What are your opinions on nicknames as first names?
I was having a conversation with a coworker who is naming her daughter [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. We discuss names quite frequently as she’s been deciding on her own baby’s name, and today I asked why she decided on “just” [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] or [name_u]Madison[/name_u].
Her answer was, “Well, she’ll just end up as [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] anyway, so it just makes sense.”
I didn’t push it further knowing quite well she wouldn’t change her mind and that to her it really does make sense.
It makes no sense to me, as a name like [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] could be [name_f]Maddie[/name_f], [name_f]Addie[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f], [name_f]Leni[/name_f], [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Linna[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]… and [name_u]Madison[/name_u] is more limited but it’s at least a full name.
I have a name that is extremely limited when it comes to nn potential so people have always assumed [name_f]Mary[/name_f] was a nn for something ([name_f]Marianne[/name_f], [name_f]Mariam[/name_f], [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f], etc.) As if one of the most popular girl names in US history must be short for something. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to grow up as [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] when there were close to 25,000 girls born with Mad- names in 2015 and it is actually a nn and not a full name (unlike [name_f]Mary[/name_f].)
[name_m]Just[/name_m] curious what other people’s thoughts are.
I wouldn’t want to be a grown up [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] - [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] looks much nicer on a resume. Though I suppose she will fit in with [name_u]Kayden[/name_u] and [name_f]Ryleigh[/name_f]. It seems very juvenile to me, as in cute on the baby but not so much as a woman. She could very well prefer [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] over [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] as well. I prefer my full name to the typical nn it gets.
I would also prefer to be [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] nn [name_f]Maddie[/name_f]. [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] looks more professional and I like all of the nicknames options, like you mentioned. I totally agree with you.
@ziggy2112: Agreed. I do know a woman named [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] who takes a bit of pride in not being [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_f]Magdalen[/name_f] and just being [name_f]Maggie[/name_f]. So it will be interesting to see a generation of adults with cutesy names.
My son has a nn name. I didn’t like (and couldn’t spell!) the full name and he has a long middle and double surname - so 1 syllable seemed much better than 3.
I am sure the child could always go by the longer version if she wanted to anyway.
I think nn as a fn are a case by case thing, but for the most part I think they are fine.
Naming your child what you will call them (which is likely what they will go by as adults) makes sense.
I can see the appeal of having a longer ‘full’ name ofc (more options for the future is what it boils down to), but plenty of kids are named [name_u]Tony[/name_u], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_f]Katie[/name_f], [name_f]Liz[/name_f], or [name_f]Gwen[/name_f].
It’s just different styles.
I’m a bit torn on this subject, I think it depends on the name and the reason you want to use a nn name instead of the full version. My son is called [name_u]Toby[/name_u], which is usually a nn for [name_m]Tobias[/name_m], but neither hubby or I like [name_m]Tobias[/name_m], but absolutely love [name_u]Toby[/name_u]. I’ve not had a single person question if [name_u]Toby[/name_u] is short for anything.
I agree that her reason seems a bit off though, if she was [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] it might not always get shortened, I grew up with a [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and sure she was [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] sometimes, but not always. If her reason was that she absolutely loved [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] but couldn’t fall in love with any of the full versions then it would make more sense.
It depends on the name. Typically, I think you should name the child what it will be called. Why choose a name you never intend to use? It’s a pet peeve since I was never called my given name. If she is going to call her baby [name_f]Maddie[/name_f], I think it’s fine not to use a longer form. It’s not my kind of name, but I see nothing wrong with it.
I see the value of having a more “mature” or “professional” name to fall back on. But…plenty of common given names were once diminutives. My name is one of those (and some people still use it as a nickname). A long time ago, some parents made the decision to use my name as a full given name for their daughters, and now it’s widely accepted. Perhaps [name_f]Maddie[/name_f]'s parents are ahead of the curve, and [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] will eventually become a common given name that no one considers juvenile or unprofessional.
At the same time, [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] and her parents should be prepared for assumptions. Though very few people question whether my name is short for something, my mother (who also has a long-established nickname-name) is frequently called the wrong name.
I agree with most that having a “full” name is preferred. It’s quite presumptuous to assume that your child will want to go by their nickname for the rest of their life.
I think [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] is a great name without being short for anything. There is so much diversity in baby names that I don’t think most “rules” apply anymore. In a world where [name_u]Blu[/name_u] [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] can be a name, I hardly think [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] is an issue. (Not that there is anything wrong with [name_u]Blu[/name_u] [name_f]Ivy[/name_f].) Lots of names like [name_f]Hailey[/name_f],[name_u]Cody[/name_u], [name_u]Colby[/name_u], etc., end with the ie sound but aren’t cutesy nicknames.
Why have a name that no one will ever call you that is just to put on paperwork? You have to explain to everyone that, yes, that is your name but you go by whatever nickname.
Traditional formal choices like [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] shortened to traditional nicknames like [name_f]Cate[/name_f] are just fine, but in my opinion so are shorter versions like [name_f]Maddie[/name_f].
If [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] is the name on her birth certificate, it isn’t a nickname. It’s a full name. Quite frankly, I’m tired of the prejudice against “nicknames as first names.” Claiming that a child needs a “professional” name like [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] or [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] or [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] so that she’ll be “taken seriously” reeks of classism. Nobody seems to have this issue with names like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] or [name_f]Molly[/name_f].
My preference is to use names that are unlikely to morph into nicknames. I don’t really like nicknames.
I also think that what you name the child should be what you call it. So if you really want her to go by [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] then I agree with using that as the name. My own preference would be to call her either [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] or [name_f]Greta[/name_f] or [name_f]Margo[/name_f] etc. and have her go by the legal given name.
I don’t like NN as full names. Partly because I prefer long names, but mostly because you are limiting your child. A full name gives the options of multiple NNs and shorter names, from which they can chose when they are older. If you give them the NN as their legal name, they are stuck with it.
My other thoguht is - what about professionalism. In the example you gave, it would be much nicer for her, when an adult, to walk into a meeting an introduce herself as [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] rather than [name_f]Maddie[/name_f]. NN as full names can sound to “chill” on adults.
My name is [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f], and while I have been called every derivative possible, I have loved having my name to fall back on, especially when I began working as an adult in a professional environment but hey each to their own I guess.
I do want to touch on the accusation of classism. I don’t think someone disliking the use of nicknames as legal names has anything to do with some sort of social prejudice. [name_m]Mark[/name_m] Zuckerberg’s daughter is named [name_u]Max[/name_u]. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I like it? No. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I think it would be better to use [name_u]Max[/name_u] as a nickname for something? Absolutely. [name_f]Do[/name_f] I think I’m somehow socially superior to him because of it? Obviously not.
It’s just not my style, and there are so many historically rich names out there that choosing “just” [name_u]Max[/name_u]/[name_f]Maddie[/name_f]/[name_f]Kate[/name_f]/[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]/etc. bores me to tears, which is okay because it’s not my child, but I can have an opinion without it being considered discriminatory.
I stand by my original thought, that I would dislike being named a nickname and I think it’s limiting.
I like [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] and I understand her thoughts. I like [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], but I’m not a fan of [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], so I would not give my kid a name that I don’t like just to use the nickname I love. I don’t think it looks less serious/more professional or anything like that. [name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_u]Theo[/name_u], [name_u]Sasha[/name_u], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_u]Sam[/name_u], [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_u]Max[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_m]Milo[/name_m]/[name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_m]Eli[/name_m], are common and they are nicknames. In [name_f]France[/name_f] we also have a looot of [name_m]Lenny[/name_m] (super common for boys), [name_f]Emmy[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f] & cie. I have never heard people saying that they are not names but nicknames, never.
@Maryelise: Her name is actually [name_f]Maxima[/name_f] @Souther.[name_f]Maple[/name_f]: Completely agree with you.
Re. The classism comment - I do find names like [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_m]Steve[/name_m], [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_u]Sam[/name_u], etc. juvenile or unfinished. It’s not a new phenomena, however I do recognize that there are many different styles, I won’t claim to assume my style is the “best.” But yes, I personally would choose [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] over [name_u]Sam[/name_u].
