f].
That said, if my [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] had gotten to be born, I would have hated if people called her [name_u]Cory[/name_u] or [name_f]Cordy[/name_f]. It gives me gooseflesh!
I am a [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], who goes by [name_f]Jenni[/name_f], and whose family calls her [name_f]Jen[/name_f].
I guess nicknames just bother me more when there seems to be no correlation to the formal name. Like [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] for [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f].
I assume her middle name is [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]/[name_f]Madeline[/name_f]/[name_u]Madison[/name_u], but honestly I find calling your kid by their middle name even more silly. If you want them to be , put on the birth certificate, or at least a reasonable longer version.